Chapter 3

At Senior Assembly, the entire student body gathered on the field.

As the school's supposed top student, Jared stood at the podium and delivered an impassioned speech.

"College entrance exams are nothing to fear. Once you find the approach that works for you, anyone can achieve the impossible.

"Take me, for example. I never stay up late studying or waste hours on practice tests, yet I still ranked first in the entire district."

A wave of applause swept across the field.

Jared paused, his gaze drifting toward a far corner of the crowd.

"Of course, if certain people insist on challenging a genius without knowing their own limits, they're only setting themselves up for humiliation."

I knew he was talking about me. I simply didn't have time to care.

Crouched at the edge of the field, I was busy putting the finishing touches on my submission piece. It would be the centerpiece of my portfolio for Westbridge Academy of Art. Every last brushstroke had to be perfect.

Footsteps approached, but I didn't look up. I assumed someone was merely passing by.

Then, my palette went flying. Paint splattered across the piece I had spent three months preparing.

I froze before slowly lifting my head. Sienna stood over me with three of her lackeys behind her.

"Oops! Didn't see it." There wasn't a trace of remorse in her voice.

"Could you be any more desperate, Riley? Jared's up there giving a speech, and you're hiding in the corner working on that pathetic little painting. What, are you trying to steal his spotlight?"

I stared down at the ruined piece. Three months of work, destroyed in seconds.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Sienna?"

Her eyes widened as she stepped toward me. "What did you just say?"

Just then, Jared "happened" to wander over.

He glanced down at my painting, planted his foot squarely on it, and ground it into the pavement. Then, he put on an exaggerated look of surprise.

"Oh, sorry, Riley! I wasn't watching where I was going!"

I rose to my feet and stared at him.

The principal, Max Stilton, came rushing over, and Jared's entire demeanor changed in an instant. Before I could say a word, he launched into his performance.

"Mr. Stilton! He broke my limited-edition Richard Mille! That watch was worth over 50 thousand dollars!"

He held up his bare wrist. At some point, he had slipped the watch off and hidden it.

Mr. Stilton looked from Jared to me, frowning. "Riley, what exactly happened here?"

I couldn't be bothered to explain. I had seen this little act far too many times.

My parents arrived soon afterward. Dad's face was grim. "You'll pay for it."

Mom twisted the knife further. "And if you can't afford it, get a job and work off the debt. As for that art prep program of yours, forget it."

Right there in front of everyone, she called the program, canceled my enrollment, and demanded a refund.

I stood motionless while the crowd watched my humiliation like it was some kind of show. Then, I noticed someone standing at the very edge of the gathering.

An elderly man stood there, his graying hair and gold-rimmed glasses lending him a scholarly air as he observed the scene without a word.

It was Professor Arthur Hayes from Westbridge Academy of Art.

I recognized him. He had personally replied to one of my online portfolio submissions.

I took a deep breath and bent down to retrieve the painting Jared had crushed beneath his shoe.

Then, I walked over to Prof. Hayes and pulled my tablet from my backpack.

On the screen was a digital version of the piece, an alternate draft I had stayed up late finishing two nights ago as a backup.

I handed him the tablet.

Prof. Hayes studied the screen for all of five seconds before looking up at me through his glasses, his eyes filled with unmistakable excitement.

"What's your name?"

"Riley Hogan."

"Come to my office tomorrow."

With that, he turned and walked away, moving much faster than when he had arrived.

Behind me, Jared was still loudly demanding compensation. No one noticed our brief exchange, and no one had any idea who the distinguished older man truly was.