CHAPTER NINE: NERYS
“Whydoyounever get invited to these things again?” I ask Clemmentime as she leads me to the Kylu X house.
“I don’t know, something about my charm not matching what these guys are looking for,” she says sarcastically.
The streetlights have already kicked in even though the sun hasn’t completely set and one cackles as we pass by it.
It flickers out.
I glance at it at the same time that Clemmentime does. “That seems like a bad omen,” she remarks.
I have to agree. So far, I’ve discovered that everything at this damn place works perfectly, the electronics, the bathrooms… the staff. I’ve yet to see nonsense scrawled on a wall, a broken stall door, or even a speck of dirt.
And this is the first light that I’ve seen flicker. Something about it sends a chill down my spine but I tell myself I’m just being paranoid.
“Bet Sprouse doesn’t know about that. She’d get her fuschia hair in a tangle if she did,” Clemmentime says. She gives the light one more look before gesturing for me to come on as she starts walking again.
I swallow, but I follow, pushing back any apprehensions I have.
I’ve been buzzing since I saw Soskia in the kitchen earlier. The rose haired girl had been checking me out. I have no doubt about it. Even when I’d turned around and looked at her head on, she hadn’t been able to meet my eyes as she’d kept her gaze on my body.
The anger I’d been preparing for when I saw her in the kitchen had disappeared, replaced with amusement. I couldn’t help but to toy with her but after she’d marched into her room, slamming the door, something had shifted and I’d felt… off.
My nerves have yet to settle since and I keep feeling like something bad is about to happen.
I can’t shake the feeling no matter how much I try.
“Your charm,” I say, trying to pick the conversation back up to distract myself.
“Yeah,” Clemmen says with a shrug. “My charm is intimidating to most of the people at Kylu X. They’re mostly rich kids and royalty. I'm the first, but I’m not the second, yet when I walk into a room it’s clear that I’m better than them.”
I snort out a laugh. “And humble too.”
Clemmen shrugs, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “What can I say? It doesn’t take much to be better than those damn bottom feeders. They live off of mommy and daddy’s status, yet they have no real personality.”
“The girl who gave me the invitation didn’t seem so bad.” I hadn’t caught her name but the girl had been nice enough.
“Probably Stunson Hirsh, she’s not so bad. Her mama married Mercienne Hirsh’s dad a couple years back so technically she was married into her status. She doesn’t quite act like the rest but I keep my distance from anyone who lives on prestige row.”
“Soskia is royalty, why doesn’t she live on prestige row?” I put air quotes around the words since technically the name of the street is Prestine row.
“She’s too damn catty and spoiled to live with the others. She has her little posse of yes men who follow her around campus and that’s good enough for her. I’m surprised she hasn’t manage to convince Sprouse to give her her own housing at this point.”
“My life would be easier if she did.” I’ve stayed away from Soskia since the slap and she’s done the same but I still don’t like the idea of living in the same apartment as someone who acts like they wouldn’t mind stabbing me in my sleep.
Even if she is fun to toy with when she isn’t in full bitch mode.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet. Wait until terms start to roll around, everyone in the suite will start to get crazy, Soskia, Zo, shit, me and you.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “I’m not going to get stressed out about any tests because as far as I’m concerned, they can kick me out of this school now and I’d be happy,” I inform her.
“Why are you here then?” she asks, peering up at me, genuine intrigue on her face.
“I got the invitation and I said no but my mom convinced me to give it a try. I swear her lifelong dream is for me to graduate from here.”
“Ah,” her head tilts to the side slightly. “You got one of those parents, makes sense with her being on the council.”
Sighing, I rub the back of my neck. “No, my mom is great,” I confess, knowing what she’s implying. “She’s never pushed me to do anything I don’t want to do or tried to force me to be some person that I’m not. It's why I caved so easily about coming here. This is the only real thing she’s ever truly asked of me. I couldn’t disappoint her.”