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

44

"I don't know if this is a good idea," Miren said, stopping in front of the apartment.

"I don't know if I can trust your definition of   good and bad," Miss Cowdry replied almost mockingly, unlocking the door. "Besides, Rinzen is a cesspool right now. Especially for you."

Miren opened her mouth to object until she heard another notification on her phone. She had received so many messages on the damn thing that she was surprised it hadn't spontaneously combusted. Cowdry took the device from her.

"The mission is for you to spend the night eating chinese and spilling the truth." The woman turned on the light before kicking off her heals. Miren took in the space behind her. It was a lofty looking apartment that was  immaculate but cozy. It was easily a million steps above the ancient barnyard that was Woodley Hall.

"So what, you think this is some slumber party?" Miren brushed a hand through her wig. "Aren't you old enough to have real friends?"

"I'm only twenty-eight," she wrinkled her nose. "I don't appreciate you age shaming me."

"Sorry." Miren turned toward the living room, sizing up the space. Her attention immediately focused on the plushy coach in the corner. It was only after ten, but exhaustion washed over her body like a tsunami. And luckily for her, she knew that she wouldn't get a wink of shut eye until she played Questions & Answers with Cowdry. But it wasn't like she deserved sleep.

I got Parker expelled.

She shut her eyes in a hard squint after she set her duffle bag down. She hear Cowdry warm up the chinese in the microwave, asking her if she wanted to take a shower, or watch something on TV. They were simple questions, but it was still too much.

"I shouldn't have let Parker take the fall," Miren then said, cutting through her mind fog. "I should have just told the truth."

"I know honesty is the best policy, but confessing publicly wouldn't have ended well." Cowdry shook her head, taking a bite of her lo mein. "Think about it - you're in this deep. A mindless confession would just screw yourself over." She took another bite. "Well, more."

"What are you talking about?"

"So you tell everyone that you've been alive this whole time and didn't say anything because you were scared or whatever," Cowdry began, "Roger would probably put two and two together and realize that you played a role in most of the antics - Jeno too. You're something of a martyr right now," she went on. "Spill the beans without thinking and you'll be reduced to a pariah."

"Then what do you expect me to do?" Miren's voice was hoarse, and her head hurt as if she had hit it against a brick wall repeatedly. "It's not like life as Miles is a fairytale. Someone wants his head too. So I literally have no option other than to come clean."

"Well, now that Parker's been expelled, you may not be targeted anymore," she considered.
"It may be in your best interest to take some time to see if you can figure out who might have attacked you. You also need to know how you're going to do to free yourself from your alter ego, and where you want to go from there."

Miren wrinkled her nose. Wallace had asked the same thing months ago. She thought that by now she would at least have some idea how everything would end.

"I know that I'm done with this town," she said after a while, taking a seat on the sleep-inducing sofa. She opened a bottle of water; to say she was parched would have been a severe understatement. But there was nothing refreshing about the drink - about anything.

"What about Jeno?"

"What about Jeno?" Miren took another gulp. "I'd rather not discuss his involvement in all of this."