“So,
Dana, what does your dad do? I mean, what kind of business does he run?”
I
froze with a spoonful of cornflakes halfway to my mouth, and stared at
September.
I
thought last night’s ice breaker had turned out pretty well, all things
considered. I had to scramble to cover up my mistake, of course, but everyone
seemed relieved when I said wanting to go to Salem was my lie. Everyone except
September. She was the only one who kept looking at me after I’d finished
speaking. At the time, I did my best to ignore her and focus on the next game
Dean Dobronravov introduced. But with only the five of us at the breakfast
table this morning, it was a lot harder to ignore her gaze.
I
gulped down the cornflakes and tried to appraise the look on her face. She knew. Somehow she knew what my real
lie was! With the Dean’s lie, I just thought she was good with accents, but how
did she know the truth about my dad…?
“He,
uh…” I raced to think faster than the early hour really allowed for. “He owns a
restaurant,” I said. I dropped my spoon back into my cereal and focused on
finishing breakfast as quickly as possible.
The
other girls perked up a bit at my announcement.
“That’s
so cool,” Angelica said – the first time I’d heard her speak since she’d
stumbled into the Honeybee House’s kitchen in her pajamas, bleary-eyed and
reaching for the coffee. Since she was now on her second cup, I supposed she’d
finally woken up. “My dad’s in the restaurant business too!” she said, and my
chest constricted. “What kind of food does his place have?”
I
busied myself pouring another glass of orange juice while I contemplated how
best to get out of this mess. “Um… Regular food. You know, just… normal food.”
Oh yeah, that would throw September off the trail for sure. Even Echo was
tilting her head at me now.
Angelica
chuckled. “American family style, I bet,” she said. “Yeah, my dad and my uncles
all co-own a place called Cocina Chantarelle. They serve Puerto Rican food
though, the same kind their mom used to make for them growing up. It’s great
stuff. My dad even taught me how to cook. Hey!” Her eyes lit up. “Maybe I can
cook for us!”
I
breathed a sigh of relief as the topic of conversation safely went in the
direction of Angelica’s cooking prowess. By the time we were all finished
eating, it had been decided that a trip into town to find the nearest grocery
store would happen as soon as we could find means of transportation. It still
felt strange to be included in the plans of a group of people, but I was happy
to see that September hadn’t been excluded this morning. Having to live with
general girl drama would have been my worst nightmare.
Our
first class was scheduled for nine o’clock, so I headed back up to my room to
get ready. It might be onerous to be at
this school for an entire semester, but I wanted to make sure I came out of it
with the best grades possible. Making a good first impression on my professors
was the first thing on my to-do list.
I
had already chosen my outfit the night before, but I double-checked my skirt
for wrinkles and my Oxford button-down for perfect whiteness before I put them
on. I turned in a circle in front of the mirror to be sure everything fit well
before pulling on my favorite argyle sweater vest.
Respectable and
professional without looking too old, I thought as I admired myself. Perfect.
Last
night I had used my new vanity table for the first time, but this morning was
the first time I got to use it to put my makeup on. Despite my dislike for most
of Honeybee House’s features, this was one bit of charm that gave me a thrill.
I leaned in close to the mirror to make sure the winged tips of my eyeliner
matched, and gladly imagined the first girl that sat here smoothing her
Victorian pompadour. We were sisters now – in a way – and I was sure she had
wanted to make a good impression with her appearance too. I said a quick prayer
to her spirit in the hopes that she would give me some luck on my first day.
My
father had given me a beautiful black leather messenger bag as a going away
present. I packed it with fresh paper and pens as well as my barely begun Book
of Shadows. (It already held a few spells my mother had given me, but I had
refrained from writing anything else in it until I got to school. I wanted it
to truly reflect my magical education, and was loathe to ruin its pages with
teenage scribbling.) I contemplated taking a novel along for some light
reading, but figured I would be better off without it and forcing myself to
make conversation with my fellow students instead of disappearing behind a
book. Nodding to convince myself I was making the right choice, I slung the bag
over my shoulder and made my way downstairs.
