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is talking about.”
    “Yep, I’m pretty much sure that I’m the one.”
    “Kayla, right?” he asked.
    I nodded.
    “I’m Tucker.”
    I grabbed my soda and when I turned around, I noticed Hunter coming toward me.  Glancing at the other side, I noticed Ember staring at him.  Great!
    Hunter came over, said hi, and started talking to Tucker.
    I opened my caffeine-free soda and smiled at Hunter.
    “Umm,” I said.  “I should probably get back…”
    “Nice to meet you,” said Tucker. 
    It was a big mistake to go back to Ember and Charlotte.
    “WOW,” said Charlotte.  “Looks like you made an impression on Tucker.  He watched as you walked away pretty much all the way back here!”
    I shrugged. 
    Ember grinned.  “Come on, you should talk to him sometime.  Social lives here are practically nonexistent.  If an opportunity like this presents itself, you should hold on to it.  Besides, he is cute.”
    “Trust me, I won’t be here that long.”
    “That is what they all say,” said Ember.
    Before I could say anything else, it was time to go and Angela was there to escort me to my private lesson.
    ***
    “Mr. Daniels wants to see you before your lesson,” she said.
    I rolled my eyes and followed her to his office.
    He seemed uncomfortable when I walked in.
    He stood up.  “Hi Kayla.  How is your first day going?”
    “Could be better… For one thing, I would like to talk to my parents.”
    The word ‘parents’ made him even more uncomfortable.
    “You can write them a letter.  Will that make things better?  I will just let them know that you are awake but recovering and you are still in a delicate state… well, we will take care of the excuses.”
    “How will I know they are getting my letters?”
    “I’m sure they will respond, Kayla.”
    I nodded.  “There is something else.”
    “Yes?” he seemed almost afraid to ask.
    “I don’t want a roommate.”
    “Kayla, everyone at the Academy has a roommate.  That would raise questions.”
    I went for emotional blackmail.  “Look, I know that you don’t know me AT ALL, but I can’t function without having some space to myself.  I’m trapped in this place, without my family… you know…the one who raised me, and having no space to myself just makes me feel even more trapped.  This place is safe, right?  So, why not?  I’m sure you can make some kind of excuse as to why I don’t have a roommate.  Maybe say that Ember is needed elsewhere?”
    Mr. Daniels looked as if he were deep in thought.
    “I will consider it.”
    He looked at his watch. 
    “You should probably get to your next class.”
    I nodded and walked away.
    ***
    Angela was waiting outside, ready to take me to my next class.  This was my private class, given by Mr. Azazel.  I suspected he was a fallen, but wasn’t sure and didn’t care to ask.  He seemed to know what I was but didn’t come out and just say it.  He didn’t waste time either.  My first lesson was on the history of the Fallen followed by the Nephilim.
    He mentioned the original Fallen ones, the ones who were cast down to earth during the war between Heaven and Hell, and proceeded to say that the war was not over and would likely never be. 
    “Some choices are not fair,” he said. “… when you are bound by an eternity to serve, you become more vulnerable to certain temptations.”
    He looked as if he were distant, until I spoke.  “…but as you said, it was a choice.  You had the free will to make it.  I don’t understand the problem.”
    He grinned.  “Things are just not black and white.  There has always been that gray area hanging over our souls.  You can tell the difference between heaven and hell… good or bad… but let’s take for example falling for a human.  Does that necessarily put you in the side of evil, even if it is something that you cannot help?”
    I pondered that for a few seconds.  “Well, it is unnatural.  You are talking about someone ‘divine’, a