Sloane appeared to be on her best behavior for the rest of the week. She attended her morning lessons with Miss Grimm and, despite looking like she’d sucked on a lemon, didn’t complain at all—well, not to the other girls or teachers. She saved it all for her mother, who decided that her plan to bring Fayle unstuck was not only brilliant, it would also save her darling daughter from the clutches of the evil Miss Grimm.

During rehearsals, Sloane spent as much time with Lucas as she could.

“You’re a brilliant Woodcutter,” she complimented him.

“Thanks.” Lucas didn’t quite know what to make of his roommate’s sister. Sep said that she was shallower than a kiddie wading pool, but she seemed okay.

“So, have you had a lot of tests lately?” she asked.

“We have a maths test every Tuesday. And there was a science exam yesterday,” Lucas explained.

Sloane’s brain was ticking. She needed to get her hands on a set of test papers.

“What’s your maths teacher like?” She batted her eyes at Lucas.

“Really smart,” Lucas replied, “but mad as a hatter. He’s always forgetting things and bringing the wrong books, and I think last week he couldn’t find our test papers.”

“Oh really? He does sound a bit crazy.” She smiled. “So on Tuesdays you have a test? That means you had it this morning.”

“Yes.” Lucas nodded. “I probably should be doing my homework between scenes. Sorry, it’s just that we have quite a few assignments.”

“I’ve got a much better idea.” Sloane grinned like a fox in a henhouse. “Why don’t you show me around a bit? Miss Reedy said that we won’t be needed for at least another thirty minutes.”

“I really should stay here and go over some grammar.” Lucas picked up a textbook from the bag at his feet.

“Oh, but I’d really love to have a look around, and Sep won’t take me,” Sloane pouted.

Lucas didn’t want to leave the auditorium at all. But he’d also heard about Sloane’s legendary tantrums, and the thought of her causing a scene was worse. “Okay, but it has to be quick,” he agreed.

“Fine by me. Why don’t you show me your classrooms?” Sloane purred.

Jacinta looked up from her position on the stage to see Sloane loop her arm through Lucas’s and the pair head out of the theater. Her heart felt like a pounding lump of rock in her chest. The blinding lights didn’t allow her to see that just as quickly as Sloane had grabbed him, Lucas had managed to pull his arm away, pretending he had an itchy nose.

Lucas showed Sloane around the classrooms in the main building. She seemed particularly keen to see where they had maths and science, which he thought a little strange, given that Septimus said she was not keen on academic studies at all.

Sloane lingered outside one of the rooms. “Can we go in?”

“I don’t think we should.” Lucas was keen to get back to the drama theater.

“Is there an alarm or something?” Sloane peered through the glass at the top of the door.

“No, it’s just that the teachers don’t really like us being in there when we don’t have lessons,” Lucas replied.

“All right,” Sloane agreed. “Let’s go back. This is boring.”

Lucas was relieved. The pair walked along the corridor.

“Is there a ladies’ loo around here anywhere?” Sloane asked.

“Um, I think it’s back there, past the foyer.” Lucas sighed. He didn’t particularly want to wait for her.

“It’s okay.” Sloane smiled. “Why don’t you go back and I’ll join you shortly.”

Lucas couldn’t help himself and returned her smile. Maybe she wasn’t really that painful after all.

“I’ll see you in a bit,” said Lucas.

Sloane turned and walked back toward the foyer. She waited until Lucas disappeared around the corner before rushing to the room where he’d said they had their maths lessons. The door was unlocked.

On the teacher’s desk at the front of the room, atop a towering pile of papers, Sloane found exactly what she was after. The Weekly Quiz. Trouble was, she didn’t have time to sit and change the papers now. She’d have to do that later in the privacy of her own room—perhaps when Jacinta was at the gym training. She leafed through the stack and gathered up the tests from today. Fortunately, the professor was every bit as disorganized as she had hoped—his desk looked like an explosion in a paper factory. Sloane spent a couple of minutes rearranging papers from one side to the other—hopefully, by the time she had made the changes and returned the tests, the silly old man would be none the wiser. Sloane stuffed the papers into her backpack.

She smiled smugly. This was as easy as falling off a log.