Chapter 112 - The Devil Wears Cheap Perfume

  The next morning, as Sarrah made her rounds knocking on doors and announcing breakfast in an hour, Morrigan sat up immediately, rubbing her eyes and trying to shake off her grogginess. Across the room, Pepper was already beginning her routine, but paused and watched Morrigan curiously.

  “Mmmmm… what?” Morrigan asked, her voice heavy with sleep.

  “Did you sleep well?” Pepper asked, tilting her head slightly.

  “Normal.”

  “It’s just… you woke up much earlier this morning.”

  Morrigan smirked faintly, her eyes half-lidded as she glanced at Pepper. “I’ve just got something to do this morning. Actually, come over here for a sec—I need to talk to you about something.”

  Pepper hesitated, then slowly shuffled over to Morrigan’s bed, perching on the edge as Morrigan leaned closer to whisper. As Morrigan outlined the plan, Pepper’s eyes widened, her pale face growing even paler.

  “You want me to stand up to them?” Pepper’s voice trembled slightly. “I-I don’t know, Morrigan. What if it doesn’t work? What if they—”

  Morrigan cut her off gently. “Listen, I’ll be there the whole time. Once we have proof, we’ll be able to keep them under control, at least enough to make them think twice before messing with us again. Trust me, Pepper, we’ve got this.” She offered a reassuring smirk. “And maybe after this, someone else will finally get a turn picking the TV channel. I can’t stand another night of that reality show garbage they’re obsessed with.”

  Pepper frowned, wringing her hands nervously. “But why are you so sure they’re going to come after me?”

  “Well, I’m not,” Morrigan admitted. “But I think if we nudge them just enough, they’ll feel like they need to reestablish their dominance. Bullies can’t resist an opportunity to remind everyone who’s in charge,” she added, quoting the words of the famed Hilda the Witch.

  Pepper nodded reluctantly, though her wide eyes betrayed her lingering fear. “I guess… if you think it’ll work…”

  Morrigan placed a hand on her shoulder. “It will. Now stay here while I go to the bathroom. They’re expecting something from me that I can’t give them, so I need to buy us some time.”

  Pepper nodded again, though the worried expression didn’t leave her face.

  Morrigan stretched and slipped out of bed, listening carefully for the sound of Jenna’s group moving down the hall. Once she was certain they’d reached the bathroom, she followed, her footsteps light as she approached the door. She paused, drew in a steadying breath, then stepped inside.

  The air was thick with a cloying mix of cheap perfume and shampoo that made her want to gag, and all three sets of eyes immediately snapped toward her. Jenna stood at the mirror, fixing her hair, while Livy and Tyler hovered nearby. Morrigan shut the door behind herself and leaned against it, her expression calm and unreadable.

  Jenna turned first, a polished, practiced smile curling across her lips as she stepped forward, her gaze flicking briefly to Morrigan’s pockets.

  Probably wondering if my phone is on me, Morrigan thought. It is, but I’m not recording… yet.

  “Morrigan, you’re up bright and early this morning. That’s rather unlike you,” the tall girl said sweetly.

  Morrigan shrugged, forcing a casual tone as she responded, “Guess I’m feeling a little extra motivated.”

  Jenna smiled wider and held out her hand expectantly. “Well, that’s good to hear.”

  Morrigan sighed theatrically, crossing her arms. “I don’t have the cigarettes you wanted, okay?”

  Jenna’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, her eyes narrowing. “What? Morrigan, we’re all underage,” she said, her tone dripping with feigned innocence. She nodded toward Livy and Tyler, who immediately moved to flank Morrigan.

  Livy reached out to grab Morrigan’s shoulder, but Morrigan slapped her hand away with a sharp glare. “Paws off. Look.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and held it up. “This what you’re worried about?”

  Jenna let out a low, amused chuckle. “Alright, alright. Just checking.”

  Livy, however, didn’t back off, leaning in close enough that Morrigan could feel her breath. Morrigan raised an eyebrow. “Do me a favor and brush your teeth before you decide to stand that close. Alright?”

  Livy sneered. “You still haven't learned your lesson, huh?”

  Morrigan pushed past her, moving further into the bathroom. She noted how Tyler took her spot against the door, standing watch as usual.

  Livy’s the muscle, even though she’s not actually that strong; Tyler’s the lookout; and Jenna… well, Jenna thinks she’s some criminal mastermind.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “So,” Jenna said, turning back to the mirror as she resumed fixing her hair. “You didn’t do what we asked you to. Unfortunately, it seems we don’t understand each other as well as I’d hoped.”

  Morrigan resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “It just wasn’t possible, alright?”

  Jenna glanced at her reflection, arching an eyebrow. “Really? So you couldn’t get your boyfriend to help you out?”

  Morrigan was a bit annoyed by the assumption but kept her face neutral. They were right that she was visiting a significant other on her outings, but Emma wasn’t older and definitely not a guy. She felt no need to correct the detail on her gender, though. Chances are these bitches would use that as more ammo. It was hard enough to resist the urge to go scary-reaper-mode on them as it was, but if they added homophobic digs into their repertoire, Morrigan wasn’t sure she could continue holding back.

  “He’s under 18,” Morrigan said simply. “You’re the ones who assumed he could buy cigarettes. And besides, neither of us have any money… so…”

  Jenna clicked her teeth, her irritation barely masked. “Well then, what good are you? If there’s no point in keeping you around, then I’m afraid we’re going to have a problem.”

