Free Psi Another Day (Psi Fighter Academy) by D.R. Rosensteel Page B

nice.
    “Do you have a late pass, Mr. Draudimon?”
    “Sorry, Dr. Captious,” Mason said. “Won’t happen again.”
    “I’m counting on it,” Dr. Captious said. “Take your seat.”
    Mason calmly gave me a noogie (the swine) on his way to his desk in the last row. As soon as he was seated, Dr. Captious began his ordeal of passing out tests. Normal teachers just hand them out. Captious makes a ceremony of it. He walked up and down each row, stopping in front of every student, handing over the test like he was awarding a trophy. Then he came to an empty desk and his expression turned smug. Erica Jasmine’s desk. Probably afraid of another run-in with the Red Team, so she took the day off. Happened all the time. Dr. Captious apparently thought she’d ditched because of the test.
    “Family crisis,” Mason said without looking up. He was doodling on his desk. Mason always doodled in class.
    Captious’s face showed a hint of color as he turned toward Mason. “And you know this how, Mr. Draudimon?”
    “I like to keep up on social events in our community. You know what a community-minded fellow I am.”
    “May I assume that was the cause of your tardiness? Let’s you and I have a social event after class.” Captious turned and pattered to the front of the room. “Now students, when I count to three, you may begin. Three!”
    And he wondered why people failed his class. I picked up my pencil, read the first test question, and got to work.
    Forty-two minutes later, the bell rang.
    “Pencils down,” Dr. Captious yapped from the back of the room. “Hand me your papers on the way out the door.”
    As the other students filed out, I sat at my desk, watching Kathryn touch up her makeup. Mason gave me another noogie on his way past and pressed a folded piece of paper into my hand. I gave him a nasty look as he walked away, and opened the paper.
    Oh. Wow. I turned to Kathryn. “A smiley face. What is he up to?”
    Kathryn rolled her blue eyes. “It’s probably poisoned. Rin, every time we’re in this class, I rub all my makeup off. Cappy gives me anxiety. I think I need to transfer.”
    “I know, it’s like he emits caffeine rays or something. Okay, we’re out of here!”
    We turned to leave the empty classroom when the sound of hushed voices in the hall stopped us.
    “This is not common knowledge, Mason. How did you know about Erica?”
    “Angel knows the family. She stopped me on the way to class.”
    “Who else knows?”
    “Probably the whole school. She’s been out of control lately. Don’t know what she’s into.”
    “Wonderful. I would like you to find out. Fill me in tonight.”
    Footsteps clopped down the hall. Then the late bell rang and Kathryn said, “Oh, crap!” Late is one thing we never were. We rushed toward the classroom door.
    “Dr. Captious,” I said, handing him my test. “May we please have a late pass?”
    Captious’s gaze went to me, then to Kathryn. He smiled a poodley little smile.
    “Of course, ladies. I trust you did well on the test? I believe you’ll both be extremely successful in my class.” He pulled a pad from his pocket, scribbled on it, and handed it to me. “In fact, I’m certain of it.”
    “Thank you,” we both chimed as we headed down the hall. I crammed the late slip and Mason’s smiley face into my pocket, wondering what was up with Captious. Suddenly, my head went wacky. Pictures flashed through my mind like a choppy old movie.
    A fat man in a dark office.
    His hair matted with sweat.
    Reminded me of the stalker. Then I realized…it was Munificent .
    His bloodshot eyes moved in quick jerks.
    He crammed something into a drawer.
    “How could I let it happen again?” he said. He turned when the door opened.
    An unseen man’s voice echoed through the room. “You couldn’t stop it the first time.”
    “Didn’t know who you were back then,” Munificent whispered. He drew his gun. “I do now.”
    “Timing is perfect.” A hand stretched out