Wings of Fire as Humans: Jade Preparatory Academy

Chapter Forty-Four: Cricket Tick

Cricket woke to someone shaking her shoulders.

"Come on," Sundew's voice said. "It's morning."

"I'm tired," Cricket complained. She opened her eyes and stared at her friend.

"So am I," Sundew said. "But I have information about the letter."

Cricket's eyes widened, and she burst out of bed with sudden energy. "What's your information?"

Sundew glanced around nervously. "Let's go somewhere else."

"There's literally nowhere private in the whole school," Cricket pointed out, though she followed Sundew out of the room.

"Somewhere more private than this," Sundew clarified, which didn't clear up anything.

"So . . . the common room?" Cricket asked. How was the common room more private than the dorm?

Sundew turned and scowled at her. "No. My garden."

Cricket stopped and gaped at her friend. "Since when do you have a garden?! At school?"

Sundew smiled slyly. "Nope. You'll see."

It was about half an hour before Cricket "saw". Sundew made her take the bus - without dinner - before they reached a botanical garden in the Foglia part of the city.

"This is literally less private than school," Cricket pointed out.

Sundew turned around and smiled. "You'll see."

"You said that half an hour ago!"

"Oh, just follow me." Sundew turned around and stomped into the botanical garden, paying their entries.

"How is this your garden?" Cricket asked. "Also, please tell me we won't be late to school." She glanced worriedly at her watch; they had less than an hour till their first classes.

"We'll be fine," Sundew said confidently. "And this is Sequoia's garden."

"Sequoia has a garden in Wasp City?" Cricket asked skeptically. "Sequoia as in Hazel's grandmother?"

"Yep," Sundew said. She led Cricket through the botanical garden, into the most secluded part. They sat on an intricate concrete bench behind an old tree. "And now we can talk."

Sundew was silent so long that Cricket was wondering if she was going to say anything. Then Sundew glanced around, nodded once, and spoke. "We've told Glory and Qibli about the note," she said. "And we're all coming with you when you give it to your mom."

"Who is all?" Cricket asked, hoping it wasn't their whole friend group. That was over twenty people! "And why does this merit a private conversation?"

"Me, Willow, Blue, Qibli, Glory, Starflight," Sundew listed. "I think that's everyone."

"When is this happening?" Cricket asked, glad she would have backup.

"Over break, when you visit your mom." Sundew glanced sideways at Cricket. "You are going home to visit your mom, right?"

"I am now. What are we going to say to her? Tell her the truth?"

Sundew shrugged. "That's up to you."

"So . . . is that it?" Cricket asked after a moment of silence. "You dragged me here just to tell me you'd be coming with me to talk to my mom?"

"This was necessary," Sundew insisted. "Queen Wasp is always watching. You wouldn't notice, since you're a Kypseli. But we think the dorms are bugged. We risked too much talking last night."

Cricket sighed. "Of course. When is anything ever easy?"

"Nothing is easy, with her in charge." Sundew sat in silence for a moment, then stood up. "Come on. We don't want to be late for school."

A/N: Sorry this is so short . . . I finished it last night and I was tired.