“Oh, no. Nothing, and I mean nothing is going to attack you in the dorms, Sabine. But there is a canine present at the primary dorm door after the auxiliary entrances are locked for the evenings. Even if you don’t see them hiding at their post, they are there. If anyone sneaks out, they’ll bark. Simple as that.”
Huh. It wasn’t exactly an unconventional alarm system, but kind of odd for a school.
“What’s the second rule?” Flynn asked.
Straight to the point, seeking the facts. I liked his directness.
“Upperclassmen floors are off-limits,” Ethel answered.
“How come?” Sabine asked. “Don’t y’all want us to get along and make friends?”
Ethel smiled, and for the first time, it seemed forced, like she saw right through to Sabine’s real reason for asking. “Of course. We promote and encourage all kinds of friendships and bonds. Upperclassmen deserve that extra rite of passage and extension of privacy. Not everyone will continue to even the sophomore level, and those who do are awarded as such.”
Wow. Another hint that we might be weeded out. Well, not me. Like I’d said, challenge accepted. I rubbed my hands together, eager to get started with my classes already.
We headed to Sabine’s new quarters first, and she didn’t even wave goodbye as she was ushered into her building. A tall, homely woman named Bernadette introduced herself as the dorm supervisor, and I swore I could hear Sabine gulp. The older woman didn’t even crack a smile as she spoke a bland hello, and I resisted laughing out loud. How my brat of a twin would manage with a stalwart like Bernadette was beyond me.
“Now, to the Green House, you two.” Ethel pulled off a small curtsy as she walked, like a lopsided dance slide. “My alma mater.”
“Oh?” I asked.
“Many, many years ago.” She giggled as she strode forward, leaving me a chance to walk at Flynn’s side. In front of us, she dug into her shoulder bag and extracted a tablet to check something.
“Texas, huh?” Flynn huffed. “How come your twin’s the only one who lives and breathes the country twang?” After my silent reply, he said, “You guys don’t even look like sisters at all. She’s all…” He held his hand in the air and seemed to struggle for words. “And you’re…” He gestured a once-over at me.
I’m what?
Jeez. His directness was a fine trait for knowing what to do, but he didn’t need to be so snide. And why am I even getting defensive on her account? Or offended that he finds me lacking compared to her?
I shrugged, unsure how to explain that Sabine and I were very, very different individuals. Some people might declare twins had a special, unique bond that always brought them together. If I didn’t have Dad’s eye-witness testimony of watching us come into the world from the same mother, I never would believe we were twins either. At the end though, I figured it wasn’t any of his business. Or that he wasn’t privy to mine.
“Well, this is me,” he announced as Ethel brought us to the main entrance to our house. Like Sabine’s dorms, the Green building was identical in structure—a castle-like apartment complex. One door to the right for dudes, and the other to the left for the dudettes.
“Indeed,” she said. “Nick will be ready to get you situated with your uniforms and your tablet. On there, you will find your schedule for tomorrow as well a mandatory etiquette handbook to peruse this evening before the semester begins.”
Oh, yay. Homework already. So much for one night to simply settle in. Then again, seeing how last-minute we all had arrived, just in the nick of time, I was surprised it was only one handbook to catch up with. And I did intend to go through the copy of the NDA again.
Flynn walked off with one glance back at us, a hand tossed over his shoulder.
“Nice fellow, huh?”
I cocked a brow at Ethel. How could I tell? I’d known him for only a few hours.
“And if you’ll turn to the left,” Ethel said as she gently prodded my shoulder, “there you are.”
I stared at the wooden door that marked the primary entrance to the female half of the Green House. On the walk over, I noticed at least three side doors at upper levels, possibly extra routes in case of emergencies. And if this was the main entrance…
I slowly spun around, examining the undecorated and empty foyer we stood in. If this was the point of leaving the dorms, where was the guard dog supposed to be? I saw no evidence of a canine sentinel post. No water bowl, no hook for a chain to a collar. Interesting.
“Shall we?” Ethel asked, one brow raised as she watched me survey the bare foyer.
“Of course.”
She began to rap her knuckles on the door, but before her digits knocked the second time, the door flung open, nearly smacking her in the face.
“Oh, my!”
