Unfortunately, troubled minds had the tendency to think alike.
Jeno was still talking himself out of marching over to Rosemunde before realizing he had already made the trek to the institution. He tightened his hands into fists as he entered the space. Despite the space being much warmer than the artic tundra that was the outdoors, a chill ran down his spine. There was just something particularly hate-able about the school, and he hadn't even run into anyone worthy of his hatred yet.
As he passed the dated corridors he felt whatever high he had before die down almost completely. Great, he was coming to his senses. And his senses were telling him that infiltrating the refractory was a bad idea. Of course, he was already inside the space when this idea hit him hard. A couple of girls (okay, quite a few girls) spun around in his direction, as if his mere presence was more sacred than the holy cross that hung on the opposite wall. Then there were whispers. Giggles. He groaned internally as he abandoned all reservations and headed toward his table of interest.
"Jeno?" Jemma was the first to chime. "You think I would have seen you here for lunch at least once these past four years." Her eyes narrowed, but not without flickering subtly. "So to what do I owe this intrusion? Are you going to apologize to Theodora?"
Jeno could sense his ex's eyes were on him from one of the neighboring tables, but he ignored the sensation in lieu of focusing on the people before him. Aside from Jemma, Penelope, Klondike, and some other wannabe Rosemunde Royals who might have well have just been seat-fillers, no one of interest occupied the table. Part of him wondered where Chara was, considering the fact she was apparently Penelope's new lackey, but he figured she must have been off somewhere getting wasted.
With an exhaled he turned to Penelope, who was texting on her phone. "You," he said with as much restraint as possible. But it was hard, considering the fact that he hated everyone at the table. Well, except Jemma.
By default.
The evil incarnate looked up, blinking suspiciously. "I have a name, Jeno. I'd prefer if you'd use it." She smiled, flashing her artificially white teeth. "Then again, I'm glad to see you outgrew your stutter."
"I'm glad to see your career as a porn star is taking off," he wanted to say so badly. But instead he rolled his eyes. "Amusing as always, I see."
"I try."
"Anyway," Jeno said, folding his arms. "I was wondering if you've seen Miles. He seemed upset about something earlier this week and he hasn't been in school for a few days. Everyone else is clueless, but he considers you to be a friend, so I wanted to ask."
"Seriously?" The smug smile on Penelope's lips evaporated, restoring all fate that she could actually show care about others. "And he hasn't called you or anyone else?" Jeno shook his head. "Shit."
"I have a feeling that he's fine and just got caught up with his family or something, but I have to help him with his solo for our upcoming orchestra festival
and Mr. Gales is freaking out." Jeno pressed his lips together as he waited for her to say something useful. He hated talking to her like this, like she was a person or a decent human being. But he was confident that this was a waste of time. He didn't see how Penelope of all theoretical people could be the exception.
"Instincts are a powerful indicator," Penelope assured him, taking a small sip from her coconut water. "Maybe you should try talking to Dr. Edsel. We can go together if you want."
Klondike started oohing and if Jeno didn't have the urge to murder before, he certainly did now. He allowed his gaze to focus on the witch woman. He was realizing that out of all the Revengers he never actually got close to her, let alone spoke to her. He commanded the others blindly without getting a true scope on what they were dealing with. And now their justice league was in shambles.
And it was all his fault.
He locked his jaw as he considered what he had to do. "Meet me after school at four-o-clock. Roger'll probably act like an actual principal in your presence."
"It must be nice having a brother for headmaster," Penelope humored, her attention shifting playfully toward Jemma. "And a hot twin." She scoffed.
"Don't get any sick ideas," Jemma said, tossing a salad container in the trashcan. "Can't you tell that Jeno's still emotionally unavailable from his break up with Theodora?"
"He's always emotionally unavailable," Penelope insisted playfully. "And you know Parker and I are together just for show. But now that my reputation is new and improved, maybe I should move onto someone else." Her eyes of ice bounced against his ember ones.
"Four-o-clock," he reminded her before she could cast some type of wicked spell on him. Like the one she had over the Rosemunde student body.
"Is he always this dry?" He could hear Penelope ask Jemma as she laughed her usual all-knowing laugh. But in seconds, his brain refocused to more pressing matters. Like Miren's whereabouts. And if they could ever forgive each other for the hell they insisted on putting the other through.
***
The days muddled together like Levi's thoughts. Truthfully, he couldn't make sense of anything anymore. He didn't know what he saw between Miles and Jeno, other than the fact that Miles looked incredibly upset and that Jeno was comforting him in a way that appeared too close for comfort. Then again, it might have been the angle he saw them.
Right?
He shook his had as he walked the deserted halls of Rinzen. It was a Friday night, not to mention his senior year, and all he could do was obsess over two guys. A shiver crawled down his spine. What if Edsel was playing him somehow? Maybe Miles relationship with Jeno and the schemes against Penelope and the others weren't separate incidents, maybe everything was somehow related...
"Doubt it," he mumbled against his scarf as he braced the chill outdoors. Because Jeno was the only student who had his phone off during class, he couldn't use iSpy to eavesdrop. And when school finally let out that day, his brother told him he was in talks to sell the app to the FBI. To say he had nothing to work with was a severe understatement. The only thing he had was his hunch. And it wasn't a good one.
So when he saw Penelope and Jeno through the glass wall of Edsel's office, he knew his suspicions were as vague as they were valid. He knocked on the door, and forced a calm expression as Jeno opened it.
"Yo," he greeted, turning toward Penelope briefly before focusing on Edsel. "You said I should come in to go over your recommendation letter," he matter-of-factly. The headmaster nodded.
"Sure, sure," he replied, scribbling something on a note pad. "These two were just concerned about Miles' whereabouts. But he's in Toronto for his grandfather's funeral." The man shook his head. "It's sad. It seems like he has a lot of tragedy in his life."
