This is the first chapter of my book, Wildcard!! I used another platform to write it, so I copied and pasted it here!! I stared at the man across the desk. His hair used to be a thinning, milky white sliver, with way too much gel. Now, it was a thick, golden mop that sat on his head. I had a bet going with my friends that it's a wig. And, really, there is only one way to find out if a person is wearing a wig. Headmaster Horatio glared at me, his face purple with rage. "You thought it would be a good idea to pull off my wig at an assembly. In front of Jacob Hunt?" his voice was d3athly quiet. In all honesty, I had. I mean, come on! I couldn't have been the only one who wanted to do that! I'm just the only one who pulled it off. I shrugged. "Sorry sir, but I don't know who Jacob Hunt is. Is he some kind of hair stylist?" I asked him. Oops. Wrong thing to say. Horatio got purpler (is that a thing?) and said, "You spent two weeks studying him and his work. Two weeks, I say! That is one of the many things that are wrong with you Ms. Brooks!" Finally, the yelling, it comes. I glanced at the clock. Four more minutes till the bell. I can still make it. He noticed me looking at the clock. "I'm sorry Ms. Brooks. Am I keeping you from something?" he asked through gritted teeth. I shook my head very quickly. Well, actually he was but I won't tell him that. Very slowly, he started to cool down. "Good. We need to discuss your punishment. I've decided that you need someone to help pull you into the right direction. Morally and physically." Ah. He's referring to all the fights I get into. I'm not so sure someone can teach me not to fight. Just teach others how not to be an idiot. I mean, I'm not the type that beats up people who don't agree with me. I don't even do it for myself. If people mess with my friends, or my parents, I mess them up. And of course, those handful of times where I actually didn't make the first move. Not that anyone believes me though. "It just so happens that I know just the person. Jacob Hunt has been looking for a secretary, and he asked me if he could borrow one of our students for the summer. I was going to host an essay contest for the seniors, so they can win the internship. But it has come to my attention that you need a little more help than they do. Oh, who am I kidding?! You need a lot more help, Ms. Brooks." Ouch. I feel like he enunciates things a little too much. Then I paused. Did he just say what I think he said? "Hold the phone, Headmaster! Over the summer? Sir, I am very sorry, but that is me time!" Horatio smiled. He was totally enjoying this. He's such a s. In fact, I think I could put him in jail for child abus3. I know a guy. Well, Ok I don't. But I could. "I'm very sorry Ms. Brooks. But you can have your me time. After you get everything Mr. Hunt needs, write all your essays you 'forgot' to do this year, read the summer reading list and-" he looked down at a paper on his desk. "Walk his dog. Now, I want you at the front gates tomorrow at 7 A.M sharp, packed and ready to go. You are dismissed." He turned away from me, and I stared at him in disbelief. "But sir!" "Dismissed, Ms. Brooks!" he growled, once again back in grizzly mode after he had a jolly good time in the land of the sadists. Slowly, I stood up and made my way to the door. This will not be the summer I imagined. ************************* As I walked down the hallway, I got intercepted by Josie Hugh. Unlike me, Josie didn't get sent to boarding school as a last resort because of things she may or may not have done. Unlike me, she cared about reputation, school, all of that junk. But even though we are completely different, she was still my best friend. Her blond hair was pulled into a bun and her classic blue eyes were filled with worry.
*Continued From Instructions* "What happened? I texted you like 500 times! So what did you get? Detention? Suspension? Expulsion?" She asked frantically. "An internship," I groaned. She stopped, and I turned to look at her. "Shut up! That sounds so exciting! Why aren't you excited?" she asked. I sighed and kept walking. "I dunno. It's with Jacob Hunt. And you want to know something? I bet he's a pompous nerd who has had no social interaction in ten years but in his job." She glanced at me. "Did you even see the guy? He looks like a hotter Indiana Jones. With more muscles." Another way we are different: she's boy crazy. I shrugged. "Maybe. But still. What's exciting about standing around in the heat and brushing off sand to find -gasp- more sand!" She side-eyed me. I did the same. "What do you find interesting, Summer?" she asked. "Look, despite what you think, I like to learn. I just don't like learning what they teach us in school. Or, what they are teaching right now. It's like when you read a book and it's crazy boring, and you want to just flip past a few pages and get to the good part. You know?" "I guess." "And anyway, I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I guess I'll find out as I get older," I told her. "Plus he's making me do homework! On summer break! I have to write essays, Josie! Essays!" I moaned. She patted my shoulder consolingly, and we walked in silence for a few minutes until we got to our dorm. "I'll help you pack," she said. ************************* The next morning, at exactly 7:55, I stood outside holding my suitcase and shivering. Josie stood next to me, talking about some cute guy she saw earlier. "I think he looked at me Summer! Do you think he did? I wonder if I'm reading too much into this. Maybe. Hey, look! Here he comes!" The 'he' was a tall, muscular man in a collared shirt and jeans. He was speaking indistinctly into his phone, seeming to be arguing with the person on the other end. He had brown hair and looked more like Chris Pratt than Harrison Ford. He angrily got off the phone and had just gotten to us when Horatio came. "Mr. Hunt! How are you on this fine morning? I hope you had a nice sleep, yes?" Horatio exclaimed. Hunt grunted. "I did, thank you. Now, did you find me a secretary?" Horatio nodded quickly, looking like a bobble head. I started to lean over to tell Josie as much, but then Horatio put his hand on my shoulder and propelled me forward. "This is Summer Brooks, our finest- er... student." I smirked. He actually choked on the last two words. Hunt looked at me, taking in my brown hair, lavender eyes, and my shorter-than-average stature. He then turned to look at Horatio. "Didn't you say you were going to give me a senior?" he asked. Horatio shrugged. "She's fourteen. That's close enough to 18, right?" Hunt opened his mouth to protest but I loudly clapped my hands together. Everyone looked at me and I grinned. "Don't worry Indie! You stuck with me! We are going to have the best summer." "Mr. Hunt! How are you on this fine morning? I hope you had a nice sleep, yes?" Horatio exclaimed. Hunt grunted. "I did, thank you. Now, did you find me a secretary?" Horatio nodded quickly, looking like a bobble head. I started to lean over to tell Josie as much, but then Horatio put his hand on my shoulder and propelled me forward. "This is Summer Brooks, our finest- er... student." I smirked. He actually choked on the last two words. Hunt looked at me, taking in my brown hair, lavender eyes, and my shorter-than-average stature. He then turned to look at Horatio. "Didn't you say you were going to give me a senior?" he asked. Horatio shrugged. "She's fourteen. That's close enough to 18, right?" Hunt opened his mouth to protest but I loudly clapped my hands together. Everyone looked at me and I grinned. "Don't worry Indie! You stuck with me! We are going to have the best summer." Every single one of my teachers says annoying people is my favorite hobby. I wouldn't say that. To me, it's more a sport. A fantastic display of wit, precision and showmanship. Let the games begin!
