Even a Scream Has A Musical Scale - Chapter 12

When it was decided that Dani would move into Cassie’s room, her father had everything renovated. Workers had shown up without warning, catching even Cassie off guard.

“Your dad didn’t waste any time turning this place upside down,” Cassie said, laughing. “I was shocked when the crew barged in.”

“…Really?” Dani responded with an awkward smile. Just how much did her father know about her life at school?

“I’m so jealous, Dani! Living in a room this pretty? You’d have run away screaming if you saw what my old room looked like.” Cassie’s laughter was carefree and loud, filling the room with warmth.

Dani let out a small sigh as she toppled over her oversized suitcase, the loud thud echoing. But Cassie didn’t seem to notice, instead crouching beside her with interest.

“Need help unpacking? Mind if I touch your stuff?”

“It’s fine. I can handle it,” Dani replied, trying to sound casual.

“Got it. Noted. You’re not a fan of people messing with your belongings, huh?” Cassie’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she spoke as if she were storing away secrets in some mental diary.

“It’s not that. I just thought you’d be tired. Plus, this is my job, so I should do it.”

“Okay, got it. More data collected: prefers to do things alone.” Cassie grinned, raising her hands in playful surrender as she stood up, signaling that she’d back off. Dani couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“Cass, do you observe everyone like this?” Dani asked, amused.

“Only when their information might be valuable,” Cassie replied smoothly, now lying across the bed like a satisfied puppy, her gaze fixed on Dani. There was something undeniably intriguing about Cassie, something beyond just her knack for gathering gossip.

Dani finally turned away from her half-open suitcase and faced Cassie directly. “So, how does information turn into money, exactly?”

“Why else, Princess? Because people will pay for it,” Cassie said with a sly smile.

“I mean, who’s buying info about us? And why?”

“If you’re really that curious, it’ll cost you twenty dollars.”

Dani stared at her in disbelief, unsure if she was joking. But Cassie just extended her hand, waiting expectantly.

“Not curious, Dani?” she teased.

“Oh, um… hold on.” Flustered, Dani dug through her wallet and handed over two bills. Cassie’s hand snatched them up with the precision of a hawk.

Like a vending machine delivering a long-awaited snack, Cassie delivered her answer smoothly. “There are two types of people who come looking for info: those who are totally into someone and those who can’t stand them. The first type just wants to know everything they can, and the second type wants dirt to make trouble.”

“And what about the people who aren’t so direct? Do they buy info too?”

“Of course. Only about 10% of my clients come to me first. The rest? I approach them. I gather intel ahead of time, then find the people who’d be most interested. I throw out the bait, and they bite. It’s like fishing.”

Cassie’s eyes suddenly glinted with mischief. She kicked her feet playfully in the air as she lay on her stomach, then asked with a sly smile, “Dani, do you know why every girl refused to be your buddy?”

“I’m guessing it’s because I make them uncomfortable,” Dani replied, unsure of what else to say.

Cassie shook her head. “Nope. Who would pass up an opportunity to boost their student council record? Especially with Roderson involved? There’s a real reason, Dani.”

“…The real reason?” Dani repeated cautiously. That’s when Cassie smoothly extended her palm.

“This one will cost you a hundred dollars.”

Dani found herself handing over the money almost on instinct, her movements feeling almost automatic. Cassie’s fingers curled around the bills with satisfaction.

“It’s because of Eleanor,” she whispered with a conspiratorial air, leaning closer as if sharing a state secret. “She told all the girls to refuse. And I have a pretty good idea why. It’s got to do with something that happened in the Udolpho House boys’ lounge.”

“What happened there?”

“Sorry, this info’s a bit pricey. Gotta cover the commission for my source, you know.”

“Name your price,” Dani said, pulling out her wallet without hesitation. She shoved more bills into Cassie’s hand. Satisfied with the amount, Cassie straightened up, sitting neatly on the bed like she was about to deliver an important announcement.

“Dani, you’re a real spender! I’m starting to like you even more,” Cassie teased. “Oh, and FYI, Eleanor paid about the same amount for this info. Consider that little detail a freebie.” She flashed a cheeky grin, her eyebrows bouncing up playfully. Clearing her throat, she prepared to tell the story.

