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

Chapter 15

        

Chapter 15

The world shook, bobbing up and down in a sea of darkness. Miren felt restrained, her nose pressed against something soft as she breathed a musk that resembled Old Spice before blacking out again.

She saw Parker, but he was younger, still stuck on one of the final pillars of puberty. As he laughed, his dark-brown curls danced on his head. His hair was longer, and she fought the urge to brush a hand through the wave of whorls.

"Miren," he said, his face almost close enough to touch hers. "What are you looking it?"

It took her a second to realize she was actually staring past him. The leaves were falling off the trees that lined the greenery separating St. Rosemunde and Rinzen. It was early fall or late summer, if that meant something.

"Nothing."

"Can I kiss you?" he said this so nonchalantly that she was certain he was joking with her. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What's so great about kissing?" she humored, starting for the garden. "I never understood the appeal of swapping saliva with someone."

He laughed. It was so full that it filled her heart with a sensation she couldn't quite place. She shook her head. Was she really becoming one of those girls that swooned at smug boys? She thought she raised herself better than that.

His hand caught her arm before she could get to far away. "Then it's a good thing I'm not a someone." He offered her a million dollar smile. "You know I've liked you for years now."

"So?"

He moved closer to her, practically pressing his lip against her ear. "So? I want to do that cliché high school sweetheart thing with you."

"And what if I say no?" She was mostly joking, but she was remembering the promise she made with Penelope, the one that was against cliché high school sweetheart things. And because she was too sensible for her own good, she was still contemplating what would come from humoring the boy. The painfully attractive and charismatic boy.

He kissed her ear. It tickled.

"Then you'll have to wake up."

Miren stirred, before sleep slipped out of her grip completely. She would have opened her eyes, but even twitching them hurt. Everything hurt for some reason.

"Miles?"

"Yeah?" her voice came out in a croak. But now she really didn't want to open her eyes. She was on a bed, so she was probably in the infirmary. She felt clothed, but that didn't mean that someone hadn't poked around, especially after carrying her here. For all she knew, the moment she opened her eyes would be the last moment of the charade.

She heard the school doctor mumble something about her being fine to Parker before she heard feet shuffle away from her. A door shutting.

She revisited the idea of opening her eyes as she shifted her body upward. Parker tried to help her, but she shook her head. Ow.

"I'm fine." Her vision was spotty at the corners, but to say she was dazed was an understatement. She moved back down, closing her eyes. Nothing could bring her to look at Parker, especially if he knew. "Did you...see anything?"

She asked this carefully, but for all she knew she might have exposed herself. But even through closed eyes, she could sense some hesitation as he shifted. She sucked in a harsh breath.

Shit.

"Jameson accidently hit you with the baseball. Said he's sorry," he replied, misinterpreting her words. For now. "Dr. Bates wanted you to take Advil for the pain." She heard him set a small cup on the table next to her. "He had to run to take care of another student. But he said I can take you to your room when you're ready."