Echo
was sitting on the couch in the front parlor, chatting with Poppy. She had
chosen to wear another strapless sundress, although at least today her arms
were covered by a crocheted shrug. But the cartoon kitten print on her dress
and the jelly sandals on her feet were certainly not indicative of a good
student to me. I shook my head, but couldn’t stop myself from smiling at her
when she glanced up and waved at me.
“Where
are the other girls?” Poppy said when she saw me. “They’re going to be late if
they take much longer.”
I
shrugged. Being in the same room as Echo, I felt ridiculously overdressed. Or
maybe underdressed…
September
was next down the stairs, although I still had no idea how she managed them in
her Everest-high heels. Nicola wasn’t far behind her and I saw she had toned
down her goth garb; today her jacket was a midnight blue that matched her hair.
We
all stood around a bit awkwardly until Angelica came crashing down the stairs,
tugging on a hoodie and saying, “I know, I know, I’m late.”
September
rolled her eyes. “You don’t own a clock, I take it?”
Angelica
had apparently decided to take the high road after the situation with the
suitcases.
“Not
everyone here can afford Rolexes, darling,”
she said, drawing out the last word in a very fake British accent. And then she
smiled very sweetly.
Echo
covered her mouth and Nicola looked uncomfortable, but Poppy wasn’t saying
anything so I decided I’d better step in before things got out of control
again.
“That’s
all right, Angelica,” I said. “Next time I’ll knock on your door before I come
downstairs.”
Angelica
gave me a startled look. Over her shoulder, I saw September’s eyes narrow.
“Oh
yeah,” Angelica said. She pulled her hood up so she could put her backpack on,
and turned away from September entirely. “I guess that would be helpful.
Thanks, Dana.”
Crisis averted.
Not too bad!
I thought as Poppy led us out of the house and back up the hill to the
Cauldron. She filled us in on the details of how our classes would work for the
first semester, and although I had all but memorized our syllabi I listened to
her because the other girls seemed interested.
“They
always split the neophytes into two groups so that you only have fifteen girls
in each class instead of thirty. You girls will be having classes with
Butterfly and Hare Houses. And you should be glad about it because I swear they
always stick the rejects in the Mouse House. Can you say ‘exploding cauldron’?”
Poppy laughed, but I took it as a good sign that she was the only one who did.
Our
first class was Listening, the most basic skill of a witch. I had mastered it
several years ago, and at first I had been angry at the school’s inflexibility
when it came to scheduling. But now that I was here, I thought it was nice not
to be separated from my housemates. So what if I had to sit through a few
lectures on things I had already learned? Maybe the others would ask me for
help if they had trouble. And I supposed it wouldn’t hurt to make sure my
mastery was as firm as I thought it was.
Poppy
left us to fend for ourselves when we reached our classroom on the fourth floor
of the Cauldron. The girls from Butterfly and Hare were already sitting on the
piles of cushions heaped all over the floor. I glanced around but there were no
desks of any sort, just the cushions.
Nicola
seemed amused as we joined the others in sitting, so I leaned toward her and
asked what was so funny. I didn’t feel like smiling at how impossible it was to
sit comfortably on a cushion without showing a good deal more of my legs than I
wanted.
“It’s
just… This is how my mom decorates too.” She patted the cushions like old
friends.
We
all looked up a moment later as the door opened and a stout woman with
extremely long white hair came in. The effect of her mincing steps and several
layers of gauzy clothing was such that I immediately thought of her as looking
like a fairy from a children’s story.
“Good
morning, girls,” she said. When she smiled, the apples of her wrinkled cheeks
became rosy pink and dimples appeared on either side of her mouth. I smiled
back at her along with everyone else. It was impossible not to; she seemed to
be the very essence of cheer.
She
raised a hand and a piece of chalk floated up into the air to write her name on
the chalkboard as she spoke. “I am Professor Vega, but I hope you will all call
me Melissa. And this is your very first Listening class, isn’t it?” The chalk
underlined Melissa with a flourish
and dropped back into the tray. Several of the girls made soft exclamations of
amazement.
