The Little Dove #2 ✔️

26. Love On The Rocks

CHAPTER 26: Love On The Rocks

I think the fact Principal Jewel spent time at the sanitarium would trump the red flag sequence, but those files described, in detail, of Professor Forthright's visits to Corinne Delia. Their conversations usually summing into times at the Academy that may have flew her off the edge. It was Thursday, mid-morning and my mind was swirling when I stepped out of Professor Roberts class, eyebrows furrowed in concentration and my thoughts were almost constantly clouded.

Lorraine was waiting next to Iris, talking animatedly about some chick-flick they both apparently enjoy, I wasn't much for it, the second they began speaking about marriages, babies, drunken love, one-night-stands. I zoned out of it.

Iris gives me an eye-roll, "Are you more into horror-type movies?" She asks me, the second many masculine bodies cloak us in a full circle. I glance up and over, Edmund gives me a raised eyebrow.

"Horror? How interesting?" He murmurs, crossing his arms over his long coat.

I glare at him, "It most certainly isn't."

He looks considerate. Lyndon snorts, "I would have expected more make-up if you had." He says, gesturing to my face.

I give him a dirty look and pat my cheeks, gently, he glances over at Edmund behind me and I suppose one look sobered him up so eloquently, he winces, "No, I mean, you don't need more make-up. You're naturally beautiful." He says, quickly. He glances back at the man directly behind me and pales.

"Shit. I mean, you're like any other girl. Prim and-well, you're actually a little boring, whilst secretly on the wild side, borderline actually. No boring girl would run directly in the line of danger and you hit that corner almost every week since you started here. I'd say if we didn't crash the mission you had, I would have never seen you as slightly rebellious." He blurts out word-vomit.

I furrow my eyebrows, Talon even gives him a weirded out look, Iris looks at her brother, shaking her head. Lorraine looks plain confused, I furrow my eyebrows, deeply, "So, I'm dull with a secretive wild side. Thanks, Lyndon. You really know how to make a girl look on the bright side of things." I tell him, cynically as I turn and step around Edmund, Lyndon stumbles forward to follow after me.

"Damnit, lemon, don't make this a big deal."

My eyebrows go straight up.

SLAP!

It wasn't Edmund who called me 'lemon' that time. It was Lyndon, who's currently slammed against the lockers when I turn around.

Edmund is nowhere near him, but he uses off the collar of his jacket as he glares over at Lyndon, who rubs the back of his head, "Sorry, I meant Melanie," He mutters before giving Edmund an annoyed look, who had given him a penetrating glare, "What? You refer to her as 'Lemon' all the damn time. I forgot her real name for a second." He says, fixing his suit, before I straighten when I see her turn down the other corridor that faces only me. The others were obscured.

"Melanie, may I have a word?" Principal Jewel asks me, stepping forward. Her voice was low, strangely sultry and only then, does she step out of the shadows, and she snaps her head to the others, she blinks twice.

I guess not seeing them next to me had given her quite a start. Edmund gives her a bored look, still side-glaring Lyndon when I glance over to see his reaction. He was far too focused on the fact someone else called me 'Lemon' for a change and it set a bad feeling in Edmund, obviously.

"Oh, you're all here. Wonderful, I gather you all attended your first dance lesson just last evening?" She asks, professionally. She steps next to me, and almost tries to imitate my posture.