Chapter Eighty-Three

Havermouth, Five Years Before

Aislen ignored the look that Cameron slid her way and gathered up her books and bag, crossing the classroom under the curious gazes of the other students, to where Ms. Grace waited.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your class,” Ms. Grace said, stepping out onto the footpath and heading towards her office. “I just saw that you were rostered in today and I wanted to talk to you about your discovery on the weekend. The police are quite concerned about your wellbeing, and you have missed a few days of school this week, so I think we’re overdue for a talk, don’t you?”

“I guess,” Aislen muttered.

“Aislen,” Ms. Grace sighed, “I am not your enemy. I am trying to help you. That’s my job – to help you.”

“Look,” Aislen stopped walking. “Cameron was giving me a driving lesson. We got into an argument. We pulled over on the side of the road to swap drivers. Cameron saw something, a body. We called the police. I actually spoke with them yesterday and they told me that they have identified who it was and told the family. That’s all that happened.”

“That’s a lot at your age,” Ms. Grace replied. “You found the body of a child on the side of a road, Aislen. That is not an experience that many people your age have to deal with. On top of the rather upsetting event involving Mr. Boyston, and what is happening with the Triquetra… There is a lot happening in your life right now, and you should talk to someone about that.”

Aislen swallowed hard. “Talking isn’t going to fix anything,” the words exploded from her in a wailing rush of pain. “Talking is half the problem, isn’t it? Everyone’s talking about me and the Triquetra. My parents are angry at me. The Triquetra are angry at me. And I just can’t do anything right.” She was ugly crying in great big chest-heaving sobs and pressed her hands to her mouth, trying to smother the sound that she was making.

“Okay,” Ms. Grace said gently. “Come on, Aislen. Let’s take this into my office.” She placed her hand on Aislen’s back and encouraged her forward. (The pack is right, it is unnatural for werewolves to bond to a human, just look at what it’s doing to this poor child…)

Aislen was too overcome to protest, letting Ms. Grace guide her to her office as the bell went, and the hallways filled with students. She saw Rhett through the crowd, his expression becoming alarmed as he stopped dead, the flow of students moving around him.

Ms. Grace closed the office door behind her. “Have a seat, Aislen,” she set a tissue box at Aislen’s side as she sat across from her. “Let’s have a talk about the Triquetra, shall we?”

“No,” Aislen shook her head as she wiped her face. “I can’t talk about them.”

“Let’s talk about the rumours, then… We touched on them the last time you were here,” Ms. Grace leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. “I have heard the rumours. They are very… harsh, and, as rumours often are, very one-sided. It always seems that rumours of this nature judge women by a different criteria than men, don’t you think?”

“Yes,” Aislen agreed, with vehemence. “Why am I the Triquetra’s whore? They’re the whores – everyone knows their reputation, but even though everyone knows about them, they’re treated like… superstars. Like well done for fucking anything that moves. Whereas I…”

“Whereas you are judged far more harshly,” Ms. Grace nodded.

“My father tells me that once you get that sort of reputation, it sticks,” Aislen crumpled the tissues in her hand. “That other men won’t want leftovers. That it’s a woman’s responsibility to keep her legs closed… Not a man’s job to keep his cock in his pants.”

“I’m sorry,” Ms. Grace said softly. “That must have been very hard to hear him say.”

Aislen felt a tear slip free and ignored it, trying to hold herself together. “It doesn’t matter,” she swallowed thickly and tossed the tissues into the wastepaper basket set near the chair. “There’s nothing that I can do about it.” She sighed heavily. “So, yeah, I’m sad about the body… It was just a kid and I think something terrible must have happened for it to be left on the side of the road like that. But to be honest, of all the things going on at the moment… It sounds horrible, but it’s the least upsetting thing.”

“I can understand that.” Ms. Grace nodded. “And it’s not horrible at all. We all have priorities, and it is entirely understandable that what is happening with the Triquetra would have your priority. Where do you see that relationship leading, Aislen?” She continued. “What do you think is happening within that dynamic?”

Aislen chewed on her bottom lip. “They’ll get bored of me eventually,” she admitted quietly. “And they will move on, and I will be alone again, with the reputation of having been their whore following me around, just like my parents say.”

“Relationships at eighteen and nineteen rarely continue forever,” Ms. Grace picked up a notepad and wrote something on it. “And, in this case, that might be a good thing, don’t you think? You are on the cusp of the beginning of your adult life, Aislen. Final exams are only a month away, and then your time in high school will be finished. Will you be applying for university?”

“I don’t think so,” Aislen shrugged with one shoulder. “Maybe.”

“One very good way to escape a reputation, is a fresh start, Aislen,” Ms. Grace said. “So do think about applying for universities. A new social group, a new environment, can open so many opportunities that might be currently closed to you due to this unfortunate association with the Triquetra.”

Aislen nodded.

“Returning to the subject of the body,” Ms. Grace continued. “I can tell you that it was a five-year-old girl from Havermouth who was, apparently, abducted from her front yard twelve months ago. You would, perhaps, have not heard of it, though it was a major upset to the town at the time, as you are a recent arrival to the area.”

“What happened to her?” Aislen wondered.

Ms. Grace shook her head slowly. “I’m afraid I do not know. The police are investigating. On Saturday night, the town will be holding a candlelit vigil in the main street, and her parent’s will be there. They have said that they would be grateful if you and Cameron Edison were to make an appearance, although they understand if you decline the invitation.”

“I… I don’t know,” Aislen hunched her shoulders, wrapping her arms around her, feeling chilled to the bone. “I will ask…” She wondered if Cameron was going. “What was… what was her name?” She asked quietly.

“Penelope. Penny James.”

Aislen nodded and then tensed when the bell for recess went. “I have to go,” she said, immediately rising to her feet. The Triquetra would not like it if she was late, and she didn’t doubt that Rhett had wasted no time telling Heath that she had been seen crying as Ms. Grace led her into her office.

“Alright,” Ms. Grace rose too. “But Aislen, come back and see me,” she said. “Sometimes, talking to someone can help.”

“Thank you,” Aislen said, out of politeness, and stepped out of the office into the flow of students making their way out to recess.