“Ahem. So, I got this from Joon, and he’s not one to exaggerate, so you can take this as pretty solid.”

“Alright, go on,” Dani urged, curiosity piqued.

“So, in the Udolpho House dorm, the guys have this regular vote where they discuss who they think is the most attractive girl. Yeah, it’s as childish as it sounds. But you know Remington, right? He’s not the type to get involved in something that dumb. I mean, it’s so immature. Anyway, while the other guys were goofing around and debating, Remington was doing his usual thing—reading a book. Why is he always reading, no matter where he is? It’s weird, right? So, while he was ignoring the conversation, your name came up. And that’s when Remington finally looked up and paid attention. Joon said it was the first time he showed any interest at all.”

Cassie leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. “‘So, Remington,’ Joon asked him, ‘are you into Dani too?’ And you know what he said? He said, ‘I guess you could say that.’”

Dani felt her heart skip a beat, unsure how to process what she was hearing.

“But that’s not even the best part,” Cassie continued, her excitement growing. “‘She’s pretty, even if she’s kind of annoying.’ And then, he voted for you! The guys in the lounge went nuts. Remington, who usually just wrote down Eleanor’s name out of obligation, voted for you instead! Can you imagine how furious Eleanor must’ve been?”

Cassie’s voice had grown more animated, her purple lips curling into a wide grin. She suddenly grabbed Dani’s hand and declared, “Remington’s totally into you, Dani!”

Dani could only manage an awkward laugh in response. If only she could tell Cassie about all the unpleasant encounters she’d had with Remington, but that was a secret she’d have to keep to herself.

The teenage years were a time when every emotion burned fiercely. It was easy to be captivated, just as easy to be shattered by what captivated you, a time to hunt others and feel safe only when drenched in your prey’s blood. Fascination, collapse, and hunting… Dani wanted none of it, but life rarely went according to plan.

Eleanor had started openly bullying her, sending underclassmen to do her dirty work. They stole Dani’s notes and tossed them in the trash, stuffed bizarre messages into her locker, and made sure no one wanted to partner with her during class. It was all so cliché, like something out of an old movie.

Did Eleanor think Dani would break down crying and beg her father to transfer her to another school? Compared to the fear Dani had of her father, Eleanor was just a wildcat, hardly worth running from.

She continued to have lunch with Remington as planned. Calling him a friend felt a bit off, but they maintained a comfortable closeness that was hard to define.

“Aren’t you going to ask me if I’m okay?”

“Should I?” Remington replied casually as he cut into his broccoli. He’d seen her torn-up bag and hadn’t said a word about it. Such an infuriating guy…

“You could at least pretend to care. It’s not like you’re completely uninvolved in this.”

“I’m not interested in getting caught up in some petty drama. I’ve got more important things to worry about.”

“Oh?” Dani muttered sarcastically. She wished Cassie could see Remington right now—how detached he looked, how little he seemed to care about what was going on. It was frustrating not being able to show Cassie just how cold he could be.

“You could always tell Eleanor to back off,” Dani suggested, trying to gauge his reaction.

Remington looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yeah, but she’s the type who won’t stop until she’s half-killed whatever’s bothering her.”

“So, what, I have to get half-killed for this to end?”

“Why do you assume you’ll be the one who gets killed?”

“Because it’d be faster than me taking her down first.”

“You don’t seem to get that you’re a Roderson,” Remington chuckled, his tone dismissive. He looked like he couldn’t care less whether Eleanor or Dani ended up hurt like he wouldn’t even bother showing up at the funeral. Dani shook her head.

“I’m not dragging my father into this. I want to handle it myself.”

“What, afraid Eleanor will end up like Terry Tyler? You know that won’t happen.”

“It’s not that,” Dani said quietly. “I just don’t want to come off like a problem child.”

To her father, Dani needed to be flawless. As Eleanor had said, she was a “cheap fake”—and to look real, she had to put in twice the effort.

“Eleanor’s going to graduate soon anyway. I’ll just hang on for a few more months.”

