Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 21

Jeez. This woman.

I look back and see Brittany staring towards the board. She gives me a glance and rolls her eyes. I roll my eyes right back at her and face forward. I won't be thanking her anytime soon. More like ever.

For the rest of class we explore different chemicals and their interesting uses. I guess it's like real world application day or something because we're learning some pretty crazy things, from how to make natural antiseptics to poison neutralizers from "naturally occuring woodland resources" that we can apparently find in our backyards. We finish off the class with by far the strangest question of all.

"What is used to neutralize rye and its ergot?"

Everyone recites in unison, "An equinormal solution of acetic acid."

That's the moment where I have to ask myself if I'm in the right class or not. Is this science or survival 101 or something? I don't even know what rye is. I look down at my schedule.

"Would you like to share with the class what the chemical formula for acetic acid is, Ms. Jones?"

I sigh. I'm like her personal torture victim. "Vinegar. CH3COOH, right?" I ask.

She nods. "Good job everyone. Don't forget your homework."

Nearly everyone's out of the class in a second, but I'm still left there confused. What homework? I look at her.

She sighs and goes to the whiteboard. "This is going to get really annoying really fast," she mutters under her breath while she writes. "You know what, this is the last time I'm doing this." She caps the marker. "Aiden, from now on you just give her the instructions." She catches him right before he's out the class.

"Ms. Baines," he starts.

"No." She ushers us both out of the classroom. I just barely manage to take a picture of the instructions: Tonight research methods on how to creatively counteract the effects of European Monkshood poisoning in the event of optimal lunar radiation. Assume that there is no adequate means of shelter available.

According to my schedule, I have one more class before lunch, and I'm not complaining. I've only gone to two classes so far and I'm winded. But more importantly, the longer I walk in the direction of the 500 Hall, the longer I notice that Aiden is still going in the same direction as me. He's still walking in front of me, smug as ever, but still keeping a decent pace. People move out of his way like a parting sea and it's ridiculous.

I think of how Ms. Baines just told him what's what and I smile to myself. Not so high and mighty now.

He looks back at me. I flinch. He stares at me for a while before continuing to walk. Now he's even closer to... No. No, not again.

He walks right into 502 and I feel like screaming. We're in the same class again for the third time. This time it's Home Ec.

Everyone looks up as he walks in. I follow behind at a distance, checking out the room and where I'll risk sitting. The tables are divided into groups of four. Aiden walks straight to the one in the center. Two more people are seated there, Axel and Carson.

I can't avoid them. It's like my schedule is following these guys or something, but that can't be true, right? It's just a stupid coincidence. And besides the advanced science, it's only been electives.