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

Chapter 38

By Thursday Artemis was eating. Willingly, at least.

Hospital food disgusted her more than herself. But she knew that she needed nourishment to get well. And the quicker she got well, the quicker she could get the hell out of here.

Artemis played with the cotton sheets with her good hand after setting down her lunch tray. There was a television screen suspended from the ceiling, displaying a soap opera. Artemis rolled her eyes, contemplating changing the channel before she realized she didn't have a remote. She slammed her head against her pillow. How was it possible to be this bored? Forget the concussion, boredom would kill her first.

But then she remembered last night. Miren.

Her IV hand cupped over her forehead, gliding over her rustled hair. She remembered random bits and inconclusive pieces. Miren appeared fine, but she gave her no indication as to whether or not she would be returning to St. Rosemunde. Artemis shook her head. Was it wrong to expect that she would?

She had given the search effort her complete all. But what if that wasn't good enough? She was mad that Soren never helped her, but his original reasoning made sense, even if she didn't want it to.

"If she wanted to be sought out, don't you think you would've found her already?"

But she had found her. Or rather, Miren had come to her.

Didn't she?

Artemis shook her head again, trying to rid herself of these destructive thoughts. Part of her wanted to dismiss the encounter. Maybe it was just a desperate dream her subconscious mustered up to relax her. After all, she was practically high on painkillers. There had to be an explanation. There always was one, wasn't there?

She didn't know. She groaned, trying to shift into a more comfortable position. But no matter what she did, she could never be comforted by the uncertainty that surrounded her.

One thing—if nothing else—was certain. If Miren returned to visit her, that would mean their encounter was real. And she shouldn't have been content with that, but it was all she had.

That is, until a visitor entered her room.

"Artemis?" Parker called out. He stepped forward as the nurse gently shut the door behind him. It wasn't his first time visiting, but it was his first time alone with her. There was a bit of sweat glistening on his forehead. He must have come straight from lacrosse practice. But that didn't matter. Artemis tried to refrain from appearing startled by his uncalled presence. They averted their gazes from each other as they basked in a discomfited silence. With a sigh, Parker decided to break it.

"How are you holding up?"

"Well enough."

Parker nodded, his eyes falling on her IV. "How much longer do you have to stay here?"

She shrugged, unsure whether it was his presence or his questions that bothered her the most. "One more day. They need to give me a new cast."

Parker's eyes fell to her broken arm. "I see. Sorry about that."

"It wasn't your fault."

But wasn't it? Wasn't everything? His eyes then drifted to the boutique of flowers in his hands. He placed them in Artemis's arms before she could reject them.

"Here. But I'm not in love with you or anything." He scratched his head, hoping to dismiss the intimacy of the gesture.

Artemis' lip twitched as she thumbed through the orange petals. "Thank you." Her head was low as her lips pressed into a line. "And I know. You didn't have to come all this way to say that."