Evangeline idly listened to the excited chatter that circulated the classroom. Hadley boldly stood on her shoulder, a small hand on her cheek for stability. She was much more enthralled by the excitement.

“I think I aced the rhetoric portion! I wonder where that will place me.”

“Ha! I found the logic portion much easier.”

An audible sneer brought conversation to a halt. “Why are you all so excited?” Evangeline sighed, feeling the energy in the room plummet. “So what if you did great,” Isabelle spat. “Are any of you planning to actually work for a living?”

“Some of us will have to,” someone interjected.

Isabelle exhaled a sharp laugh. “Look around,” she sneered, “the only one among us that was not born and raised in money is Hadley,” she jabbed her thumb in Evangeline and Hadley’s direction, “and she became the pet of the wealthiest family among us.” Evangeline’s jaw muscles twitched under Hadley’s hand.

“Hey,” Hadley cooed, “do not listen to her,” she advised.

“How can you be so indifferent,” Evangeline whispered back.

Hadley chuckled, patting Evangeline. “You are silly. Her words are spiteful and uninformed. They do nothing to define the relationship I hold with your family.”

Evangeline snorted, a little louder than she intended. “Do you have something to say over there,” Isabelle called.

“Could you bring me to her desk?”

Evangeline had to refrain from jerking her head to the side. “What would that accomplish?”

“Likely nothing,” Hadley chuckled.

Evangeline rolled her eyes, reaching up to her shoulder, and gently gripping Hadley around her midsection before rising. She walked over to Isabelle and deposited Hadley on the other girl’s desk. “Letting the pet speak for the master,” Isabelle sniped at Evangeline.

“Quit the bullshit,” Hadley returned.

Isabelle’s lip curled in disgust and everyone held their breath. There was a silent war battled in their eye contact, held until Ms. Hill entered and the class collectively released their breath. “Could I have Sydney, Isabelle, and Hadley join me?”

Isabelle broke eye contact with Hadley, standing smoothly. She unceremoniously plucked Hadley up from the desk and Evangeline moved to protest, but Isabelle deposited Hadley in the startled Sydney’s hands. “You are carrying her,” Isabelle demanded, stalking to the front of the class. She was pointed to the exit, leaving with a regal gate.

Evangeline followed Sydney to the front of the class but Ms. Hill stood in her path. “Ms. Ford, you must remain here until such time as you are called on,” she asserted. Evangeline looked to the door, trying to get a glimpse of Hadley. “She will be fine,” Ms. Hill assured. Evangeline was not certain of what she said, but she did not have long to think of Hadley before her own summons came.

She was led to the guidance offices, which had been repurposed for the sake of revealing the seniors’ test scores. She had been called with a few other students, but was separated from them once she arrived in the offices. She was called into a small room where she was beckoned to sit across from an F class man, elegantly dressed in a three piece suit. Behind the man stood an S class man in official Safety Policing Division attire. Around his bicep was a gold band, denoting his rank within the Division.

“Evangeline Heart,” the F class man read from a file he held. “Or would you prefer to use the name Ford?”

“Heart is fine,” Evangeline responded, eying the man who intently looked over the file.

“Interesting. Very well.” He closed the file, tucking it under his arm. “You did exceedingly well in qualifying for an internship with us, Ms. Heart.”

“Are you surprised to see someone who is qualified?”

The man quirked a smile. “Certainly the personality test is the hardest to pass and we did not anticipate anyone doing so here, but more so, we did not expect to find any interest here.”

“I cannot imagine why,” Evangeline deadpanned.

“It would seem that for every S class citizen willing to look down on others, there is an F class citizen unwilling to see the possibility that S class citizens can be good.”

Evangeline could not pin whether the man was trying to be humorous and decided to test the waters. “It would seem only one of us fell in that trap,” she noted.

The man’s brows rose in challenge and a wide grin told her he enjoyed the barb. “I can see your mother’s spirit, but you have a lot of your father in you.”

Evangeline’s smile was demure, but she said, “I am my own person.”

“I am glad to hear it; I like you.” His grin had not diminished. “And Lucas here can attest to me not liking many people,” he motioned to the man behind him. Evangeline looked up to the other man, who nodded curtly, face neutral.

“So, you know my parents?”

“Ah, yes,” the man nodded. “I almost forgot – my name is William Howell.” Evangeline searched her memory, finding that the name held familiarity. “Your mother and I knew each other prior to her growth in the world.”

Evangeline knew he was referring to her literal growth and that led her to the spark she needed. “You dated my mother,” she laughed.

“We shared some time together,” he affirmed. “She and your father really helped me in advancing my career and we still work together frequently.”

“And now you work as a suit in the Safety Policing Division,” Evangeline concluded.

“The suit, really.”

Evangeline’s brows rose. She had not known who ran the Safety Policing Division until then. “It is a wonder my mother does not rule the world with the number of connections she holds.”

“Who says she does not?”

Evangeline chuckled wryly. “Perhaps the state of the world speaks for itself.”

William sobered, nodding his agreement. “And that is why we exist, to act as an aide to those who cannot guarantee safety for themselves.” They were finally getting down to business. “To be a member of the Safety Policing Division, one must first graduate from our personal academy, which you cannot enroll in until you have made it through high school. Should you choose to take the internship that I offer you today, you will be assigned to shadow the instructor; the students at the academy do field work during the second semester, she will have time for you.” Evangeline nodded at appropriate intervals, acknowledging the information. “Do you wish to proceed?”

“I do,” Evangeline affirmed.

“Grand! I shall inform the Chief that she will be taking you on. After the holiday, you will report to our offices as specified. We will send you an agreement form via mail and it will include a detailed breakdown of dates and expectations.”

