The crowd falls silent as the headmistress strides forward, the gigantic doors slamming shut behind her. The click of her heels echoes through the cavernous room, and every set of eyes is fixed on her. I struggle to stifle a yawn behind my hand, fighting off the drowsiness that threatens to pull me under.
Leaning toward Elijah, I whisper, “What time is it, anyway?”
Without taking his eyes off Mrs. Humphrey, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cellphone. He waits for the headmistress to direct her attention to one of the teachers before flicking on the screen and glancing down. “Three forty-five.”
“No wonder I’m this tired,” I mutter. “I probably had like two hours of sleep, if I’m lucky.”
He rubs his eyes. “You and I both.”
I peek at him. “You didn’t sleep either?”
“It’s com
