Overload

Chapter Twenty-Two - No Longer Blind

The hum of the AC unit lulled June to sleep. Mr Whik's voice droning on in the background about the one of the earliest documented cases of telepathy.

It would have been rather interesting if it weren't for the fact that June's abilities had naught to do with telepathy and that Whik actually sounded like a robot. Every word that tumbled from his thin lips were easily something he'd glimpsed of some textbook during a point in his life.

Her eyes were about to drift shut. All it took was one word to snap her back to attention.

". . . rebel forces naturally stirred in an attempt to overthrow the mayor and his wife in accusation of witchcraft."

June's heart skipped a beat. False alarm. Wrong rebels.

She turned her head back on the desk and stared blankly at the wall again.

Before she knew it, the bell had rung and she was scooping her notes and pencil case into her bag. Hoisting it over her shoulder, June trudged out the door, letting rip a yawn she'd suppressed out of respect for the history teacher.

"Stop right there, Juniper."

June bristled at the name. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

Danni scowled at her, sharp fangs poking between her lips. June brushed off the sight of them, growing more accustomed to the animalistic transformations in her friend.

"Are you just going to keep starving yourself at lunch?" she snapped and reached out to grab June.

She shied away from her friend's touch and sped down the corridor.

"You won't even tell us what's going on," Danni hissed.

June hurried her steps but Danni suddenly appeared before her, traces of feathers sinking into her skin.

"It's nothing," she muttered and sidestepped the girl.

"You've been doing this for weeks and you call this nothing?" Danni echoed and blocked her path. "What have we done wrong? What has anyone done? Is it Josh? He's been quiet ever since you stopped sitting with us."

She tried not to let it show but the thought of him made her flinch involuntarily.

Danni's dark eyes widened. "So it is Josh. What has he done now? Do I need to kick his ass?"

"No," June replied rather unconvincingly. "I just – I just need some time to think."

Danni crossed her arms and stared. "Isn't three weeks enough?"

"When's the brawl?" June blurted out without thinking. She hadn't been able to work up the courage to ask out of the blue but she couldn't take it anymore. Hearing wisps and rumours of when the actual night would be had set her on edge. All this time, she'd been waiting for the next Midnight Brawl, the one chance she'd get to ease her uncertainty and her many questions.

Danni stared harder. "Is that what this is all about? Not Josh?"

June controlled herself better this time but the mention of Josh still made her uncomfortable. What was worse was that she couldn't look Danni in the eye knowing that she kept Josh's secret of being a rebel when Danni and Eric loathed them more than anything in the world.

"It's complicated," she managed and made a move to turn the other way.

Danni was faster than she was, blocking her yet again. "If I tell you when the brawl is, will you come sit at lunch with us? Will you tell me what's going on?"

"I'll tell you after I blow off some steam at the brawl," June answered without thinking. She almost punched herself.

Her friend raised a brow. "You've been all moody for the past month just so that you could go to the brawl?" Danni's tone was easily unconvinced but the firm look on June's face must had convinced her there wasn't much else she could do or say to make June talk. "Alright. Fine. It's tonight."