Chapter 638

"Oh, hey Jess!"

Jesse spins towards that voice he'd recognize in his sleep, his jaw dropping. "Wha-" he sputters, looking between the redhead before him with two bookbags slung over her shoulders and then back out the window at her double - even wearing her clothes - disappearing now into the darkness. "How what -"

"What's wrong?" Daphne asks, frowning at him, peering closer, her eyes going wide when she sees his extended teeth.

Jesse just huffs in confusion, stepping back from the window and taking a second to cover his mouth with his hand, forcing his canines back, before gesturing vehemently towards the window. "Would you please like to explain your doppelganger!?"noveldrama

Daphne laughs, her face brightening with mischief as she hurries to the window, looking out of it. "Oh, can you see them from here? That's not very sneaky -"

"Daphne!" Jesse barks out, needing answers.

“Jess,” she says, turning to grin at him and tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "It's Ari! She's on like...a homework mission from Faiza. That's my handiwork, by the way," she says, gesturing out at his cousin as Jesse again peers from the window in shock. "I'll take your utter befuddlement as compliment that I've done my job well."

Jesse just stares as Luca and Ariel disappear from sight behind a hill. Then he turns to slump against the wall of the stairwell, staring at Daphne and shaking his head. "Luca is very lucky that you found me here, Daph," he says, staring at her and watching her grin deepen. "I was seriously about to tear him to pieces."

"So loyal to your cousin," Daphne says, hoisting one of the bookbags higher. "Though you know Luca would never cheat on her, and I'd never do that to her. You should have known something was up."

Jesse just stares at Daphne for a second too long before he pushes himself up off the wall. "Yeah," he says, working hard against his smile. "Angry for Ari's sake. I.....should have known Luca wouldn't do that." He clears his throat and looks down at the bags. "Where are you going with those?"

"Luca's room first, actually," she says, nodding to the bag on the left. "And then yours. Ariel sent a note." She fishes the little piece of paper out of her pocket and hands it off to Jesse, who quickly reads through it, a smirk taking his lips.

“Let me help you, then," Jesse says, smiling as he tucks the note away and holds out a hand. "Give me Ari's - I know it's heavier than Luca's.” "Damn right it is," Daphen groans, slipping it from her shoulder and handing it over. "For such a tiny person, Clark sure does heft around some big books."

Jesse nods in agreement, smiling at Daphne as he turns and the two head back up the stairs towards Luca's floor, side-by-side.

"So, what's this assignment she's on?" Jesse asks, still completely confused. Ariel's note didn't explain much - just that she was safe, and doing homework, and with Luca. "What's the rationale behind stealing your identity?"

"Learning how to become someone else,' apparently," Daphne says, shrugging and giving Jesse a happy grin. "Though I think she's looking forward to the chance to stretch her legs a bit get away from the stresses of war coming down the line."

Jesse nods, his face becoming more serious as they walk down the hall towards Luca's door. Daphne fishes a set of keys out of her pocket and uses one to pop Luca's door open, where they slip his bookbag inside. Daphne locks the door behind her before they start again down the hall, towards the staircases that will lead them up two flights to the level of the Sinclair suite. Content belongs

"What about you, Daph?" Jesse asks, catching her a little off guard as she gets lost in her thoughts. "Do you have work to do tonight, or are you likewise looking for a chance to stretch your legs?"

Daphne hesitates for a second as they hit the stairwell that curves upwards towards his room. She tilts her head to the side, considering it as they quickly climb, and then gives a shrug. "I always have work to do," she says. "But...I could be persuaded to leave it off for a little bit Cadets can go without fresh buttons for another day, right?"