“Yeah. If you need help before then, just ask. Hang in there.” He offered the words half-heartedly, looking like he had no intention of actually stepping in.

“If I do ask, will you help me?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Right. By the time you’ve thought, I’ll probably be dead. Make sure you give me a decent funeral, at least.”

“Why are you upset? I’m not your dad. I can’t carry you around in my pocket and protect you all the time,” Remington replied curtly.

“Of course, if you begged, I’d try my best as your buddy,” he added, a teasing edge to his voice.

Dani narrowed her eyes, glaring at his smug face. How could someone be this infuriating? She had half a mind to knock his hand, just to spill the water he was casually sipping.

Remington was like his own uniform—stiff and perfectly in place. His jacket was crisp, every button on his shirt fastened up to the collar, and not a single wrinkle on his tie. He was a rule-follower to the point of obsession. There wasn’t a hint of flexibility or tolerance in him.

“Forget it. I’m not asking for your help anyway,” Dani shot back.

“Didn’t mean to piss you off,” Remington said nonchalantly.

“It’s fine. Eleanor’s your friend, after all. I wouldn’t want to mess up your social life because of me. And I sure don’t want to owe you anything,” Dani added with a hint of bitterness.

Remington, unfazed, answered just as sharply, “Don’t get it twisted. I wasn’t planning on ruining my relationships to help you either.” With a slight smirk, he stood up and grabbed his things. “Anyway, I have to go. I’ve got something this afternoon.”

Typical Remington Howard. Always so cold and efficient. Dani knew she was slow at most things—eating included. Eating alone had never bothered her before, but being left alone after having someone there made her feel strangely lonely. She stared down at her half-eaten steak, cutting into it with a quiet resolve.

Yeah, like I’d expect anything more from you.

She kept replaying his words in her head whenever she felt her guard slipping toward him.

“I just don’t care about you,” he’d said.

As if. I don’t care about you either.

Dani repeated those words to herself, not sure who she was trying to convince by doing so.

****

The bullying took a more blatant turn a few days later during swimming class. After class, when Dani returned to the locker room, her uniform was gone. All that was left in her locker were two empty hangers, swinging mockingly.

“…My phone’s gone too,” she muttered, feeling a pit open up in her stomach. Panic crept in as she looked around the empty locker room. Even Ryu, who usually took longer than Dani to change, was already gone.

Today had felt off from the start. Emma had randomly challenged Dani to a game of rock-paper-scissors right after class, then shoved her into the pool when she lost. In the shower, some girls Dani didn’t even know kept interrupting her with pointless chatter. It was clear now that they were just stalling her so someone could steal her clothes.

She knew exactly who was behind it, but knowing didn’t solve anything. She couldn’t exactly go chasing after Eleanor wrapped in nothing but a towel.

“Hey, Roderson! Hurry up and come out!”

The locker room door rattled as voices echoed from outside. It sounded like half the school had gathered in the hallway, waiting like rats for the show to start.

“Who wants to guess the color of Roderson’s nipples? I’m betting $20 on ‘small pink.’ I’d say her chest is probably about this size,” one of the guys said with a smirk.

“But since she’s Asian, wouldn’t the color be a bit darker?” another added.

“Oh, Duggie.She’s paler than you,” came the retort.

“Hold on! Anyone who’s seen her in the shower, you’re out! That’s cheating!”

Laughter and murmurs echoed from beyond the door. She needed a plan.

A. Wrap herself in a towel and sneak out. B. Put on a swimsuit and exit. C. Jump down.

None of these options seemed great, but jumping was probably the least awful. The dorm wasn’t far, and no one passed by the back of the gym very often.

Is it very high up? She wrapped her body in a towel and peeked out the window. A blond guy caught her eye.

With his light blond hair cut short like grass, he lay on a bench in his school uniform shirt, no tie, looking like he was taking a nap. The jacket of his uniform was rolled up as a pillow, and he resembled a tourist lounging in a sun-drenched resort. The sunlight seemed to beam directly onto him, adding to the effect.

She grabbed two hangers and hung them precariously from the window. The opportunity would only come twice. She aimed carefully and let one of the hangers drop right above his head.