POV: Maëva
The last bell had barely rung when he was already packing up his things.
Why is he in such a hurry?
She rolled her eyes and began to pick up her notebooks, one after the other.
I had sent two messages to Irene during the lecture. Neither received a reply.
I had asked him to come, though. He had assured me he would be there, after taking his time to answer me with his eternal "Hummmmmm".
Now it was official, that fool deceived me.
I slipped my phone into my pocket last before turning to Hérèse.
– One.
He looked up at me.
– Where?
– You'll see.
I didn't really give him time to talk. I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the courtyard.
He did not resist.
It had almost become worrying, eventually.
Adèle and André were waiting for us near the exit. They exchanged a glance when they saw us arrive, then started walking alongside us.
I had already explained to them where we would go for our first meeting.
However, I hadn't planned on having a fourth person underfoot.
– Maëva!
A voice so recognizable it hurts my ears.
Raph joined us with Winnie, Imelda, Parfait and Lionel. She had clearly decided not to leave me alone today.
"Are you going somewhere?" she asked, positioning herself at my level.
In my wildest imagination, I would jump down his throat.
– No, we're going to have a picnic here on the ground
– Do you want an invitation?
Her smile didn't change.
– I would be happy to come, but not today.
I murmured to myself
– idiot
She acted as if she hadn't heard anything and changed the subject as usual.
His attention turned to Hérèse, then to our hands.
– Have you become inseparable?
I slightly tightened my fingers around his.
– He's the love of my life, do you have a problem with that?
"None," she replied with poorly concealed bitterness.
She then moved closer to Parfait, as if she had just found more interesting company. She tried several times to sit next to him, but he moved away each time she closed the distance.
Why was he using the same sidewalk as us? It's so annoying.
She even received an annoyed look.
– Can you stop?
– Stop what?
– To try to get my attention.
Raph gave a small laugh.
– I've never done that.
I looked away before smiling.
Perfect, elected the worst guy possible, and Raph seemed determined to see just how bad he could be.
The journey continued with a series of conversations in which I didn't participate. I kept Hérèse close to me, holding her hand. He didn't ask any questions, but I sometimes felt his gaze fall on me. I preferred not to try to understand what he was thinking.
When we arrived in front of the hotel, the dilapidated facade stood amidst the surrounding buildings.
Every time. The dark windows, the faded walls and the half-detached sign didn't really make me want to go in.
However, all you had to do was step through the entrance to understand the hotel.
Two rooms, two atmospheres.
The music reached us even before we entered the hall. Deep bass rumbled through the floor, mingling with conversations, raised voices, and the steady hum of machinery. Thick smoke hung from the ceiling, fueled by the cigarettes of those who had settled in various places.
The hall was packed today.
Again, it was the students from ITEK who played cards around improvised tables, they crowded in front of the casino rooms.
His teenagers in school uniforms walked through the area without paying attention to the stares.
Even those good girls from the "plaque" high school.
The hotel's residents moved among them with disconcerting ease. The "homeless" had taken over the quietest corners, and children who had fled their homes shared benches with adults whose habits left little doubt about their past.
The youngest were led by the locals to the gaming tables; they knew every nook and cranny.
Here, nobody asks where you're from.
This was one of the unspoken rules of neutral zones: as long as you respected the limits imposed by those who managed them, you could enter without having to justify your presence.
The clans control far too many districts, it becomes suffocating with fights breaking out everywhere just because you can't have fun peacefully outside, that's how the neutral clan was built.
The fights in the basement were part of the show. So were the bets.
Raph stopped near us and for a few seconds she observed the room.
– So this is where you came from?
– (shut your mouth) You look disappointed, I said.
– Not at all. I didn't imagine "peace" like that.
I no longer bothered to reply and dragged the heretic towards me
– (A cute kid)
He observes with a sly smile.
She hadn't come to explore the hotel. Her gaze was fixed on us.
– Where are the battles, up above?
Winnie and Imelda seemed to share his enthusiasm.
Lionel, for his part, had already left them, gradually walking away with Parfait, who didn't seem particularly interested in our chatter. He mostly seemed to regret having come.
"We're going to get off," he announced.
"Isn't it upstairs?" asked Raph.
– No.
He did not elaborate further.
I chuckled a little more at their masquerade, then turned to the twins.
– We're going up
Adèle nodded. André glanced towards the staircase, then towards the corridor that led to the upper floors.
– Are you sure we can go up?
- Yes.
I resumed my walk, taking Hérèse with me. The twins followed us.
Behind us, Raph had already approached Parfait, but he moved away without paying her any further attention.
j'imagine son expression.
The staircase we took was much quieter than the hall. As we climbed, the music faded and the smoke thinned. Conversations became infrequent, replaced by the murmur of private conversations behind closed doors.
The upper floor no longer had much to do with the hall.
The premises were better maintained, the lighting more discreet, and there were significantly fewer people present.
A few men in suits were chatting near a private lounge.
The armchairs around the low tables were almost unoccupied, their gazes occasionally glancing towards the newcomers.
Access to this part of the hotel was reserved for privileged guests and senior executives.
Ordinary students didn't go up there simply because they wanted to.
I felt Adele's gaze fall upon me, but he asked no questions.
Here, I was neither a student nor a person.
I stopped in front of the first door on the left and checked my phone one last time. Still no messages.
TOC!TOC!TOC!
Silence
Hérèse turned away from me. Her hand had remained in mine since we left the school. I glanced down briefly at our intertwined fingers, then looked up again.
He always had th
at strange smile.
- ha !
I release his hand
I hadn't forgotten his attitude in class.
I haven't decided whether to trust you yet.
CRIIIIII!!!!!
(door opening)