I
raised my hand. I couldn’t help it; I didn’t want Melissa to have the wrong
impression of me.
“Yes,
dear?” she said. I struggled to stand in my constricting skirt, but she waved
her hand airily to dismiss my need to get up. I was grateful, but a bit
embarrassed because I could hear some of my classmates giggling at my
efforts.
“I’ve
already mastered Listening,” I said.
Melissa
reappraised me. “You’re Dana Bolete?” I nodded, and her smile widened. “Well,
of course you have, dear! With a mother like yours, I’m sure you’ve mastered
all kinds of things.” She winked at me. “You can treat this course as a
refresher. And I’m sure you’ll help the others if they need it?”
It
was like she could read my thoughts. I smiled my relief. “If anyone wants me
to,” I said. “Of course.”
“Well,
girls, it sounds like you have a ready-made tutor in your midst. Make sure you
stay on her good side!” She chuckled, and my impression of her as a fairy
godmother was solidified.
After that, Melissa went around the room
asking everyone’s names and getting quick biographies. I tried to pay attention
so that I would remember some of the girls who weren’t in my house, but instead found my mind wandering to some of
my first Listening lessons with my mother. My mom was about as far from the
fairy godmother type as one could get, and her teaching style reflected her
personality. I wondered what kind of tutor I would actually be after her
influence…
Melissa
took us into our first lesson without much further adieu, and her lecture
before we began practice was about what I expected. Listening was the
foundation of witchcraft because it taught you how to be in touch with the
world around you – as well as with your own inner world – at all times. Without
mastering that skill, it was difficult to move on to any other.
We
all sat on our cushions and concentrated as Melissa spoke out loud.
“You
are an island of calm within the storm of the world,” she said in a soothing
tone. “Listen to your breath as it leaves your body. Listen again as the air
fills your lungs and expands your chest. Remember that you are a daughter of
the Goddess, and bound to all living things around you. We are all connected in
a web…”
She
went on in this vein, but my notice of her actual words slipped easily into
true Listening. It was nearly second nature to open myself to feeling the air,
and feeling the life forces of those sitting near me. I always thought it was a
bit like opening a second eyelid and seeing more of the world than was there
previously. I breathed softly, and knew that my breath was creating swirling
eddies in the air around my nose and mouth. I could look at the floorboards and
see the trees they once were. I Listened to Melissa’s words and understood the
purity of her desire to enrich our lives through her teaching. Listening made
the world less but somehow more mysterious than ever.
The
two hour lesson went by faster than I expected, and although some of the girls
were rubbing their eyes and yawning by the end, I felt more awake than I had in
days. Under Melissa’s gentle guidance, I felt sure that soon Listening would be second nature, and I wouldn’t
have to concentrate at all to do it.
We
trooped over to the so-called Gymteria for lunch.
After a quick meal that included tea and sandwiches (seriously, I was beginning
to wonder what time period I was living in), we made our way back to the
Cauldron for Casting class. I was truly excited about firming up my casting
skills until I remembered who our professor was.
“Dana!”
Professor Natalie grabbed me in a hug
before I could fend her off. I could sense everyone staring at me as my good
mood evaporated into a puff of smoke.
“I
nearly forgot you were going to be in my class.” She grinned like a maniac.
“Well, no. It would be impossible for me to forget that I get the privilege of
teaching Audrey Bolete’s daughter! How are you, my dear? Settling in all
right?”
I
nodded, and made a faint reply that was completely overridden by Natalie’s
steering me toward the desk directly in front of her own at the front of the
classroom.
“You
should sit here so I can see you because I’m sure I’ll be calling on you often,
right?”
I
nodded again, and silently called on the gods to make me disappear. I guess I
didn’t have much immortal favor though because Natalie kept on with the steady
stream of expectations as the other girls filed in and found their own seats.
Somehow her expecting me to know it
all was awful rather than encouraging.
When
everyone was seated, Natalie’s mood abruptly shifted. She put on a pair of
wire-rimmed glasses and stood before us with her hands behind her back like a
drill instructor until everyone had fallen silent.
