The Wolves in the Woods

Music Is Playing Somewhere

There is music playing somewhere but I can't hear it.

— Bret Easton Ellis

***

Ben's side of the investigation leads him to some interesting turns of events.

***

            The rain drummed against the windows of the car in a steady rhythm, complemented by the occasional clap of thunder followed by a flash of lightning. Today's forecast neglected to mention anything about a thunderstorm. Which, naturally, didn't sit well with some of the locals. Lovely dresses were ruined by the downpour that many were unprepared for. Much like the situation they currently found themselves in.

Day one of this assignment wasn't entirely fruitless, he thought to himself. For one, they uncovered a lot of information rather quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly for his liking. At the rate things were progressing, his suspicions only grew. Miss Mendeleiev was for sure a stern teacher. As for mean, that would be pushing it a little. Miss Mendeleiev was only doing the job that was required of her, unlike Bustier. According to what Amaia had relayed to him, Bustier did nothing to maintain even a semblance of order. Even when it was clear they were falling behind because of the constant interruptions. He had to share her sentiment that had it been Salomon's classroom, such behavior would be unacceptable. And no amount of blackmail or threats would get him to back down.

It really made him question what they had stumbled into.

"Euro for your thoughts?" asked a voice beside him. Ben turned his head away from the car window to glance at his brother, Idon. Ah, right. It was still morning. They still had to get to class. After Idon dropped him off at Dupont, he still had to get to his university. Right, right.

"You sure there's enough time?" Ben asked. Idon shrugged.

"If you can make it short and concise," Idon said. Not once did his eyes leave the rain-drenched road. "You did say you found a lot." Ben snorted.

"I did," he confirmed. "Let me guess. Now that no one can listen in, you wanna know what I found?" Idon shot him an exasperated look.

"Really, Ben?" his brother asked. "All I ask is one simple little answer." He shot a sideways glance at his brother. "Unless it can't be summed up in less than two words?"

"I'm afraid not," Ben said. "Well, to start, the source of those rumors is that one girl called Lila Rossi." Idon nodded along, most of his attention was on the road. "That entire class is wrapped around her finger like lemmings about to drown themselves." Idon snorted. "Wish it was an actually funny joke, to be honest."

"Sounds like there's more to it," Idon commented.

"There is," Ben confirmed. "Though it didn't happen in two hours thanks to Mireya sending them to deliver soup, Amaia did manage to get back to me on what she found." Idon listened. "For one, it doesn't seem like they're treated well in that class, despite appearances." The look on Amaia's face when she told him how Juleka reacted was still fresh in his mind. "And from what she gathered during dinner with the Dupain-Chengs, it seems bullying is rampant in that class." Like what had happened to that girl, Marinette.

"Wasn't there someone missing?" Idon asked. "From what you two said, Lila was nowhere near the bakery when that incident happened." Ben's usual sunny smile disappeared from his face. An indicator of his hidden anger.

"She wasn't," Ben confirmed. "Heck, from what Aurore and Mireille said, she didn't even know they did that until way after." Which certainly explained why she was so stiff and rigid during class yesterday. "According to what they said, they had to help Lila through a panic attack. A real one." Their descriptions of how pale Lila was rang vividly in his mind. He could guess that while the girl had started this campaign against Marinette, it quickly spiraled out of her control the longer it continued. Leading to the present situation where she felt uncomfortable even among her own cohorts. And that was putting it lightly.