Chapter 55: An Unexpected Vacation
**Thelma Zane’s POV**
“Chloe has decided to take a long break from school,” Dorothy informed me over breakfas Her tone was casual, but the story she relayed was anything but. “Last night, some of my classmates saw reporters camped outside Chloe’s house. They waited from evening until dawn, finally dispersing only after Chloe’s parents called the police.”
She paused to take another bite of her dry whole grain bread before continuing. “This morning, on her way to school, a crowd of reporters ambushed her. Cameras flashing, microphones shoved into her face—they kept badgering her with questions until she brok down completely. Poor Chloe.”
I gasped in shock. “That’s awful! That poor girl must be terrified.”
Before I could process Dorothy’s words, Mara and Avril joined us, bringing more troubling news. Mara, her expression grim, said, “My cousin works at *New Moon Evening News*. She told me that their paper is working overtime to connect yesterday’s drama club fight with the incident from two weeks They’re trying to spin it into some sensational story.”
ago
“This is outrageous!” I exclaimed. “Those two incidents are entirely unrelated. These reporters are just spreading baseless rumors.”
Avril shrugged. “That’s what newspapers do. Peaceful times don’t sell papers, so they conjure up speculative nonsense to boost circulation.”
The impact of the media frenzy was evident during lunchtime. More than half the tables in the spacious cafeteria were empty. Concerned parents, hearing about the reporters‘ harassment, had come to collect their children, leaving the school quieter than usual.
The administration convened a meeting to discuss whether it would be prudent to give students a short break until the chaos subsided. Coincidentally, the upcoming Moonlight Festival seemed like the perfect distraction to lift everyone’s spirits and help them forget about recent troubles.
That evening. I sought my father’s opinion on the matter. As someone who valued order and justice, he had been following the drama club in dent closely:
nits involved in the fight word Ulee
The injured
ફિલ્મ લેખનમા
Adam. Ryan, and the others should be
expelled. Expulsion was the harshest penalty a student could face, and the mere thought of it cast a shadow over the academy. Students whispered anxiously about the potential consequences while others mourned the possibility of losing their peers.
One person, however, seemed entirely unfazed: Carolyn.
Seated at a table, Carolyn ate her luxurious lunch with quiet elegance, completely detached from the swirling rumors and speculations around her. Her indifference unsettled me. Despite my efforts to suppress my doubts, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something about Carolyn
was off.
My unease didn’t stem from anything concrete, but it lingered, gnawing at the edges of my thoughts. Was I overthinking, or was there truly something sinister beneath her composed demeanor?
Dorothy seemed to share my concerns. Her gaze followed mine, settling on Carolyn, and after a moment, she muttered, “She gives me an uneasy feeling.
Her quiet statement immediately drew our attention.
“What do you mean?” Avril asked, frowning.
Dorothy hesitated, struggling to articulate her thoughts. “It’s hard to explain. Every time I look at Carolyn, it feels like I’m staring at a mist–cold, shapeless, and impenetrable. It’s as if her appearance is just a façade, hiding something deeper.
Mara raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “That’s… dramatic. Are you saying there’s something wrong with her?”
“I’m not sure,” Dorothy admitted. “Maybe it’s just my imagination. It’s not like I have proof or anything.”
But her words carried weight. Dorothy was a witch, and witches had an uncanny ability to sense things others couldn’t. While I didn’t fully understand her observation, I couldn’t dismiss it either.
Still, there was nothing we could do with our suspicions. Without evidence, coníronting Carolyn would be both unfair and unwise.
Later that afternoon, the academy announced its decision: students would be given a short vacation until the end of the Moonlight Festival.
Avril, always the lively one, practically jumped with excitement. “The Moonlight Festival! Have you decided who you’re dressing as? The null’s having its usual pre–festival sale on gowns, and accessories. Let’s go shopping!”
Mara, however, was unimpressed, “Sale or not, those discounted items are just old stock from years ago. They’re either ugly or worse”
Dorothy, true to form, remained indifferent. She had never been one for large events or
An Unexpected Vacation
Chapje slo An Immo
extravagant celebrations,
Since she was still waiting to come of age as a witch.
An idea struck me. “How about this?” I suggested. “Why don’t we all stay at the palace for a few days? There’s no one my age there, so I’d love the company. Think of it as a chance to hang out and unwind. We could even have gowns and jewelry custom–made by palace tailors and craftsmen. I promise you’ll all look stunning!”
My friends stared at me, dumbfounded.
Avril was the first to speak, tugging nervously at her hair. “Are you serious? Wouldn’t that be… intrusive? I mean, it’s the palace! Won’t the King and Queen mind?”
Mara looked equally uncertain. “Don’t we need to submit some sort of formal application? And isn’t there an interrogation process? Can we even make it in time? What about etiquette training? Do we have to bow or kiss the King and Queen’s hands or something?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “What are you two going on about? You’d be guests, not prisoners!
Relax.”
11
But neither Mara nor Avril seemed capable of relaxing. “Guests at the palace!” Avril exclaimed. “Do you even realize how monumental that is? My family hasn’t set foot in the palace for three generations, let alone been invited to stay there!”
Mara nodded fervently. “Exactly. This isn’t a small matter, Thelma. This is the *palace*! It’s a once–in–a–lifetime opportunity if it even happens!”
Their reactions amused me, but I could also sense their genuine excitement. Despite their nervousness, the idea of visiting the palace had clearly captured their imaginations.
Deep down, I hoped this brief vacation would bring some much–needed relief to everyone. The Moonlight Festival was a time of joy and renewal, and after the recent turmoil, we all needed something to look forward to.
