Clentine:
Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes and my heart pounded in my chest.
"What the heck do you an by ’he’s no more’?" I grabbed his collar and my bag dropped to the floor.
"It was too late for the lurker to take him to get the antidote," he snapped, looking offended that I was even asking.
"You fucking asshole." I grabbed him, turned him toward the wall, and started shaking him.I was ready to punch him when he began to laugh.
"He’s fine, he’s fine," he said.
As he spoke and my hands loosened on his jacket, he grabbed my arm and turned around.
Before he could say another word, a group of lurkers hurried toward us.
I let him go, thinking they would break this up and call us out for causing violence again.
That was not what happened.
One of the lurkers stunned him right in front of .
I gasped and turned away.
Usually I would have fought the lurkers if it had been Ian, but I wouldn’t do it for anyone else anymore.
Right in front of , they stunned Zian until he passed out.
I couldn’t help but wonder why they had stunned him.
The only thing that ca to mind was that maybe the ringleaders, or soone else, had figured out he wasn’t Ian.
I didn’t know.
I just watched as they ignored completely, grabbed Zian, who had passed out on the floor, and dragged him away.
The way they did it reminded of when they dragged Oriana.
Maybe they had found out about Ian and were planning to rescue him now.
I said a silent prayer for that because I had noticed how uneasy I had been since Ian was taken away from us.
I looked down, took the album out from my jacket, and placed it back in my bag along with the pendant from my mother.
I put the pendant around my neck, slung the bag over my shoulder, and headed toward the hall.
I went straight inside and waited for one of the ringleaders to co out so I could talk to Miss Rue.
Thankfully, she was the first to appear.
She was speaking with Ms. Lenora about sothing as they walked upstairs, but their conversation stopped when she saw .
It didn’t seem like it had been an urgent discussion anyway.
"Clentine, what are you doing here? And why do you have your bag with you?" Miss Rue asked, sounding surprised and a little worried.
"I need to speak with you," I told her, glancing toward Ms. Lenora to make it clear that I didn’t want to talk in front of her.
Miss Rue noticed.
"Sure, Ms. Lenora, we’ll talk later," she said quickly.
Thankfully, I didn’t need to explain myself further.
Miss Rue always understood from small hints.
Ms. Lenora reluctantly walked past as I followed Miss Rue downstairs to her office.
By now, I’d been in her office and quarters so many tis that the basent no longer felt strange to .
"What’s going on, Clentine? Seeing you with your bag doesn’t give a good feeling." Miss Rue spoke the mont we were alone in the room.
"I wanted to talk to you about it first before I even suggested anything," I said quietly, feeling awkward.
She had always been the best ringleader among the three, the one I could actually talk to, soone I could communicate with.
I knew what I was getting myself into by asking to change my room.
"Can you please move to the red squad?" I asked after taking a deep breath.
The mont I made that request, I saw the hurt on Miss Rue’s face.
It wasn’t because I disliked her.
I simply couldn’t go to the white squad, they were dangerous.
The red squad was the only one where I might feel safe, with people who didn’t hate for any reason.
"I had a feeling you were having trouble with your squadmates ever since Oriana joined the room," Miss Rue said softly. "But is it that bad that you’re willingly going to Ms. Lenora’s squad? You know you can’t fit well with her."
She said exactly what I had been thinking.
But I was sure Ms. Lenora wouldn’t be careless with her own crusaders.
She’d probably be happy to have soone under her wing who could bring pride to her squad.
Staying with my squad now just wasn’t sothing I could do.
"I’m so sorry, Miss Rue. I would have loved to stay in your squad, but I just can’t. Can you please help get into the red squad?" I asked again, watching her eyes fill with sadness.
"Can you give a minute? Maybe I can try to take Oriana out of the room," she suggested.
I shook my head.
"It’s not just Oriana. I can’t stay with my squadmates either."
As soon as I said that, I saw the sadness deepen on her face.
I guess that was bound to happen. Groups fall apart, it’s how things work here.
"I’m really, really sorry you have to go through this," she said softly. "I would have never let you go, but since it’s sothing you want, I’ll speak with Ms. Lenora. But rember, the final decision will be hers."
I nodded, ready to wait a few hours while she spoke to Ms. Lenora.
I didn’t plan on going back to the room, I’d rather sleep in the passage.
"I will happily have Clentine in my squad."
Ms. Lenora’s voice cut through the air like a blade.
Her sudden arrival startled both of us.
The door had been open, and she must have been listening because she walked in with a smile that reached her eyes.
"Welco to my squad Clentine Stark, the best crusader so far."
Ms. Lenora walked in with a proud smile.
The shine in her eyes was almost unsettling, like she had been waiting for this mont.
With a sad look, I lowered my head in a small bow.
"Huh, Miss Rue, you must be really sad to see your best crusader go," Ms. Lenora remarked with a smirk. "But don’t worry, you still have others. I’m sure you’ll get them to work while I take the best one with ."
Proudly, Ms. Lenora grabbed my arm and started to drag out almost imdiately.
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