Page 23 of The Drama King

I choked out a bitter laugh. "Just let them try. My dad is counting on me to succeed. I don't go down that easy."

nine

Corvus

ThecampussettledintoOctober's rhythm after the intensity of midterm week, autumn's chill replacing summer's last warmth. The post-midterm period brought its own particular energy to Northwood. A mixture of relief from those who'd performed well and growing anxiety from students whose grades hadn't met expectations. I inhaled deeply from my position beneath the ancient oak, cataloging the chemosignals that permeated the quad: residual stress hormones from the evaluation period, the satisfied confidence of successful students, and that particular jasmine-sweet scent I'd been systematically tracking.

My black leather notebook lay open on my lap, pages organized with color-coded tabs. Red for Vespera's class schedule, blue for her social patterns, green for biological observations. Father's silver pen rested in my hand, engravedwith the Barclay family motto:Scientia Potentia Est. Knowledge is power.

Unrelenting coordinated psychological warfare should have broken most scholarship Omegas by now. Their sheltered existences rarely prepared them for what a properly motivated Alpha pack could inflict. Yet here she was. Attending every class. Completing every assignment. Enduring our calculated torment with that stubborn lift of her chin that I found increasingly... fascinating.

The scene study midterm had provided excellent data. My tactical improvisation during the Crucible performance achieved the intended result. Professor De Scarzis documented Vespera's "difficulty adapting to collaborative spontaneity" and "concerning inflexibility under pressure." The official record will prove invaluable during scholarship review.

More intriguingly, her response to the sabotage had been illuminating. Rather than crumbling or becoming defensive, she'd maintained Elizabeth Proctor's dignity even while scrambling to adapt to my deviations. Most targets would have broken character entirely, given the faculty obvious evidence of inadequate preparation. Instead, she'd found ways to incorporate my improvised challenges into believable character choices.

Subject demonstrates above-average resilience to academic destabilization. Midterm sabotage successful in creating institutional documentation of "professionalism concerns," but target's adaptive capabilities exceed initial projections. Recommend escalation to more sophisticated psychological pressure vectors.

The library doors opened, and Vespera emerged with her arms full of theater history texts. Her dirty blonde hair caught the late afternoon sunlight as she paused on the steps, shifting her heavy load to check her phone. A small frown creased her forehead.Some message causing that microexpression of distress I'd learned.

Movement in my peripheral vision drew attention as Stephanie Shaw approached from the communications building. The Beta roommate had proven unexpectedly problematic, refusing to be intimidated away from her friendship with our target. I'd attempted subtle approaches first. Arranging prestigious opportunities that would separate them, making pointed comments about social consequences of associating with scholarship students.

She'd looked me directly in the eyes and told me to "fuck off with that classist bullshit."

Her resistance was almost admirable, from a purely analytical standpoint.

The two girls converged, Stephanie automatically taking some books from Vespera's arms. Their bond frustrated our isolation strategy. A variable I'd underestimated in my initial calculations.

"Any word from financial aid?" Stephanie asked, confirming my hypothesis about the source of Vespera's concern.

"Nothing yet," Vespera replied, anxiety carefully controlled in her voice. "But Professor De Scarzis wants to see me after tomorrow's class."

Interesting. De Scarzis's involvement hadn't been anticipated. The acting professor typically maintained professional distance from scholarship politics. I made a mental note to investigate this development through my usual administrative contacts.

Their conversation shifted to technical theater details as they moved toward the dormitories. I observed how Vespera's shoulders gradually relaxed, her gestures becoming animated as she described some vision for the fall showcase. The transformation triggered an unexpected neural response. An anomaly in my cognitive patterns that required further analysis.

"Problems?"

I didn't flinch at Dorian's sudden appearance. Displays of surprise reveal weakness. Though my heart rate elevated slightly. I hadn't detected his approach, which was irritating. Environmental awareness is foundational to effective analysis.

"Observing," I replied, closing my notebook with practiced precision. "Our subject demonstrates unexpected adaptation to current pressure vectors. The timeline may require adjustment."

Dorian dropped onto the bench beside me, his presence reorganizing the quad's social hierarchy. Two passing Omegas altered their path, giving us wider berth, their fear-scent creating a barrier around us.

"She's not responding normally," he said, frustration evident beneath his controlled tone. His sandalwood scent carried unusual undercurrents. "In Voice and Movement today, she completely ignored my corrections. Not even a flinch."

I raised an eyebrow. That was statistically improbable. Most Omegas physically couldn't ignore direct Alpha criticism. Their autonomic nervous systems forced acknowledging responses.

"Professor Cruz's presence may have provided a sufficient buffer. Or..." I paused, considering alternative explanations. The data points were forming interesting patterns.

"Or what?" Dorian pressed.

"She may have natural resistance to Alpha pheromones. Rare, but documented in medical literature." I pulled out my tablet, accessing my files. "Her medical data shows several anomalies worth investigating."

Dorian leaned closer as I showed him the hormone analyses I'd constructed from various sources. Dr. Levinson's gambling debts had made him particularly cooperative in providing blood work results.

"Elevated testosterone for Omega classification, unusual cortisol regulation patterns, non-standard pheromonemarkers," I explained, highlighting the relevant sections. "These could explain her resilience to standard breaking techniques."

"You think she's misdesignated?"