He had no idea.
"Still, why didn't he tell you he was leaving?" Levi said to Jeno, trying not to look too concerned. He shrugged. "Or even me. We have US history together. Knowing him he'd probably want me to actually take notes or something."
"Well, it was sudden," Edsel replied, rolling his eyes. "He was probably more focused on making arrangements than writing an essay with primary sources. He told me that the only affordable ticket he could get has him coming back on Tuesday. So no, not everyone is too rich that they don't have problems." His eyes narrowed mockingly on the students. Penelope scoffed.
"Stop acting like we're a bunch of spoiled brats," she said, her gaze suddenly as toxic as the air between them. "It might be a shocker, but we're actually concerned about Miles. He must be devastated."
But the only person that was devastated as Jeno. He tried to process Edsel's words, tried to use this new (and fake) information consider where the hell Miren might be. All he could deduce was that she was still in contact with Wallace. But that didn't mean she was coming back. As he began to spiral into a depressing hole of his own regret and shame, Levi snickered a few bars.
"Since when did you become nice?" he prodded Penelope.
"I've always been nice," she practically barked.
"Nice doesn't mean good."
"Why don't you go suck a—"
"If that's all, leave." Edsel said firmly, rubbing his temple. "Levi, I'll email the letter to you and you can go nuts with it. But it's the weekend and I've had enough of your whining." He rose from his desk, shooing the students out.
"Just let me know if Miles contacts you," Jeno told his brother. "I'm supposed to help him with his viola solo, and I don't need Mr. Gales riding up my ass." Edsel's eyes lit up suspiciously.
"What, your new BFF isn't speaking you?" he teased as Jeno tensed, if only slightly. Shit. His desperation was getting in the way of his rational demeanor. As he felt the eyes of his unwanted company latch onto his form, he sighed.
"Yeah, we got into a spat about Theodora." His eyes flickered on Penelope's briefly before focusing on nothing in particular. "He wasn't happy that I broke up with her at a dance. And I told him to go fuck himself. I expected him to laugh it off, but he got upset." Jeno folded his arms. "I'm guessing he had just found out about his grandfather."
"You should probably apologize," Levi said, feeling his mind calm. That had to be why Miles stormed off the way he did. But his relief was momentary, as more questions began to flood his mind. Like why Jeno and Penelope came here. Together.
"No duh," Penelope said this before Jeno could. "I'll try calling him tonight. Keep me posted, Jeno." Then the maiden of mayhem left.
"What was that about?" Levi then said, his eyes narrowing against Jeno. "Moving onto your next victim?"
But he was too lost in thought to consider what Levi said, let alone actually hear it. He clicked his tongue before following in Penelope's lead.
Something like that.
***
"I can't believe you did something like that!" Olive shook her head as she typed on an iMac in the multimedia room. She tried to hold in her laughter, but it came out forcefully in snorts before she was howling like a wolf. "Who knew you were painfully uncoordinated?" Parker rolled his eyes.
"Glad to know that my pain and suffering amuses you," he said as he handed her his flash drive. "Besides, I told you that in confidence. If you're laughing about it, then it probably won't help the documentary."
"Nonsense," the girl shook her head, transferring the incomplete video on his file. They'd only been working on it for a few days, and aside from some snazzy backgrounds and some regal fonts, she had nothing. "I think it'll help humanize you. So what if you slipped on the floor and broke your leg? Your athletic scholarship was reinstated once you healed, right?" He nodded. She flipped through some of the notes on her iPhone. "You said you were chasing after Miren, right? Would it be prying if I asked why?"
Parker sucked in a breath. "Well, obviously we were playing tag." He shrugged mockingly. "You know, what all high school students do."
"Don't patronize me."
"I'm not." Parker scratched his head. "It happened a long time ago, and I'd prefer not to delve back into it."
Olive nodded, but she could pick up on what he refused to put down. It had to do with The Incident. And although she and Artemis searched Penelope's computer and phone for something—anything—incriminating, they had no such look. Unfortunately, Penelope descended from a legion of lawyers, and she kept her tracks as clean as her favorite Gucci pumps. And although Olive fit the economic profile of most of the students here, Penny's finances were quite the opposite of her nick-namesake.
But the closet person to Penelope, whether either person would admit it, was the boy sitting right next to her. Of course, she didn't dare tell him about her other extracurriculars with Artemis, but she was beginning to wonder when—or if—she'd make another break through on Miren's case.
"Anyway, as fun as this was, I'm late for soccer practice." Parker rose to his feet, pulling his backpack over his shoulder. His usual carefree expression shifted as he turned to her. "I've noticed you and Artemis have been talking. Um, how is she?"
Olive smirked before resuming her typing. "She doesn't have a restraining order against you, so I encourage you to go ask her yourself." She flicked her nails. "Of course, if you tell me why you were running after Miren, I'd have no problem telling you." Parker wrinkled his nose.
"And I thought only guys had ulterior motives," he sighed with a playful grin. "You're the wannabe journalist. Why don't you figure it out?"
"Mhmm." She rolled her eyes. "Try not to break your leg again at practice."
"Fuck you."
"Maybe after we finish the documentary." Her teasing gaze met his again before hardening. "But seriously, Artemis is probably the only other decent girl who goes here. She told me that the only reason you're dating Penelope is because your parents are pretending to be Indian and basically put you in an arranged marriage. But that doesn't mean you have to humor her right now," she said sardonically as Parker pursed his lips. "So let her be your problem when you're thirty or something."
"Your blind optimism is heartwarming." Parker was already at the door. "Forget Artemis, you should be gal pals with Chara. See you later." As he left, she could only blink.
"Who the bloody hell is Chara?" she considered out loud. But like lightning, the realization struck.