Chapter 115: Welcome Back, Now Get Out
By the time Merlina crossed the courtyard, five people had already said hi to her. Two had smiled like they meant it. One guy actually ran back to open the door for her.
Another girl with a nose ring whispered something to her friend as Merlina passed, then waved awkwardly and said, "Love your pants!"
And someone she definitely didn’t know, called her ’Queen’ under their breath.
It was... weird.
After the storm of headlines, the Twitter hashtags, the stares, the brutal comments online, this wasn’t the reception she’d expected.
Not even close.
She half-expected rotten fruit. Or a strongly worded protest sign. At the very least, a pointed cough or a muttered "Whore of Belford"
Instead, she got smiles. Nods. One girl even held out her hand and said, "You’re so brave."
Merlina blinked. "Uh...thanks."
As she climbed the staircase toward her first class, she felt like she was moving through a parallel universe. The same Belford hallways. The same posters peeling from the corkboard. But somehow, everything was different.
Even a girl at the vending machine smiled like they’d shared a sleepover once.