Chapter Six
Across the school, Devony knocked on the Headmaster’s office door. His secretary answered with a look of obvious distaste. “Good afternoon,” Devony said, trying to make her voice sound cheery. “Do you know if Micah Castile is in there?”
“In there?” the secretary asked, scrunching up her nose.
“In the headmaster’s office?”
“I doubt it. I haven’t seen him.”
“Is the headmaster around?”
“The headmaster is always around, young lady. He’s the headmaster.”
“I mean, is he in his office?”
“No. And that’s not what you asked. You asked if he was around and I told you.”
“So neither of them is around?”
“They’re always around.”
Devony rolled her eyes, trying to remain patient. “Do you have any idea where they are?”
“I would venture that they’re in the school, young lady.”
“Can you page Micah and tell him to come to the office?”
“Why would I do that? Your father’s the mayor, not you.”
“I have to find him.”
“So go looking for him.”
“Can’t you please just call?”
“I’m sure that the headmaster wouldn’t like it,” the secretary explained, tugging on her hard-working belt as it strained to control her midsection.
“I’m not asking much. Please, just page him that the school president needs to speak with him.”
“Does he?”
“Yes.”
“So why isn’t he making the request?”
“I…I don’t know,” Devony said, rubbing her hands together then suddenly starting to root through her purse. “My ring,” she whispered, digging at the bottom. “I can’t find my ring.”
“What ring?” the plump woman asked.
“My ring from Orion!”
“Who?”
“My boyf— Oh never mind! I had a ring in my purse and it’s not there.”
“Then I guess you have something else to look for,” the woman said and closed the door.
“W-wait!” Devony said, knocking on the door. She heard it lock. “You old hag,” she muttered, walking away. She had just leaned against a locker to think when she caught a familiar face coming towards her. “Oh, Ellie! Thank God!”
“What’s going on?”
“Have you seen my ring?”
“I haven’t,” Ellie said, pretending to look at her friend’s hand. “Isn’t it usually on your finger?”
“It is. I took it off for class and then I forgot to put it back on,” Devony went on, still digging around. “I can’t think of a worse time to misplace it.”
“You think he’ll be mad?”
“How could he not be?”
“Orion’s pretty reasonable,” Ellie said. “I’m sure he’ll forgive you…look, there he is! Just tell him now.”
“I…I can’t bring myself to do it,” Devony whispered as he approached. “Besides, I’m still trying to help Micah out.”
“Are you sure now’s a good time—” Ellie cut herself off, noticing how upset Orion looked.
“Orion. Hey,” Devony said, putting on her brightest smile. “How’s it going? Been busy?”
“It’s a nightmare,” he grumbled. “How are you?”
“Just…wishing this day was over,” she admitted.
“It could be worse…” he trailed off, reaching to touch her cheek with his thumb. “Why are your cheeks so red?”
“I guess it’s just hot.”
“In the beginning of December?” Orion asked. “Are you sure you’re not blushing?”
“I don’t have anything to blush about.”
“Huh,” Orion said, looking more closely. “You look embarrassed. You’re not keeping a secret, are you?”
“Of course not! I wouldn’t keep secrets.”
He took his hand away, frowning. “I hope not. What are you doing here anyway? Have you seen the headmaster?”
“I haven’t,” Devony said. “I was looking for you.”
“What for?”
“Don’t you remember what you promised me?”
“Promised?”
“You said that you would talk to Micah about helping out with the tournament again.”
“I don’t recall saying that.”
“You did! You promised me, Orion.”
“It’s not a good time, Dev,” he said, glancing at her hand. “Where’s the ring I gave you?”
“Ring?”
“Don’t act stupid. The ring. You know what ring. The ring I gave you at the end of the summer.”
“I took it off for a Bio lab this morning.”
“It’s after lunch. Put it back on.”
“I…I don’t have it.”
“So how did you take it off?”
“Maybe I didn’t…I can’t remember,” Devony said, her face growing pinker. “Maybe I forgot to put it on this morning.”
“Why wouldn’t you wear the ring? You don’t have a reason to hide it. Everyone in the school knows we’re together, even your father knows! Devony, that ring means a lot to me. If you’re embarrassed to wear it—”
“That’s not it!”
“I bet you’re embarrassed to be seen wearing it now. Are you ashamed of me?”
“You know I’m not!”
“I bought it for you because I was proud to be with you,” he went on. “I thought you were proud to be with me. Maybe I was wrong.”
“You’re not wrong! God! It’s just a little ring—”
“Just a little ring? Is that how you see it?”
“Of course not. That came out wrong. I’ll find it.”
“Does that ring mean anything to you?”
“How can you even ask me that?”
“Because you keep changing your answers,” Orion said. “Now, did you or did you not wear it to school this morning?”
“I swear I don’t remember!”
