Chapter 16

OPHELIA “Shh! I told you it’s a secret,” the girl whispers, her cheeks red with indignation. Penelope makes an exasperated sound and flicks her long blond hair over her shoulder. We’re standing in line in the dining hall inside the Commons, the one place I can’t seem to avoid her, not even when I come outside of regular mealtimes like I did today. Thankfully, we don’t have any classes together, but she’s in here every time I come. It almost seems like it’s her personal mission to make me as uncomfortable as possible. As I do whenever I’m near her, I feel her disgust for me emanating from her pores, and my skin prickles with anxiety from the moment I see her until she’s out of sight again. From the corner of my eye, I see her glance my way, her lip curled in a sneer. “Don’t worry about her, she’s nobody.” I drop my head and stare at the floor, shuffling as far away as possible without moving past the cash register while I wait for the employee to finish getting my order together. “So te