The Class Reject: A Damsel in Disguise (Featured Story)

Chapter 16

The students of St. Rosemunde tried to exhale the hostile air that had seized lunchtime. But where was this tension coming from? Was it because of Miren, the girl who had disappeared days ago without a trace?

Oh please, they couldn't have cared less.

The tension was coming from St. Rosemunde's Royalty. Artemis looked almost as miserable as Miren had, with most of the color drained from her naturally tawny beige complexion, and her amber eyes chillingly opaque. She was tired and numb, and she just wanted to give up. But there was too much at stake—a life was on the line.

But it had been five days. And none of them offered any sign of Miren. No signs to prove, at the very least, that she were okay. Alive. Raking her salad with her fork, she let herself become captivated in thought.

Maybe Miren just went home. It could have been as simple as that—taking some time off to heal. She had suffered from social suicide, but Artemis couldn't shake the horrible that Miren had graduated to something more...deadly.

A shiver ran through her spine, but it did not leave her. Soren inched closer to his girlfriend, drawing her closer as he rubbed her back with his hand.

"Is everything alright, Artemis?" the blonde asked worriedly. He brought her into an embrace.

"Nothing," she replied. He hugged her harder as she stared out blankly. "I found nothing."

She buried her head in her hands. He tried to comfort her before one of the nuns hissed at them to remain a ruler length apart.

He sighed. "C'mon Artemis, don't think like that. Miren's not an idiot," he tried to reassure her, turning her to face him. "I'm sure she's fine, okay?"

Artemis slumped her shoulders in an attempt to shrug. She knew that Soren could be right, but she didn't have any proof. No sign to confirm his sweet words or reject her worst suspicions.

And this uncertainty was unsettling. It didn't seem possible that in the span of a few days, Miren seemed to no longer exist. The loss of what could have been a friend, coupled by the anxiety of what felt like trying to find a fragile piece of hay in a needle stack world, kept her on edge.

"Are you talking about Miren?" Klondike, a stalky young man with slanted eyes asked. Artemis nodded.

"I'm really worried about her," Artemis sighed, as his girlfriend, Jemma, came closer to comfort her.

"I'm actually worried about her too," Jemma said, reaching a hand out to Artemis. "When I handed her the award and she looked so grateful, actually happy for once." Her eyes then met Penelope's. "Then you fucked it up for her. You went too far. And that's coming from me."

Penelope released an exasperated scoff. But instead of returning her gaze at Jemma, she shot a glance at Parker, who was staring out into the vast space of the dinning hall. He, like the other boys had study hall this period. So he used it as a second lunch because who hated free lunch? But he was barely focused on his plate. Instead, a blank, almost troubled mask covered his normally exuberant face.

Perhaps Artemis's words were starting to get to him too...

Seeing that her boyfriend was unresponsive, the only thing Penelope could do was take fire on Jemma. Sliding her auburn bangs from her face, her eyes met hers.

"I am so sick and tired of everyone blaming me," she said in a low voice, rather than exploding. She clenched her fists against her lap, her demeanor stiff and unforgiving. "She left. I didn't push her out of the school. I didn't pay someone to pack her ugly bags and drive her sorry ass out of here." Her eyes narrowed, as if to adjust to the blinding light of her inconsideration on the matter.