Revolution (Book 3 of POE Chronicles)

Chapter 7 - Boys are troubles...

I chose to ignore his jib. Not that I told him about Tom and I's relationship status, but apparently everyone else in our group noticed that something was going on between us, or so Casey said. But whatever we were now, it was definitely not his business. Viktor was half growling behind me and I tried my best not to let the two morons get to me.

Just then two laughing students came through the door and my back stiffened, I could see Fred and Viktor's expressions weren't all that natural either. One of the girls gave us a slightly apprehensive glance, but luckily neither seemed to be overly curious about our presences here. But it was a cue for us to seek a better meeting place.

"You know what, let's meet in two hours." I said to Fred, pulling our hotel's name card that I kept out of fun. "Go to the conference room there and we will meet you. Bring Natalie and wear disguises."

Fred raised his eyebrow at us when he saw the name of the hotel, but to my relief he didn't protest. Without another word he slipped towards the other side of the courtyard and disappeared through a very well hidden door.

"He seemed like a nice guy." Viktor commented sarcastically, shoving his hands in his trouser pocket and I let out a strangled half-laugh and half-sigh. I didn't expect to find Fred so easily, and Fred's apparent connection to the SMS wasn't something that ever considered; though looking back there were snippets of clue like that memory that I saw of his father.

"He seems, interesting." Viktor said, punctuating the silence on our walk back to the hotel and I laughed.

"Fred Bowen is definitely a character." I replied, "And he doesn't like anyone, so don't take it personally."

This got Viktor chuckling and we returned to a more peaceful silence for the rest of our journey. The first thing I did when I got back was to go to Casey's room. She might hate Fred, but we had all developed a special bond during those months in the wild and she would be happy to know that Natalie and him are safe.

"They are here?" she asked with raised eyebrows, seeming to come out of a trance after freezing over for a few seconds. I nodded and laughed as she slammed her hand down on her thigh hard, making a loud clap. "I knew they would be fine, Fred is too much of a weasel to not live through."

I then proceeded to fill her in on the meeting with UGE, and to say she leaped at the opportunity to go back to the POE Academy would be a gross understatement. She quickly caught onto my thoughts too.

"Fred and Natalie are turning up at the perfect time." She said, wiggling her eyebrows at me. "So who will be the fifth person you are going to take?"

"I don't know." I bit lightly on my lower lip, shoveling my weight from one foot to another. "I know for a fact that Gerald would die to go on the trip, not that he would admit it. Viktor has also said that he really, really wants to come along."

"What is the deal with you and Viktor anyway?" Casey asked, her eyes boring into mine like a laser beam. I stifled a sigh on this subject, did everything who knew something was going on with Tom and I also think that something is going on between me and Viktor?