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

74 | Me

Prom commenced with the headmasters announcing that dinner would be served in the second ballroom first, followed dancing and mingling in the first ballroom. Miren had opted to eat the overpriced salmon with Quinn in the kitchen area, however, nerves from their upcoming performance ruined her appetite.

Back in ballroom one, Axel and the rest of BANG! assumed the stage and began playing. Axel nodded to Miren, and with a gulp she took center stage, next to him. With a microphone in hand, she began the first song of the night as the dance hall flooded with St. Rosemunde and Rinzen students. Everything was sudden - no introductions, no warm-up to the warm up, but she was beginning to see why. Jumping in forced her to focus on the task at hand - singing. And with the louder than life guitar, bass, percussion and synthesizers behind her, it was hard not to become one with the music. She mentally counted down from five and then it was her cue.

Wrapped in your arms

I feel no harm

Just the weight of your hesitation

But am I complacent?

Is this game ancient?

This back and forth, inevitable love affair?

I need air

I need air

But don't leave me alone

Don't surrender the throne that holds my heart

I don't care

I don't care

But give me all you can bare to give

And I'll make up the rest!

The funky, alternative rock ballad played for another three minutes and then they were onto their second song. And just like that, prom was in full throttle and Miren was loving every moment of it.

At first she thought it was the mask - there was something liberating about the fact that she was a star and a nobody at the same time. As she looked into the crowd, dark and also masked, except for the occasional flashes of neon light from the disco ball over head, she wished she could see Jeno. Maybe he was in the dance hall, or maybe he wasn't. Maybe the producers were there, or maybe they weren't.

A smirk found her lips as she turned to Axel, who was in the middle of a guitar solo. She started to dance to the beat, getting completely lost in the music. She breathed it in and exhaled all of the trauma of the past year from her lungs before her cue to sing again.

***

Meanwhile, Jeno found himself in the elaborate gardens of the Bloomberg Estate with a heavy heart. Watching Miren perform was like falling in love with her all over again - she sang with both intensity and ease, and although the mask hid most of face, she was easily the most beautiful girl in the room. And the way she moved in her dress...he closed his eyes. She was a smart, sexy Goddess and he didn't deserve her.

Especially not when his own brother was responsible for doing something so heinous to her.

He tore off his maroon tie; the article of clothing suddenly constrictive as his mind raced a million miles per minute. The warm, but breezy late May air was refreshing, but not sobering. He was drowning, and he didn't know if the truth would lift any anchors.

Afterall, who knew if Theodora was telling the truth? He didn't even ask how she knew, but something told him that the source wasn't as relevant as the action itself. He'd have to confront his brother either way.

"And then what?" Jeno mumbled to the wind, as he watched some students, clearly drunkish and/or highish, head toward the mega mansion. Along the hedge and iron gated perimeter, he noted a hand full of body guards that could pass for Men in Black agents stroll around it, whispering things into handheld devices. It was a good thing he and disbanded Revengers weren't planning anything.

He crossed the fountain in the middle of the garden, his eyes momentarily distracted by the rhythmic but gentle swirls of the water, and the crusty coins resting on the stone floor until he heard it - him.

"Prom King and Queen will be announced in the next ten minutes," Dr. Edsel said, his voice cutting through the air through some sort of external garden speaker. "Please make your way to ballroom one. Thank you." He repeated the message two more times, and Jeno gritted his teeth. Their confrontation would have to wait.

However, as a flock of students started for the building, he saw Roger and Carlie Cowdry hastily start for the opposite direction, into the garden area before turning the corner, toward a more secluded side of the mansion. Jeno rolled his eyes before his feet found movement.

Trying to get to the bottom of things in Carlie's presence hardly seemed ideal, but maybe it was the only chance - the perfect chance. Carlie easily wore the pants in the relationship - she wouldn't let Roger lie in front of her.

Or maybe they were using this window of opportunity to get freaky or something. A frown found Jeno's face, but it was too late. He was already around the corner. He poked his head briefly through the alleyway to confirm they were there. They were, and to his lack of surprise, Carlie looked pissed.

"Just let your dad help pay for the wedding," Carlie said. "You said he regrets not being in your life until you were a teenager, right? You've only been principal of Rinzen for three years. Between school loans and life it makes sense that you don't have that much saved up."

"Can't you understand how humiliating that is for me?" Roger fought back. "He's already done so much. I'm turning thirty-seven in a month. How long am I supposed to let him treat me like a child?"

"We can postpone the wedding if you want to," Carlie said softly. "We can get the deposit for the venue and wait. I'm almost done with my book and I really think it will sell. We can use part of the advance for the wedding."

"I don't want you to do that," he countered, sighing. "I want to be able to provide for you."

"And I told you when we first started dating that I can take care of myself." Although Jeno couldn't see her expression, it was obvious she was grinning. "We could also just elope - let's just do that. Tonight. Prom will be over in less than two hours."

"How did I end up with with perfect woman?" he said, kissing her. "But I know you. You watch 'Say Yes to the Dress' clips on youtube all the time. You deserve the wedding of your dreams."

"Well, I'll try to dream a little more modestly," she said, kissing him again. "It's you that I want. Not a wedding."

"And I want you more than anything too," Roger announced before sighing. "Which is why I have to be honest with you about something. I'll understand if you don't want to be with me anymore--

"Did you lie to me, cheat on me, or vote for a certain problematic president?" Carlie cut off.

"What? Hell no." Edsel sighed deeply. "But I did do something really stupid. And it's been haunting me for sometime now." Realizing that the ball was going to drop any moment now, Jeno started recording the conversation on his phone, his heart beating relentlessly in his chest.

"Then spit it out," Carlie said quickly. However, it was the first time Jeno heard something that even vaguely resembled fear in her voice.

He heard Roger sigh yet again. "Okay," the headmaster said. And just like that, Jeno's eyes found the moonlit sky as he discovered the earth shattering truth.