Chapter 29
YOU’RE SPECIAL
“We have art today,” Bri grumbles, flipping through her workbook. “But I’m guessing you’ll be missing it?”
“Again.” Ivy’s voice is hardly audible from where she’s splayed out on the floor.
“I don’t know,” I admit quietly, twisting the cap of my chewed pen so I don’t have to look at them.
We’re sitting in an abandoned classroom, doing busywork until Mister M decides to grace us with his company again.
If this were any other day, it’d be a blessing to have some time without him.
Today? Things feel different. There’s a noticeable chill in the air, a shift you’d only be able to see if you knew our pod.
We aren’t supposed to be tense or stressed when it’s just us.
“Don’t know,” June echoes, clicking her tongue. “You have private lessons every day, sometimes twice.” She pretends to count on her fingers. “Colt may say we’re bad at math, but I feel pretty good saying you’ll be missing art again.”
I battle back the unease that’s currently laying cinderblocks along my spine.
I’m used to June being mad; she gets mad about pretty much everything.
But not at me. The girls in my pod are like my sisters, ones I’ve known for my entire renewed life.
We have an unspoken pact, a closeness. Sure, we squabble plenty.
But we don’t…fight, or whatever this is.
I let my voice soften into something that’s hopefully unthreatening. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
June rolls her eyes. “I guess.”
“You’re mad at me?” I didn’t mean for it to sound like a question.
Genuine shock settles over her features. Frustration replaces it. “Yeah, Maysie. I am.” Her fist clenches. “I’m happy for you, or whatever. But I think I can speak for everyone when I say what happened today was absurd.” She looks to Brielle, who only bites her lip.
My apology slips automatically. “I’m sorry. You know that I didn’t—”
“Apologize to Ivy,” June bites out.
I open my mouth to tell her that I did, but a sharp pang of guilt strikes me down because I hadn’t. I bow my head to Ivy, fighting back the tears that want nothing more than to well up and humiliate me further.
“I’m so sorry, Ivy. I didn’t—”
“I’m used to it,” Ivy calls from the ground, which does nothing for my guilt.
June starts flipping through her etiquette textbook wildly, marking random pages with flourishes of red. I cringe, both at the severity of the color and the fact that she’ll be in a world of trouble if someone finds her defacing it.
“We’re supposed to be in chapter—”
“You’re starting to sound like Avery.” Her voice comes out bitter. “And we all know what happened to her.”
Bri puts her hand on June’s shoulder. “June, that’s not—”
June shrugs her off. “No. I’m not going to apologize when it’s true.”
“You think I enjoy this?”
Ivy rolls her eyes. “I do.”
June points at her. “Even Ivy sees it! And oh, by the way, yes. I do think you enjoy it. Who wouldn’t enjoy getting daily private lessons or having their mistakes covered up for no reason at all.
I bet you enjoy every single second you don’t have to spend rotting here with the rest of us.
” She throws her arms out wide, looking positively exasperated. “Admit it!”
“No!” I stand. “That’s not fair. You know I have no control over any of this!”
Juniper’s eyes widen. Bri gasps. My chest burns with the gross realization that they didn’t think I’d defend myself.
My heartbeat spikes. I want to scream at her that no, I absolutely don’t want this.
I want nothing more than to be normal. I wish I were still the girl Mister M loved to call boring and passable.
I wish I could reach out and shake her until she understands what V’s presence means for me.
I’m not some little flower getting extra help because the organization is just so infatuated with me.
No.
Something is wrong with me. I’m different.
So different that they feel the need to assign me to the man Mister M called The Executioner.
Correction: call doesn’t do it justice. It’s not a playful taunt or silly nickname.
He is just as the name indicates, an executioner.
A man that even mentors fear because he can end a girl’s time in the program with nothing more than a snap of his gloved fingers.
But they don’t see that. Even after what we saw in diagnostics. All they see is a girl getting advantages handed to her for no reason.
Something like guilt flares in my chest. I know it’s unfair. I know she has every right to be upset. I just wish she wasn’t directing it at the only person who has no control over the matter.
June takes a step toward me, fury still clouding the jade of her irises. “That doesn’t make it right.”
I match her step. “What do you want me to do about it? You think I can just waltz into the boardroom and demand—”
“Break it up!” Ralston commands from the doorway. His gaze lands squarely on me. “Maysie, out.”
June laughs bitterly. “Perfect timing. Enjoy your little vacation, May.”