[𝟗] 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 ( descendants ) [DISCONTINUED]

─ chapter twenty-six

Autumn was hiding in a classroom, currently sitting at a desk, writing out names on slips of paper. She was preparing to sort out the Secret Santa and choose names at random to assign to people, but she also had a sneaky plan. She just had to be discreet and hope no one interrupted so she could pull it off.

"What are you doing?" Came a voice from the doorway, making Autumn jump as she hadn't heard the door open.

"Wh-what? No-nothing!" Autumn said quickly, covering her notebook and the slips of paper with more blank paper. She turned to see that it was Greyson Gothel at the door.

"Autumn, has anyone told you you're an awful liar?" Grey asked, closing the door and pulling up a chair from one of the desks, sitting on it the wrong way so that his legs were either side of the back of the chair.

"What? I'm not lying. I'm just doing... nothing. Studying for a... pop quiz?" Autumn lied, plastering a grin on her lips as she looked at Grey.

"Studying for a pop quiz. Aka a surprise quiz," Grey commented. "For some reason, I don't buy that. Spill."

"Well... I'm just... setting up Secret Santa?" Autumn responded. It wasn't a complete lie, but as she revealed the list of names on the paper, Elyse and Kenzie already had each other's names written beside them, while the rest were blank.

"I thought it was meant to be random?" Grey questioned with raised eyebrows.

"It is... I haven't done much. I've got all the names folded up in here, see!" Autumn replied, holding out the hat with folded up slips of paper in.

"Then how come Elyse and Kenzie got each other? And no one else? There's a 1/16 chance of one of them getting each other and a 1/210 chance of both occurring. The odds are too unlikely. So spill." Grey persisted.

"How on earth did you work that out so fast?" Autumn questioned, her eyes widening as she looked at Grey.

"I'm surprisingly good at maths. Don't change the subject." Grey explained, but was quick to retract.

"I wasn't. I was just curious and I... fine," Autumn pouted, noticing Grey's pointed expression. "Maaaaaaaybe I'm kinda sorta setting something up..." She admitted.

"Keep going..." Grey said, leaning forward towards the girl.

"Um...IhaveasuspicionthatElyseandKenzielikeeachotherandImaybetryingtopushthemtogetherbysettinguptheSecretSantasotheyhavetogeteachother." Autumn rambled extremely quickly, grinning once she was finished. Grey's eyes were wide with utter confusion and shock.

"Okay you're going to have to repeat that because not even Evie spoke that fast." Grey said, shaking his head.

"Okay fine... but you have to swear not to tell a soul. Especially not Elyse because she will freeze me." Autumn said seriously, glaring at Grey the best she could. Autumn was not a very intimidating girl.

"Not even Rae?" Grey asked, shifting in his chair.

"Nope," Autumn responded, popping the 'p'. "Swear it or I won't tell you at all." She said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not even after?" Grey questioned.

"No! No one can know, because then that's a higher chance of Elyse finding out and me being frozen." Autumn said with a quick, panicked tone. "Please?" She sighed, giving puppy eyes.

"Fine," Grey relented, but had his fingers crossed under the desk. Old habits die hard.

"Okay..." Autumn sighed. "Well... I may have a tiny sneaky suspicion that um... Kenzie and Elyse like each other. Well, Elyse definitely does like Kenzie but I don't know Kenzie enough to judge her side of things," The redhead explained, pursing her lips for a moment. "So... I might be trying to set up the Secret Santa so they have to get each other." She admitted.

"That's... slightly devious. Especially for you," Grey spoke slowly, raising his eyebrows.

"What? The VKs have been here for almost a year, I can't say I haven't learned anything from them." Autumn shrugged, a soft, innocent smile on her lips.

"I am so proud of you," Grey smirked. "Next step is teaching you graffiti."

"I already do graffiti! In the form of smiley faces and flowers on Elyse's notebooks to annoy her." Autumn responded, her innocence glowing.

"Okay we're going to have to work on that," Grey sighed. "So what's the plan?"

"Well, it's just basically to make sure Elyse and Kenzie have each other for Secret Santa," Autumn shrugged. "But! I need help keeping an eye on them, so you can help me. You're a VK, you're more devious and you can improve my deviousness. Give me lessons!" She added, resting her elbows on the table. "But the main priority is that we prove Kenzie and Elyse are in love." She grinned.

"In love?" Grey questioned, tilting his head a little bit.

"Well, that they like each other," Autumn corrected herself quickly. "I'm a hopeless romantic okay everyone knows thaaaaatttt. And my dad knows love experts very well. But I also just want Elyse to be happy... and she lights up when Kenzie's around. Please, help me." Autumn begged, reaching out and taking Grey's hand. "Pleeeeeeeeeaaaassssseee." She whined.

"Fine..." Grey relented. The redhead squealed in excitement and leaned over to hug him, very tightly which made the VK groan.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is gonna be so fun!" Autumn squealed, clapping excitedly. "Now, okay, this is what we need to do..."

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