  Livy stepped closer with a sneer. “Maybe we ought to let the counselors know what you’ve been up to. I’m sure they’d love to hear all about your late-night adventures.”

  Morrigan didn’t flinch, her eyes narrowing. “Look, I told you—I’ll figure something out, okay? I just… need more time.” She let a hint of frustration seep into her voice, playing along just enough. “If I get kicked out, I definitely won’t be running errands for you, now will I?”

  Jenna’s lips curled into a slow, calculating smile. “Oh, you’re overestimating how much I care about what happens to you. But if you’re not useful, there’s simply no reason to keep you around, is there?”

  Morrigan tilted her head. “Well, since we’ve already established that I can’t conjure cigarettes out of thin air, what else is there?”

  “Don’t get cute,” Livy snarled, her tone venomous as she loomed closer.

  “Livy,” Jenna said smoothly, still focused on her reflection. “Back off for a second. Morrigan’s just a little… slow to understand how things work around here. She’ll catch up.”

  Morrigan bit back a sharp retort. She straightened slightly, her tone sharpening just enough to break through Jenna’s smug facade. “Look, the other reason I came here is to tell you to leave Pepper alone. She’s got nothing to do with this.”

  Jenna paused, finally turning her full attention to Morrigan. “Oh? But Pepper’s our friend. I have no idea why you would say such a thing.”

  “She’s not causing problems for you, so just back off. She’s tired of your bullying, and if you keep it up, she’s going to say something to the counselors.” Morrigan put up a hand in mock surrender. “I’m just saying you’re going to draw more attention to yourselves if you keep it up.”

  Livy scoffed. “Let us worry about Pepper. That little mouse has barely ever made a squeak before.”

  Morrigan’s expression hardened, and she met Livy’s sneer with an unwavering stare. “I’m not asking. I’m telling you, she’s been opening up to me, and she’s at her limit. She’s done with your shit.”

  Jenna’s smile tightened ever so slightly. As Hilda predicted, Jenna didn’t seem to like the idea of being challenged on her control. “Why don’t you let us worry about Pepper?”

  "Whatever. I’m just saying she’s tougher than you think she is.”

  Jenna narrowed her eyes as she seemed to be weighing Morrigan's words carefully. “You know, we’ve known Pepper much longer than you. She might need a reminder, but I don’t suspect she’s suddenly grown a backbone.”

  Morrigan tilted her head slightly. “Sometimes it only takes a little push for people to change and decide they’ve had enough.”

  Jenna’s brow twitched as she adjusted a strand of hair that didn’t seem to need fixing. “And you think you gave her that push?”

  “Na, like I said, you’re just underestimating her. She’s quiet, but she’s anything but weak.”

  Jenna continued to study Morrigan with a sharp, calculating gaze. “Well, we’ll just see about that. But you might want to focus on your own situation before you go worrying about someone else.” She then moved past Morrigan as if she were not worth another thought. “Come on, we’re done here.”

  Livy sneered at Morrigan as she passed, “You really don’t know when to shut your mouth, do you?”

  Morrigan didn’t bother responding as the three of them shuffled out of the bathroom, Tyler leaving last, sparing one more glance over her shoulder before the door clicked shut behind them.

  Well, that felt like it went better than expected.

  Morrigan straightened and returned to her room, where Pepper was pacing nervously by her bed. The smaller girl froze when Morrigan entered, her wide eyes searching her face for any sign of how things had gone.

  “Um… W-what happened?” she stammered nervously.

  Morrigan gave a faint smirk as she closed the door behind her. “Nothing too dramatic. Jenna and her crew are still as obnoxious as ever.”

  Pepper’s shoulders didn’t relax. She wrung her hands, her voice shaky. “They… they’re not going to just leave us alone, are they?”

  “Probably not,” Morrigan admitted, sitting on the edge of her bed. “But that’s the point of the plan, remember? We need to catch them red-handed when they come to mess with you again. But, you need to stand up for yourself when they do.”

  Pepper hesitated, biting her lip. “I-I don’t know, Morrigan. I’m not like you. I don’t think I can.”

  Morrigan leaned forward, her tone soft but firm. “Listen, you don’t have to win some epic showdown. All you need to do is show them that you’re not afraid; just tell them to leave you alone and don’t back down.”

  Pepper’s brow furrowed. “But…”

  Morrigan reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Pepper’s shoulder. “You faced down a hollow. I think three annoying bitches should be nothing.”

  “But that's different. That was my sister.”

  “And you were really brave.”

  “But-but that's not true! I was actually very scared.”

  “That's alright, you don't have to not be scared. You can be terrified but still be strong. In fact, that's what courage is all about, being strong even when you're scared. Just Look them in the eye and tell them to stop. They’re not as powerful as they act. And I’ll be there to back you up.”

  Pepper’s lip quivered, but she nodded, trying to absorb Morrigan’s confidence. “What if I mess it up? What if I make it worse?”

  “You won’t,” Morrigan said firmly. “Trust me, you're way stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

  Pepper tightened her fists at her sides, balling up the hem of her shirt. “O-okay… I’ll do my best.”

  Morrigan patted her shoulder. “Good. Now come on, let's go get breakfast.”

  ----

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