Chapter 29.3

Emily followed Melanie through the halls of the school. Her eyes narrowed when she realized that they were going in the opposite direction of the infirmary.

"Aren't we going the wrong way?" Emily asked Melanie lightly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to prevent me from visiting the doctor."

"Well, we wouldn't want to visit the infirmary right away now, would we?" Melanie replied sweetly. "After all, it would be a shame if they discovered your little secret, right?"

Emily jumped but tried to calm herself when she heard Melanie. At this instant, she understood that Melanie knew her secret.

"How's Accelerant?" Melanie asked casually, confirming Emily's suspicion.

Before Emily could reply, a thought struck her, leaving her shocked. Melanie turned to look at her with a small smile when she realized that Emily had stopped moving.

"You … planned it, didn't you?" Emily said quietly, shock still apparent on her face. "You knew I was there, that I overheard you … no, you wanted me to overhear you. You wanted me to find and use Accelerant."

"Yes," Melanie answered truthfully without beating the bush. There was a certain calmness in her reply that sent shivers down Emily's back. "But not to hurt or cripple you. It's more complicated than that but this isn't the place to talk. Follow me."

Melanie led Emily to the student council office, where Olivia and Enzo were both patiently awaiting Melanie's arrival. The latter dismissed them both from the office before gesturing at Emily to follow her into an adjacent room. This was Melanie's personal room, a place for her to relax and rest if she required it.

Emily looked around the room, carefully evaluating the place. It was a small cozy room with a small seating area, a changing stall, and a small bed. Melanie gestured at the chairs and both sat down.

"Ask your questions," Melanie said to Emily.

"Why?" Emily asked. That one word comprised everything she wanted to ask.

"I know how it feels like," Melanie said after some contemplation. "The feeling of helplessness. Wishing for a hero, but realizing, a bit too late, that there's no such thing. Then praying, begging, for power from anywhere … I know exactly how you feel."

Melanie looked straight at Emily's eyes and the latter felt a chill emanate from the depths of her hazel eyes. Her words echoed in Emily, she was stunned that Melanie was able to voice what she was feeling.

"You only see me now, as the successful student president. The pretty ... Queen, that's what they call us, right? The Queen that everyone admires," Melanie continued. "But, like you, I had to crawl, struggle, and fight to get my way up here. So, why wouldn't I help you?"

"And leading me to Accelerant … was helping me?" Emily asked doubtfully.

"Depending on how you see it, yes," Melanie answered. She sighed and swept her bangs away from her face with her hand. "I meant every word I said, Emily. We both know how hard it would have been for you to breakthrough the first level. You already failed a year because of what? Your poor level? Despite your rather brilliant grades, you were pulled back simply because you're seen as a powerless, helpless girl."

Melanie looked straight at Emily with calm eyes. Her words struck a chord in Emily who almost stopped breathing. She felt the indignation at being forced to repeat a year while everyone else she knew passed and were now at the college section of the Academy. At first, she hated herself for being powerless, but now, a part of her blamed the system, the city, for her misfortune.

"If you want to stand next to him as opposed to being a damsel that he always saves, just like the other girls, then you need to change," Melanie said abruptly. She leaned forward, edging closer to Emily as her voice lowered to a whisper. "You don't only need strength, you need conviction. Conviction and ruthlessness. Have the conviction to believe that everything you're doing is right, no matter what, and the ruthlessness to crush anyone … anyone that stands in your way."

"Why are you telling me this? Why exactly are you helping a rival?" Emily finally asked after a few minutes. She felt like Melanie was the devil whispering in her hears, voicing the dark thoughts she didn't want to hear.

"That's because I'm not your rival," Melanie leaned back and sighed. "Emily, tell me ... you've been through a lot. If you were strong … if you had the ability, can you see yourself standing next to him?"

Emily thought for a moment and then nodded strongly. "Yes."

Hearing the confidence in her voice, Melanie smiled forlornly. "That's the difference between you and I. Me? I can never stand beside him, I'm too broken, too filthy, to be a … to even consider being loved by him."

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, surprised at Melanie's attitude. Normally, she was confident and strong, full of life, but right now Emily couldn't see a shadow of the student president in Melanie.

"How did you meet? Did he save you? Maybe from a thief or an assaulter?" Melanie asked.

"He … saved me from being raped," Emily said quietly after some hesitation. She wasn't sure why, but she felt fine in confiding with Melanie.

"Can you imagine if he was too late? If he saved you after you were … when you were most vulnerable?" Melanie asked and Emily froze. Her eyes were filled with trepidation at the simple thought of it. She thought of something and looked at Melanie nodded in response.

"That's what happened to me," Melanie confirmed, her eyes and voice were calm and steady, as though she wasn't talking about herself. "He found me after I was broken - after I was dirtied and tainted by traffickers."

Emily felt regret as she looked at Melanie. All this time, she felt that Melanie was a threat but right now, she felt guilty at how she naively treated and viewed her. The two were quite similar and she sympathized with Melanie, she knew what it was like to see, admire, someone but not being able to reach them, especially when they're at a higher pedestal.

"I don't want much," Melanie said. "Just to be appreciated by him is good enough. That's why I'm not your rival Emily. I won't compete with you."

Emily sat silently unable to respond until Melanie continued.

"Of course that doesn't mean I won't seduce him," Melanie said in a lighter voice. "I'll be there to milk him dry when you're too exhausted. I said it before, didn't I? I'll be the mistress, you can be the official girlfriend."

Emily glared at Melanie but, before she could respond, the sound of music reverberated through PA system across the room. Both listened to Jason sing 'Welcome to Wonderland' in silence, each of them caught in their own thoughts. When he was finished singing, Melanie cleared her throat before speaking.

"Besides, I think we should team up," Melanie said. "There are already two other tramps that have a head start."

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, her brows furrowed in surprise.

"Well, you see …"

After conversing for almost an hour, Emily left the office with a grim look in her eyes. What Melanie and she discussed made her realize that Jason never truly saw her as a love interest. He flirted with her just like how he flirted with any other girl, it was all platonic and not in the least intimate.

But I need to focus on myself right now. Shaking her head, Emily thought about her symptoms. If I'm ill because of Accelerant then maybe that dealer will know what's happening to me.

Walking down the corridor, Emily began planning on visiting the arcade after school was over when she realized that she was surrounded. A group of four girls crowded around Emily.

"Hey, Queen," a girl, the one in lead, said. "Come with us."

Not again, Emily thought as she was dragged into a nearby girl's washroom. [3]

[3] Nope, not the same washroom as Alina, they're in different sections of the Academy. Sorry folks, no saving her from being bullied. This time.