Keeping pace with Melissa made me very late.
By the time I got back to the schoolhouse, afternoon class was just about to begin, so there was a little urgency in my step as I made way through the hall.
I was headed for the dressing room. I had to hurry—there would be no point in my going all the way back to my room to retrieve my uniform if I was late for class.
A startled Melissa quickened her pace, not wanting to lose sight of me. In what universe were there spies with loud footsteps?! I wondered, but she probably felt there was no point in her hiding anymore.
When I arrived at the dressing room, I found it empty, despite the fact that we were having our afternoon physical education classes. I would be in deep shit if I didn’t hurry.
I unbuttoned my uniform blouse. Whenever I was in a hurry, I couldn’t help but wish that girl clothing wasn’t so annoying compared to boy clothing. I liked to think I was used to it by now, but it was little moments like these that made me think maybe I wasn’t as adaptable as I took myself for.
Wait, screw that—I’ve got more important fish to fry.
I casually glanced at the door…and there were Melissa’s eyes, fixed on me. Even though we were the same sex, I still felt oddly embarrassed having her stare at me like that while I changed. I mean, Colette saw me undress every night before bed, but that was more…casual…? Or something.
“Shit…”
What the hell am I even thinking about…? I awkwardly and deliberately averted my eyes from Melissa. As I calmly and gracefully undid the buttons of my blouse, I cursed under my breath, willing myself to ignore Melissa’s staring.
Okay, maybe I was a little too self-conscious of my own body. But now that I was down to my underwear, I felt a strange sense of danger…and I wasn’t sure why.
Why do I feel so…? But it was then that I realized the source of my discomfort: Why hadn’t Melissa entered the dressing room?
Melissa was in my class. That was how she was able to keep constant watch over me, but it also meant we had the same curriculum. She had to change into her uniform now, or else she wouldn’t make it to our afternoon class.
No, wait…ditching just one class today wouldn’t be a big deal for her. Maybe that’s her intention.
As I stole a sideways glance at Melissa, I noticed she was still staring at me. Either she wasn’t going to class, she wasn’t aware of the time, or both.
But that wasn’t all.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Melissa shuddered at the sudden booming voice.
When the unwelcome (but inevitable) turn of events transpired, I clutched my head and sighed. Melissa wasn’t the only thing outside the dressing room door. Now there were also a silhouette darting left and right.
Well, no shit. She was staring into the dressing room for a good minute. Of course somebody was gonna yell at her.
“Come here.”
“Urg?!”
I grabbed the frantic Melissa’s arm and dragged her into the dressing room with me. Her eyes wide with shock, and I pushed her against the wall—
“Shh.” I pressed a finger to her tiny lips, willing her to shut up.
“Hey! Is somebody in there?!” Barely a moment later, a teacher’s voice boomed from the other side of the door.
“Mylene, first year of the Phoenix Class, sir.”
“O-oh, it’s you, Miss Mylene. I think a peeping tom just rushed into the dressing room—did you see anything?”
Luckily, it was a male teacher. Meaning, he wouldn’t barge in after us. Melissa squeezed her limpid eyes shut as I silenced her by placing my hand over her mouth.
“No, sir—I’m the only one here. I’m quite all right; you may leave.”
Melissa’s eyes shot open. She didn’t think I would cover for her. If I had malicious intent, I would have acted on it long ago, but that concept hadn’t made it into her brain.
“Er, hmm. Well, if you say so, miss…”
The teacher surely saw me draw somebody into the dressing room, but he couldn’t barge in with girls inside. I heard a note of dissatisfaction in his voice, but since he was a male teacher, there was a line that he just couldn’t cross with daughters of the nobility.
“Afternoon class will begin shortly. Try not to be late, miss.”
“Thank you, sir.”
And in the end, the man disappeared with the sound of footsteps.
I exhaled softly and pried my fingers off Melissa’s mouth. She was frozen stiff. But she soon thawed, her face turning red.
Her mouth opened and closed like an ocean wave, and her eyes swam to and fro as she stared at me. I had to laugh at how obviously sketchy she looked. No wonder the teacher had sounded so nervous.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I’m well aware that you’ve been surveilling me, but peeking in the dressing room is a bit uncouth.”
“Urk…”
Melissa finally realized the extent of what she had done. She seemed to regret it, but she couldn’t say anything to her archnemesis, lest I find out.
Silence fell in the dressing room, but Melissa didn’t run away. After a while, she slowly turned her gaze back to me.
“Wh-why did you save me?”
It didn’t matter that we were both girls—peeping at a prep school earned you a severe punishment. While she was still somewhat frightened, I sensed that a clear wave of relief had washed over Melissa. But the biggest emotion she was feeling then was confusion over my covering for her.
“Because I know you’ve been watching me. I don’t particularly mind being seen like this, and I trust you had no unrighteous intent just now? I felt your behavior didn’t warrant angering an instructor.”
I answered as logically as possible, making sure she knew there was nothing to feel guilty about. There was just one thing I wanted to keep to myself, however—
“Besides, a friend of mine is in your debt. So I simply couldn’t bring myself to hate you.”
The crude, wife-loving face of my friend from my mercenary days popped into my head as I said that. Melissa probably wondered what I was talking about. She didn’t remember helping anyone. But that poor friend of mine had worshipped her so much that he sacrificed his life to avenge her. I’d never met Melissa in my past life, but I somehow couldn’t hate the little shit now.
Melissa gave her head a curious tilt but narrowed her eyes slightly. She was glaring at me again, at a much closer distance than before, but I didn’t sense any of the harshness from our first meeting in her gaze.
“I was right…you’re different,” she murmured quietly. But in the quiet of dressing room, her voice echoed loudly enough to give me chills.
“Mylene Petule never…she never smiled like that.”
My heart felt like it was wrapped in ice. It was a piercing coldness, crushing my chest like a giant fist.
Her eyes drooped as she stared at me, but they were filled with the quiet tenseness of a frozen lake surface.
“Who are you…?”