Welcome to the Masquerade

"The Jolly Arrival" By Young Mozart

AN: Still only claim Lory! Constructive criticism is welcome, flames will be used to make S'mores. Happy Reading.  I was so excited to receive my first vote I had to publish a new chapter. Thanks bookdragon123321!  Also if any readers are interested in beta reading I'd appreciate it.

    "Oh my God. Someone is going to die today. I am going to jail and someone will die today," Lory stared in horror at the brick box that loomed over the congested parking lot and groaned. "I am so spoiled."

      She decided as she navigated the parking lot, that after a lifetime of home and online schooling, that this was indeed hell. When she finally found a parking place for her beloved '68 Wildcat, she grabbed her duster length sweater and began striding across to the school. Dodging other students and parked cars she finally made it into the building.

      Chin up. Shoulders back. Deep breath. Cheat front. Don't let them smell blood in the water.

      After contemplating homicide three times on her way to the front office, Lory finally arrived only a little disheveled when she asked for her schedule. It had taken longer than was really necessary in her opinion for her to get the schedule before her. Technically she had graduated high school. She just hadn't sent in the paperwork for the program her mother had enrolled her in. She was looking over the schedule when she heard her name.

      "Miss Anderson?" the voice inquired. It was smooth sort of voice like a good butterscotch sauce and it sounded slightly familiar. "I am Mr. Blackbourne, acting Vice Principal. If you will follow me I can take care of the scheduling issues your uncle brought to my attention."

      "Thanks," she answered absently before looking up. It took all of her theater training not to break character. She couldn't believe her eyes. It couldn't possibly be the person she thought he was. No way. The man before her - and it was a man not a boy - was so straight laced and controlled. Everything about him screamed authority and demonstrated considerable ease with the authority he had.

      He's still such a stuffed shirt! Lory snorted in her head. She had worked hard that one summer she had been sent to stay with her uncle to make him let loose. She hadn't' had a voice call with him in over a year and only texts and emails of late.

      "If you'll follow me," Mr Blackbourne said with a motion of his hand towards one of the hallways, "we can get everything cleared up quickly."

      He led her down the hall to an office and unlocked the door and opened it. It was a drab box with two desks. Her thoughts were busy mapping her surroundings and trying to figure out if he really was who she thought him to be. She almost missed the look on the face of the man striding down the hall towards her companion. The man was giving her a look that mixed disgust, fear and triumph. She instantly hated him.

      "Blackbourne," the man barked. He carried himself as though he had been military once. He gave no title or honorific to Mr. Blackbourne and Lory found herself annoyed on Mr. Blackbourne's behalf.

      "Principal Hendricks," Mr Blackbourne greeted him neutrally. If it hadn't been for the slight tightening of his hand on the knob he had not yet released, Lory would have thought him indifferent to his presence.

      "Sneaking another one of your Academy students in?" Hendricks sneered to the point of almost snarling in his animosity towards the younger man.

      "She is not one of my students, Mr. Hendricks," Mr. Blackbourne answered calmly. "Her uncle is a former colleague and I am simply helping her to get some issues with her transcripts and registration cleared up."