𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐘 | 𝙅𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙥𝙝 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙨

9: socialize, romanticize the life

After gym class, I walk behind Joseph and his friends, only to see Pichon marching his way towards them. With a bit of distance between me and them, I stood behind, watching the conversation unfold.

"Give Applebaum back his glasses," Pichon said, his gaze stern, not breaking as he stared directly into Joseph's eye. "Stop messing with him."

"Is that a threat, tubby?" Descamps just scoffs, looking down at Pichon. The sight really makes me think over how tall Joseph is. Charles and Jean were both a head taller than me, and Descamps was even taller than them. I remember when I was taller than them, before puberty hit. "What's in it for me?"

Pichon goes quiet for a minute or two before he looks up at Joseph again, and the next 7 words he says make me want to scream in horror. "Do you want to be the class leader?"

I stand there in disbelief, eyes wide and mouth agape. What- No, why was he choosing to bestow this top-secret information, one that Annick had trusted him so much in as to tell him, to Joseph out of all people?!

After seeing this whole nightmare unravel before my eyes, I run after Pichon, all plans of talking to Joseph abandoned. "Pichon, wait!-"

The said boy stops, turning around and widening his eyes when he sees me. "Oh, uh- Madeline, how can I help you?" He asks, and I point an accusatory finger in his chest. He couldn't just get away with this.

"How could you- After Annick trusted you enough to tell you, you go and tell him?!" I almost yell, and I was pretty glad that everyone had dissipated for break and no one was really close enough to hear me. "I hope you know that you're now dooming us, especially me and the girls, into dying this year. The only picture of us in the yearbook is going to be 'In memory of...' pictures!"

Poor Pichon looked as if his life was about to end, but I was a bit too mad to feel pity or sympathy right now. I understood him wanting to help Applebaum, but did he really expect Joseph of all people to keep his word? Doing this would only make him have more control over us!

"I hope you tell Annick, and I sure hope that she knocks some sense into you." I mutter, before stalking off, not leaving a second for the boy to reason for himself. He can fuck off, for all I care about right now.


---


I sit in class, my leg bouncing restlessly as my eyes follow every move that Joseph did. He was going to want to be class-leader, and as I yelled at Pichon for before, I was scared that he'd terrorize the girls in this class with his newfound title.

I mean, the thing was, I wasn't that scared of him doing anything to me. Yes, he did dump water on me the first day and humiliate me, but I couldn't just hold a grudge forever. He did lose an eye, and you really have to give him the slightest bit of respect for coming to school the next day.

Plus, he's never really done anything else to me otherwise. His mother and my mother were friends, and I have to meet him every Sunday for church. There was a limited extent as to how much I could hate him, at this point.

"Alright, it's time." Giraud's voice echoes, and her beady eyes run over everybody in the room, analyzing each of her students. "Who's deserving of the title of class leader?" With no doubt, Felbec's hand raises up immediately. Giraud had seemed to see that coming, but I think everyone in the class had also expected it.

"Felbec, did you find the date?" She nodded, and he stood up, clearing his voice. Mentally, I was slightly hoping for him to know the answer. Didier Felbec was a boy that just minded his own business, and he was a very fair person. I understood why his former teachers had chosen him as class leader before.

"Fifth century B.C, madame." Felbec answers, and I can tell that he's nervous. From the way he rocked back and forth on his feet to how he kept picking at his cuticles with his hands hidden behind his desk, it was kind of obvious.