The Shadow Sisters

[E1] Chapter 8 - Marie Shadow

After registration, Marie went to her first class. According to her timetable, it was Gold Tier English with Mr Tunny. She sat at the very back of the classroom, which was styled like a university lecture hall. She supposed they had to do something creative to justify all these massive stony rooms.

She was in the process of retrieving her notepad and pens when Riley Jackson wandered in.

Marie tried to sink lower into her seat, but by that point, it was too late. Riley was already ambling over.

"Fancy that. You're in Gold English as well."

"Evidently."

"Funny coincidence that. Same bus. Same first class."

Not really, Marie thought. Once they were in the same year, the odds were only one in three that they shared the same English class. It was not enough to be amazing. Just enough to be annoying.

Riley parked herself down. "I usually prefer to sit closer to the front."

"Do you?"

"But we can sit here today if you prefer."

"Thanks."

A steady stream of pupils continued to flow into the classroom. Riley straightened to make herself more visible as two of them wandered in together. There was a lean boy with mousy hair and a short girl with brown skin and shiny black hair. The pair surveyed the front rows, wrinkling their brows in confusion, until they spied Riley near the back of the class, waving her arms like a lunatic.

"Riley," the girl said when she wandered over, "What are you doing all the way back here?"

"My new friend is more comfortable at the back."

Several people from the rows in front glanced over their shoulders.

Marie lowered her head to hide her face. Why on earth did she have to phrase it like that? Was she intentionally trying to turn her into a social reject or was that just a happy bonus?

"Oh," the boy said. "Hi there."

"Hi," Marie said.

"Deja and Curtis, this is Marie. Marie, this is-"

"Deja and Curtis, I presume." Marie raised the corner of her lips in what she hoped passed for a smile.

"That's right," Deja said. Her brow had yet to smoothen out.

"Uh, reckon we'll sit here today then," Curtis said, unburdening himself of his backpack.

The pair quickly stuffed their belongings under the desk, then lowered down into their seats.

"So, how have your summers been?" Riley asked.

"Oh my God, I've had the craziest couple of months," Deja said.

"Why? What happened?"

"Right, so you know how Mum and Dad have been onto Sumedh to get his act together and find a job?"

"Right," Curtis and Riley said in unison.

"So, he's sorta been stalling on that."

"Still?" Riley asked.

"There's a surprise," Curtis said.

"Plus, he's been out of the house a lot, which was suspicious on its own. Then he brings this new girl home and she's..." Deja leaned in to whisper. "White." She then stiffened upon noticing Marie's horrified expression. "Not that I have a problem with that at all, mind you. But Mum and Dad-"

"They're old-fashioned," Riley explained.

"Took them years to tolerate us," Curtis said.

"Right," Deja said. "So they more or less kicked him out. Said it was for his own good."

"What do you mean kicked him out?" Curtis asked. "So he's just out wandering the streets of Willow Town?"

"Nah. Pablo told me that he's staying with Stacey. Er, that's his new girlfriend."

"I figured," Riley said.

"So yeah, things have been crazy. Really crazy. Mum and Dad have been fighting every day and Dad's been drinking like a mule. Each blames the other. Meanwhile, I'm in my room mostly like, chill, and I feel like I'm dodging mines every time I go to the fridge." She prodded her lips with her pen. "They might get a divorce soon, but they're really against that too."

"Oh my, that's not good," Riley said.

"No. Not good at all," Deja agreed.

"Uh, what about you, Curtis?" Riley asked, swiftly moving on as if Deja had never spoken. "Have a good summer?"

"Oh yeah. Mine was grand."

"You left Willow Town, right?"

"Yeah. Went to Madrid to stay with the grandparents. It was mint. Hated coming back."

"Lovely," Riley said. "I've always wanted to visit. My family hasn't gone on holiday in ages. Maybe next year."

Curtis nodded. "Willow Town is the whirlpool that always sucks us back in. Even when we feel a million miles away, we're still circling the drain." He squinted. "I've been dreading this class in particular."

"Why's that?" Marie asked. "Is Mr Tunny a bad teacher?"

Riley offered a placating smile. "He's a bit eccentric."

"Try deranged," Deja said.

"And an alcoholic on top of that," Curtis added.

"Jeez," Marie said. "It's scary to think that people like that get into teaching."

"I've heard a rumour that he switched to pills," Deja whispered. "Opioids, painkillers, you know."

"Interesting," Curtis said, stroking his chin. "Wonder if that will improve the smell."

"The saddest thing is that he used to be a lovely man, at least according to my mother," Riley said. "She claimed one day he just arrived back in class and was completely different."

Marie blew out, bracing herself to be introduced to this man. She imagined him bursting through the door, a dishevelled mess, slurring words left and right.

Instead, the man that slumped in was sluggish, and dull. Mostly, he was hidden under a large trench coat, as if it were too cold or he couldn't bare the light. Maybe he was a vampire. In Willow Town, nothing would surprise Marie at this stage.

No. Silly stories and fantasies were Hannah logic. It was more likely that he was simply too hungover to handle the harsh light.

What was visible of Mr Tunny's frame was grey and withered. The only thing accurate to Marie's original vision was the slurring. Though it was more of an incoherent mumbling.

He scrawled across the board in equally unintelligible writing.

Then he stopped abruptly and whipped around. "What was that, Mr Sharkey?"

The boy he addressed leaned back. "I didn't say anything, sir."

Mr Tunny pointed at him with the whiteboard pen. "Keep up that smart attitude and you will find yourself stuck in detention for the remainder of the term."

"But sir, I've just been sitting here."

The argument went on for a while, much in the same vein, until after the backing of his classmates, the student in question was given the begrudging benefit of the doubt.

Marie leaned into Curtis, whom she'd identified as the most normal among her trio of new comrades. "So, is everyone in Willow Town absolutely mental?"

"Girl, you have no idea."