The Class Reject: A Damsel in Disguise (Featured Story)

Chapter 36

"I need a break from studying," she said, slipping on her sneakers. "I'm going to get a snack from the vending machine and watch a little TV in the lobby."

Jeno turned to her, his eyebrows slightly arched. "You could just watch TV here, you know." He motioned to a dusty mini screen sitting poised on top of his dresser.

Miren wove her hands. "No, no. I don't want to disturb you. I'm probably not going to watch anything..." Then what lie would fill in its place? She restrained from giving off a distressed look as she quickly thought of another one. "...I might talk to Wallace. With all the rumors swirling around I kind of need someone to vent to."

Jeno's gaze hardened. It was hard to tell if his expression was because he didn't believe her, or if he was a bit hurt that she would rather talk to Wallace than him. But then again, he did tell her that he wasn't much of a talker.

"Fair enough," he said, reverting his attention back to his text. "Curfew's at eleven."

Miren nodded, her foot already out of the door. "Okay, dad."

There was no moon above her, though Miren could still make out the darkened clouds. And then there was a rumble in the sky. She quickened her pace. The last thing she needed was rain on her parade to the hospital.

As she passed the Founder's Fountain and headed toward the front gates, an unfortunate thought struck her. How was she supposed to make it out of the main entrance? Unlike Rosemunde, the security guard here held strongly to his post as if he were protecting the Holy Grail.

Miren halted, tapping her foot against the pebbled path. She sighed; she'd have to go back. So she spun around, dashing toward Woodley Hall, passing it, and venturing into the woods. It was an eerie feeling being in this type of darkness alone. The trees had away of outstretching their demented arm-like branches toward her, making her feel like she'd be caught at any moment. Stumbling over an over-grown root, Miren caught herself, her adrenaline kicking in as she charged out of the woods at full speed. When she was out of the main forestation, the vague street light of the employee parking area filled her darkness washed eyes.

She tried to blink the blur away, until she realized that she wasn't wearing her contacts. She trudged forward; she didn't have any more time to waste. There was another bus stop near the parking area, but that didn't guarantee she'd make it.

Running over a stretch of greenery and hopping over the three-foot fence that divided the grass from the parking lot, Miren could see that she was almost there.

Starting for the unguarded gate, Miren withdrew the blank access card from the Rosemunde raid. She closed her eyes, praying that its previous usefulness wasn't a one-time thing. Fortunately, it wasn't, and the gate clicked open. She worried for a moment, about how she would get back in. But she pushed the thought away when she saw the city bus heading toward the stop. And she was still a good ten yards away. Summoning the rest of her energy, she bolted for it, landing at the stop a few seconds after the bus.

She presented the driver with her student I.D. When he nodded, Miren took in the practically empty space. There was a middle-aged woman who appeared to be a late-shift factory worker, and a man who had white paint stains on his jeans and worn out shoes. No visible crack dealers.

Sitting toward the middle of the bus, against the window, she let herself relax. The Gloveria City Hospital was only a twenty-minute drive. The bus stopped a few times, bringing forth a few men who did look like crack dealers. One started harassing the factory woman. A rush of alarm began to surge through Miren until she realized that she was dressed as a boy. And as far as sexual advances went, she was probably safer.