Academy Murder Party

~:Chapter 49:~

"Wait... wait..." Claire interjected.

"What." Vanessa sighed at the sudden interruption to her story.

"How did Ariana figure out about Allen having chemicals in the first place?" 

"She said it was a rumor... were you not listening to that part?" Danielle sighed.

"N-No! I mean... I was!" Claire flushed with embarrassment. "B-But... I'm confused about who started the rumor." She clarified.

Danielle glanced over at Vanessa.

"Why do I have a feeling it was you?"

"Because it was," Vanessa smirked.

"You're shitting me..."

"The humorous part is... I lied to her..." Vanessa sighed.

"But... What? I thought you said-." Claire scratched her head.

"Yes, I am aware of what I said," Vanessa grunted. "Let me clarify. Whatever you want to call it, Ariana and her strongly dislike me." She said. "The details of our problems are not important right now. What's important is that... like myself, Ariana is an active seeker of revenge." 

"Clearly," Jake muttered.

"So, for her to leave me alone... I offered her something I knew she desired. Control." Vanessa smirked. "She longs for control. Wonder why that could be... Perhaps it has something to do with her hatred for men?" Vanessa said with a sly smirk.

"W-What?" Claire looked at her.

"Nevermind that." Vanessa sighed. "I fabricated a story; luckily for me, she believed it. However, unluckily for me... it turned out to be true. How was I supposed to know Allen somehow invented mind control by accident? How was I supposed to know that she'd get her grimy little hands on it first?" She sighed in frustration.

"I call bullshit," Jake murmured, rubbing the bruise on the left side of his face from where Yuki struck him while they restrained her, which wasn't exactly straightforward. Finding the rope to tie her to the chair was much easier than actually getting her in the chair. Luckily for them, she stayed in her seat a few rows down the aisle. At least, in the meantime, they didn't have to worry about hurting her or her hurting them.

"Believe it or not. You wished for an explanation, so here it is." She grunted aggressively in response. She pursed her lips as Jake shrugged in response.

"W-Wait...?" Claire spoke up again, interrupting the growing tension.

"What now?" Vanessa rolled her eyes.

"How... exactly do you know all this? I thought she hated you."

"She does..." Vanessa said. "I was getting to that part... yet you rudely interrupted me."

"Fine, go on." Claire sighed.

"Thank you." Vanessa smiled.

* * * 

"W-What are you doing in here?" Allen's voice quivered.

"Oh, Allen... I've been looking for you all over... are you alright?" Ariana approached him. "You look horrid... did something happen?" She asked.

"I-..." He opened his mouth to say something, yet, nothing left his mouth. So, he shut it and stared back at her. She watched as his eyes began glossy from tears, and he blinked them away.

"You can tell me anything." Ariana placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm here." She smiled at him.

"A-Ariana..." Allen's voice quivered. "P-President Lane says they're going to give away my lab..." He sniffled, followed by a hard cough.