A young gal mock-gagged at Ethel. “Mom! What took you so long?”
“Paige, I told you we needed to tour all of the Main Hall.”
The girl before us snaked an arm around Ethel and hastily hugged her. There was no mistaking the familial relation. Paige, it seemed, was a smaller, thinner, younger version of Ethel. Her skin was more caramel instead of Ethel’s chocolate, and her eyes were slightly more almond than round, but I would’ve had to be blind to miss the nearly exact duplicates of wide grins.
“Layla, this is my daughter, Paige. She’s—”
She took a large clumsy step toward me, leaving her parent’s side. “I’m going to be your roomie!”
Ethel’s brows shot up. “Really?”
Paige nodded so vigorously, her afro bounced. A couple of purple metallic beads in her headband shimmered in the foyer’s lights. “Marcy just told me! Something about someone needed to be moved to the Gold House. And a vacancy, and then I guess Mr. Suthering changed Layla’s assigned dorm earlier this morning… So you’re with me.”
She beamed at me, her radiant glee and excitement charming me somewhat. At least she seemed happy about it, not begrudging the soul she’d have to share her living space with. Like Sabine. Yes, Paige was already an upgrade from having to split a tiny room with my twin. Paige didn’t know better—yet—to judge me.
“Well…great!” I thrust my hand out to her and she laughed.
“Roomies don’t shake hands.” She tugged me into her lanky-armed embrace for a hug.
All…right…?
I wasn’t much of a hugger, but since she was so short and petite, it was impossible to feel smothered. It was kind of hard not to enjoy a warm welcome like this.
“I’ll take her inside to meet Marcy, Mom. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Are you sure?” Ethel glanced at me, and I shrugged.
“Yes, Mom. Come on, Layla. Follow me.”
Chapter Eight
“I am absolutely thrilled I get to be your roomie,” Paige said as she led me into the dorms. Plainly painted walls revealed nothing, and I tried to peek into other students’ rooms as we passed them to see what I might be able to expect. So far, glimpses of bunk beds. Cool. I’d be in a room more than a foot taller than me.
Thrilled? Seemed excessive. “Why?”
She giggled, not as fervently as her mom did, but giggled just the same. “Why? Come on, Layla, you can’t such a downer.”
Try me. But, really, why? How could she even know anything about me to automatically assume I was some prize girl to be roommates with?
“Why me?”
“Because you’re…well, I can tell you’re going to be such a cool friend!” She gestured to turn left down a hallway with her. “I mean, that video of you calming those dogs…”
That animal shelter thing? Seriously? I played at my earlobe, not getting why that’d be such a spectacular feat. I was just doing my job! Maybe I needed to watch the news clip again once I had my tablet. It was possible the news crew had edited it to make me appear like some kind of original badass.
Thinking even briefly of the shelter was like a pang to my heart. I hadn’t even had time to officially quit or tell Susan that I wa
s leaving for a faraway school.
“You saw that video?” All the way up here in Canada? I’d never considered how viral a video could get. Especially one of me.
“Yeah. Well, I mean, Mom saw it. She was involved with setting up your student file, and they added a copy of that to your enrollment process.”
Oh. Being the head librarian’s kid must imply Paige could see whatever she wanted. An insider. I’d keep that connection in mind. My new roomie might come in handy.
“Mom doesn’t keep secrets from me.” She shrugged and pulled on my sleeve to encourage me to pause against the wall. “And I hope you and I can have the same kind of BFF deal. I mean, we’re going to practically be sisters here!”
Nodding slowly, I smiled and licked the back of my teeth to chase away the sting of my false promise. Sure, I’d be her buddy, but my secrets were locked and encrypted in an impenetrable fortress. Roomie or not, no one was going to know the real me here.
“Oh, wait. You already have one. A twin sister, right? Well, I’ll be your new sister. That should be just as strong. Are you going to miss her? I mean, the Blue House isn’t exactly far away, and I bet we’ll have some classes together. I hope you don’t get terribly homesick for your family and wanna go. Trust me. I’ve seen it happen so many times.”
Holy hell. Slow down and take a breath. “What, kids who want to go home?”
“Sure. Even the ones who aren’t homesick for their families want to leave sometimes.”
