Episode Seven: Alliances

On my first Sunday morning at WCH, I got up earlier than anyone else on campus. I knew I was the only one awake because I did my Listening exercises right away. Sitting cross-legged on my bed, I could feel that the sun had yet to peek over the horizon and even the birds in the trees around the house were still asleep.

Professor Vega was the one who had encouraged me to start Listening as soon as I woke up. Yesterday I had stayed after class to ask her how I could move forward. She was still trying to teach most of the others just to keep their minds quiet, and I didn’t want to slide backwards while I waited for them to catch up.

As I made my bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower, I tried to keep my senses open as Professor Vega instructed. I was startled to find that I could feel September stirring in her bedroom on the floor below. What was she doing up this early? I was up because I had a breakfast appointment with Professor Wilde; if it hadn’t been for that, I would’ve slept until the robins woke me with their twittering. So why was she…?

I closed the bathroom door behind me, and turned on the hot water in the clawfoot tub. It wasn’t until I was standing in the shower that I realized I was still tuned in to September and trying to figure out what she was doing. She radiated such calm that I could feel it altering the air that surrounded her. I was so fascinated in my ability to feel her presence in detail beyond a simple life force that I let the water run until it turned ice-cold. My reaching senses snapped off in shock. Shivering, I turned off the water and sat down on the edge of the tub to think.

Episode Five: Toil and Trouble

“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?”

Episode Four: Poetry and Tact

Amidst the insanity of us all scrambling to pick up our mingled luggage, I’d managed to snag the best bedroom in the house. September and Echo ended up with the other bedrooms on the second floor while Angelica, Nicola, and myself had dashed up the stairs to check out the third floor. Like the second, there was a communal living room, a bathroom, and three bedrooms. I managed to get a look at all three before choosing the largest. Happily, it had a bay window that faced east as well as a beautiful brick and mortar fireplace. The fireplace, walls, and the wrought-iron bed frame had been painted white. But a few well-chosen landscape paintings and a vase full of fresh flowers on the bedside table brought just enough color to the room.

I immediately hung my clothing in the narrow closet and lined up my shoes beneath the bed. A crocheted blanket Kara had made me last Yule went over the armchair next to the desk. I was a bit flummoxed by the vanity table for awhile, but I eventually found an empty glass for my mascara and eyeliner and set that and the vase of flowers on it.

I was busy stacking my books on the built-in bookshelf when I heard a soft knock on my door. I was surprised that anyone would be knocking on my door after the fiasco downstairs, but I was even more surprised to discover it was the new girl when I went and opened it.   

“Hi,” she said in a surprisingly sweet voice. “Do you have a phone charger I can borrow? I guess I left mine in my parent’s car and my phone is dead.” She held up an iPhone whose case had been decorated with what seemed to be purple unicorns and pink bats.

I goggled at her. She must have thought I was offended or something because she shuffled her feet and looked away.

“I’m sorry I bothered you,” she murmured, and again I was shocked by how sweet she sounded. “I can ask someone else if you’re busy.”

“No, wait!” I said just as she was turning around. “I’m sorry, I just…” I gestured uselessly. I couldn’t exactly explain that I had trouble reconciling her goth appearance with her personality. “Would you like to come in for a second?” I said.