Even a Scream Has A Musical Scale - Chapter 11

Dani clenched her teeth, fighting the urge to react as Eleanor yanked her head back by the hair. The pain shot through her scalp, but she repeated her father’s words in her mind: Never judge them yourself. I never gave you that authority.

She forced herself to stay calm. Eleanor’s father was the CEO of Fortinge. She wasn’t like Terri; this situation needed careful handling.

“Must’ve been slippery, huh?” Dani said with a smile as she wiped her cheek with the napkin, directing her words toward the anxious Janine. The smaller girl flinched, unsure whether to help or step back.

“I-I’m sorry…!”

“It’s fine. Can you grab me some wet wipes?”

“Right away!”

Grateful for an excuse to leave, Janine practically sprinted off, her face brightening as she escaped. At that moment, Eleanor’s expression soured. She roughly dragged out the chair beside Dani and sat down, her irritation visible. The screech of metal on the cafeteria floor drew everyone’s attention.

Remington, who had been silently watching the exchange with a blank expression, finally frowned. His voice was cold when he addressed Eleanor.

“What are you doing, El?”

“I feel bad, Rem. Her hair’s a mess because of me,” Eleanor said, her voice dripping with insincerity as she lifted a strand of Dani’s damp hair between her fingers, handling it like it was something foul. “You sure you’re okay? Your hair’s soaked.”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Dani replied as politely as possible, keeping her tone neutral. Eleanor’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

“What a saint you are, Roderson. Or are you just stuck in the habit of being a good little servant, always saying ‘yes’ and ‘no’ so nicely?”

She let Dani’s hair fall from her fingers, letting it drift back down like it was nothing. Across the table, Remington let out a low sigh, his gaze now focused on the window, clearly annoyed by the situation.

Eleanor ignored him and leaned in closer to Dani, studying her face with a calculating look. “You’re in Strawberry Hill, right?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re in a single room?”

“Is that a problem?”

“For everyone else, it is. Only seniors get singles. The minimum is a double. No one gets special treatment here, not even you. Don’t tell me you didn’t know.”

Dani shook her head. “I didn’t. Honestly.”

It was the truth. She made sure her voice was sincere, hoping to convey her innocence, but Eleanor’s sneer remained.

“Funny, considering how you’re so meticulous with rules like always wearing those spotless white socks, yet you conveniently ‘forgot’ the most basic dorm rule?”

Eleanor’s tone was laced with mockery as she leaned back, scanning Dani from head to toe. “Now that you know, make the change. Rules exist for a reason.”

“I didn’t ask for a single. The school probably made that arrangement to—”

Dani’s explanation was cut off by a sharp yank as Eleanor grabbed her hair again, this time with more force, pulling it so hard that Dani’s head snapped back. The searing pain radiated from the back of her skull.

“Enough with the excuses,” Eleanor hissed, eyes flashing with malicious glee as she tightened her grip.

Eleanor’s anger erupted, her voice sharp and accusing. Remington didn’t react immediately. His gaze remained steady, calculated, like someone who had already weighed all outcomes.

“Yeah, it’s annoying,” he finally admitted, rubbing his temple as if trying to ease a headache. “But being annoyed and turning a blind eye to what’s wrong are two different things.”

Eleanor’s eyes flashed with confusion and resentment. She wasn’t used to being contradicted, especially not by someone she considered an ally. The tension between them was palpable as her pride and fury collided.

“You said you don’t even like her!” Eleanor’s voice trembled with both frustration and disbelief. “You complained about how you got stuck dealing with this mess!”

Remington sighed deeply, clearly exhausted by the whole ordeal. “I did,” he said flatly. “But there’s a line, Eleanor. Just because something’s inconvenient doesn’t mean you get to cross it.”

Eleanor’s expression wavered, torn between holding onto her anger and processing Remington’s cold, matter-of-fact response. She glared at him as if searching for some sign of betrayal.

Meanwhile, Dana watched the exchange in silence. Her scalp still tingled where Eleanor had yanked her hair, but the pain was now overshadowed by a mix of shock and curiosity. She’d expected Remington to ignore the situation or, at best, issue a half-hearted remark. But here he was, defending her, even if in the most detached way possible.

“Let’s go.” Remington’s voice broke through her thoughts as he gestured toward the door. Dana hesitated before gathering her things. Eleanor’s attention was solely focused on Remington now, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.

“Why are you doing this?” Eleanor demanded, her voice low and dangerous. “You hate her just as much as I do! You said she’s nothing but trouble.”

