The Originals

Chapter Nineteen: Stoll Finnegan

It was the first of March and also the Gathering of the Silverleaf Gothic Literature Club. Stoll wondered why they called it a 'Gathering' since it sounded as if they were going to harvest their organs.

"Hey, Sam," Stoll said to his older brother. "Can you cover my shifts for the rest of the afternoon? I'll pick them up after dinner."

Sam paused, eyeing him suspiciously. "Why?"

Stoll didn't know how to reply. He kept in mind what Orchid and Saira had said before. My brother could still be a traitor, he thought as he crossed his arms. "No reason, I'm just tired. I need to also catch up on some homework at the Study Hall."

"You wouldn't happen to be in the Study Hall with that Orchid girl, would you?" Sam asked abruptly and Stoll coughed violently. Not everything is about Orchid, he wanted to say. But it kind of is...

"Can you cover my shifts or not?" Stoll whined.

"Fine. Just be careful outside, it's slippery." He glanced out the window. "Even with the flood gone, there's going to be major drainage and sewage problems."

Stoll snorted. "Not a fun job for the groundskeeper, huh?"

His big brother huffed, shaking his head. "Just get back to the Finnegan House before it gets dark. Also, Madeleine's going to be coming around with some history homework."

Stoll was caught off guard by Madeleine. "Right... Do you know where she was on Monday night?" Translation: Was she near Professor Green's class on the night he died? "I just didn't receive a worksheet that night," he added.

"I don't know where Madeleine was on Monday, sorry, bud."

"Where were you that night, Sam?" Stoll blurted. Because you were coming back from Green's classroom before running into Orchid. He silently prayed that Sam wasn't the killer of Henry Green and Scarlett Mako.

"I was just on my way to the Staff's Quarters after cleaning Green's class," he shrugged. Stoll did a little memory testing on the cleaning roster and realized it checked out. Good, now his name is cleared for sure.

Except, then came the tricky part—what was Madeleine Xing's alibi that night?

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Stoll entered the Study Hall with a group of a few others. Orchid and Saira were also there as promised. To his shock, Madeleine greeted them. She wore a flowy black sundress and a white cardigan. She had pale skin with black hair in a bob haircut with bangs, but it was longer before according to Stoll's memory. Her chin was jutted out, defiant.

She was definitely the youngest professor, young enough to still be a college student, but also undoubtedly the most beautiful. Stoll assumed that Headmaster Roux wanted some more youthful energy among the staff.

"Hello, I am Professor Xing, head of the Silverleaf Gothic Literature Club," she said with an East Asian lilt, but it was faint. She gave a friendly smile to everyone. "You may call me Madeleine, it's less formal and frankly, much easier."

There was some laughter. Madeleine was just so naturally comfortable and easy to be around, Stoll found that out early on. "Follow me," she chirped, heading further in the Study Hall, which also served as Silverleaf's library.

Stoll found his way to Orchid. "See, Flower? She's not an evil psycho," he whispered in her ear. Orchid scowled, crossing her arms. They arrived at the staircase and went up. "Whoa, I didn't know the Study Hall had a second floor!"

She frowned. "Me either. Where's Saira?"

"Levine's over there." Stoll pointed to Saira who took big strides to be next to Madeleine. "Looks like she's trying too hard to get into Madeleine's good graces. She'll get a rude awakening once she realizes Madeleine doesn't have favourites."

"Really?" Orchid snorted. "Sounds like you are her favourite."

"Me?"

"She's like your tutor. She is your tutor." There was a hitch in Orchid's tone that Stoll didn't quite understand. Eventually, they were met by another boy who looked as equally welcoming as Madeleine was.

He had light brown skin with a hood that covered his eyes. Stoll didn't know how the boy saw anything. These people don't look like murderers, Stoll couldn't help but think. "Ah, Madeleine, you're here with fresh members! Or Literati as I like to call ourselves!"

A girl wrinkled her nose. "Literati?"

"Don't mind Jones, he's a bit on-the-nose. He's just here to greet us," Madeleine explained as Jones walked away. "Now, to the Exam Room," she said, striding through the corridors.

Orchid and Stoll exchanged glances. "Exam room?" Orchid whispered, looking at Saira. She looked dismayed, having the same thought. "This doesn't make any sense."

The Originals stepped into the Exam Room for the gothic literature club. There were rows of desks with papers and pencils already set out for them. Madeleine turned to the students. "Our club is very exclusive, so we have entrance exams to ensure we're selecting the best of the best! Don't worry, it's not like a math test, it's just simple questions for us to understand where your learning point is?"

"Like a questionnaire?" Saira asked.

Madeleine had a tight smile on her face. "Not quite, but sure. Take your seats and get started. You have unlimited time for this task."

They took their seats and Stoll went through the entrance exam. What the heck? They were stupid and meaningless questions. Why do you have to do these to get into this club? Even if it was exclusive, these seemed ridiculous. Do you have any friends? A serious reality check.

Name at least one gothic literature novel.

Azure Eyes of Blood.

Do you like to read and/or write?

I admire it in some way.

How long have you been at Silverleaf Academy?

Since I was born (I'm a Finnegan)

How many friends do you have?

Zero.

Do you often feel stress or anxiety?

N/A

Do you have a romantic partner?

No.

Do gothic literature inspire you? How so?

I believe by engrossing myself in gothic literature will enrich my education and learning skills by a lot. In some twisted way, it does inspire me to thrive for my schooling capability.

She smiled and patted his hand. "Stoll, I wasn't expecting for you to register, I thought literature wasn't your thing. You already have so much on your plate, you know, you could have told me you weren't happy with your workload. More history worksheets perhaps?"

"Thanks, Madeleine, but I'm here to stay. I mean, this will look good on my college application later. I'm not planning on staying at Silverleaf forever unlike Sam," Stoll replied with ease.

"Oh! Sam! How is he?" Madeleine asked. She always seemed interested in his brother, they were probably good friends.

"Fine, I mean, his groundskeeping job is kind of getting harder with the flooding at the bottom of the hill. The aftermath of the storm and all," he shrugged as Madeleine nodded.

"Well, you're free to go."

Stoll glanced back at Saira and Orchid, who still hadn't finished their exams. Should I stay? No, it wasn't worth the risk to raise suspicion. Unwillingly, Stoll Finnegan left the Exam Room.