EVERGREEN WOOD《COMPLETED✔》

ANOTHER STUFFED PRINCESS

Chapter 28

Noah and I slowly paced through the hallway to our lockers. We haven't said a word to each other since we've been assigned for a dangerous job. Though his pained expression and my grandparents' silent agree made me forgive him, there is this huge tension between us. When I shut the locker with a loud thud after bringing out my science stuffs, my eyes met Ivy's for a moment. She stared at me and turned her head without any change in her facial expression. We weren't supposed to do anything out of the ordinary which included hanging out with Ivy and Skyler all the time.

Mr. Appleton has set up trays of large toads on each table for us to dissect. This was the one of the very few things I was better at doing than Noah. He furrowed his brows at the toad and gave me a sad look turning his lips upside down. I suppressed a smile and patted his head. Maybe things can return to normal after all.

I put down my stuffs neatly on the table. The sheets and pen on my left and the dissecting box on my right. I placed the microscope at the far end of table because we will need it later. As always Noah just spread all of his stuffs on the table and started rummaging through them. The fact that he could keep his mind calm and free even within his pile of mess amazed me even now as much as it did when we became friends.

I turned my head to see Skyler a table behind to my right. Unlike Ivy, she offers me a smile and I return it. The empty space beside her gave me shivers. He's been locked up in the station for almost a week. if the court hasn't been busy with the murder cases, his trials would have started. The key in my back pocket felt heavier. The more I think about it, the more absurd it feels. An FBI special agent gave us the key to a prison cell. I resisted the urge to bring the key out and have a confirmation. Yesterday, after she tossed Noah the key, they all voted me as the keeper. I do not know why they did that. I could have a post traumatic effect and distrust them all. But my instincts say that they offered it to me as an apology for not trusting me before.

"Ms. Ryan, are you listening?" Mr. Appleton asked me loud and clear.

"Sorry, Mr. Appleton." I took the scalpel and started dissecting the toad which lied on its back. Noah sat fidgeting with his scalpel and making stabbing gestures once in a while. I tried to teach him dissection a lot of times, he just said he would get personal assistants for these if he ever needed.

"Could you at least place them on a slide and adjust the microscope?" I pointed my scalpel at him.

"Yes, ma'am. That I can do." He pulled the microscope towards himself which made my book topple over. I got out of my seat to pick it up and saw it lying wide open. In the middle lied a folded piece of paper. I picked the book up and poked Noah under the table once I got seated again. His eyes became wide as I unfolded the paper.

We need to settle things out. Meet at the library after lunch.

-Ivy

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I was standing in the hallway for Noah to come from his AP English. I saw Riley looking for something in her locker. She is wearing her pink cashmere sweater. This was the first time I had seen her today. It felt like she was preparing just like we were. I forced my eyes to look away. I could not let her suspect that we are up to something. I saw Leo high fiving one of the juniors. He winked as he passed by me. I made sure he noticed me rolling my eyes.

My eyes fell on Lola hurrying through the hallway to the girl's bathroom. A lot has changed in her in the past 2 months. Her eyes had become dark and sunken. Her jaw set to a never changing expression. She looked older and determined. Somehow that added to her fascinating beauty. I wonder what is going on in the Stone family after losing Genevie.