Page 24 of The Gargoyle in the College

I try to keep my voice natural. “Yeah, I wonder why. Hasn’t the statue been the same for a long time already? Other than that time someone apparently cleaned it.”

“That’s what I think too. But apparently, people like to stare at it.”

We arrive at the statue. A few who have been around it are leaving, but a few more joined, like us.

The statue looks fine. It is still the same color. The moss isn’t back on it and there’s no cream on its face either.

There’s a warmth in my chest as I stare at the statue.

Gisett’s voice comes. “Morning, my beautiful one. You’re finally here. Well, with a friend.”

I muse to him. “I ran into him in the corridor.”

“Ah, a classmate, I see.”

“Why’s everyone staring at you?”

“I have no idea. Maybe they find me handsome.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “Come on...”

“I mean it. I don’t feel any different today, but they stare at me and murmur things too softly that I can’t hear.”

Ryan says, “Look at the notice.”

Oh, is there one?

I pull my gaze from the statue to the base of the statue. Where there’s a piece of paper stuck to it. It reads... Someone was found badly injured on the path last night. The police are calling for whoever witnessed it to help with the investigation.

My heartbeat spikes for a moment with my blood freezing, but I take a breath to remind myself that it’s not my fault. If this notice is talking about the robber who Gisett smacked last night, the robber has himself to blame for what happened to him.

I bet my ass the robber knows what happened, but he pretended to have forgotten everything when he was rushed into the hospital, and therefore this notice ended up here.

Ryan rubs his chin. “I wonder. Maybe it was too dark at night that this person tripped and fell.”

I’ll play along and pretend to know nothing about that case. “It could be. I think we should install more, if not stronger, streetlamps. But, at the same time, if the lights are too strong, it will make falling asleep in the dorms harder.”

“Valid. I hope it’s not too bad.”

Except I hope that guy suffers enough that he’d never think of doing that again. Someone else may not be as lucky as me. “Who knows what happened.”

He shrugs and we continue to the lecture hall. There is barely enough time for us to get there at a decent pace so that we aren’t soaking in sweat as we rush there.

Not sure if I’m excited for lessons, but I’m sure not excited about meeting a lot of people.

Chapter 11

Laura

“Laura, nice to see you here!” It is one of my classmates. Tracy? I’m not sure.

I take a breath and resist the urge to show how I don’t want to see them. If I packed up a bit quicker, maybe I’d be out of the lecture hall already and I wouldn’t end up getting caught. I did nothing wrong, but I still don’t like this.

These few sure seem excited to see me and with whatever they are going to suggest. Except I’m not super excited about... this group. It’s not even specific to them, I’m just... pretty much done with people after group discussions and all the lessons.

I force a smile regardless.

These few are other women in the class, and they seem to be a friendly group, except...

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