door and turned back to Austin. "You mind if I close the door?"
Austin shook his head. "No, man, it's cool."
"Thanks. Curt does this every night."
"That's Curt across the hall?"
Stetson nodded and sat at the laptop. "Curt Osby. He's a jock. He won't last at this school if he plays games every night."
"Yeah, I was looking at my schedule. Seems tough."
Stetson shrugged. "It's not too bad if you study. The PT is the toughest."
"PT?"
"Physical Training. It's worse than PE back in school."
"Where you from?"
"Nashville. You?"
"Atlanta."
"Oh." Stetson turned back to his computer.
Flipping through the welcome packet, Austin paused on the letter from President Pierce. The professional profile photo showed Pierce in front of the blue Tizona symbol. "What's the deal with our school president?"
"He hasn't said much that didn't sound like a sales pitch, honestly. He really likes the Tizona."
"What? The school?"
"The Tizona. It's the name of the sword you see everywhere."
"Ah, right." Austin nodded. He studied the school map and found all of his classes except for astronomy and physical training took place in the Terminus Building. "Any advice for my first day?"
"Don't be late," Stetson said without delay, "and be quiet."
"Fair enough," Austin said with a sigh. He noticed a familiar load screen on Stetson's computer. "You play Star Runners online?"
Stetson shifted in his seat. "Yes. Will it bother you?"
"Not at all. I love that game. I'll miss it."
Stetson grinned. "You can play when you want. I'm really glad you like this game. I can give you some tips. I've been playing on the elite server."
Austin returned the smile. "I'd like that."
CHAPTER NINE
Austin pounded the steel spoon on the plate, knocking off mashed potatoes thick as rubber cement. He continued down the line. The mess hall slowly rumbled to life as more students arrived for lunch.
The first day of classes overwhelmed him. His head pounded and his back ached from the tiny desk chairs lining each room of Terminus. He collapsed like a sack of dirty laundry into his seat at the nearest table. Staring into the potatoes mixing with the juice of the green beans, he thought of the dozens of projects with due dates and upcoming tests.
"Mind if I sit?"
Austin's eyes widened. The girl with the blond hair from yesterday stood over him, a soft expression on her face. "No. I mean yes, of course."
Laughing, she sat at the table and retied her pony tail. She grinned and started at her salad. "I'm Skylar Kincaid."
"Austin Stone."
"I know."
Austin blinked. "You know?"
"Everybody knows. You were the last student recruited."
"So?"
Skylar played with the straw in her water and nibbled on the end. "So people are wondering why you were added at the last minute?"
"Don't people have other things to worry about?"
"Yeah, but people still talk."
"They sent you over here to spy on me."
"No, I wanted to come over."
Austin took a bite of the mashed potatoes and watched Skylar poking at her salad. "Well, what are people saying?"
"Some say you come from a rich family and they bought your way in. Others say you’re part of a charity program."
Austin winced. That last 'rumor' was probably more of the truth. "It doesn't matter. I'm here now."
"Oh, so you're the mysterious type. Fair enough." She sipped on her water and looked at another table, a rebellious strand of golden hair falling on her shoulder. "How are your classes?"
“Tough. You?"
"It hasn't been easy and we haven't even made it a week." She shrugged. "I have a pretty tough astronomy class at two."
Austin's raised his shoulders. "I'm in that class, too. Maybe I’ll see you there.”
She eyed him. "Maybe."
They ate in silence for a moment.
"Do you like running?"
Austin frowned. "Do I like running? I wouldn't say I like it. Why?"
"I ran track back home. I love it."
"Well, I do like running sometimes. I played baseball back home."
"We can run together this afternoon if you want, you know, during
Austin shook his head. "No, man, it's cool."
"Thanks. Curt does this every night."
"That's Curt across the hall?"
Stetson nodded and sat at the laptop. "Curt Osby. He's a jock. He won't last at this school if he plays games every night."
"Yeah, I was looking at my schedule. Seems tough."
Stetson shrugged. "It's not too bad if you study. The PT is the toughest."
"PT?"
"Physical Training. It's worse than PE back in school."
"Where you from?"
"Nashville. You?"
"Atlanta."
"Oh." Stetson turned back to his computer.
Flipping through the welcome packet, Austin paused on the letter from President Pierce. The professional profile photo showed Pierce in front of the blue Tizona symbol. "What's the deal with our school president?"
"He hasn't said much that didn't sound like a sales pitch, honestly. He really likes the Tizona."
"What? The school?"
"The Tizona. It's the name of the sword you see everywhere."
"Ah, right." Austin nodded. He studied the school map and found all of his classes except for astronomy and physical training took place in the Terminus Building. "Any advice for my first day?"
"Don't be late," Stetson said without delay, "and be quiet."
"Fair enough," Austin said with a sigh. He noticed a familiar load screen on Stetson's computer. "You play Star Runners online?"
Stetson shifted in his seat. "Yes. Will it bother you?"
"Not at all. I love that game. I'll miss it."
Stetson grinned. "You can play when you want. I'm really glad you like this game. I can give you some tips. I've been playing on the elite server."
Austin returned the smile. "I'd like that."
CHAPTER NINE
Austin pounded the steel spoon on the plate, knocking off mashed potatoes thick as rubber cement. He continued down the line. The mess hall slowly rumbled to life as more students arrived for lunch.
The first day of classes overwhelmed him. His head pounded and his back ached from the tiny desk chairs lining each room of Terminus. He collapsed like a sack of dirty laundry into his seat at the nearest table. Staring into the potatoes mixing with the juice of the green beans, he thought of the dozens of projects with due dates and upcoming tests.
"Mind if I sit?"
Austin's eyes widened. The girl with the blond hair from yesterday stood over him, a soft expression on her face. "No. I mean yes, of course."
Laughing, she sat at the table and retied her pony tail. She grinned and started at her salad. "I'm Skylar Kincaid."
"Austin Stone."
"I know."
Austin blinked. "You know?"
"Everybody knows. You were the last student recruited."
"So?"
Skylar played with the straw in her water and nibbled on the end. "So people are wondering why you were added at the last minute?"
"Don't people have other things to worry about?"
"Yeah, but people still talk."
"They sent you over here to spy on me."
"No, I wanted to come over."
Austin took a bite of the mashed potatoes and watched Skylar poking at her salad. "Well, what are people saying?"
"Some say you come from a rich family and they bought your way in. Others say you’re part of a charity program."
Austin winced. That last 'rumor' was probably more of the truth. "It doesn't matter. I'm here now."
"Oh, so you're the mysterious type. Fair enough." She sipped on her water and looked at another table, a rebellious strand of golden hair falling on her shoulder. "How are your classes?"
“Tough. You?"
"It hasn't been easy and we haven't even made it a week." She shrugged. "I have a pretty tough astronomy class at two."
Austin's raised his shoulders. "I'm in that class, too. Maybe I’ll see you there.”
She eyed him. "Maybe."
They ate in silence for a moment.
"Do you like running?"
Austin frowned. "Do I like running? I wouldn't say I like it. Why?"
"I ran track back home. I love it."
"Well, I do like running sometimes. I played baseball back home."
"We can run together this afternoon if you want, you know, during
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