Clementine:
"After a long vacation, Let’s all start our dinner," Mr. Rick announced as he stood up, and everyone began smiling at one another.
However, not everyone was smiling.
The White Squad and most of the Red Squad were, but Oriana was clapping loudly.
I had no idea what she was cheering for, maybe celebrating the fact that she’d found new puppets.
"Oh, and before that, I’d like to give my squadmate her new uniform," Ms. Lenora said, sounding unusually excited as she walked toward me with a folded uniform in her hands.
The White Squad members perked up, exchanging glances.
Joshua, however, was staring at me a little too intensely, his eyebrows pulled together.
"Ms. Lenora!" Mira called, quickly standing from her seat and rushing to grab the uniform for me.
I noticed my squadmates turning to look at me, all except Zian and Oriana, who both seemed tense, as if ready to get up at any moment.
"Oriana, this is your uniform," Miss Rue said flatly as she walked over, tossed the uniform onto the table, and returned to the ringleaders’ table.
"Now, happy feast," Mr. Rick said cheerfully, sounding as if he was enjoying the drama unfolding in front of him.
Suddenly, Troy got up from his seat, walked over, and placed a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder.
Sebastian looked at him for a moment, then awkwardly stood and gave up his seat. Troy sat down across from me.
It was the most awkward moment of the evening.
Everyone started watching us.
"Why did you leave the dorm room?" Troy demanded, one hand on his waist and the other resting on the table.
I pretended not to hear him and focused on my mac and cheese instead.
But he swiftly grabbed the bowl and pulled it away from me.
"I’m asking you something. Why did you leave the squad?" he pressed, his tone growing harsher.
I finally looked up at him, realizing that if he wanted to make a scene, I would give him one.
"As if you don’t know," I said, reaching for the bowl again.
He pushed it farther out of reach.
"No, I don’t know. And I don’t know what’s going on. All I know is that it’s not my fault. I don’t want chaos. I’m not going after Oriana!" he shouted, slamming his hand on the table.
Everyone who had been quietly eating and eavesdropping now turned their full attention to us.
He had managed to draw the entire hall’s focus.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, Troy? Behave yourself. You’ve made enough fun of me when you left me there to die in the North. Now I want you to fucking leave me the fuck alone. You got it?" I yelled, slamming my hand even harder this time.
"What is going on over there? You, Black Squad, get off my squadmate’s table!" Ms. Lenora was, as always, louder.
She got up from her seat, shouting at Troy.
Troy raised his hand, stretching it all the way toward her as if to tell her to step back.
"You’re coming back to our squad. I don’t care," Troy said, looking me in the eye.
I noticed his pupils dilating nonstop, expanding, then returning to normal.


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