Fake heiress Real heroine

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

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With that, Harriet stomped off, her ponytail beaming behind her. A few boys tried to drag Quindyn away, waving their superhero toys in her face. But she just stored her ground.

“Wait,” she said, her mind racing. “Where’s the teacher’s office

Launch had emptied the halls, leaving only a few stragglers shuffling toward the stairs

The teacher’s other was halfway down the hallway Quinlyn saw the nameplate and noticed the eene silence

seemed like no one was there,

The closed curtains only added to her confusion, but she was sure Mandy had come this way.

She didn’t want to knock, so she quietly dragged a chair from the next classroom, stood on it, and squinted through a crack in the curtain

The room was dim, but she could just make out shapes shifting in the shadows. Eugene was the first to catch her eye–tall and already stripped of his suit jacket. His white shirt was dusted with chalk, and he was working on unbuttoning it

She figured he was just changing out of his dirty clothes, but then she noticed Mandy standing by the desk, and something

felt off.

It reminded her of back home, where the old bachelors would sometimes strip down in front of girls without thinking twice. The older women would catch them and call them “creeps”

And it wasn’t just Mandy in the room. There were a few other girls with ponytails, all standing there quietly with their heads down.

and jogged over to the door. She gave it a quick double–knock, and

swung open, revealing Eugene. He looked a little caught off guard, but he quickly grinned. “Hey, Quinlyn. What’s up?” he asked,

only one side was tucked in. She looked past him

Eugene’s eyes widened, and he shifted to the side, blocking her

he explained, his voice softening. “So she can’t leave with you today. If you’re hungry, you should go grab something to

out to pat her head, but Quinlyn took a step back, wrinkling her nose. “Mr.

bit. He looked down at her, one

said, scrunching her nose again. She was always extra sensitive to smells,

want to make a fuss. He waved dismissively. “Alright, I’ll wash my hands. You go get something to eat,” he said, walking past her toward the restroom without even thinking to

her age would never step into a teacher’s office, and anyone inside would definitely wait for his permission to leave. But he had no idea that Quinlyn

into the restroom, then she slipped into the office and hurried over to Mandy. “Are you getting extra help, or

Chapter 23

shook her head, her eyes wide

could see her hands shaking and pressed on. “Are you scared: Is

silence from Mandy and the other girls was eerie, as if they’d all agreed to stay quiet, no matter what

energy in the air. She didn’t want Mandy to be here when Eugene returned, so she took Mandy’s hand and began

surprised by how strong Quinlyn was. In just

one was following her. “If

a tattletale,” she said, her

At their age, fitting in was everything, and the thought of being called out

Eugene returned from the restroom, he found the office empty. “They’re getting bold,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair in

gaze falling on the ruler and marbles

came back for some medicine. Spotting Eugene, he smiled

the stuff on the table to a lower shelf and walked over, smiling These kids are the future,”

you are rare,” he said, impressed “I’m having lunch with the principal. You should join us–it could be a great chance

he nodded eagerly. But before he could grab his things, the teacher was already