Chapter 10: A Troubled Kid

    Electra''s Pov

    I sat on the rooftop of the school building, leaning back in my chair with a cigarette dangling between my fingers.

    I was supposed to be in class right now, but because I couldn''t focus, I ended up leaving while the teacher was yapping away.@@@@

    My mind was elsewhere, and to be precise, I was still focused on the strange girl who had run into me in the dining hall two days ago. I inhaled deeply, feeling the smoke curl down into my lungs before exhaling slowly.

    Still no word on her.

    With an impatient flick, I tapped the ash from my cigarette before throwing a glance toward Irina. She sat nearby, her long legs stretched out in front of her while the cigarette in her hand burned slowly.

    She looked calm, almost serene, but that only irritated me further. How could she be so relaxed when they still didn''t have the information I was waiting for?

    "Where the hell are they?" I asked, my voice laced with annoyance. "What''s taking them so long?"

    Irina glanced at me, raising an eyebrow as she tapped her cigarette into the ashtray beside her. "He patient, Electra," she said in her usual cool tone. "I''m sure Roxana and the others are on their way. Maybe they had to double check or something."

    I groaned, letting my head fall back against the chair. "Double check what exactly? She''s just some random girl who bumped into me, so how hard can it be to find out her name?"

    My fingers tightened around the cigarette, and I let out a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself. I hated waiting and hated the idea that I didn''t know something, especially something that had been occupying my thoughts like this.

    There was something about the way she looked at me that continued to bother me, and I still couldn''t get the image of her wide eyes and stuttering apology out of my head.

    It should have been insignificant since it was an accident, but something about her had stuck with me, and I hated that I didn''t know why.

    She and I had known each other longer than the rest of the girls, and she was the only one I could somewhat tolerate, but even she had limits when it came to questioning me.

    She remained quiet beside me, and I could feel her watching me with that same cautious gaze she always used when I was on edge. I ignored it, tapping the ash from my cigarette on the ground before taking another drag.

    Finally, the door to the rooftop opened, and Roxana, Penelope, and Deena stepped out. The moment I saw them, I shot them a dirty look, my eyes narrowing in annoyance.

    "Why the hell did it take you so long?" I snapped.

    Roxana raised her hands slightly in a gesture of peace. "We had some trouble finding her information since no one knew anything about her, Electra. I had to sneak into the principal''s office and go through the files for the new students. That''s how we finally found her."

    At that, I felt my irritation lessen, just a little, and the fact that they had to go digging to find anything about the girl only piqued my interest further.

    "So, you found her?" I asked as I flicked the last of my cigarettes away and leaned forward slightly. "What do you have for me?"

    Deena stepped forward. "Her name is Seraphina Hook, and just as you may have suspected, she''s a bit of a troubled kid."

    The smile on my face faltered slightly, replaced with a frown. Troubled? That was far too vague for my liking. I wanted specifics, not guesses. "Troubled how?" I asked.

    Roxana, sensing that I was impatient, stepped in, handing me her tablet. "Take a look for yourself. According to the reports I found, the girl has an anxiety disorder. Severe, from the looks of it. She doesn''t do well in public spaces, which would explain why she ran off like a mad woman the other day."

    I took the tablet from her, my fingers gliding across the screen as I skimmed through the information. There it was, all laid out in detail.

    Anxiety disorder, social anxiety, difficulty in public situations. The words practically jumped off the screen, and as I read them, I felt something stir inside me.

    I let out a dark and almost creepy chuckle. Roxana, Penelope, and Deena stood quietly, waiting for my reaction, while Irina remained still, her eyes focused on me but not saying a word.

    "Well, well," I said, setting the tablet down on the table beside me, a satisfied smile spreading across my lips. "Looks like this poor girl needs a friend."