Hunting the Fairy Tale

Chapter 5 - Detention

"So, were you just catching a ride, or what exactly is your connection with Hunter Drake?"

How many Hunters are there in this school that she constantly has to refer to him by name and surname? I only travelled with one Hunter this morning, and if she really was his girlfriend, she would know about me. Wouldn't she? Paisley seemed to know.

I'm struggling to formulate the correct response to wipe the self-importance off the girl's face and simultaneously cause her to lose interest and back off permanently. "I'm his mail-order bride..."

That probably isn't it.

I'm surprised to see Melissa suddenly falter and step out of my personal space. It cannot possibly be the result of my silly remark. The girl is lifting her chin in an attempt at defiance, but she ends up looking uncertain and intimidated instead. Her friends are also suddenly abandoning their posts. I'm not sure what's happening; I'm just grateful to have Melissa's breath off my face. Then Paisley suddenly appears at my side as she'd promised to do. I didn't even notice her arrival.

Casting insolent looks around, she steps in and skilfully extracts me without saying even one word. Dread clashes with relief as I allow myself to be led away. I'm not convinced that I'm not stepping from the frying pan into the fire. Even the over-attentive boys are backing away from me now. So, it wasn't my staggering wit that saved me; it was Paisley. Is she the school bully? She's rather small and dainty looking, though. She must pack a severe punch.

"Are... are people afraid of you?" I cannot stop myself from asking, wondering whether I should be afraid as well.

"They're afraid of the horsemen of the apocalypse," Paisley answers as if that's supposed to make perfect sense. It serves only to enhance my trepidation.

"You un-fixed yourself," she accuses, looking me up and down, shaking her head. I'm saved from automatically apologizing by the fact that most of my brain cells are still wrestling with Paisley's non-sensical answer to my question.

"Ms Watson wasn't... pleased," I finally manage to explain, hoping Paisley doesn't plan on attacking my clothing again. She takes a sharp breath, her mouth opening, and then it closes on a contrite "oh."

"I probably shouldn't have fixed you before you had to see her. Sorry?"

Is she sorry?

"Don't mind the Bitch Brigade," she says, seeing me glance apprehensively towards the four hostile girls that are still glaring at me. They are doing so from the safety of the opposite walkway now. "Apparently, they've had a vote and decided that this month it's Blond Bimbo Nr 3's turn to date Hunter."

They had a vote and decided?! Does Hunter rotate girlfriends on a monthly basis? And it's a democratic process?!

"Oh, so she is Hunter's girlfriend?"

"Only in her universe," Paisley snorts. "She's not the only one suffering from that delusion. He's kinda popular. Date wasn't the right word; I meant to say stalk."

"I see," I say, not seeing anything at all. Isn't Paisley Hunter's girlfriend? I find the entire conversation and the situation I've become trapped in to be completely incomprehensible. It's as though I've stepped through a portal into a bizarre new world.

"I'm starving," Paisley declares, grabbing my arm. I have to run to keep up with her, even though she is, for some reason carrying the extra weight of her schoolbag on her back. At this rate, I'm not going to be able to drop my own bag off at the classroom I'm going to be in after break, either.

Honestly, does this girl ever slow down?

We're heading straight to where a group of rowdy boys is lounging on and around a bench under a tree.