Remington’s jaw tightened slightly, but he maintained his calm demeanor. “Hating someone doesn’t give you the right to treat them like garbage. You know that.”

Dana silently followed Remington, her mind spinning as they left the cafeteria. The whispers and stares from other students followed them out. She could still feel the sticky remnants of juice in her hair, but her heart was pounding more from what had just unfolded than from the mess.

As they walked down the hallway, Dana couldn’t help but glance at Remington out of the corner of her eye. He didn’t look back at her or say anything, but there was something about the way he walked—determined, but with a hint of reluctance—that made her wonder what was going on in his head.

Whatever it was, one thing was clear: their relationship, as confusing as it already was, had just gotten a lot more complicated.

“That’s a different issue.”

“If Roderson were ugly, would you still be this generous?”

“Yeah. I would. She’s my buddy, after all.”

Remington answered slowly as he gathered his things. Despite his indifferent tone, it was clear that his support leaned more toward Dana than Eleanor. As he stood up, he leaned in and whispered something into Eleanor’s ear. Whatever he said made her clench her jaw in frustration before storming out of the cafeteria. The other students, who had been quietly watching, began murmuring and resumed their meals.

Remington shook his head tiredly as he walked out, and Dana hurried to keep up with him.

“Thanks for helping me out.”

Instead of responding, he took her tray and handed her some tissues. “At least wipe your face with this for now.”

“Oh, thanks.” Dana wiped the remaining juice off her cheeks, walking beside him as he dumped the leftover food into the trash.

“Did I cause trouble between you and your girlfriend?”

“Who said she’s my girlfriend?”

“I thought you were dating Eleanor.”

“Eleanor’s the principal’s daughter.”

Remington emptied the tray, his voice edged with a coldness that made his statement feel more like a warning than a casual comment. Dana blinked, trying to grasp the context. Was he implying that she should be more cautious because of Eleanor’s status? But it wasn’t just the words that struck her—it was the brief flash of distaste in his expression.

A face full of confidence and life.

A face full of aloofness and boredom.

Which one was the real Remington? And how much longer would she need to observe him to uncover the truth? But the idea of getting to know him that deeply wasn’t something she was particularly eager about.

“I’ll head out first. I need to change into a new uniform.”

Just as she was about to turn away, Remington gave her a sidelong glance. His eyes narrowed, and before she could react, he grabbed her chin.

“What are you doing?”

“Hold still.”

He held her chin in place with one hand while pulling some tissues from the dispenser on the wall with the other. Leaning in slightly, he gently wiped the corner of her mouth.

“Wow, you must love meat pies.”

He teased, handing her the tissue now full of crumbs. Dana’s face flushed with embarrassment, while Remington smiled smugly before turning away.

She wanted to disappear right there.

****

Dana moved out of her single room. Now that she knew it was a special privilege just for her, she couldn’t pretend otherwise. The last thing she wanted was to give Eleanor more ammunition against her.

The housemother was concerned. She asked repeatedly if someone was bullying her, but Dana simply replied that she wanted to follow the same rules as everyone else. The room reassignment happened quickly. Luckily, there was a student who specifically requested to room with her.

But when Dana saw room number—710—she couldn’t help but sigh. She didn’t like high places, or more accurately, she disliked the elevators that took her there. Standing in front of the yawning elevator doors, she hesitated and finally decided to take the stairs instead. Lugging two large suitcases up seven flights, she was sweating by the time she reached her new floor.

“Hey, Dani! Did you walk all the way up?”

Cassie’s lips, painted a deep shade of violet, rounded in surprise. Relieved it wasn’t Eleanor, Dana smiled warmly at her.

“Hey, Cat. I just prefer stairs. Could you give me a hand with my luggage?”

“Of course!”

Cassie grabbed the suitcases in one swift motion and wheeled them inside. She was so quick and efficient that it almost felt like Dana should tip her.

“You have no idea how surprised—and thrilled—I was when I heard you were giving up your single room and looking for a roommate,” Cassie said, setting the luggage down in the center of the room.

“I hate being alone, but finding someone to share a room with has been impossible. And now I get to room with Roderson? I’ll remember this forever.”

“Thanks, I’m glad to be your roommate too. But… about the décor…”

Dana’s gaze wandered around the room, her expression a mix of confusion and awe.

The enormous window offered a stunning view of a sprawling artificial lake and a dark, dense forest. The walls were painted a deep indigo, with checkered flooring like a chessboard, white beds, and a wooden cross hanging horizontally from the ceiling directly above the pillows.

“Oh, it’s just like your old room, right?” Cassie beamed.