CHAPTER 51: 51-AT THE RECEIVING END OF HATE

Clementine:

"It’s okay, I’ll just go and listen to what she has to say." I told my squadmates because they were now literally giving me looks. I didn’t want to be so hard to reach. Since it was a very serious matter and could become extreme, I wanted to at least know what options we had.

"Okay," Ian said, giving me a head gesture to follow Miss Rue to the side room. However, it was odd because even if he hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t have gone. I have a mind of my own.

I had a brief talk with the ringleaders and was now heading back upstairs. I knew I had done a good job speaking for my squadmates and myself, but I was also aware that some of them might not understand my stance. Still, I was confident that once they heard the terms I had laid out, they would probably respect me for it.

Even so, I had a bad feeling I’d catch some heat from them.

When I walked out, I found the main hall empty. I figured they had been sent back to the dorms. I began walking through the passage toward my room when I suddenly heard someone scream from the Red Squad hallway.

"Clementine!"

It was Oriana, jumping up and down and waving her arms as wide as she could. She was so silly and cute, completely unlike how she looked. She always had this mean energy and expression on her face, but once she started talking, you’d realize she was actually pretty sweet.

I couldn’t even see her face clearly from that far away, so I kept walking back to my dorm.

Once I entered my dorm room, my squadmates, who had been sitting impatiently on their beds or standing by the windows, started moving toward me, almost forming a circle around me.

"What did she say?" Troy asked, looking impatient. His biceps were bulging, had he been working out while I was gone?

"Did she agree to our terms?" Haiden asked, the frown on his forehead deeply pronounced.

"Come on, tell us, Clementine. Did she say we can leave?" Yorick asked, making me turn all the way around to face him.

"What is it?"

Then Ian asked, who hadn’t seemed too optimistic about me talking to Miss Rue, already wearing an expression that said he didn’t believe anything good had come out of the conversation.

But before I could speak, the door behind me opened and Miss Rue walked in.

"So, we’ve decided to give you all a choice," she said, standing with her hands folded under her abdomen.

"What choice?" Haiden asked.

"Whatever choice says we can go home, we’ll pick that one," Ian said, not even willing to hear her out.

"You will be able to leave for home if all of you vote to go," she said, making them glance at each other with bright smiles on their faces. But I didn’t share that smile.

"Sure, then we all vote for it," Yorick said, nodding.

That’s when Lenora and Rick walked in.

"Raise your hand if you want to go home. If all of you raise your hands, you can leave," Rick said in a tired, hushed tone. He was such a scary guy. I felt bad for the White Squad, but they weren’t exactly ideal either. He was cocky too, so I guess that’s where the White Squad got their arrogance from.

"So, raise your hands if you want to go home," Lenora said, and immediately, everyone raised their hands.

Everyone but me.

"Clementine, what are you waiting for? Raise your hand," Troy muttered under his breath, trying to be quiet, but I was sure the others could hear him.

I took a deep breath and lowered my head, avoiding eye contact.

"Have you lost your mind? Didn’t you want to go back home?" Ian yelled, making me close my eyes to block out their stares.

"What the fuck, Clementine?" Haiden screamed, his anger even more intense than the others’.

"So, it’s decided. There will be no going back home," Rick announced. "From this point forward, anyone who talks about going home will be punished with the death penalty. Did we make ourselves clear?"

Everyone lowered their hands, grumbling in frustration.

"We will not accept this! This bitch doesn’t even understand what she wants from her life! Why should our lives be dictated by her opinion?" Ian yelled. It was the first time he had spoken so much, and so loudly.

I had a very bad feeling he was going to hit me once the ringleaders left.

"And I hope you’ll learn to behave from now on. We’re sparing you for your behavior last time, but next time, you’d better be careful. However, the celebratory breakfast and lunch prepared for you is still on. So please change your moods, wash your faces, and come join us and the rest of the Crusaders. Instead of being quitters, try to face your problems and become better versions of yourselves."

Lenora had some nerve saying all that while the others were spiraling. Then, one by one, they started to leave. Rue was the last to go. She gave me a very sad smile and a reassuring nod, as if to say everything would be fine.

I didn’t know how she assumed that. She knew I was getting bullied every now and then.

The minute she left, Ian stepped forward and slammed the door shut. Haiden came in next, pushing me against the wall and placing his hands on either side of me, blocking me in. Troy stood beside him with his hands on his hips, while Yorick was off to the side, throwing punches into the air.

"What the fuck was that?" Haiden hissed, his eyes locked on mine so intensely that, even though I wanted to gulp so badly, I couldn’t.

"I didn’t have a choice," I started to explain, but Haiden slammed his hand against the wall, and I went silent.

"No. No more words from you. You’re a fucking bitch who can’t be trusted," he yelled, throwing a punch at the wall above my head, making me flinch in sudden fright.

"I told you guys, we should’ve left her in the North," Ian said, backing up whatever threats they had made against me before.