“Good
afternoon,” she said in such a serious voice that I swear we all sat up a
little straighter. For a woman who didn’t look much older than us, she held our
attention without even trying. “Welcome to The Basics of Casting. In my
classroom you will only speak when called upon, and when you do you may address
me as Professor Wilde. As you may have heard, I am in charge of the Casting
Department, and my time is precious. If you need extra help outside of class,
you may use the sign-up sheet near the door to schedule an appointment with me.
Other than that, I expect you to pay attention in class and practice every day
or you will never make a decent caster. Are there any questions so far?”
She
looked around, but no one seemed capable of speech. After our laid back
Listening class that morning, I could only imagine what some of the girls
around me were thinking.
“Excellent.
Everyone please take out a notebook. We will begin today’s lesson by learning
how to properly format your Book of Shadows.”
Tentatively,
Echo raised her hand.
“Yes,
Miss Morel?” Natalie, er, Professor Wilde,
pulled her glasses down her nose to look at my housemate.
“I…”
I swore I heard the poor girl swallow. “I don’t have a notebook.”
“There
are supplies in the closet at the back of the room,” Professor Wilde said. “You
may help yourself today, but in the future I expect you to come prepared.”
“Thank
you, ma’am,” Echo said. She slipped out of her seat as silently as possible and
went to the closet. After a moment, two other girls joined her. Professor Wilde
waited for them without speaking. When they had resumed their seats, she
resumed her lesson, and we all put our heads down to concentrate on our note
taking.
Two
hours later we stumbled out of the Cauldron and into the sunshine as though we
were experiencing it for the first time.
“What
a witch,” Angelica said with obvious
admiration.
“Did
you see her when she cast that invisibility spell?” Echo said breathlessly.
“She didn’t even break a sweat! How old do you think she is?”
“Not
even thirty,” Angelica replied. “My sister Ashley went to school with her.”
“She
is pretty amazing,” I said. “But soon we should all be able to do spells like
that.”
“I
don’t know about doing them the way she does,” Angelica said with a snort.
“Ashley always has to lie down after she casts a lot of spells, and how many did Professor
Wilde do just now? A dozen? Probably more actually.”
“Twenty-one,”
Echo said. She was rifling through her notes. “Not to mention the transmutation
spell we won’t even get to until next year.”
“Well,
at least we have the daughter of Audrey Bolete to help us muddle through,”
September said. I glanced over to find her putting on her sunglasses so I
couldn’t quite figure out her expression. “Although I’m not sure how the rest
of us will ever hope to measure up to you, Dana,” she went on, and I wilted in
the face of her now obvious derision. “You’re everyone’s perfect little golden
girl already, aren’t you?”
“Well,
I – ”
I
was actually glad when Nicola interrupted because I wasn’t quite sure what I
was going to say to defend myself.
“It’s
not her fault! You shouldn’t say it like that.”
We
all looked at her for a moment, startled that she would be the one with the
outburst. It seemed to shock her more than the rest of us because she
immediately looked down and started organizing her bag while her face flushed.
September
made a scornful sound and walked away without another word to any of us. I
folded my arms and watched her go. To think, I had been doing my best all day
to make her feel included in the group…
“Whatever,”
Angelica said when September was out of earshot. “If she wants to be a pain in
the ass, that’s her prerogative. We all think you’re okay, Dana.”
I
tried to smile at her. “Thanks,” I said.
“Besides,
I’m looking forward to your help. I’m pretty sure I slept through most of our
Listening lesson.”
Now
I was trying not to laugh. “It can be a little difficult to focus at first,” I
said. “But, yeah, there are some tricks I can teach you.”
“Oh,
me too!” Echo said. “I mean, I got the concept, but then I started thinking
about lunch, so I’m not really sure how much actually sank in.”
Nicola
glanced between us. “Are we still going to find a way into town somehow?
Because I’d really like to try some of Angelica’s cooking...”
“Right!”
Angelica clapped her hands together. “Let’s get going on that before you nerds
get wrapped up in your books again.”
We
all laughed and set off down the hill together.
-----
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