Chapter 38 - Crushing Can

When Julie returned to her dorm, a relieved sigh escaped her lips, and her forehead touched the surface of the door. She was away from prying eyes that had tried to ridicule her. 

"What have I done!" Julie banged her head against the door. "Kill me! Kill me!"

On impulse, she had told Ms. Piper that she would play one of the main leads in the play, but now that she was alone and back to her usual cocoon, she realized what she had done. 

When a sudden knock came from the other side of the door, out of shock, Julie slipped backwards and fell to the ground. 

"Julie?! Are you alright??" It was Melanie.

"Yes, give me a second," replied Julie, gathering her thoughts, and she stood up. She opened the door and received a strange and confused look from her friend. 

"I heard some strange banging. Are you sure you are alright?" Melanie asked, and Julie nodded. "Did you find out who you are going to be in the play?  " She asked enthusiastically. 

"I will tell you in detail on our way to the lunchroom," said Julie.

Turning behind, she looked at her room, her eyes falling on the space next to the window. The letter thief had not written back to her. Pulling her door and locking it, both the girls walked from there and stepped out of the Dormitorium.

Once Melanie heard the entire thing without uttering a word, with her hands covering her mouth, she finally said, "Wow! You got to play the lead!"

"One of the leads. But did you not hear the rest of it, Mel?" asked Julie with a frown. 

"I did, but look at the best part," Melanie had a wide smile. She then patted Julie's back out of nowhere, "You were born to play the lead role."

"By getting detention?" Because that is exactly how she had ended up in Ms. Piper's play. 

"Whoever mocked you are just a bunch of losers," said Melanie, hooking her hand around Julie's arm. "You are beautiful!"

"I am not upset by their words," said Julie. It was someone else's words that had bothered her. "I know they are a bunch of jerks. Though I am slightly worried about this Caleb guy."

"Don't bother about it, he's probably a small fry and a freshman," Melanie seemed more excited than her. She had already read the entire manuscript, and knowing the story, she supported Julie.

"I wish you could get detention too, Mel," Julie laughed on seeing Melanie's eyes go wide. "I will need your help while rehearing."

"You can count me and Conner on it," came Melanie's solemn words. "You make sure to bring out the best actress from inside you and show everyone that you were made for the role. By the way, are you planning to invite your uncle and his family? To watch you."

The smile that was on Julie's lips faltered, "I don't know. I didn't think about it."

She realized the month would soon come to an end, and during the weekend, the students' progress reports would be sent to their families. 

Julie knew that her uncle and her aunt would find out the truth of the number of times she had visited the detention room one or the other day. Considering how it appeared to be a difficult task, she wondered if there was a point in hiding it. She decided not to visit them until this year was over or unless it was necessary. 

"That's alright, there's still time for it," said Melanie, and they stepped inside the lunchroom. "Oh…" 

Julie, looking for their friend like Melanie, noticed him sitting with Dennis at the table. When did they become friends?

They made their way there, and Conner looked up from the book that Dennis was showing him. "I didn't know you both knew each other," said Julie, offering a polite smile to Dennis and Conner. 

"Dennis had come by our art class to drop something and I ended up chatting with him. He was showing me some of the stuff to inspire my current art form which looks cool," said Conner, and he pulled the chairs next to him so that they could sit, and Dennis stood up. "I didn't know he knew you too."

"The world is small ha ha," Melanie laughed. 

"Good evening, Julie and Melanie," Dennis greeted them, and his eyes shifted back to look at Julie. "I heard from Conner that you are taking part in the theatre play for the annual day's celebration. I never thought you were interested in acting." 

She didn't know about it either, Julie thought dully. She then nodded her head, a polite smile on her lips, "I am. I am playing one of the lead roles."

"Good job, Julie," Conner turned his hand into a fist. 

"That must be exciting. I am not much into theatre play, but I will surely come to cheer you on by sitting in the front row," looking through his glasses, Dennis smiled at her.

Both Conner and Melanie shared a look, and Julie said, "Ah, thank you."

"If you haven't had your dinner, you can sit with us," offered Conner, "Unless you have your friends waiting for you."

"That's fine, I shouldn't impose myself," Dennis said politely, adjusting the glasses of his frame. 

Until now, Julie had never seen Dennis in the lunchroom, and she wondered if he had his meals alone. Somewhere feeling bad about it, out of pure kindness, she said, "You can join us if you want."

Dennis looked at Julie. A second later, he nodded his head, "I guess I will join for this one time."

After a few minutes passed, where Julie and her friends had bought their dinner from the counter, Roman and his gang walked into the lunchroom. Roman was the first to enter the room, and he made his way to the counter, ordering the two blood cans for himself. 

"When and how did you even end up in detention, Liv?" asked Simon while walking next to her. 

"It was just by chance," Olivia sighed with a grim expression on her face, "I should have known better that trying to stop them from fighting would end up me being dragged into trouble."

Simon chuckled at her words, "You should have known. I am sad now that I didn't get into the same play. I am glad at least I have Victoria with me."

At the counter, Maximus and Victoria were ordering their meals. When Roman turned around, his eyes fell on Julie, who was sitting with her friends and next to the boy with glasses. Pulling out the ring on top of the can, he raised his hand to take a sip while his eyes were fixed on her. 

Once he finished drinking the blood in the can, he crushed the can in his hand, and his eyes subtly darkened.