Mystic High ✓

MH │25

In the previous chapter: Oriane returned to class as though nothing had happened. Uilliam returned to the college. Carolina showed him the papers, requesting that he go talk with Oriane.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Uilliam was speaking to them with a deep knitted frown and large hands on his hips, staring down intensely at them. He wore a black tee today, as he always did, with dark blue jeans that looked much worn. Black seemed to be his colour.

The two girls looked at each other perturbed.

While Uilliam continued to ask Marian a few more questions, Charlotte glanced around herself and, when she spotted Oriane, she discreetly gestured for her to go to them... or leave. Oriane wasn't sure, just that her gesture was jerky and she was waving her hand at her thigh back and forth. In any case, she still needed to see Uilliam, if he was indeed an Enforcer.

Amongst the throng of student currently crowding the hallway, Oriane politely nudged her way through.

As she inched closer towards them, suddenly it dawned on her that she had no idea how to begin to explain what happened that day. And neither Charlotte nor Marian could find out where she went. The circumstance was sensitive.

Gosh, how was she going to start?

She supposed, like any confession, she ought to begin with her day and the reason. The report on explosives was still in her pocket so it wasn't like she went off to look for some hidden chamber on a whim.

Though it certainly wasn't time to get shaky. If she didn't seek help from the Enforcer, no doubt that Master would actually come find her and threaten her... Who knew what that man could do if he was willing to consider human sacrifice!

Pitty-pat, pitty-pat, her heart palpitated. Fingers grew cold as they clenched the straps of her bag tight. If she let them fall to the side, her hands would shake uncontrollably.

Truly, the last thing she wanted was to have Uilliam notice how uneasy she felt. She's usually loads more timid than at that moment. But every time he was around, she wanted to prove herself. It was probably that utterly bad-mannerism and complete disregard for her that's encouraging this. She'd had plenty of that at Catholic school. She didn't need to face that some more of it here, all the while needing to deal with her new reality and a bunch of other concerns.

And so, she gathered up her courage and headed straight for the trio. Nothing came out of dawdling.

Marian and Charlotte both looked fixedly on Oriane, as though searching for some answer to a question they asked with their eyes. She, however, gave nothing away. Instead, smiled apologetically at the girls, all the while her hands shook. She clenched them tighter around the straps to hopefully stop them from trembling so noticeably.

"Looks like I didn't have to go look for you," Uilliam remarked and started to turn, expecting her to follow. "Let's talk privately."

Oriane nodded, more than prepared to have this talk. When she started forwards, Marian grabbed her by the elbow.

"What did you do?" she hissed.

Biting her lip, she replied, "I'll tell you later." Even as she said that, she knew it depended on whether or not Uilliam, the supposed Enforcer, found it appropriate or not. She was sure the matter was more than sensitive.

Marian glared at her, implying she would indeed hold her to her word. Maybe it was the fact that she knew Marian had had bad experiences when it came to friends, what with Jessica completely abandoning their group and Elle constantly at odds with her. Perhaps subconsciously, Oriane wanted to connect with her better. Since her first day at school, she had been immediately accepted by her and Charlotte. At that moment, Oriane knew that she had to share at least the bare minimum of what happened with them if she wanted to keep their friendship.