The Young and Gifted

23. master manipulators

The hall began to destruct with chaos, people yelling and accusing. There was shoving, there was screaming and shouting. Because things were going missing and friends were turning on each other one by one.

Penelope walked into the hall, eyes narrowed at the disorder before her. And then she realized that her ring was absent from her finger.

Maybe Kaura took it, a voice that wasn't hers whispered in her mind. She's the only one with access to your room. Penelope tried to shake the thoughts off, continuing her march down the hall. Her bracelet was missing.

Lizzie took it, she's jealous of what you have with Josie. She's scared that Josie will pick you over her. Let's teach her a lesson. Penelope placed a hand to her forehead, wondering if she was coming down with a headache. Until Kaleb showed up in the hall, grabbing her arm. "Did you take my watch?"

She yanked her arm from his and snarled. "What did you just say to me?"

"You heard what I said. We all know you have an eye for shiny, big things. Where is my watch?" He damnded persistently.

Penelope flicked her hair behind her shoulder and continued walking away with her heels. "Full offence, your watch is the most hideous piece of crap I've laid my eyes on." She didn't wait for him to respond and turned around the corner with irritation.

She stopped shortly when Josie appeared in her vision with a timid smile. Her soured mood instantly brightened when she spotted the brunette and Penelope grinned.

"Hey," Josie waved nervously.

Penelope bit her lip, glad that Josie was the same as she remembered. She loved how she was shy and timid. But if you looked close enough, her rose had a couple of thorns as well. Penelope loved it all because it meant she was real. "Hey, Jojo."

"Okay so Hope and Landon are on a date and it got me thinking...what if we went on one too? It would be ideal to go on one after everything that happened and we could maybe catch up?" She toyed with the ends of her skirt, rocking on her feet.

Penelope opened her mouth to accept but what came out wasn't at all what she intended. "Did Lizzie take my bracelet?"

"What? Lizzie would never do that."

"Are you sure? She's a conniving and controlling hellcat, a thief doesn't fall far."

Josie narrowed her eyes. "I know Lizzie and I are not on the right terms right now but...don't speak about her like that."

Penelope cocked her head aside and asked, "Are you sure she didn't take it?"

"Do you not trust my word? No, Lizzie did not take your stupid bracelet," Josie said, a sharp snap in her tone.

Penelope slapped herself quickly, shaking off the toxic thoughts. "I-right. Sorry, I don't know what's going on with me."

Josie sighed. "You're not the only one. Connor asked me if I took his laptop."

"Yeah...Kaleb did the same thing."

"It isn't all that shocking to see how aggressive people are against each other over a piece of owned item," a high-pitched voice drawled. "You humans are built with a backbone and fright of decievness."

Josie swivelled around to spot the man standing below her. It had a face of a fully grown man, red facial hair, and a body of a doll. It wore a leafy suit and trousers, matched with a top hat. Josie noted the unnaturally sharp nails. "Who are you?"

"I am Leprachuan, monster from the Legendarium. We steal trinkets of value to fracture the trust people have in each other." The little man giggled. Josie's eyes widened and she took a step back. It chuckled. "Don't worry, not here to do much harm. Just distracting people so that the two love birds can spark some threads of love."