Be Gay, Do Crimes: Ros Vs Everything, Apparently

in which everyone could be the star of a lana del rey song and no one likes it

Three days later, classes resumed, and Raiden and Sam went to Surviving Fairy Tales together after a free period, much earlier than was strictly necessary.

"This is stupid, Sam."

"You're stupid."

"You're injured and shouldn't even be going to class."

"I'm fine," snapped Sam, taking her hand off his chair briefly to rub her leg. Raiden could feel her arms shaking.

"You're not. You got burnt on the leg in two places, and just generally beaten up."

"So? I've been to the infirmary, got it sorted. It's nothing. Jade got strangled."

"I don't think this is a competition, Sammy." Sam ignored him, and Raiden sobered slightly. "Poor Jade," he murmured. "No one came to watch her, you know?"

"I know," said Sam. "But maybe it's better like that. Knowing who the options were."

A pause. Their progress was getting steadily slower. "Sammy, stop it." said Raiden, jumping back to the previous argument. "You're gonna kill yourself trying to push me. I can push myself."

Sam opened her mouth, and Raiden turned around and plucked her hands from his chair.

"We're sitting down for five minutes," he said. "We're early. Look, nice tree. Let's sit."

Sam muttered something uncomplimentary, but she tottered across to sit at the base of one of the trees anyway, near the lake they'd done the Animal Communication lesson at. Raiden followed her, eyeing the clear water.

"Maybe we should stop this stupid charade." he murmured, thinking of Marcus and Jackson in the Blue Brook.

"No clue what you're on about, I hate you with everything I have," Sam said lightly, scratching under her bandage. Raiden shot her a look and she stopped. "Akiyama, after the absolute shitshow we just saw between Amelie and Ros--"

"I know," muttered Raiden. He grimaced. "Who'd have thought it? Amelie double-crossing her like that."

"Apparently no one," said Sam grimly. "Not even Ros."

Raiden grunted in assent, picking at the embroidery on his waistcoat absently. He'd not seen Rosalind since she'd left their dorm after the Trial, and he suspected that was how she wanted it. He'd also not seem Amelie, but that was more his personal choice...

"How could she have done something so callous?" he snapped. "Humiliating her in front of everyone like that? Doesn't seem very Good to me."

"Technically, it's plenty Good," Sam pointed out. "Defeating the biggest Never threat by tricking her into loving her and taking her down a few pegs. Surely some smarmy gits up there are all over her?" She jabbed her thumb up at the glass castle. Raiden pulled a face.

"Oh, sure. Half the class, Colette especially. Fournier has hardly shut up about her big triumph since it happened."

"Does she seem happy about it?"

"Don't know, me and Marcus have been ignoring her."

Sam snorted, plucking a reed and stirring the water about with it. Wish Fish scattered from where she disturbed the surface. "You do a lesson with these dumb things?" she asked, flicking water across the lake.

"Of course."

"What did Amelie wish for?"

Raiden looked at her, trying to remember--