𝓓𝓸 𝓸𝓻 𝓓𝓲𝓮 ❣︎ 𝓔𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓐𝓭𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓼

𝓢𝓔𝓡𝓘𝓔𝓢 𝓞𝓝𝓔 ❣︎ 3

"Hmm," Ember and Enid stood on their sides of the window, hands behind their backs. Ember took a moment to study this woman. Especially her red boots, covered in mud, as she slowly put a foot on either side of the tape instead of standing entirely on Enid's side.

The woman smiled and headed over to Ember. "I'm Ms Thornhill. Your dorm mum. And your sister's, as well. Even though she's... somewhere else."

"Cousin," Ember corrected again.

"Oops, sillly me!" Ms Thornhill chuckled. "Apologies, I wasn't here to greet you when you arrived. I trust Enid gave you the old Nevermore welcome!"

"She's been smothering me with hospitality," Ember said. "I hope to return the favour. The smothering part. Not the hospitality," she added. Enid gave her a snide side eye.

Ms Thornhill, meanwhile, seemed taken aback. "Well, here's a little welcome gift from my conservatory."

She gestured to the pot plant in her hand. "I like to match a flower with each of my girls, and when I saw your personal statement in your application, I immediately thought of this one."

Ember looked down at the flower. "A black tipped rose," she said.

"Oh, you know it?" Ms Thornhill seemed surprised.

"Yes, I used to love pricking my fingers on the thorns," Ember looked up.

This rendered her silent for a second. "Okey-dokey, well, before I leave, I want to go over a few house rules. Lights off at ten o'clock, no loud music, and no boys. Ever."

She seems to think that's going to be a problem.

"What's the story about going into the local town?" Ember questioned.

"Passes to Jericho are a privilege, not a right," Ms Thornhill answered her sincerely. "It's a brisk twenty five minute walk, or there's a shuttle on the weekends. I won't sugarcoat for you, the locals are a tad bit wary about Nevermore, so please don't go making any waves, or perpetuating any outcast stereotypes."

She turned to Enid. "That means keep your claws to yourself," then Ember. "And no smothering people."

"Are we clear?" She got two harsh stares back. "Okay! Great talk!"

And with that she left the room.

"That was illuminating," Ember rolled her eyes and went back to the typewriter, burning with jealousy at the fact that Wednesday was bypassing all of this.

❣︎❣︎❣︎

The fencing team was the first thing Ember set her sights on. She didn't know why, but as she walked in in her black suit (in contrast to all the white ones in the room) with her helmet under her arm and her sword in her hand, she felt a sort of savage pride.

Xavier Thorpe took his helmet off just as she entered the room. His hair was down this time, just touching his shoulders. Ember didn't even glance in his direction.

"Coach! Coach, she tripped me!"

Ember soon turned her attention to another fight, just ended in front of her. It was the boy on the ground that had yelled, and the girl that was fighting him took off her helmet, revealing Bianca Barclay. 'The closest thing to royalty...' Enid had said. Well, she was going to change that.

"It was a clean strike, Rowan," the coach said to the boy on the ground. Rowan, his name was.

"Maybe if you whined less, and practiced more, you wouldn't suck," Bianca said, turning. "Seriously, coach, when am I gonna have some real competition?"