Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School, #1)(36)
Madame Cleo’s prediction flashes in my mind, but I quickly push it away. Professor Harlow is right. I can’t worry about what’s happening at FTRS or Jax, Kayla, Ollie, or Maxine. They’ll survive. They’d ditch me if they had the chance to leave. My family is more important. Anna hasn’t written, which means she’s still mad or hungry or desperate. I think of Han crying out in hunger, and I want to race right out of the Evil Queen’s office. My loyalty is to them.
I’m a thief, plain and simple, and I belong at home. Not in Fairy Tale Reform School.
“Now if you’d just sign these forms.” Harlow slides a long, wordy scroll across the desk to me along with a black-feathered quill. I try to read the words, but they’re too tiny. “Just customary release paperwork, of course, saying you are never again permitted to cross school grounds or converse with students in our care.”
That’s a weird clause to have in reform school release papers. I sign them anyway.
“Good girl! Excellent!” Harlow folds her hands in her lap and flashes me a questionable smile. “You’ll forget all about this place in no time.”
CHAPTER 15
Right, Wrong, and In Between
“There she is!” Maxine cries as I walk into the cafeteria for what will be my second-to-last dinner there. “FTRS’s hero!”
Me? A hero?
I never thought someone would use that word to describe me, but here I am holding my dining tray and several hundred students of every kind are suddenly applauding and cheering for me. The sound echoes through the room with high ceilings and fish tanks. The left side of the room is less rowdy (Have you ever seen an ogre eat? Not only are they messy, but they break their plates at every meal!), and that’s where I find my friends cheering the loudest. Maxine, Ollie, and Jax wave me over to a round table piled high with food.
“We’re so happy you’re okay,” Maxine says, squeezing me a little too tightly and making one of my bandages pop off. “Oops! Sorry. Want me to get your dinner for you? You sit right here.” She practically throws me into my seat. “What do you want?” She waves her large, hairy hand away. “No matter. I’ll get you everything! You need your energy if you’re going to be ready for the FTRS Ball.”
For a split second, my heart sinks. Maxine and I were talking last week about what we were going to wear to the ball. Jax had offered to practice a few steps with me, and Ollie even said he’d escort Maxine and me personally. Now I won’t be here.
“Did you hear they got Gnome-More for the band?” Ollie asks us. “Goblins of Fire got spooked when they heard what’s been going on.” He waves a turkey leg around. “Can’t say I blame them. The way this place is going, I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole party went up in flames. Good thing we have Gilly here to save us again.”
I feel my body stiffen. Ollie’s making a joke, like he always does, but Madame Cleo’s premonition hangs over my head. I look at my new friends’ smiling faces, and I don’t know how to tell them I’m bailing.
You’re overthinking things, Gilly, I tell myself. They’ll understand.
As Maxine heads off to get my dinner and Ollie goes back for seconds, Jax moves his chair closer to mine. I can smell the lavender hand soap he must have washed up with. I’ve never been so happy to see him. “You okay?” he asks. “Ollie was just joking.”
“I’m a little tired,” I lie. Now I’m lying to Jax too, and that makes me feel the worst of all. “Where’s Kayla, by the way?”
Jax’s face clouds over. “I’ve barely seen her since Royal Day. Maxine tried to get her to visit you, but Kayla said she was sick. Something is definitely going on with that girl. Have you talked to her?”
I shake my head. “She wasn’t in our room when I got back there this afternoon.” She didn’t even leave a “welcome back” message or a note on our magic chalkboard. I guess Kayla won’t miss me when I’m gone.
“So I owe you again, thief,” Jax says with a smile. “Thanks for keeping me from getting killed.”
“Well, I couldn’t leave you hanging out all day in a bubble, even if it looked like you were trying to save the royals,” I tease. Jax doesn’t say anything. I lean in so no one can hear me. “I feel kind of bad that I’m getting the rock star treatment though. Everyone is acting like I saved the school when really I was just trying to save you! Even Professor Harlow thanked me.” Jax’s eyebrows go up. “She gave me early dismissal for my bravery. I’m out of here on Friday.”
“You’ve been sprung?” he whispers, taking a bite of his fig pudding before he tucks in to the roast pheasant we’re having tonight. Fairy bus girls fly between tables bringing extra napkins and condiments and clearing dirty dishes. Everyone is smiling at me, except Jax. “How? You’ve only been here for three weeks.”
My chest tightens. “Professor Harlow says I’ve proven myself.”
“You don’t find anything strange about that?” Jax asks. “In my whole year here, the Evil Queen has never let anyone leave early for good behavior. Now she picks you, a girl who’s fought with her sister, to let go home before the ball? Why?”
I close my eyes to block out the laughter in the room and the sound of tinkling silverware hitting copper plates. “I don’t want to think about her reasons,” I snap. “I don’t care what happens here. I just want to go home. My family needs me.” I open my eyes and look at Jax’s serious face.