181 Days of Madeline Jesty

Chapter 42: Tormenting Confusion

Iola smirked at Mickey's remark, unafraid of the threatening aura the latter emitted. "Aren't you a bit territorial on someone you aren't in a relationship with? Unless you are."

Mickey bit her lip in response. She couldn't just throw off our secret to someone we just met, and I noticed how she was holding herself from disclosing our pact. Seeing her tight posture, I was the one who answered Iola. "She's territorial to all her friends."

"I see her a lot with Jane's group. She's not like this."

"Oh, a stalker?" Mickey mocked.

"People with Jane are as well known as her. You aren't an exception," Iola replied. "And Jane obviously likes you, but it seems that"—she looked at me—"your eyes are set to a girl whose eyes I've set on too."

I was flattered. Shocked, honestly. Mickey took notice and immediately walked beside me, her bat now raised in front of Iola's face. "Know your place," Mickey told Iola. "My Majesty couldn't waste her time on the likes of you."

"Your Majesty?" Iola laughed, probably remembering how she called me a while ago. Then to me, she said, "I knew someone calls you that. I mean, you do look like it. Glad I wasn't wrong."

"I'm warning you."

Iola faced Mickey again, her hand gently putting her bat down. "Two soldiers can serve one queen, you know?"

"Then that's the difference. You're just a soldier."

"That makes you what?"

"Okay, stop it," I interrupted. I kind of liked the drama, but it was now becoming a show of two people competing against each other, trying to find out who pissed higher. It had to stop. "I'm going home. Headache."

I waved my hands in the air as if telling them that they should go home too, which they did. They walked in the opposite direction from where we originally stood, but neither of them seemed to take off their eyes from each other, ensuring that they were really walking away, warning not to dare go back and get a chance with me.

***

Since exam week was near, I refused Mickey's invitations and told her to focus on her studies. So my weekend was quite dull. Only nature, with its blue skies and flourishing evergreen, made my days bearable, except for the river I intended to visit since I was once again reminded about my remaining days.

Yeah, sure, how could I totally forget that I could also see my reflection on the waters?

As per Franco's advice, I didn't visit Cornelia's Café. Though I was very worried with Amielle's whereabouts, she might be in more danger if I insisted. On the way to school, whenever our car passed by the café, I always wondered if Amielle was there . . . and if she felt that electrifying sensation when we touched. Did she also see that magical, dreamlike moment with my dad?

These thoughts, however, were buried and dominated by the sudden rivalry between Mickey and Iola. Every day, the two raced to greet me. Iola would even come visit me in our classroom and chat with Steph while also purposefully showing this to Mickey to make her envious about our unguarded closeness. From Steph's point of view, Iola had more advantage on me since Jane's eyes were on Mickey; that was, to many, Mickey was already owned by Jane.

Iola would surprise me with books and flowers, something I genuinely appreciated. But for some reason—and even though she could only steal glances and drop coded letters into my locker—Mickey prevailed my subconscious. God forbid, I loved the way she'd bite her lip in anguish and jealousy whenever she'd see me with Iola but she was with Jane.