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

Untitled Third Book: Chapter 7

Author's Note:

Just finished exams so I wanted to give you guys a treat. I should have one more chapter up before the end of the weekend, so stay tuned and remember to comment! 

Make sure you enter the cover contest. Deadline October 29th. Details here: https://www.wattpad.com/320102825-the-class-reject-a-damsel-in-disguise-featured

And check out my two other stories and tell me which I should continue by October 29th: 

Confessions of an (Imaginary) Ex-Girlfriend: 

https://www.wattpad.com/318176144-confessions-of-an-imaginary-ex-girlfriend-chapter

Written in the Leaves: 

https://www.wattpad.com/story/86249581-written-in-the-leaves

***

Chapter 7 

The only reason Jeno returned to the party was because he'd forgotten his keys. As he navigated the festive landscape, he felt his heart die. He should have fought harder—should have told Miren that she meant the world to him.

But it wasn't like she didn't know that.

"Geez, cheer up birthday boy," Levi said, shaking his shoulder. "Jemma said she wanted to open presents. Then again, you're probably above materialistic gifts."

"Tell her to get a ride with Klondike," he told his friend as he took his jacket from the coat check. "I'm leaving."

"It's not even up to ten." Levi's eyebrows furrowed. "Did something happen? Or are you just sad that Miles and Wallace aren't here?"

"Something like that," Jeno said under his breath. His eyes felt heavy, but he didn't know if they were just filled with frustrated tears or regret. He refused to wipe his eyes as he watched Parker and Penelope dancing. Obliviously popular like usual.

A sly smirk graced Levi's lips. "I saw you dancing with her earlier. You jealous?"

It took everything not to groan, let alone punch Levi in the face. Jeno locked his jaw before shaking his head, forcing himself to keep his foul feelings together.

"She was trying to convince me to get back together with Theodora." His voice came out in a gruff. Fuck. If he didn't get out of here soon, he might start getting emotional. "Anyway, I'm out. Thanks for coming, I guess."

"Sure thing?" Then the prince of darkness was gone. Which meant aside from Parker, Levi didn't really have any friends here.

"Why the hell did you let Jeno leave!?" Jemma roared over the dubstep. She was running so fast in her heels that she nearly collided into Levi. When he just stared at her, she proceeded to jab him in the torso.

"Damn, you're stronger than you look." The boy winced, stepping back. "And what the hell did I do?"

"Didn't you see him with some girl?"

"I saw him with Penelope, but let's not pretend she's human enough to be called a girl." Levi's fallow eyes were gleaming with interest. "Another lass you say? Now that I think about it, he did have some lipstick on his chin." He tapped his chin. "Huh, I didn't think he'd move on so quickly."

"I didn't think so either," Jemma admitted, pulling her phone out of her dress pocket. "But it looks like they got along quite well." She showed him the picture of Jeno and little miss anonymous kissing. It was really hard to contain her sick amusement, especially when Levi's eyes widened.

"Who is she?" he said almost defensively, as if Jeno was his boyfriend or something. Jemma shrugged, but she was laughing maniacally on the inside. 

"I guess that's for you to find out."

***

The trek back to Rinzen was a sobering one. Although Jeno wasn't stupid enough to drink anything at the party, or eat anything for that matter, he somehow felt both confusion and clarity.

As he climbed the stairs of Woodley Hall, his phone vibrated. Wallace. A happy birthday text and a corresponding gif. It was a thoughtful effort, but it was wasted on him. Nothing would ever make him feel better. He stared at his bed longingly, and collapsed on it without much input from his brain. He closed is eyes, finding comfort in the inner darkness of his eyelids. But his phone couldn't stop orchestrating sounds—whether they were texts or calls—he didn't care. He wasn't answering. So he shut it off—he wanted to shut everything off.

But then he remembered that kiss—the kisses. His eyes shifted to the ceiling as he hissed. He couldn't remember ever feeling so whole. Maybe it was fitting for him to be shattered just moments later.

Still, it didn't make sense. Even with the disguise, it was still evident that Miren was a practical, straightforward, person. She didn't play games - except when it came to his heart. He cursed. Why did he let her get to him? No one got to him.

His eyes landed to Miren's abandoned side of the room, and in doing so, he saw a cupcake and a card on his nightstand. The fact that he didn't see it before was a true testament to how blinding his sorrow was. He pushed the treat aside and opened the white envelope a lot less carefully than the decorative design deserved. Briefly, he considered who it was from—Wallace, or maybe Theodora—but he began reading it, digesting the handwriting before he could even interpret it. When he finished, it took a second for his brain to catch up. And when it did, he was somehow even more distraught than before.