The Class Reject: A Pariah in Purgatory (Book II)

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Mr. Cardenas had just turned on Pan's Labyrinth for his AP Spanish Class when Miren and Wallace knocked on the door.

"Tenemos que pedir prestado Jeno para el trabajo del estudiante Admininistration urgente," Wallace told the instructor. Miren smiled.

"Nuestras disculpas por la interrupción , pero lo necesitamos para el resto de la clase," she said, hoping the man would just go along with their words.

Mr. Cardenas turned to his students, most already out like the lights above them. He sighed. "You two have spoken the most Spanish I've heard this year in this class." He motioned toward Jeno, who was already watching at them.

"¿Qué está mal?" Jeno studied the group's expression, but they were as solid as his. With a small wave, the teacher dismissed them. As they entered the hallway, Jeno's glare intensified on Miren.

"What the hell happened to you?" He raised his phone. "I called you a thousand times. Theodora and Wallace too."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Did it occur to you that I was probably a bit indisposed?" she said as they exited the building. "Your brother decided to randomly interrogate me for missing class. And he took my cellphone."

Jeno sucked in a small breath. "Sorry. I thought you were just trying to spite me."

"Right. Because I live to make your life harder."

"Just your own," he said passively as they moved toward the garden, to the humble gazebo next to the woods. "If you told us about your little road trip, we could have helped."

"I don't need your help with everything," Miren said under her breath. She pulled out the camera from the backpack as she sat down. "But it does appear that we have some helpers."

Jeno raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"

Miren just pressed her lips together and rolled the footage. It took a few minutes to get past the primadonna talking, but when the moment happened, Jeno broke down. Miren couldn't help but smile as Wallace laughed with him, but the sight of Jeno laughing was weird. He winced at the audio feedback before his cruel laughter filled the air again. She turned off the camera.

"For the love of God." Jeno shook his head, wiping tears from his eyes. "Who did this?"

When Miren felt his eyes widen on her form, she rolled hers.

"Try Chara."

"No way." He scoffed. "She wasn't even bright enough to not push someone down a flight of stairs." His eyes landed on Wallace. "No offense."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Wallace groaned. "So what do we do now? It looks like we have some new Miren avengers. Naturally, Chara didn't do this alone. My money's on Artemis. Maybe even Jemma."

"Someone who's close to Penelope and Parker must have been in on it," Miren deduced, nodding. "The question is, who? And can we trust them?"

"Jemma is a wildcard—she'll ultimately do whatever suits her." Jeno rubbed his chin. "Knowing her, she probably just gave Artemis and Chara the footage for kicks."

"That sounds likely." Wallace stretched his arms in the air. "But I think we're neglecting the real problem."

"Penelope." Jeno sighed. "Who knows how she's going to retaliate?"

At this realization, Miren's heart dropped to her stomach. Not only would Penelope be out for blood, but also St. Rosemunde. Wallace or Parker could be in boiling water. And if the school board took Penelope's side (and they would, even if she was more of a disgrace in Catholic school standards than Miren...or was she?), then she would be leading the witch-hunt.