The Class Reject: A Martyr in Maelstrom (Book III)

36

As Parker drove, it was hard to ignore the desire to come clean. After all, Cowdry of all people knew. This operation was crashing and burning even as Miren pretended not to smell smoke or failure. But it was in the air.

And it would suffocate her eventually.

"If you tell me that you fell down a flight of stairs, I won't believe you," Parker then said, turning to Miren briefly. "Something happened. I can see it in your eyes."

Too bad you can't see me in your eyes. Miren turned to the window. She opened it in an attempt to air out the toxic energy of the space, but it remained. "But that's exactly what happened. I fell." Into a fist a hundred times.

She rubbed her temple, sensing the sedatives wearing off. Her brain was finally unblocking, but that meant that her thoughts were free to roam. And they were mad at her for revealing her identity to Cowdry, for getting into this car with Parker, for not knowing who attacked her, for Jeno not being there...

His hand found it's way on her shoulder, patting it a couple of times. But she didn't want to look at Perfect Parker, didn't want to accept his charismatic, heartfelt gestures. "You can tell me whenever you're ready. And if you don't want to, fine. But if someone's bullying you, I need to know."

"And why do you care?" Miren said. If it weren't for the foot cast (thankfully she didn't need crutches, but still) she would have walked out of his car at the next light. "Didn't you condone Miren's bullying?"

"I did." Parker didn't even hesitate to reply. "That's why I've been doing everything in my power to preserve her legacy. I think Olive was able to accomplish that to an extent, but there's still more work to be done."

"Like what?" Miren slouched in her seat, feeling the web of lies, like her seatbelt, restrain her. "Why don't you just move on?"

Why don't I just come clean?

"It's not that simple," he basically answered for her. "I ignored the girl I loved for years because of some arrangement with Penelope. Then I cheated on Penelope with Artemis at her most vulnerable was a slimy thing to do." His green eyes were gleaming, tears lining his eyes. "I don't deserve her forgiveness. Hell, I don't even know why you're nice to me."

"Because I'm a nice person," she said sarcastically, shifting toward him, wanted to wipe his tears away before she realized how inappropriate that would be. "But you're a good person. We've all made mistakes. You have to stop beating yourself up about everything."

"Easier said than done." They pulled into the student parking lot when Parker flashed her a hopeful smile. "But I'll try."

Miren matched his before shifting to the trunk, where her duffle bag was. Parker, with all his athleticism, pried it out before she could.

"Cowdry said you and Jeno are on not-so-good terms at the moment, so you'll be staying with me." Miren blinked at him as he walked toward the school. "You guys fight like an old married couple."

"Wait, are you telling me that Jeno knew I was at the hospital?" Parker narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

"I guess so?" he swung the bag over his shoulder. "She's with Edsel, so who knows what he told her. All I know is that he wasn't in his room last night because I tried to apologize." He shrugged. "But I'd prefer not to think about him."

Miren sucked in a breath before following in his lead.

"Me too."

***