SIDEKICK

Chapter Seventeen: Further Development

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Further Development

Of course, when Lance comes back, he’s furious.

“HE’S GONE WHERE?!” he roars, his face glowing bright red.

Oliver awkwardly doesn’t meet his eyes. “Thailand…”

Lance glares up at him, throws his hands up in the air. “AND YOU JUST LET HIM?!”

Oliver turns to face him, his face desperate. “What was I gonna do? Stop him? He’s the next head! He beats me in fights all the time! It’s not like I can physically keep him here!”

“DID YOU EVEN TRY?!”

“What do you think?!” he says exasperatedly.

“Master,” Deidre interjects herself between the two. “Don’t blame Oliver. Even though he might not be as resilient –“

“Deidre!”

“Oh hush,” she snaps. “You let him leave. That responsibility is yours to admit to!”

Oliver throws his hands up in the air. “Great! This is fucking brilliant! You know, I try. I really do. But fine then, whatever,” he mutters the last sentence as he sinks his hands into his pockets as he sulks out of the room.

Deidre rests a hand against her cheek. “My, were we too rough with him?”

Joseph’s lips pull to his right. “Mrm, I think you were too mean.”

Lance turns his attention to Peter standing beside me. “Did you practise your wards?”

Peter starts to grow excited. “Actually, something amazing ha-“

Instinctively, I grab his arm. He looks down at me in surprise.

“What Pete means to say,” I interrupt. “Is that he’s making progress. Right, Pete?”

“Uh…” Peter drawls, confused. “Yeah. I’m… getting there. Slowly.”

Lance’s brow rises fractionally. “Is that so?” he murmurs suspiciously. “Then you won’t have any trouble performing in front of me tomorrow, would you?”

Peter nods affirmatively. Meanwhile, I notice the look Naveen’s giving me.

She’s not buying it.

Lance turns to others. “Well, the matter’s all sorted now. You two, no more wandering about. I hope both of you learned your lesson.”

Joseph rests his hands behind his head and stretches. “Yeah, next time, we’re going to Krispy Kreme.”

Lance sighs irritably and rubs his forehead as Joseph walks out of the room, Naveen beside him. As they pass, she gives me a good glare as Joseph blabbers on about getting glazed doughnuts.

Deidre drapes her coat over her arm. “Oh, that reminds me,” she suddenly says. “Where are Victor and Seth?”

“Probably in their rooms,” Lance replies. Both walk off in their own conversation as Peter whips his head to me.

“Why didn’t you let me finish?!” he demands.

Good question John. Why didn’t you?

An excuse pops up in my head. “It was a fluke,” I reply. “I don’t want to mention it, not until I’m positive.”

Peter pulls a distrusting face. “Fine,” he says. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

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