“Thank you, sir,” Evangeline rose, knowing that their meeting was coming to a close.

“It was a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to seeing how you fair.”

~*~

Hadley held her ground as Isabelle’s massive hand rapidly approached, steeling herself for being picked up. She was surprised that Isabelle’s fingers around her body did not feel oppressive, rather just impatient. She was deposited in Sydney’s hands which shook slightly and were unsure of themselves. Sydney settled when the surprise of having Hadley as her responsibility wore off. Sydney stared down at her and Hadley gave her an encouraging nod.

Sydney followed Isabelle and the three found themselves in the guidance offices, directed into one particular room. There, they were asked to be seated by a K class woman in a pantsuit, standing on the desk. Three chairs had been provided, but Sydney placed Hadley on the desk, where she sank into a cross-legged sitting position.

“Sydney Dunn, Isabelle White, and Hadley Cross,” the woman intoned. Each girl nodded as her name was spoken. “You are all here to talk about interning with Class Law Division?” Hadley nodded stiffly, aware that behind her, Sydney and Isabelle were both affirming. “I had heard tell that they had permitted an F class student here. I am glad to see you have an interest in Class Law.” Hadley grinned at her, but found that despite the words, her expression was empty.

“You must all understand, we take Class Law very seriously and expect that every single member of our division holds the same regard for equality and justice.” The woman’s eyes bounced between the two larger girls behind Hadley. “The internship we offer is run the same way the first semester at Infinity University would. Should you accept the internship and consent to all of the teaching methods, you will be placed into the program, which amounts to a free semester at the University.” Hadley liked the sound of a free semester, but was unsure about the vague mention of teaching methods, which Hadley had never heard anything about. “Should you pass, we will cover the remaining semesters at the University before you join us in the Division.” Hadley’s heart skipped a beat. She forgot about her apprehension as her dream seemed to materialize before her.

“Is this something you are all still interested in?”

“Yes!” Hadley affirmed immediately. Isabelle was firm in her confirmation and Sydney followed her with a much more reserved response.

“Marvelous,” the woman intoned, not sounded as pleased as the word implied. She pulled out a phone and with a few words, called in an S class attendant to help her off of the desk. “Wait here,” she told the girl’s. “I am sending someone with some paperwork for you all.”

With that, the three girls were left alone, confined in the small room. Hadley turned about to find Isabelle looking anywhere but at her. “I can feel you staring,” Isabelle growled.

“I just do not understand,” Hadley confessed.

“Yeah? Well tough. It is none of your business to understand.”

“I think it is plenty my business. As a member of the ‘filth class’, I will be damned if I sit by and watch you enter the Class Law Division without knowing why.”  

Isabelle finally looked at her, staring daggers through her skull. “I care, alright?”

Hadley shook her head in confusion. “Care about what?”

“People,” Isabelle spat.

“You have a hell of a way of showing it,” Hadley returned.

Sydney shifted uncomfortably and Isabelle turned her deadly gaze on the other girl, and Hadley got the feeling she was sizing the girl up. Finally Isabelle sighed and returned her gaze to Hadley, some of the fire dying in her eyes.

“Not all of us have parents like Jazeera Ford,” she ground out, slowly, careful about each word. “Some of us have parents like Henry White.” Hadley knew the name – a notoriously classist corporate leader. “That’s right, I am the daughter of Henry White. Do you know what that means when people find out?” Hadley could see the pain in Isabelle’s dying fire. “I had lower class friends once, but their parents would not allow them to associate with me. I tried,” she insisted, anguish making her voice crack. “I pleaded with them to see that I was not my father.”

“So, what? You want to prove you are not your father? You could have started by being my friend,” Hadley reasoned, the harshness of her tone making Isabelle wince.

“My father is not the man people think he is,” Isabelle finally said. “I pleaded with him to change his stance and he explained to me that his company was failing and that the people willing to keep him-,” she frowned at her word choice, “us,” she corrected, “afloat needed him to paint a certain picture.” She looked down at her lap, her hands wringing themselves. “He had ended huge numbers of his friendships, muddied his own name, so that his family could continue living comfortably.”

Hadley frowned deeply. “So why did you have to act the way you do? That makes no sense to me.”

Isabelle opened her mouth to speak, but then promptly closed it, repeating that a few more times. “That is not a simple thing to define.”

“Try for me,” the harshness in Hadley’s tone was softening.

“The best way for me to go unnoticed was to act the part of Henry White’s daughter.”

“Unnoticed by who?”

“Students, the media, anyone who might jeopardize my father’s act.”

Hadley studied her expression, arms crossed tightly over her chest. “You could have just told me.”

“No, I could not have just fucking told you,” Isabelle spat. “I cannot trust anyone.”

“Then why tell me now?”

Isabelle huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I cannot have you ruining my dream now, not after everything my father and I have done for it.”

Hadley shook her head sadly. “I do not know how you think so little of me, but I am not spiteful.”

“I will not say anything, either,” Sydney spoke her first words. Both girls turned to her and she shrugged. “I can see you both have very personal reasons for wanting to join the Class Law Division. I just think it will be interesting.”

Silence fell for only a moment before the attendant who had helped the woman before returned. Each girl was presented with a lengthy document and a pen. They were told to read it over thoroughly and sign if they agreed. The silence returned as the girls studied the details presented.

Hadley was surprised by how often safety was mentioned as a concern and the fact that no specifics were given about the teaching methods. The internship was titled Understanding Through Immersion and Hadley spent minutes pondering its significance when she had finished reading. Shrugging to herself, she signed on the dotted line. Each of the girls returned their respective packets to the attendant who released them back to class.