Deadly First Day, page 29
part #1 of Embassy Academy Series
“May I?” He points toward my hair, and when I nod, he coils one around his finger.
“So, you’ll come back after Christmas?”
“As you wish.”
I don’t even try to stop myself from beaming as he lowers his lips toward mine again.
“Ahem.”
I fly back from Mikhail, my heart pounding in my throat, and my face bright red. At least it’s not from embarrassment this time.
Mikhail wipes that dizzying smile off his face.
Headmistress Morgan stands up the hallway wearing an unreadable expression. Her hair and clothing are immaculate, as usual. “This sort of behavior is not appropriate on campus, Mr. Sokolov. If you will excuse us.”
“Yes, headmistress. I will see you later?” Mikhail asks me. At my nod, he moves to the end of the hall, but still within my line of vision. His body assumes that familiar protective stance, and my smile widens. He loves me, and he’s here to protect me.
I sigh, content.
Headmistress Morgan walks over to me and pats my shoulder. “You’ve had quite the semester, Miss Lewis.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“Yes, well. I knew you would have to work hard to excel here, but I didn’t know you’d have to endure a murder investigation and an assassination attempt.”
I snort. “I don’t think I’m important enough for it to be called an assassination attempt.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Miss Lewis.”
My eyes fly to hers. It’s easily the kindest thing she’s ever said to me. “I thought you wanted to get rid of me.”
“My dear, what on earth gave you that idea?”
“You said that if I didn’t excel here, you’d have to find another place for me. In other words, get good grades or I’ll kick you out.”
And shock of shocks, she laughs. I didn’t know she was capable of smiling, much less laughing. But here she is, covering her mouth with one hand as she chuckles.
“What’s so funny?”
She drops her hand, still smiling. “It’s just, I had no idea you thought so poorly of me. If I had known, I would have disabused you of these erroneous conclusions immediately. You see, Miss Lewis, I am from a very similar upbringing to yours. My mother worked incredibly hard to afford to send me to this school, and I was treated as a second-class citizen by all of my classmates. I didn’t have powerful parents or a designer wardrobe, so I was teased, and worse, ignored completely by my professors. When your father enrolled you here, I was determined to make sure you had a better experience.” Her lips purse. “Perhaps I went about it the wrong way.”
I shake my head, not believing what I’m hearing. “Wow. I had no idea. All this time, I thought you hated me.”
“Just the opposite, actually. I want to do everything I can to make sure you succeed here at Embassy Academy. When I said I would have to find another solution for you, I was referring to tutoring, not expulsion.”
Relief floods me and I let out a nervous giggle.
“How is packing coming along?”
“Slowly.”
“Then I’ll leave you to it. I hope you have a restful Christmas break, Miss Lewis. Oh, and by the way, I just got a look at your report card for the semester. Good work. I’ll be delighted to see you in the spring.”
I smile up at her. “Me too.”
When I come back next semester, I’ll have my work cut out for me. After all, someone has to keep an eye on the school and make sure no one else gets bullied. Or sold addictive pills. Or murdered.
***
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About the Author
Emily lives in sunny Southern California with her husband and daughters. She started writing in elementary school and continued writing in college, where she earned a degree in creative writing. She often gets ideas for stories from the lives of her friends and family. When she's not writing, she enjoys cuddling with her two dachshunds Nestlé and Kiefer, crocheting, watching television, and enjoying the sunshine with her daughters and their flock of backyard chickens.
To learn more about Emily, visit her website: www.emilykazmierski.com
Also by Emily Kazmierski
Embassy Academy Trilogy
Deadly First Day
Lethal Queen Bee (Winter 2020)
Killer Final Exams (Summer 2020)
Ivory Tower Spies Series
For Your Ears Only
The Walk-in Agent (a Julep Short Story)
The Eyes of Spies
Spy Your Heart Out
Spy Got Your Tongue
Over My Dead Body
Other Novels
Malignant
Life Among the Ashes
All-American Liars
Emily Kazmierski, Deadly First Day
