Authors Note: Hello! I just wanted to thank all of you for reading so far. This is the second and last part of the story, and there will be 39 chapters in total. It's a long story as to why the story is listed as complete, but I can assure you that I will be updating at least every 1-2 days, and that the entire story should be up by the end of the month. Thanks again. :)
Chapter 22
Although the students around Miren were buzzing with excitement, they weren't particularly vocal about what was so exciting. Even Ms. Cowdry appeared less hostile than usual. She only assigned a three-paged single space paper on the Equal Rights Amendment. Due tomorrow.
But Miren wasn't bothered by this. She was bothered by the fact that Jeno hadn't enlightened her any further on the plan to take down Penelope. After all, he knew she was in no position to have secrets kept from her. The whole pre-initiation capture attempt? She could have been exposed. Again.
Then again, she was forgetting that she was technically imposing on both him and Wallace.
Fortunately, things were beginning to become natural to Miren. At least, when she didn't think about things too hard. She was no longer stumbling over her shoes or speech. She had gotten over her shaved head. She had somehow assimilated.
But that didn't mean that she wasn't eager to see what all of the hype was about. Tapping her fingers impatiently on her desk, she tried to contain herself as she waited for calculus to end. It didn't help that her instructor was being especially boring today.
"Good afternoon, students of Rinzen Academy." Headmaster Edsel's voice rang vibrantly through the intercom. "You up for a little field trip?"
Field trip? Miren's thoughts were clouded by the cheers of several other students.
"Good to hear," he said after a pause, as if he could hear them. "Everyone is excused from class. You will report to the founder's fountain. There, you will be led by your instructors. Now disperse!"
Shuffling feet, rustling backpacks, and excited voices filled the air as the students left the room. It was a crisp October day, and the sun, sitting visibly in the sky, warmed the air. Miren straightened the collar of her blazer. It was a nice day to have a field trip. Wherever they were going.
They made it to the fountain and joined the rest of the student body. Miren stood on the balls of her feet, trying to see above the crowd. Even though she was tall for a girl, most of the guys in her class towered above her, making her feel trapped. As if on cue, Headmaster Edsel, with a bullhorn in hand, emerged from the main office building. The students cleared a path for him.
"Okay, boys," he began, with the bullhorn to his lips, "we'll be going to the Arc. It's a brief walk, half way between here and Rosemunde." He was pacing the crowd now.
"Upperclassmen with me. Underclassmen with their instructors. Anyone who deviates from the crowd will be punished accordingly."
The groups began to assemble as the black gates of Rinzen opened.
**
Miren was toward the front of the crowd, a few paces behind the headmaster leading them. She searched the group, looking for some familiar faces, though she wasn't too surprised when she couldn't find them.
"Miles," Headmaster Edsel summoned. "How are you adjusting?"
Miren's eyes rose, before she jogged up to his side. She shrugged. "I can't complain."
He nodded. "How's your roommate been treating you?" he then asked. "Is Jeno being a pain in the ass?"
She had to do a double take. Pain in the ass? She didn't know how to respond to his blunt casualness. "Uh, no. He's alright." Lately, he had been more than alright. Bearable.
"Good. Just checking."
Miren relaxed. He was the principal. This was a small school. His concern shouldn't have been unsettling. But something else was.
"Do you know where he is?" she asked. "Or where Wallace is?"
The headmaster's gray eyes lit up. "You'll see."
She tried not to groan. Yay, more secrets. But that settled it. They had to be at the Arcâthe outdoor theater that stood in a stretch of greenery between two institutions.
The viewing space was sloped, sinking further as one walked toward the front of it. There were cement chairs connected to the cemented ground. Behind the stage were trees, and when she squinted, she could see a pond behind the pines. Beaconing the students forward, the headmaster motioned for them to sit in sections.
As Miren moved to the front, she tried not to look at the group of Rosemunde students that had just assembled at the top of the theater. So she focused ahead, refusing to look fazed by the girls of navy and maroon.
"You okay, Miles?" Henry asked her, as they took their seats in the third row.
"Is that even a valid question?" she replied before realizing it.
"Huh?" he said, scratching his blonde head. Her eyes widened. Poor little Henry wasn't in on her poor situation.
"Nothing," she dismissed. "How are you doing?"
"Not to shabby."
Miren nodded, returning her attention to the stage. To the left, was the joint marching band, drumming enthusiastically. To the right, Jemma was leading Rosemunde's cheerleading team.
But that still didn't explain where Jeno was. She sucked on the inside of her cheeks, wondering why she was so concerned. Who was Jeno anyway? Just because he hadn't turned her in didn't mean that their alliance was anything special. The two of them didn't like Penelope. They were going to take her down.
