Chapter 7 EXPLOSIVE
MERRIELYNN.
I tried to focus on Mr. Ravenwood’s lecture, but my gaze kept drifting to Cormac across the room.
It had been a week since the assembly, and the whole ordeal garnered more attention than I ever wanted.
Over the past week, I could feel the students’ questioning gazes as I passed them in the halls.
Hell, I’d even overheard some whisperings and gossip about me, but I didn’t care. It was just annoying knowing that they really didn’t care either. I was a person, not an object for their amusement.
Yet, as I sat in biology class that morning, I couldn’t ignore the striking lack of attention I was getting from one person in particular.
I couldn’t help but let my focus drift from the teacher’s lecture and shift to the other side of the class, where Cormac sat.
His attention was fixed ahead, while his friend Valtor chatted in his ear.
I wasn’t sure if I should be worried that Cormac had not yet acted on the control he now had over me.
What was brewing behind those beautiful eyes? I wondered, but then caught myself and quickly shifted my gaze, landing on Valtor. And my heart cooled when I noticed he was looking at me, so I quickly looked away, making sure not to glance back in that direction.
Near the end of the lecture, the teacher announced we were done with the material for the day, and most students sighed in relief. I simply smiled, seeing how eager everyone was to just get out of class.
Mr. Ravenwood cleaned up the whiteboard as he reminded us that it was a new school year and that he expected good behavior from students from respectable homes. My classmates murmured, some laughed under their breaths, but the teacher wasn’t done yet.
“No stealing, no fires this year, no truancy, no bullying, and no misdemeanors,” he added, his eyes sweeping through the room while some girls giggled. “Although I know a certain prince among you turns deaf to these warnings year after year.”
Laughter erupted in the class, and I couldn’t help but glance back at Cormac.
I saw Valtor snickering beside him and playfully punching his shoulder, but… Cormac wasn’t laughing.
And now I was really curious about what was up with him.
When we were dismissed, Cormac was among the first few to walk out of class, and yup, he spared me no glance.
I was starting to tell myself that I didn’t mind it at all.
The sooner he forgot about me, the better my time here would turn out.
After class, I met up with Emorie in the hallway, and we headed to the food court for lunch, linking arms and talking about random things.
“Ugh, I can’t believe you’re taking Ravenwood’s class, Mer,” Emorie suddenly murmured under her breath with disgust plastered on her face.
“Why? It’s not so bad,” I told her. “I love biology.”
But I became quiet when I noticed how Emorie’s expression turned serious. “It’s not the course, it’s him,” she said. And then she hesitated, her eyes meeting the ground. “The bastard made advances toward me last year… threatened to fail me if I didn’t… give him what he wanted.”
I felt my chest tighten at her words.
The man was at least thirty.
We had stopped walking at this point as my eyes grew wide with shock and concern. I drew Emorie in for a hug because I had no words. I would totally freak out if I was in that situation. She hugged me back, and when we broke the hug, I could see that she was giving me an assuring smile.
“Don’t worry,” she said, her voice low. “That’s why I dropped the class, but you have to be careful, okay?”
“I will,” I assured her, my voice even lower.
“You have to stay under the radar, Mer,” she continued as we walked. “I’m sure I’m not the only one he’s harassed.”
As I listened, I couldn’t help but wonder what Pinnthorpe would be without all the drama.
Were the school authorities totally clueless about everything happening within these walls?
Emorie had questioned me to the ends of the earth concerning what happened with Cormac and me. From our conversation, I could tell she thought I was crazy.
Stupid even, for what I did to him. Especially after all the warnings she gave me.
But things turned out the way they did, and I told her I’d learned from my mistakes. After the punishment the headmaster gave out, I guess she believed it would eventually all blow over.
But that’s only because she didn’t know the whole story.
And... I intended to leave it that way.
––––
Two days later, I arrived for biology and found a crowd of students gathered outside in the courtyard.
I paused, taking in the scene.
They were huddled in groups, glancing at the closed lab doors and murmuring, probably wondering if they were locked. Shrugging my shoulders, I found a bench to sit on and pulled out a book to pass the time while we waited. I hadn’t even finished the first paragraph when I overheard a nearby conversation; someone else had shown up, equally confused.
She joined two girls standing behind her and asked, “Why is everyone out here?”
One of them shrugged and replied, “We don’t know. We got here, and word was going around that Chaos said no one should go into the lab before Mr. Ravenwood.”
My ears perked up at that, and I glanced around, scanning the area.
Sure enough, I spotted Cormac in the distance, standing with two guys I didn’t recognize, along with Valtor. They were positioned closest to the lab, while everyone else kept their distance.
My brows furrowed, and I couldn’t help but wonder why.
A couple of minutes later, Mr. Ravenwood finally arrived, barely acknowledging us waiting outside as he headed straight for the lab.
I quickly rose to my feet and tucked my book away, my eyes glued to Cormac.
I noticed how he pushed himself off the wall he’d been leaning on when the teacher showed up, and without a word, Valtor and the others followed him. Cormac didn’t say anything to Mr. Ravenwood, but as they passed each other, I caught the teacher glancing at him and gesturing toward his rolled-up sleeves with his briefcase.
“Mr. Graves,” Mr. Ravenwood called, catching Cormac’s attention. “Your sleeves.”
Cormac didn’t respond to the man, didn’t even turn to look at him. He simply unrolled his sleeves and buttoned his cuffs as he continued to walk away.
I wasn’t sure what that was about, but something felt off. Cormac didn’t say anything to Mr. Ravenwood, and there was clearly no tension between them, yet an unsettling vibe lingered in the air.
As the teacher entered the lab, I sighed, looking away from them while reaching down to grab my bag.
Suddenly, a loud noise jolted me, and I lifted my head in absolute terror just in time to witness a massive explosion engulfing the entire science lab.
My lips parted as I watched the scene before me.
The lab… was just blown to smithereens.