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She didn’t talk to me this time—just her appearance was enough to let me know that he was waiting. And the event led to a repeat of the night before.

It was almost depressing to consider I lacked the ability to notthinkabout anything.

Then there was school.

Monday went by in a far less exciting manner than I’d expected. Bryce ignored me, people stared at me, and Xavier only gave me strange looks from a distance.

But I didn’t even have a chance to worry about any of that—for once. The rest of the week had me in dire straits: trying to catch up on my missed work, avoiding the looks of my classmates, and seriously contemplating life as—with every French class—I grew to loathe the language even more.

At home, Damen had finished my bedroom by Monday night. Various shades of pink, green, and gray decorated the space, and an antique canopy bed stood in the middle of the grand room. Damen—and Bryce—had even set aside a space on my bed for the rabbit I’d sent the latter to fetch. My heart fluttered at their thoughtfulness.

Damen had been so excited to show me. Later, I was heavy with guilt that all I could muster in reaction was falling face-first into my mattress and sleeping straight through until my Tuesday morning class. We’d all been busy, hardly having a chance to talk as we all fought to catch up and settle into a routine.

Or maybe it was just me. But at least for now everyone had seemed to step back from prying answers out of me.

I had to catch up on my schoolwork. I was so far behind.

And every night, Finn sent for me. It became our routine.

I’d sneak out the window. We’d sit for five minutes while he lectured about the art of patience, and I tried not to call him out on his hypocrisy. Then I’d find something far more interesting than him to look at. Then he’d send me away only to do it all again the next day. He was so annoying.

By the time Friday came around, I was barely holding it together. The only positive to this week was that I’d managed to avoid seeing Do Yun, and no one had called me out on it.

Yet.

Bryce’s attention flickered toward my hand as I entered the biology room. Every day, he checked to make sure I wore our mother’s ring. But then he would ignore me the rest of the class. But I was used to that now.

It wasn’t until French class when my routine had been broken.

Xavier had been absent.

I hardly had spoken to him, so I shouldn’t really care about him missing class. Yet I couldn’t quite get past the gross feeling crawling across my skin.

However, it wasn’t until I’d left Miles after lunch that the proverbial hammer finally fell.

I had a short break before Geology. I took the opportunity to meander through the small courtyard between the Science and English buildings, before I heard the laughter. A gaggle of students, whispering voices, came from the shrubbery beside the red-bricked pathway. They were familiar, and when I finally located them, I knew why.

It was Heather, and the people who’d been with her when she’d taunted me in the lunchroom. Their backs were to me though, and their attention—and laughter—was focused on someone else entirely.

It wasn’t difficult to figure out who. Sitting on a park bench—as she read a book in the center of the courtyard—was Jaiyi. She was wearing a black lace dress today, with mid-calf-length boots.

She didn’t seem to have noticed Heather and her cronies.

But why were they making fun of her? I thought they were scared of her. Or were they the sort to prey on the weak, and gossip about everyone else?

In either case, I didn’t like this.

Before I second-guessed myself, I’d closed the distance between us. And I shuffled nervously in front of the Lolita-dressed girl. “Jiayi…”

She glanced up, her ruby lips turning down. “Bianca. You’re back at school?”

“Yes…” Wasn’t it obvious? “Can I sit with you?” I glanced back from where I’d come. The group dispersed.

She shot me a strange look, but slowly moved over. “Is there something the matter?” she asked as I settled myself beside her.

“No.” I tucked my bag behind my legs. “Why would you think that?”

Jiayi spoke slowly, as if she was weighing her words. “Your assignment as my roommate ended rather abruptly.”