Masquerades

Chapter 19 (Part 1)

It was suffocating. Everyone has been so tensed since the arrival of the Masquerades in their room. The six took the additional seats at the back, and though they remained quiet – other than their occasional hushed conversation – their mere presence still caused disturbance, not only with the students but the teachers.

Calista couldn’t take it any longer, so when the lunch bell rang, she wasted no time standing up and walking towards Arcane’s seat. She could feel everyone’s gaze once she was towering over him, the room going quiet instantly.

“What do you want?” she asked, even before Arcane could look up to her.

Their gazes locked, and ever so slowly, a small smile crept up his lips. “Hey, classmate.”

“Cut the bullshit, Wong,” she sighed. “I said, what do you want? Why are you all here? Why are you doing this? Can’t you bother your real ex-fiancée instead of me?”

There was an offended look on his face for a quick moment, but it was immediately masked by his usual bored look. “If you’re smart enough, Song, you would’ve known at first glance that she’s fake. She disrespected Alice’s name, so she shouldn’t blame me for whatever’s going to happen to her,” he then stood up and looked around the room. “No one plans to eat?”

The other five followed suit in standing up, and as Arcane turned around to leave first, he uttered an ultimatum. “You want us to leave your class alone? Then come with us to Hall M.”

When they all stepped out of the classroom, Shannon and the others hurriedly went to her.

“What do we do?” her best friend asked warily.

Kinsley let out a deep breath, “God… that felt really uncomfortable. I could feel their stares at the back of my head, it was nerve-wracking!”

“I’m sorry, this is my fault,” Cali sighed in exasperation and gazed at the whole class who still remained unmoved in their seats. “I’ll go with them in Section M, that’s the only way to get our peace back. I’ll just think of some way to return… for now, I—”

“You shouldn’t,” a cold voice suddenly cut her off. Her eyes travelled to her other best friend’s back. This is the first time Warren spoke to her, despite not bothering to look back, him being worried already makes her happy. “Don’t relent to Arcane’s wishes. This week will eventually pass. We will learn to ignore their presence soon enough.”

He has a point, but when will they be able to get comfortable? She can’t let the class suffer any longer. What Arcane is asking was simple and easy, he just wanted her to come with them in Hall M… it doesn’t mean that she’ll let him control her once she’s with them. She could just do things that would make him regret his decision and make the other five hate her so much, they would want her to leave their elite class.

Arcane kept ruining her plans, so she better do the same.