“Maybe it’s for the best. You Academy girls really don’t seem to have a lot of luck around it do you. Well no worries, I’m great in the water, I’m sure I can get to you before any real damage is done. See you around, kids.” He turns around and walks out, and I still can’t see any reason for his little visit.
Unless he was hoping for her to be alone.
“Aeron, what were you going to say?” she asks quietly, her hands shaking in mine.
“I think the moment has passed,” I sighed, as I let go and get to my feet.
“Only if you let it. Can’t we make our own moments?” she pleads with me, as she grabs my hand and stops me from walking away.
“It’s a nice idea, but not today. Watch yourself, Little Zero.” I pull my hand out of hers and walk away.
My first stop will be my room, so I can get online and try to figure a way out of all of this mess. Maybe I should just say screw it and tell Luna everything I know, but with Cole gone, that’s one less thing to worry about. Maybe the truth bombs can wait just a little while longer and the fallout won’t be that bad. And maybe pigs will fly and your mother will become nurturing.
I snort out loud and get a few strange looks from the girls passing by, but they quickly look away. As I head out of the wing and into ours.
I step into my room and flick the lock in place. Pulling open my Alien, I look for any indication that my suspicions about Cole are right. Again, it’s not important anymore, but I can’t shake the feeling that we haven’t seen the last of him. Emmet may like to think that he rules the place when Arthur is gone, and he isn’t wrong. But what happens when Arthur is here and wants to know why he has been pushed out? Emmet can’t tell him the truth, not without causing backlash for Little Zero.
I stare at the screen until my eyes ache, before I switch it up a gear. I load the dossier that every girl got sent when they first arrived here, only this one has a whole other category: Arthur Harkwright’s Spy.
My eyes feel like they're about to bleed as I read it over, and then rewrite the list out without this goddamn pointless dossier, and just keep the suspects on it. Although, maybe I should still list every guy apart from me and Shane. The only two I know for a fact who aren’t the spy. The only thing I’m guilty of is being the world’s greatest lover. Although, it can’t be one of us. Not from the inner circle so to speak, nothing significant has been revealed to the big man. No, but guilty until proven innocent, that's my motto. I should probably reword my reasoning a little better to try and see this from a less personal perspective.
Suspects:
Emmet: Possibility. He wants to be in charge one day, will step on anyone to get there. Doesn't care who he hurts and takes no prisoners. Wouldn’t want to hurt Luna though. Has no respect for his father, and often tells him no. Although I can’t rule him out, he’s low on the list of suspects.
Tom: Highly unlikely. He’s always been the trusted one amongst us, fancies himself the protector. He wouldn’t sell his soul, no matter what the offering may be.
Tucker: Could have been a possibility, but Arthur has forced him out of the Academy. Could be a punishment for not giving him any information of any real consequence, but Tucker isn’t a huge fan of Arthur. After all the shit his dad has taken over the years for being an unwanted outsider, I think it’s safe to rule him out.
Dillon: Could go either way.
Ashley: He’d be gloating all over the place, he’d do it in a heartbeat, but not likely.
Craig: Thicker than an old oak tree, not going to be him.
Dustin: Too low on the food chain, will keep my eye on him, but I’d be shocked if it was Dustin.
Simon: Definitely capable of it.
Scott: Treacherous fuckboy, he’ll fucking get his. Yeah, he’s high on the list.
Sam: No, I don’t even need to think about this one. He’s one of the better ones out of all of us. Still a dick, but he wouldn’t sink that low.
Bradley: Too much bad blood, Arthur would never trust him.
Jake: Just, no.
Maddox: Never going to happen. If anyone was born into the wrong family, it’s Mad, he’d never help his old man.
Thallon: Fuck yeah, but too new to be the guy I’m looking for.
Okay, so that’s what I have to work with. There really isn’t much to go on. I need a new angle, I just don’t know where to start.
14
Changing the Status Quo
Luna
I’m not really sure what to make of my new wardrobe, but I’m not about to walk around this place in my birthday suit. I throw on a pair of leather pants and a silver halter neck, before applying my makeup and pulling my hair back into a braid.
I walk over to the door, but it opens before I get the chance, and I squeak as Emmet comes into view.
“You’re back,” I say dumbly, staring at him through wide eyes.
It’s been four days since we got here, and I was starting to wonder when I’d see him again. Especially with how we ended, or didn’t end things.
“Yeah, there’s going to be an assembly in thirty minutes. Let’s grab something to eat,” he says, as he grips a hold of my elbow and pulls me out of my room.
“Oh, um okay.” I can’t seem to make anything else form in my head, I don’t know what to say to him.
“Aeron said someone stole your apron. Has it been returned yet?” he asks, as we walk down the staircase and head to the mess hall.
“No, I’m starting to think I won’t see it again,” I reply a little more morosely than I intend.
“We’ll get to the bottom of it. I’ll have every room searched if it comes to it,” he says a little more darkly than necessary, and I suspect he hasn’t had the best few days.
“Emmet, I…”
“Not now, Five. I just need to get through this morning.” My heart falls at the use of my number, but I’m trying my hardest not to take it personally.
“Okay, I understand.”
“No, you really don’t. Father wants to make an announcement, and he hasn’t told me a damned thing about it. I’m as in the dark as you are right now. It’s not a nice feeling, so let’s just get our food, sit down, and then get it over with.”
He pushes the door open with more force than necessary, it slams into the wall and everyone stares. His eyes track the room as he points over at my table, and I sit down and watch as he moves over to his own. In fact, none of the guys are sitting over here.
“What’s going on?” D whispers, and I shake my head as I bite down on my tongue.
“I have no freaking clue.”
A waiter comes to take our order, and I’m too shocked to put up much resistance. D orders for the both of us, as Caitlyn takes one of the other seats at our table and we sit here silently, and wait.
“Hey, Daria, are you feeling better?” she asks with a smile.
“I am, thanks. Although, I’m nervous about this assembly, they rarely equal good news.” She does seem a little pale now that she mentions it and I take her hand in mine.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine. I was told before I left with Maddox that I would no longer be Three once the year restarts. With the way Bradley threw me aside the moment he got what he wanted, I’m not exactly desirable anymore. I’m okay, and things will work out fine. The money would have helped, but I’ll find a way to make it work.” She goes quiet as our plates are set down in front of us and we all seem to lose ourselves within our own minds.