The Class Reject: A Martyr in Maelstrom (Book III)

18

"I get that you don't want to be here, but stop scaring the Stanford rep." Edsel mumbled to Jeno before shaking hands with the man.

"Aren't you the one who forced me to be here?" Jeno frowned. Truthfully, he preferred this distraction much more than entertaining Penelope. It was still Saturday and she'd already texted seven times if he had plans. He hardly called entertaining a bunch of west coast college recruiters "plans" but he was trying not to complain.

"That was under the assumption that you'd actually be helpful." The headmaster entered the auditorium, which was filled with students who didn't have Ivy-League legacy status (aka the minority and scholarship students). So there were like twenty people. Seeing the lack of students, Edsel sighed dramatically. "I wish you guys would realize that mommy and daddy can't get you in if you don't even know how to apply. Do you know how most applications get rejected? It's because some students don't have enough sense to pay attention to admission guidelines." He motioned o the panel of recruiters. "And here are the admission guidelines in the flesh."

"But I've already applied—and been accepted—to better schools," he told his older brother. Edsel wrinkled his nose.

"It's not polite to brag," he informed him, moving toward the front of the stage. "Plus, why do you want to stay in New England? Do you know how nice California is?"

"I know how expensive it is," he murmured, handing Dr. Edsel the program he made him type up. "Anyway, you're on. I can't promise I'll stay the entire time. Or that anyone else well."

"Oh hush up." Edsel scoffed. "Remind me why you're humoring Miss Van Helsing, again? I'm not going to call her a slut, but the rumor mill says she's a gremlin in girls clothing." He shrugged. "Or she was, until she sent that video out about that Miren girl. " He shook his head. "It's a shame. They're as crazy as they're pretty."

"What do you care? You probably just think all of this is a game."

"I think everything is blown out of proportion." He shrugged. "And you're doing yourself no favors by getting caught in the cross fire." His gray eyes, intense and mocking, landed on Jeno. "Unless you're somehow playing a part in it. The truth always comes out."

"Not if there's nothing to come out with." The only thing he had to determine was whether Penelope or Miren was a lesbian. It made more sense for it to be the former, then again it was hard to make any solid conclusions when nothing actually made sense. Jeno pressed his lips together before taking a seat toward the front. "Break a leg."

To Jeno's amusement, the headmaster did stumble a little as he made it to the stage. He shot Jeno a look, but he easily deflected it. He introduced the speakers, most of which looked like bookish librarians who gave up on their dreams a long time ago despite looking around Edsel's age, and the bore fest continued in full throttle.

The UCLA rep actually made LA sound boring when someone nudged Jeno's shoulder. His eyes narrowed against the girl as she sat next to him.

"I'm back," she whispered in a sing-song voice. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing your rich parents can't sway the admissions committee with," he told her. She snickered a few bars as the rep turned toward their direction before continuing with whatever he was talking about.

"Unfortunately, my parents went to school abroad, so I have no connections here," she informed him, her attention toward the stage. "Oh, I talked to Miles a bit on the phone. He's helping with the hospital event the pre-med society is putting on. He seems nice. Heard you two have become chums lately." Her British accent was light yet taunting. "Ironic, because you don't seem all that nice."