WUNDERHEIN ACADEMY: BOOK 1- AWAKENING

Chapter 18

"I can't eat all of this!" Kitten exclaimed in horror, looking at the food on her tray. "It's three times what I eat."

"Trust me you will." Aleksei replied, picking up his fork. Kitten watched him in morbid fascination as he dissected his food before wolfing it down.

Aleksei halted and looked at her. "What?"

"Nothing." She looked down at her food in an attempt to eat it, only to sneak another glance around the mess hall.

The place was emptier than usual. The boys there were all like Lexie, consuming plates with mountains of food on them. She straightened as two familiar faces walked towards their table.

"About time ya got here." Dmitri laughed, slapping Aleksei on the back before sitting down. "What happened to ya? Detour by the Library or something?"

"Laugh it up, Waldo." Aleksei hit his chest, trying not to choke on the food he had been eating before glaring at Dmitri. "I was a shot-trick."

"A shot-trick?" Kitten heard Boris whisper as he froze mid-way sitting next to her.

"For?" Dmitri tilted his head in fake interested, despite the dark tone underlining he's question.

"Kitten." Aleksei took a huge gulp of his coffee. "Ended up passed out under her room."

The air felt tense for a moment until Dmitri burst out laughing, slapping her on the back. "Nice one Kitty."

"Um...thanks?" Kitten replied as she pretended to tuck into the helping of the eggs, bacon and sausages on her plate.

"Oh wow." Boris looked at her with a cross of shock and newfound admiration.

"So how was he?" Dmitri leaned over the table. "We're all team-mates here. Ya can tell."

"Huh?" Kitten looked up confused as she ran her sleeve over her tongue, hating the copper taste that had appeared ever since she woke up. "Tell what?"

"Leave her alone Dimi, nothing happened." Aleksei growled. "She had the shot too, remember? Kitten, for the millionth time, roll up your sleeves when you eat if they get in the way. They're not there to wipe your face with."

"Eep." Boris squeaked next to her. He quickly hid his own sleeves, guilt all over his face. She grinned at him, before noticing Dmitri nudging Aleksei as their captain tried to get back to his meal.

"Dmitri." Aleksei warned in a low voice.

"It's just a pity." Dmitri swung his coffee cup thoughtfully. "The only girl here ends up with you and..."

"Dimi...drop...IT." Aleksei ordered before devouring his plate of sausage and bacon.

"Just sayin."

"Just ordering."

"If you two are done being weird." Kitten looked from one to the other, abandoning her food. "Can some-one explain what a shot-trick is?"

There was a long silence at the table.

"So it's like this." Dmitri grinned evilly as he began.

"Dmitri!" Aleksei stopped him. "I'll explain it to her."

"But my version's more fun."

"I know what your version will be." Aleksei replied darkly. "Go fetch coffee or something."

"It just means that some people pass out in random places after the shot so then some other guys sometimes will take care of them." Boris replied, his words coming out calmly yet quickly, like a child trying to squeeze the words of a story together. "We're not supposed to be weak and need looking after. It's embarrassing. But you're really vulnerable when that happens."