Did she know what they were going to do exactly? No. But she knew that homecoming would be the setting. But with Jeno on to her, she wondered how long this charade would continue. She was biting her cheeks now. She knew it couldn't go on foreverâshe didn't want it to. But what was between now and the ultimate unveil?
An unexpected gust of chill air brushed past her face, sending a ripple of female shrieks through the crowd. She couldn't help but smirk. Their uniforms were ill suited for the weatherâplaid shirts that rested above the knee and flimsy jackets.
Stupid girls, Miren couldn't help but think. She used to be one. She had reservations about becoming one again. Stupid, stuck up girls had gotten her into this mess. Stupid, stuck up, high school girls had to suffer, even if it was only from the cold weather.
The mascotsâa river dolphin and a raccoonâcharged up and down the bleachers, trying to enthuse the already enthused group. It was Friday. They weren't in class.
"Hey, Miles!" Miren looked up to see Chara descending before her, taking a seat.
"Enjoying the festivities?" Chara asked. Miren shrugged her shoulders, though she was glad to see the girl; it had been a while.
"Maybe if it would start already," Miren considered, readjusting her glasses. Chara laughed.
The festivities began once everyone had assembled. A huge white screen came down in front of the stage curtain. With it, came the two principals. Miren's eyes narrowed as Headmistress Castro made it to the stage. The bitch, all smiling and bright...
Before more thoughts could run through her unstable mind, Headmaster Edsel assumed the microphone. She relaxed slightly. She didn't mind him, though she hadn't been at Rinzen long enough to decide how she actually felt about him. The girls in Rosemunde, on the other hand, all boy-crazy and still stupid, began to swoon at him.
The principal didn't seem to mind it, though he motioned for the crowd to settle down. "My apologies for the wait, everyone. We had a few technical difficulties. Please thank Mr. Harisson for his efforts."
The crowd went wild. But Miren could swear that Chara was the loudest.
"Moving on, we have a few more formalities before we can start. Could we have Penelope van Helsing sing the national anthem?" he said. "Please rise on her behalf!"
Penelope? Miren couldn't stop her teeth and fists from simultaneously clenching. On her behalf? Chara gave her a worried look, before tugging her up to stand. She stood, her eyes arrows piercing the witch's form.
There was a bounce in Penelope's stride as she walked onto the stage. Light, despite the amount of evil she carried on her dainty shoulders. She cleared her wind-swept auburn hair from her face before taking the microphone from the headmaster. "Thank you." A track began. The girl started to sing.
Most people messed up the national anthem. And Miren was praying that would happen. But of course, Penelope sang beautifully.
Her conclusion was met with a thunderous applause. Miren restrained, until Henry nudged her shoulder, pointing to the girl in the spot light. "Wasn't she fantastic? And so hot too..."
Miren salvaged a smile. But she felt like rolling her eyes. Scratch that. She felt like slapping him side ways. She shook her head; Penelope would get what was coming to her. No need turning into a raging beast in public. That was reason number one why she had to transfer, after all.
"Fantastic," Headmaster Edsel said, still clapping. "Now, for the marching bands." He motioned toward the band directors who nodded, playing a combined version of the schools' fight songs.
"Hey guys," Wallace said, sliding up to his girlfriend and pressing a kiss to her cheek. Chara giggled. Miren tried to keep down her breakfast.
"Where have you been?" Miren said, though she wasn't as concerned as she was before.
"You heard Edsel," Wallace said, shrugging. "So away I went, saving the world one high school at a time." He put is knuckles on his hips, turning his head in a mock Superman pose.
Miren rolled her eyes. "So when does the fun start?" She had never actually been to the homecoming assembly. When she wasn't in class, she usually snuck to her room to study.
"Soon," he assured her, his hazel eyes straight ahead.
When the fight song collaboration ended, Headmaster Edsel, their handsome host of the hour, resumed his position on stage. "And now the Presidents of the Student Administration will do the coin toss to decide which school will host homecoming."
So that's how it worked, Miren considered. But with the way the boys were acting, it apparently didn't always work in Rinzen's favor. Jeno and Jemma approached center stage. They stood, facing each other between the headmaster.
Jemma was smiling, though her smirk was a bit more devious than usual. Jeno wore his habitual scowl.
"Ready to lose?" Jemma said, her teal eyes flickering with delight. "Jeno-fer."
Jeno's eyebrows furrowed. "Shut the fuck up."
There was a bit of commotionâmostly jeeringâin the crowd. Miren half expected Headmaster Edsel to reprimand the boy for his vulgar choice of words, but he started grinning. Laughing.
"Okay, okay, calm down before I have to reprimand you," the headmaster said, with a fleeting laugh in his voice. He lifted a coin with the diameter of a clementine in the air. "Take your pick. Rosemunde, you're up first."
