53 Impudence - Part 2 (2/2)
We eventually arrive at her usual seat, but it doesn't look like Jennifer has made it yet.
It's just Scarlet's seat, and…
”Good morning, chicken.”
Momoka.
Like always, she's looking down at another one of her novels.
No, it's not a novel. This time she seems to be reading a play by Shakespeare.
”Uh, I don't think you're allowed to call me a chicken now that I'm this far in.”
”Really? What makes you say that?”
”Well, I don't think a chicken would go this far knowing things could end up blowing up in its face.”
”Hmmm, maybe not but… Have you ever heard of the chicken game?”
”Uh, I don't think I have.”
She tucks her hair behind one of her ears.
”Two drivers are set on a straight path towards a cliff. The first person to hit the brake or swerve is the loser, or the ”chicken”. He goes home having to acknowledge that he's a coward, but he gets to keep his life. However, continuing forward without braking means that you'll be driving straight to your demise. In this scenario it's true that you aren't a chicken. Yes. Because at that point, you aren't anything. You aren't even alive. After all, you decided to drive yourself off a cliff just to prove a point.”
She sighs.
”Chase, I won't tell you to hit the brake. But…”
”But?”
”You have one last chance to abandon this before it's too late. If you throw the election then she probably won't go as hard on you after she wins.”
”…”
I wanted to respond, but…
Jennifer's actions from last week are still on my mind.
Momo's warning had suddenly made sense after that confrontation.
This is the kind of woman who could destroy me if I gave her even a hint of an opening.
”Hey Momo, I get where you're coming from, but Chase doesn't need this right now.”
Scarlet cuts in.
”You're the one who's most at fault for this, Scarlet. I don't think you get a say here.”
”Seriously? Why are you being so petty about this?”
”There's nothing petty about this. It's a real problem and you're enabling it because you're holding on to some fantasy that there's going to be a happily ever after.”
”Uh, no? This is the right way to go about this. Stop pretending that you're his friend doing him a favor. You're so fake it hurts to even look at you.”
”Wow, nice comeback. Did you get it from a Drake song?”
”What the hell is wrong with you?!”
Not again…
”Umm, you two, listen…”
”I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm disappointed in how you've been writing off my warnings as something I'm doing for Jennifer's campaign. You're delusional if you think she needs that kind of help to win today.”
”You… you're awful, Momo.”
Scarlet looked as if she wanted to retort with something harsh, but she ends up lowering her head.
”Oh don't play the victim card here.”
”What do you even want from me? What should I do then? Just give up? Just watch the bullying get out of hand? This is the only way for Chase to get his life in this stupid school back! This is the only way…”
Scarlet…
”It's the only way I can pay Chase back for everything he's done for me.”
She's clenching her fist and looking down at her feet.
Ah dammit.
All she's doing is trying her best to help me.
You should have noticed it too, Momo.
So why are you pushing this so far…?
”Haaa… I guess that's how love works.”
Momo sighs.
It doesn't look like she's too pleased, but at the very least she's given up on drilling Scarlet.
”So then, Lysander.”
She looks up at me.
”You heard her. She says that this is her way of paying you back. That being publicly humiliated by Jen is your reward for being so kind to her.”
”…”
”How does it feel?”
Yeah, I'll admit it's kind of scary.
That woman is on another level from me. There's no way I can beat her.
Not a chance in hell.
Chase Masters is inferior to Jennifer Swift.
That is a fact no one in this school can refute.
But, that isn't relevant to this election.
”Hey Momo.”
”Hmm? What is it?”
”I have a warning of my own for you.”
”A warning…?”
If Momo thinks that Jennifer's the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve, then she's got another thing coming.
A playful grin stretches across my face.
”Tell Jennifer… The 'Fated Ones' doesn't play fair either.”
”Chase…”
Scarlet's voice barely escapes her lips.
Hearing her mutter my name like that makes me feel like somebody she can depend on.
I might be a little late though, apparently she's always seen me that way.
It's just that I refused to see it.
With a smile still plastered across my face, I place my palm gently on her head.
”You'll be smiling when everything's done, I promise. Just sit back and enjoy the show.”
I leave her with those words and head back over to meet the other two goons.
”…”
Yeah.
That should be fine.
Making Scarlet feel guilty about all of this is the last thing I want.
So at the very least, I need to act confident.
Except.
Now that I've left, it's hard not to notice that my classmates have only now started to speak among themselves.
Were they…
All listening to us the entire time?
….
… (゜д゜)
That's embarrassing!
Ah dammit! Why did I do that?!
Now I really do sound like an edgy teen who thinks he's a super hero!
Haa, kill me now…
…
Oh whatever.
I've been embarrassing myself for the past week. This shouldn't make much of a difference.
”Yo, Romeo!”
Nick sure likes rubbing things in, doesn't he?
”No, I think the name's Lysander now.”
I accept the donut that he was holding out for me.
”Momo-chan and Scar-chan are still at odds, huh…?”
Yeah, there's a lot going on over there.
At this point I'm wondering if it's even possible for them to ever make up.
”Man, quit fawning over that waifu-bait book nerd and let's talk about how Chase put her in her place.”
”Waifu-b…?! Momo is more than just waifu-bait you uncultured plebeian!”
”Yeah sure, keep orbiting dude. I'm sure you'll know the real her from there.”
”Ugh…”
He scratches his head.
”Still though… Chase-dono was so cool back there. I'm really glad he's one of us.”
”Yeah, no kidding. Seeing him stand up to Thotifer two weeks ago sold me on him immediately. To think he'd actually be trying to take her down after…”
”Guys, I'm really not all that. I'd never do anything like this if I didn't have any help. You know that, right?”
”…”
”…”
”Chase…”
”Chase-dono…”
As I was about to take a bite from my donut, I feel my body being forcefully pulled into my two friends.
”Woah!”
I'm being hugged?
”You've changed so much man. We're real glad for you. Honest.”
”Yeah. This situation might be bad, but at least Chase-dono became a better man from it.”
”Yeah, and a better girl too.”
”Seriously. I miss Beatrice-chan already…”
”You guys…”
Before the conversation could continue, the sound of the school bell goes off.
It's the signal of the war's start.
Aside from the sound of the bell, there's a chilling silence in the classroom.
No one is speaking.
They're all eagerly anticipating the end.
The end of the bell's screeching.
”…”
”…”
The piercing rattle eventually ceases.
And once it does, the door to the classroom swings open.
In comes our homeroom teacher, who seems perked up and ready to oversee this whole thing…
Alongside the antagonist of this story;
Jennifer Swift.