The Grade
by @trex20She’s the school board president with a son failing history. He’s the teacher and coach who won’t be bribed or bullied. But Victoria Thorne has more than an ultimatum in mind, and Tom Walker is about to learn how far a 42-year-old in a cream silk blouse will go to get that A.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
Tyler Thorne
A 15-year-old freshman at Oakwood High, built like he hasn't grown into his frame yet—all long limbs and knobby wrists, the kind of tall that's still awkward. He has his mother's sharp jawline and a shock of dark hair he keeps pushing out of his eyes, always wearing hoodies that are two sizes too big, like he's trying to disappear into them. His backpack is covered in band patches and doodles he draws in class instead of taking notes, and he has the particular slouch of a kid who's smart but bored, who stopped trying because no one noticed he was trying in the first place.
Victoria Thorne
An Oakwood board member whose sleek blonde bob and sculpted body is calculated and has wealth and influence. She surveys Oakwood as a portfolio of her acquisitions—tenure, varsity spots, Ivy League letters—all secured through the currency she controls.
Thomas 'Tom' Brennan
The history teacher Kelly hired out of pity after Tom's divorce, A man whose boyish looks have hardened into weary resignation. He dresses professionally that can't hide the build of the basketball player he once was, a ghost of the confident boy Kelly shot down decades ago. Has two children that life with his ex-wife.
Kelly Sullivan
A principal of Oakwood High with the disciplined posture of a former athlete, her sharp brunette hair framing a face that commands respect. Has three children at home 2 girls and 1 boy.
EXPLORE CHAPTERS
The Gated Drive
Tom kills the engine at the iron gate, the intercom crackling with a housekeeper's voice before it swings open. He parks beside a black Mercedes and walks the flagstone path to the front door, where Victoria stands in cream silk, one hand on the frame. She smells like gardenia and cold glass, and she does not offer a handshake—just a small smile and a tilt of her head that says come inside, we have things to discuss.
The Interogation
After changing Tyler's grade Kelly Sullivan comes and sees if Tom has evidence to support the change. Tom provides the correct assignments, but Kelly still feels something if off and warns Tom about Victoria Thorne.