The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0229

I sigh, shaking my head and moving on with it. “Neumann told all of my
classmates that they were all being shitty people, that they were jealous, and that
they were kidding themselves if they thought that trying to knock me out of the
running because I'm physically the smallest and weakest was ever going to do
them any favors, because they're next on that list.”

Rafe works hard to keep from bursting into laugher, so I do it for him. My brother
and cousin join in, even as I shake my head.

my

“I mean,” I say with a shrug, “it was good to have him stand up for me but it's all
stuff I've been thinking this whole time, isn't it? That I don’t belong here, that I'm
too small, that I've literally only passed both the candidacy test and the
examination because Jackson helped me with both. And it sucked to have my
classmates say it out loud, to suggest that I shouldn't even be allowed to take the
Chem final.”

“They just knew you were going to kick their ass in that too,” Jesse says, leaning
forward to put a hand on my knee. “They are just jealous, Ari. This whole time
they've been patting themselves on the back, telling themselves that they're
tougher than you, sneering at you saying you'd be the first to go. And here you
fucking are, thriving.”

“I know,” I sigh, looking between them. “But...I mean, I wouldn't be thriving
without Jackson. Or you two. I'd be dead.”

“Neumann's right,” Rafe says, sitting down in his chair and considering it.
“There’s nothing in the rulebook that says you can’t rely on your friends to help
you. Everyone just assumes you have to muscle through it all alone. When in
fact, the best plan is probably to gather a strong group of people with a lot of
broad skills.” He smirks at Jesse and me.” Which is...kind of what we did. Which
is cool, I think.”

“Oh yeah, I've been so helpful to you two,” I say, sitting back with a sigh, still
feeling kind

crap about it all.

of

dia

“You did help, Ari,” Jesse says, leaning forward with a warm smile. “You are the
reason we met Daphne, the love of my life, who is obsessed with Rafe. So, thank
you for my burgeoning heartbreak.”

I laugh at my cousin, sensing his joke and his sarcasm. “Yeah, I introduced her,
and then she poisoned us,” I groan, covering my face with my hands.

“Yeah, we're going to have to...see what else you can bring to the group, Ari,”
Rafe says,

obviously kidding and laughing along with us.

The door opens, and Ben comes through, moaning in the same way I was. “I'm
dead,” he mutters, shaking his head and leaving the door open behind him as he
comes and slumps down on the couch next to me. “I am death, and I've departed
my body, and now I'm a ghost. Can you see me? Am I corporeal?”

Jesse grins at Ben and pats his knee too. “Your finals go as bad as Ari's did?”
Ben frowns and turns to look at me, considering. “Worse, by the looks of it.”
“Did you fail?” I ask, anxious. He barely skirted through the Examination, I know,
and my mom had to wound a broken wrist and a twisted ankle before sending
him back here. That, combined with a failure...

God, it could be close.

“No way of knowing,” Ben sighs, resting his head back on the couch. “Hey, do we
have any more of that wine that knocks you out for twenty-four hours? I could
really use some of that

now.”

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“Yes, can we get Daphne back up

here?” I ask, looking longingly at the

door, kind of wishing that she would
come. I haven't seen her yet since I've
been back and I know she’s upset

about her role in the Examination,

that she thinks I'm mad at her. The

two of us really need to take a minute

to chat and renew our friendship. The
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the latest chapter there!

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“Why don't you go get her, Ari?" Rafe

says, stretching his hands over his

head. “Bring her up — tell her to bring

real wine this time. Finals are over,

after all, and it's our last night here.

We could use a little celebration.” The
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the latest chapter there!

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“Go and get her,” I murmur in

confusion, frowning at my big

brother. And then my i mind flashes

to the fact that I just walked back

from my Chemistry final alone.

Though it didn't bother me at the

time... mean, why was I allowed to

do that, when my brother and my

cousin have basically been flanking

me the entire time we've been here?

And considering that someone just

tried really hard to murder me in the
Examination? “Wait, what's going

on?" I ask, looking around at them.

“Why is..why am I suddenly allowed

to walk around alone?” The content is

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