“Liar!” Orion said. “How can you look me in the eye and lie so openly?”
“Alright!” Devony screamed over him. “Alright, I wore it this morning.”
“So why aren’t you wearing it now?”
“I told you, I took it off for class.”
“Then you must have it,” Orion said, holding out his hand. “Put it on or give it to me.”
“Stop changing the subject,” Devony said. “Are you going to let Micah help out with the tournament or not?”
“Let me see my ring.”
“You know you need help, Orion. Look at you, you’re going crazy.”
“Give me the ring.”
“He’s always been there for you, for us—”
“Micah has nothing to do with us! Dammit, Dev! Let me see the damn ring!”
Devony winced at his words and backed away. “Don’t talk to me like that,” she said in a frightened voice. “You can talk to your friends like that, but you cannot talk to me like that!”
“Forget you, then,” Orion said, dropping his hand and walking away.
Devony leaned against the lockers again, straining to catch her breath as Ellie looked at her with pity in her eyes.
“He sounded like a crazy person just then,” she said softly. “You okay?”
“He…he’s really stressed about the tournament. I’ve never seen him act like that. That ring. God, Ellie, what if I can’t find it? What if I really did lose it?” She noticed Ellie look away for a moment, her eyes growing worried. “H-have…have you seen it?” she asked her friend.
“All men are crazy,” she grumbled. “I’m sure it’ll turn up.”
“What will turn up?” Micah asked, smiling as he and Archer appeared next to Ellie and Devony.
“It’s nothing,” Devony muttered, looking from Archer to Micah. “Did you see Orion on the way over here?”
“He wouldn’t even look at me,” he
said miserably, looking down at her. “Dev, I thought you said that you were going to talk to him! School’s almost over and he hasn’t said a word to me.”
“I’m trying—”
“You need to try harder,” Micah insisted. “He won’t listen to anyone else. If you can’t get through to him, then I might as well resign from student council myself before my dad finds out that I was drinking and fighting!”
“Can’t you just wait until after the tournament?” Devony asked wearily. “This whole thing has made such a mess of him and he’s acting kind of weird.”
“Fracking nuts, she means,” Ellie chimed in.
“Micah, I’ve done everything I can and he’s only getting more pissed off.”
“He’d never actually get mad at you,” Micah said. “You must not be trying hard enough.”
“She’s trying!” Ellie said, coming to her friend’s defense. “Don’t you dare say she hasn’t. If you saw what I just saw—”
“What happened?” Archer asked. “Don’t tell me he yelled at you? Was that what I heard on the way over here?”
“It…it was nothing,” Devony said. “Look, Micah. I’ve done all I can do. You’re just going to have to wait until after the tournament.”
“But this is a college level tournament! Do you have any idea how rare of an opportunity this is? My dad’s been talking about it nonstop and gushing over how valuable the experience will be for me. I need this, Dev. You have to try talking to him again.”
“Was he actually angry?” Archer asked.
“You said you heard him shouting,” Ellie said.
“And he was honestly shouting at Devony? I’ve never even seen him raise his voice before today and now he’s shouting at you?” he asked Devony. “Do you want me to try and talk to him?”
“Could you?” Micah asked.
“I don’t just mean for you,” Archer snapped. “I’ll see if something else is going on. It isn’t right for him to be shouting at you. It’s not like him.”
“No it’s not. This stupid tournament! Even I’m starting to get tired about the whole thing. I just want it to be over! The school has put entirely too much pressure on Orion. He may be the president but he’s still only one man.”
“Let’s just hope that it’s the tournament and not something else,” Ellie said.
“Like what?”
Ellie looked over at Micah. “Like him being jealous over something.”
“Orion has nothing to be jealous about.”
“Maybe not in your eyes, but maybe he sees something that you don’t. Men don’t need a reason to be jealous, they’re just jealous because it’s something to do. When a man gets bored, when he needs to take his mind off things, he gets jealous because it gives him something else to think about.”
“O…Orion isn’t like that. He knows I’d never cheat on him. I’m good to him.”
“I never said you weren’t. I’m just saying that’s how men think.”
“Some men,” Archer said. “I’d never be jealous about you.”
“Except you think I’m sleeping with the entire school behind your back,” Ellie said accusingly. “Don’t act like I don’t know what you say.”
“Shut up,” Archer grumbled.
“Don’t start fighting, you two,” Devony said, wiping her forehead. “If you two fight then I won’t be able to stand it.”
“We’re not fighting,” Ellie said. “Why don’t you go find Orion and make sure he’s okay?”
“I should,” Devony said, turning away. “Will you come with me?”
“Sure.”
“Should I come too?” Micah asked.
“No. You just stay here and far away from Orion. I’ll do what I can, Micah, but it doesn’t look good.”
“You have to try harder,” Micah called out, watching them go. “You’re the only one he’ll listen to.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”