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

77 | Smile

When an obnoxious ray of sunlight hit Miren square in the face, she took it as her cue that prom night, and all of the enchantment that went with it, was a dream. As her eyes fluttered against the harsh light of reality, her instincts honed onto the fact that she wasn't tucked in bed at her dorm in Rinzen. Rather, she was on a couch in Axel's apartment. The well-worn sofa sucked her in, and it took way too much effort to pull herself out of its sunken depths.

Once she made it to her feet, she rubbed her face in an effort to become more alert. It was then that she noticed sleeping bodies littered around the tattered living room. She patted down her body for her phone, before finding it in the pocket of her wrinkled slacks. She wrinkled her nose, attempting to ignore the weed and alcohol in the air, her ears still ringing from both the performance and the noise-complaint level music from the after parties (yes, plural) Jemma dragged her to.

She skimmed her phone for missed messages, but there were none. It technically made sense - she wasn't Jemma's only friend by a long shot. And apart from Jeno's messages the night before asking where she was, he was probably understandably annoyed that she'd blown him off. Or maybe he was being a huge baby.

She decided on the latter before weaving through the messy living room as if it was an obstacle course. Once she made it to the kitchen area, she saw Axel on the opposite side of the island, getting something from the fridge.

"Good morning," Miren offered in a bit of a scruff. To say she was dehydrated would be an understatement.

"Morning, Miles," the shirtless senior greeted, before shutting the fridge, a gallon of apple juice in tow. He took a direct gulp from the bottle before extending it toward her. "Sounds like you need it more than me."

Shrugging, she took it before taking a sip. Much to her chagrin, they had already kissed, so if she was going to die of super-mono or something the damage had already been done.

"Jemma told me to make sure nothing happened to you at the party," Axel then went on before smirking. "Though you passed out pretty quickly."

Miren rolled her eyes. "Do you know where she is now?"

"She left a couple of hours ago in a bit of a hurry. Prom clean up I think," he decided, scratching his mousy brown hair. "I'm actually about to head back to the mansion to get the rest of the music gear with Cliff." As if on cue, the gargantuan red-head entered the space in an almost sleep-like trance. He opened the pantry as Axel's eyes met her gaze. "Did you want a ride back to campus?"

"I'd appreciate it," Miren said. And then they were on their way.

***

Miren's stomach had caught up with her by the time she set food on Rinzen soil. Although most of campus was empty, the cafeteria was still open. After eating a bit too much, she made her way back to the dorm, exhaustion washing over her body. But even when her body collapsed against her bed, her mind would not sit still. Her eyes skimmed against the wall calender; it was officially June 1st. Only two more weeks of school - technically less with the weekends and graduation.

She closed her eyes to let the thought simmer, and her mind eventually went blank as the type of serenity that belonged to late spring afternoons swept over her like a breeze. But peace and anything that resembled it would always be fleeting - because reality hit her like a draft in the room.

Martha's Vineyard!

She sprang to her feet, grabbing her phone from her night stand. She dialed Jeno's number but he didn't pick up. She thought about texting him again before calling Jemma. She also didn't answer. Her mind started running again - sprinting when she got a text from her.