The Book of Miranda | gxg | ❖

(22) Barnabas Eats Worms

I don't know what these two are on about, but I don't particularly care either way. They asked a question, and I have my answer ready at hand. I curl my lip with as much scorn as I can muster without giving myself a chemical burn. "You're all out of your minds if you think this school is looking out for you."

The girl nudges her companion again. "You should document that on the noticeboard."

Two students groan. Another calls across the room, "You haven't won anything yet, Gilbert. Stick to the rules."

I narrow my eyes. "Rules for what?"

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," says the girl. "You've done your part for the day. Thanks for boosting us."

The boy puts a hand on her shoulder and turns her away. "This will count as interference if it goes on much longer. Stop goading her."

Out the corner of my eye, I see Exie's hand make a swipe for me and miss as I stride sharply after the pair. They pull up as I block their way. "You're taking bets," I say. "Tell me what you're betting on, cowards."

"That is none of your business." The boy has crafted his expression into a careful facade of boredom. Unless he's actually bored. Having an ally at his side has emboldened him, clearly. "Step aside, please. I don't wish to be disqualified."

I don a savage smile, plant my feet, and cross my arms. "Now that sounds fun."

He rolls his eyes, but the girl beside him looks almost delighted at the chance to carry on the argument. "This won't get you kicked out of school, sweetheart. Don't waste your energy on silly goals now. Keep your eye on the prize. There are still more windows to smash ineffectively in all of our classrooms."

Anger boils up through my gut like liquid tar. I know this is the time when I should walk away. This situation will only escalate if I don't, and I know I've made a fool of myself before when I let a rich kid bait me. But pride and the temptation to wipe that snide smirk off this girl's face is strong enough to override every rational argument.

"Well, that just proves that I have free will now, doesn't it?" I say. "Better than lying down and taking my own brainwashing like a good little lap dog."

A delighted laugh escapes the girl. "Brainwashing! That's a new one. Gil, you should write this all down. She's unhinged."

"I'm saner than the rest of you combined. You really think this place is so benevolent that they'd take money from a load of rich folk to lock up their problem children? They're just here to pad their pockets."

And feed those problem children to a demon, jumps about on the tip of my tongue, but I bite it back just in time. Exie's worked too hard for me to blow the cover on her investigation now. Especially if we can't trust these people not to run to a teacher with anything we say.

The girl shrugs. "Or it's insurance on the school in case someone sets fire to the rafters. As for that brainwashing, I'm perfectly sane, and I've felt more at home here than in any school I've ever been to. Nobody needs to brainwash problem children when it's so much more effective to just treat them like people. Unless you've got it twisted enough that you think anyone who's nice to you must have an ulterior motive."

"It's a front, and you've evidently swallowed it."

"You must find so much paranoia exhausting." The girl's face turns to mocking pity, and it rocks me so much harder than I want it to. "Take a breath for once, sweetheart. Not everyone who's out to help you is an enemy in disguise."

"Then explain Colson."

The whole room goes silent. We're still standing just outside of it. I can see around the two popular students' shoulders, and it's enough to watch several others in their posse exchange nervous glances.