Chapter 13 I’m Not Signing Up for This Crap Again

“1 refuse. bJean /bsaid tly, curling her lip.

To be honest, ying a tree wasn’t a big deal to Jean. She wasn’t particrly bothered by the role itself.

But she wasn’t about to waste her precious time on this kind of nonsense.

She was here to vibe, not to suffer. And it was painfully obvious that Lacey had it out for bher/b.

This was a setup if she’d ever seen one. Why walk straight binto /bbthe /btrap.

As for Lacey-

-8

+8 Pearl:

The host’s memories were iplete. Jean didn’t know exactly what bhad /bcaused this princess of a girl to hold a grudge. Maybe Lacey was just following the crowd, joining the others in bullying the weird, unlikable girl that was the host.

like the others who openly isted her, Lacey was sneakier–always stabbing from the shadows.

And those fake smiles band /bsweet words? Way worse than being hated outright.

“Refuse?” Lacey frowned slightly, putting on a troubled look. “If that’s how you feel, why didn’t you speak up before the drawing? Now you’ve been picked, and you want to back our?”

She said it all very logically, which made it seem like Jean was being unreasonable and breaking her word.

“There’s a saying, you know–if you ce a bet, byou /btake the loss. A boyughed from the back, clearly just enjoying the drama.

“Like she knows anything about taking responsibility. She’s single–handedly dropped our ss average like five points.”

“Yeah, good one–ha!”

jean ignored the noise. She looked straight at Lacey, let out a dramatic sigh, and said-

“Lacey, I’m just not doing this stuff anymore, okay? If 1 join, I’ll be unhappy. And if I’m unhappy, I’ll be dead inside. And if I’m dead inside, that’s basically the same as being dead–dead. And I’may be a totally average nobody with no aplishments, but I’m still my mom’s precious baby. If she finds out someone made me feel this awful, she’s gonna be heartbroken. And then she’ll call the cops. And then you’ll be the one in trouble.”

She gave Lacey a crooked smile.

Silence.

The ssroom felipletely still

Lacey looked stunned by Jean’s sudden monologue. Her eyes widened in confusion. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, the bell rang.

ss was starting

She had no choice but to leave the podium. Carrying the lottery box, she quickly returned to her seat–but not before sneaking another nce at Jean

ped into the hallway to grab a bottle of water, only to get cut off at the corridor’s end by none other than bLace /b

te not finishedd

about the Hope

Cup”

7:40 PM c

Chapter 13. I’m Not Signing Up for This Crap Again”

bawards/b, or recognition. You could even get a disciplinary record.”

Lacey’s voice was icy, the threat practically written across her face.

+8 Pearl

“Honors? Awards? Discipline?” Jean’s eyes sparkled as she broke into augh. “Is that supposed to scare me? If you can get me kicked out of school altogether, I’ll owe you a thank–you gift.”

Honestly, school was kind of boring anyway,

Getting expelled bwould /bbgive /bher a perfect excuse to retire early.

Lacey blinked, caught off guard. She hadn’t expected Jean to be sopletely unfazed.

It felt like punching a cloud–no resistance, no reaction.

“You know,” Lacey said suddenly, switching gears, “I’m involved in end–of–term evaluations too.”

Her tone sharpened.

“You might not care what happens to you, but what abour Sofia? I could easily mark her down.”

bJean’s /bexpression didn’t change, but her eyes narrowed slightly.

She knew Lacey had noticed how Sofia had shown her kindness,

o one

Sofia was a bit of an oddball herself. bShe /bdidn’t follow the crowd. But her grades were so far above everyone else’s, no wanted to risk messing with her.

Still, that didn’t mean Lacey wouldn’t go after her. Sofia came from an average family. Lacey definitely thought she was someone bshe /bcould afford to offend.

“She seems pretty close to you. Would you really be okay seeing her get dragged down bbecause /bof you?”

Lacey’s lips moved with robotic calm, her voice as smooth and cold as a devil’s whisper, dripping into Jean’s ears like poison

Jean had to admit-

This girl really knew how to mix emotional ckmail and veiled threats.

“Think it over,” Lacey said, stepping back with her trademark fake smile. “Son’s one of the only people who’s ever been kind to you.”

With that, she walked past Jean and returned to the ssroom.

Jean almostughed.

bSo /bwhat? She wasn’t a saint.

Sofia lent her a pair of pants once. That didn’t

‘t mean jean had to bgo /bhumiliate herself on stage as a tree in return,

After grabbing her drink, Jean breturned /bto ss just as the bell brang /b

She sat down calmly and pulled a textbook out of her desk-

A thin metal sheet slid

d out from between the pages a

andnded on her desk

Iran frowned slightly.

+8 Pear

Chapter 13 I’m Not Signing Up for This Crap Again

When she flipped it over, her eyes went wide.

There were words engraved on the back.

Go perform in the Hope Cup bfinals/b.

Jean’s gaze flickered.

In the bottom right corner, the date was also engraved.

That confirmed it–this bhadn’t /bbeen there all along.

Someone had slipped it into her textbook. Today, Probably just now, while she’d been out getting water.

At this point, Jean had to admit it.

The host was clearly hiding something–something bbig/b.

This mysterious piece of metal, that strange emblem back bin /bthe host’s bedroom….

Could they be connected?

Who bhad /bgiven her bthe /bbmetal/b?

bAnd /bwhy were they so binsistent /bon her performing bin /bthe Hope Cup finals!

What was the connection between the host and whoever was behind all of this?

Was she being ckmailed?

Jean’s head was spinning. A dull ache started to creep bin/b.

No answers, bjust /bmore and more questions.

Who would’ve thought a disposable side character in a cheesy power fantasy novel would end up tangled in this much mystery?

She exhaled softly band /bquietly slipped the metal into her backpack

“Sofiab./b”

Jean turned and looked behind her. Sofia bwas /bbtaking /bnotes, bhead /bdown, so bshe /bquickly leaned over band /bwhispered, “Did anyonee near my desk while I was gone?”

Sofia looked up frowning slightly bas /bshe thought. Then she bshook /bher head, “I don’t bthink /bso.”

Jean nodded, “Got it.”

Whoever it was, they were good. bNo /bway they’d bget /bcaught that easily.

bSend /bGifts