“Why do you know that?”
“Oh, nothing weird. I dated her roommate last semester for a little bit. She’s not as terrible as she seems in class, you know.”
Lexington frowns. “No one said she was.”
“I know,” Percy agrees, nodding. “But you all always get this weird look on your face when she’s around or when we mention her. Understandable, I guess, given how she’s been and the whole Apollodorus thing, but…”
“That would sour a person’s reputation a bit,” I mutter.
“I’m just saying,” Percy continues with a shrug. “I’ve known her since we were little. There’s usually a method to her madness.”
“You’re just saying that because you love her,” Lexington points out.
I get up from the table. “He has a point though. Plus, thenicething to do is check on your castmate when they’ve been injured. Percy, lead the way.”
He does, taking us from the refectory—only after stealing the rest of my grapes—and to Rad Hall. I can’t help the wave of surprise that overtakes me as he swipes a key card, allowing us entry.
“She’s in Rhadamanthus?” Lexington asks, whistling low as we’re directed toward the elevators. “Unfortunate.”
All the dorms are dark and dingy, but Rad Hall at least reflects its renovations a bit more, with sleeker hardwood floors and less of the overwhelming stench of fear, a combination of sweat and adrenaline.
Sabrina’s room is on the second level, so I’m not sure why we take the elevator, but I figure Percy also has a method to his madness. He has yet to reveal it to any of us so far, but I’m holding out hope.
He knocks twice, and the door swings open, revealing a tall, broad brunette with dark eyes and a septum piercing. She’s in plaid pajamas and glares down at Percy as she takes all of us in.
“Perciville,” she greets in a monotone voice.
“Kelsey,” he replies, nodding past her. “Sabrina has visitors.”
She glares at him. “I thought I said not to bring anyone by. She’s not?—”
“It’s fine, Kels, really,” Sabrina says. “If we don’t let them in now, Percy will just stick around until we do. The sooner you deal with him, the faster he leaves.”
Percy lifts a shoulder. “An excellent point.”
Sighing, Kelsey steps to the side, ushering the three of us in. Percy makes a beeline for Sabrina, shoving a chocolate chip cookie from the refectory into her hands.
She’s sitting up, propped against the headboard, with her laptop balanced on her knees and a dark brown throw across her legs. A grateful smile lights up her face, which is unscathed, save for a small scrape beneath her left eye from the fall itself. White bandages are wrapped around her forehead, and she gives us a little wave, sheepishly inviting us closer as she pushes her computer to the side.
“The only good campus food,” she announces, digging into the cookie.
Percy plops down on a wooden chair next to her bed, watching with soft eyes as she consumes the treat. “The lead in our class play should get only the finest Avernia cafeteria foods while she recovers from her injury.”
Sabrina snorts. Behind us, Kelsey excuses herself, and I wonder if it’s weird to watch her ex fawn over her roommate like this.
I imagine I’d have already thrown a chair through the window if I had to watch Sutton flirt so shamelessly with another.
“It’s just a concussion,” Sabrina says, licking chocolate off her thumb. “I’m supposed to be on total brain rest, but it’s so boring that I’ve just been watching Professor Dupont’s previous productions posted onThe Delphic Pagesall morning.”
“I can’t fathom how that wouldn’t be more boring,” Lexington jokes.
“Oh, no, our professor’s a prolific director. Last semester, he had a super untalented batch of students, plus the whole thing with—” She cuts herself off, stealing a glance at me from the corner of her eye, and wiggles her fingers. “Well, you know. But somehow through all that, he managed to pull off a fantastic show and raised a bunch of money for the theater department through the tickets. Half the people come just for him.”
My stomach churns, unsettled by the near-constant discussion of him. Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I’d be able to escape Sutton Dupont.
There’s still an ache between my legs from where he was last night; I wince against it as I sit on Sabrina’s bed, pointedly ignoring the laptop screen.
I feel Sabrina’s eyes on me and force a smile onto my face. “How long will you be out of commission?”
