October Academy

Chapter 52

The next morning, I roll over in bed to check my phone.

More messages from Callum saying Did you get home safe? Jade? Atleast tell Ben.

And one more message from an unknown number.

Unknown: Have you ever wondered about your real parents?

The blood drains from my body.

But I don't have time to think about it, because I'm already running late to practice my English with Cherry. If I fail another subject, Gladys will probably expel me on the spot.

I still don't have a backup talent to support my scholarship. If I don't find one soon... I don't want to think about it.

As for the ominous message? My organs cringe at the concept. Real parents. Gladys is the only real parent I've ever known.

As far as I'm concerned, my biological parents died the moment they abandoned me. I don't have an obsessive mind, I can barely keep one train of thought on the rails at a time, let alone ponder existentialism and biology vs environment. I can't and I won't.

If I do I might just break down.

But who the fuck is sending me these weird messages? Oh my god – what if it's Darcy? He mentioned my biological parents before. I don't have his number saved, just his snapchat, so it could be him.

I scurry along to where I'm meant to be working on my duologue with Cherry. But she's not here. I'm pretty sure I saw her last night dancing and kissing a girl who may or may not be her girlfriend. Sounds to me like she just got carried away.

That's when a lockdown is called over the loudspeakers. Apparently there's a crazy blizzard and instead of going back to my dorm, they want everyone meeting in the cafeteria.

I groan and roll my eyes, finding Perry and walking to the cafeteria together.

Now's my chance to confront her about the kiss – about Ben.

"Hey, so..." I say, but don't know where to start.

"Where did you go last night? Acacia and I couldn't find you."

"I..." where do I even begin? "I left early... it's not important. Perry, do you like anyone right now?"

Her cheeks go a dark shade of pink, the tip of her nose too. "Yes," she squeaks.

I know she can't lie to me, and that makes me hesitate more. Do I really want to know the truth? Is it going to bother me? "Who?" I say.

"Ben," she says quickly. "I was going to tell you when you read my book..." she looks down at her hands as we make our way through the cafeteria doors.

"I saw you guys kiss," I say and half cringe, partially because I see her as innocently as Rapunzel from Tangled, and partially because I don't want to see Ben as Flynn Rider.

But it makes sense... that must have been why she got so weird with me the night she met Marina and the Ouija board incident - and barely spoke to me for a week. She said it wasn't about me. Was that all about Ben too?

That's when I see Darcy walking across the cafeteria making his way to his best-friend Chowder.

"I'll be back," I tell her, pacing towards Darcy.

I grab him by the wrist and drag him into the nearest janitor's closet. It's bigger than I anticipated – about the size of the one in Victorious.

There's shelves lining all the walls, and a mingy scent that smells both damp and dry at the same time.

Darcy seems surprised, eyebrows raised. His eyes travel down my features and his skin goes red. "Jade-"