Chapter 18 The Vacant Seats Of The Council
When I reached the library, I got to work on the manuscript. Oliver sat across from me, already deep into translating. I noticed he’d managed to decode quite a few lines. “Hey, let me see,” I said, reaching for his notebook.
He quickly pulled it away. “What are you doing?”
“I just want to see how far you’ve gotten,” I said.
“Not yet,” he replied, clutching the pages close. “When I finish the full section, then you can see.”
I chuckled. “I never thought you’d be this obsessed one day.”
“Obsessed?” He smiled faintly. “I just love reading… and poetry.”
“Poetry?” I frowned. “This manuscript has poems?”
He nodded. “Didn’t I tell you? The manuscript’s written in idiomatic phrases, poetic language. It tells a story through them. Not in verses or stanzas, but it reads like a riddle in rhyme.”
Right. He’d mentioned that before. Lately, I've been forgetting things too easily.
“Hmm, let me just take a look…”
The wall speakers crackled to life, cutting me off.
“Attention, students,” Principal Greaves’ voice boomed through the hall. “Please report to the assembly hall immediately.”
Oliver glanced up. “What does he want this time?”
Minutes later, the students gathered in the vast assembly hall. I slipped quietly into a seat near the back. I turned to see if Oliver had followed, but he wasn’t there. Strange.
Up ahead, Melissa sat beside Emily. They looked like a picture-perfect couple, whispering softly.
“Is this seat taken?” a voice asked.
I looked up. Adrian stood beside me, his expression warm, polite.
“Oh, no, it’s not,” I said, smiling slightly. He sat down next to me just as Oliver entered from the opposite aisle. Adrian had beaten him here again. “Oliver…” I called, but he gave a small smile and walked out.
“How have you been since then?” Adrian asked, smiling. I opened my mouth to reply, but then the room fell silent.
Kaitlyn had entered.
Her presence was commanding, the air itself seeming to bend around her. She walked down the aisle like royalty, Naomi and Evander flanking her like guards. No one dared to meet her eyes. She moved to the front, where seats were already prepared for the Council.
The lights dimmed. Principal Greaves stepped onto the podium, his polished shoes echoing against the marble floor.
“Students of Gravenmoor,” his voice rolled through the silence. “As most of you know, the recent loss of one of our council members has left a void, not only in leadership, but in spirit.”
A hush swept across the hall.
Oliver sat somewhere in the middle row, calm and unreadable as always.
“The Student Council,” the principal continued, “has always stood as the heart of this academy, a symbol of excellence, service, and discipline. And so, it is only right that we continue that legacy.” He adjusted the microphone, unfolding a paper. “Starting today, the administration will open competitions for two vacant seats in the Student Council.”
“Two?” I murmured under my breath. The room stirred with whispers.
“The Secretary and the President,” he announced.
Kaitlyn’s head snapped toward the stage, surprise flashing across her face. She hadn’t expected that.
“Guess they couldn’t find another donor’s kid to fill those spots, but replace Kaitlyn?” I muttered.
“What did you say?” Adrian asked.
“Nothing,” I said quickly.
“The names listed here,” Principal Greaves went on, “are chosen based on academic performance.”
He began reading. “Vincent Carrow. Marcus Vane. Jamie Morven…”
Jamie suddenly jumped up, waving dramatically. “That’s on period!” he squealed.
I groaned under my breath. “Ugh. Why was he chosen? He’s not even smart.”
“What else?” Adrian said dryly. “Evander’s influence.”
“Please, have a seat, Jamie Morven,” the principal said.
“Thanks, lovie! Just wanted to make sure my fans noticed me!” Jamie replied with a playful wink before sitting down.
The principal sighed, continuing, “Cordelia Morland. Melanie Penrose…”
“What?!” Jamie shot up again. “Why would I be competing with my—”
“Underdog!” Kaitlyn’s voice boomed from the front. Laughter rippled through the crowd, even from those trying to hold it back.
“Sit down,” she ordered sharply.
Jamie pouted, folding his arms like a scolded child.
Principal Greaves exhaled heavily and looked back at his list. “And lastly, Lexie Lambert.”
My stomach dropped.
Few heads turned. Murmurs spread. I froze. Why was my name being called? I was a scholarship student, new, invisible, unimportant. My academic record hadn’t even been fully evaluated yet.
“Wow,” Adrian muttered beside me.
“I’m as surprised as you are,” I whispered back.
“That will be all for today,” Principal Greaves concluded. “You may now return to your regular activities.”
The students stood, buzzing with gossip and speculation. But my mind stayed blank.