"Heads," Jemma said.
"Tails, then."
The headmaster nodded. "Then let's do it!" He dropped the coin to the floor. After flopping against the apron of the stage like a fish out of water, it landed in a defeated plop. There was a collective silence, until the screen behind them flashed green and blue.
Rinzen.
The left side of the theater started cheering wildly, and the mascot started doing a ridiculous dance on stage.
"Excellent," Headmaster Edsel said, patting Jeno's shoulder. "Homecoming will be held at Rinzen for the first time in four years." He turned to Jeno. "How do you feel?"
There was a borderline passive look in the boy's eyes as he scanned the crowd. And although some Rinzen girls started frantically chanting his name, there was no light in his eyes.
"Fine," was Jeno's response.
"What theme do you propose?" Headmaster Edsel then asked.
"Look behind you," Jeno said, turning toward the huge screen. As if on cue, the speakers started playing instrumental jazz. There was an explosion of light on the monitor, and then bold writing filled the space.
MISSION: HOMECOMINGâA TOP SECRET AFFAIR
The Headmaster nodded. "Spy theme? Sounds interesting. Who do we give credit for this idea?"
"The student body," Jeno replied. Miren's heart dropped. She knew that she wasn't supposed to draw attention to herself at Rinzen, but it always hurt being unrecognized. "But, the specific person would be our homecoming coordinator, Miles Ellison. So please give him a hand."
If Miren's heart hadn't dropped before, it was definitely crashing to the ground. Hundreds of students were staring at her. Him. She tried her best not to seem fazed, waving with a startled smile. But she couldn't help but shiver, feeling more vulnerable than usual.
"Okay then," Headmaster Edsel said. "Now that we have our venue and theme, we will now be presenting our 2016 Homecoming Court. Karsha and Adam, please come out and introduce them."
Headmaster Edsel walked down stage as a plump girl from Rosemunde, a girl Miren remembered as one of those people who participated in every club but couldn't make the true cut of popularity, and a boy from Rinzen who had the personality of a drama kid grace the stage.
They greeted the group with unnecessary greetings and playful banter before revealing what the audience actually wanted to hear.
Karsha cleared her throat, "Let's start with your candidates from St. Rosemunde..." She  began with a blonde named Katherine. Followed by Jemma. But when Artemis walked out, Miren couldn't contain the shock in her eyes.
Her tan skin was washed out and almost sickly looking. She looked tried and tired. She was trying her best to look goodâand she did, her long black-brown hair was straight and shiny, but it was the only thing about her that glowedâthat was recognizable.
Miren looked away, feeling Chara's eyes burn against her. Chara had told her that she and Parker were after her. And although Miren tried to ignore their efforts before, she didn't know how long she could do this. Especially when Artemis was suffering.
She let her eyes leave Artemis' form as three other girls who were more rich than popular were nominated. Then Penelope.
Miren rolled her eyes, but she was clapping, hoping that the crowd's enthusiasm could seep into her skin and hide her aggravation. The girl MC cleared her throat. "And our last candidate for St. Rosemunde's Homecoming Court will be..." There was a drum roll. "Theodora Zolotov!"
The girl beamed from the crowd, gracing the stage with a polite wave. She assumed a position next to the other candidates. "And that will be it for us. Congrats!" She handed the microphone to the other boy on stage.
"Well, that was unsurprising," Wallace said as Chara nodded. The male MC then cleared his throat.
"Let's begin with Rinzen's candidates..." The first person he summoned to the stage was Parker. The crowd lost their shit.
"Soren Bloomberg...Klondike Kuji..." A redheaded boy joined the stage. "Levi Shahidi...Axel Windsor..." When Miren saw the rocker-boy run on stage with a fist pump in the air, she knew that it had to be something contrived by his band of delinquent misfits. It made her smile, though.
"...Jeno Rutherford..." Adam continued. "And for our last candidate...Wallace Harisson!"
"HELL YEAH!" Chara cheered, rising to her feet. Sister Francesca stared her down, but just about everyone else was unhinged. And shouting much more vulgar words.
"So there you have it, your 2016 Homecoming Court!" Karsha and Adam announced, using his upstage hand to show off the candidates. The audience started cheering as Headmistress Castro came to the stage.
"That concludes the festivities. Students, please find your instructors and head back to your respective institutions. As for the homecoming court and coordinator, please remain here to discuss a few details."
The marching bands started drumming as the students began to fill out of the outdoor arena. That left the candidates on stage, and Miren. She no longer felt tense, but she wasn't eager to join the others. Just because she was included, didn't mean she was one of them. And the closer she was to the enemy...
The closer she was to blowing her cover.