Okay. Now that sounded alarming. Why would anyone want to get away from this amazing almost-college life? Who’d want to give up the independence, the chance to excel in school?
“Huh.”
Paige cocked her head with a wince, probably realizing she might be scaring me off. “Keep in mind, some kids are obligated to come here. Those are the traditional family ones. Olde Earth has been the alma mater for generations after generations of some folks. I bet those traditional family kids feel forced to come here and want to rebel and leave.”
“Oh.” I’d give her credit for phrasing that a little more promisingly. “Are you one of those families?” When she didn’t ramble into another answer right away, I said, “Your mom mentioned she’s from the Green House, too.”
“Yeah.” Paige shot me a smile. “Yeah, we are. Our family doesn’t go as far back as others, but being at the Academy is in our blood. I’ve lived here my whole life and now I can finally be a student!”
And outsiders were allowed too? Dad had never even heard of this place before yesterday.
“You’ll meet lotsa traditional family kids.” She shrugged. “And a couple of newbies, like you! And Flynn.” At his name, she clutched my forearm. Seemed I’d need to get used to this touchy-feely stuff. “O. M. G.”
“What?”
She faced me long enough to huff. “What do you mean, what? He’s so hawt.”
While she fanned herself, I focused on looking straight ahead at the empty dorm halls. Great. Was Paige just going to be a runner-up in boy craziness to Sabine?
Still, I couldn’t argue the point. “He’s not ugly.”
Her laugh was like a bray of snorts. It was so ridiculous I even cracked up.
“Not ugly? No. Flynn Madsen is not ugly, girl.” She sighed. “I mean, he’s downright perfect.”
Just because he was a cute boy? Man, did she have a lot to learn about people. No one could be perfect by appearances alone.
“And he’s clearly going to be very…uh, successful here.”
I slanted her a look. Again, because he was cute? Did she mean he’d be succeeding in…getting all the girls? Heck if I knew. I was saved from wondering about him as we approached a woman at the end of the line of doors.
“That’s Marcy,” Paige said as we neared.
Short with long, curly blonde hair, Marcy resembled a living doll. Almost like a Barbie without an eating disorder and plastic surgery. She seemed very approachable with a sweet, heart-shaped face, clear blue eyes, and a slim physique. She uncrossed her arms and pushed her foot off the wall she’d been leaning on. If she was in charge of a bunch of teenaged girls staying out of trouble in the dorms, I bet she didn’t act like a doll.
“This is Layla.”
Marcy took my offered hand and shook it. I was impressed at her firm grip and the calluses. Maybe not so gentle and dollish then.
“Layla, it’s wonderful to meet you. Welcome to the Green House!”
Even her voice was sweet. Innocent, almost childlike but sincere. She had to be at least twenty. I bet plenty of girls assumed she was young and a peer enough to be lenient on rules.
“Thanks.”
As soon as our plain introductions were over, she and Paige launched into a partnered lecture of Everything To Know 101 about living in the Green House, and at the Academy in general. I’d wanted answers and more details since the moment Mr. Suthering had told me about Olde Earth. Well, I was getting the most imperative ones today.
First, Marcy gave me a cell phone and tablet. The phone, they claimed, would hardly be used. Everyone used their tablets, though. On it was my schedule, an Academy-designed social media app, and all the email contacts I’d need for my courses. Plus the majority of texts and such. Before I could even familiarize myself with this essential device, they took me to the communal room. It was nothing more than a cozy meeting space. A place where the Green House gals could meet together for projects and for any gatherings Marcy called with some of us. There, I was thrust into my uniforms. Marcy suggested trying it all on, and Paige cheerleadered me into switching up the options, just to get a feel for it. It wasn’t like my choices were many. Blouse, vest, skirt, and for colder months, slacks. At least I could choose my own shoes.
“They’re so…” Paige grimaced at my feet as I stood in full ensemble in front of a mirror.
“Boring.” Marcy shook her head.
I turned my feet side to side, checking them. “Aren’t you supposed to be a house mom or something? Always positive?”
“Girlie, I’m not going to ever lie to you.” She shrugged.
Not even white lies? I huffed. Too bad. If I wanted plain Oxford loafers, then I’d wear them. Heels didn’t fit in my repertoire. If my footwear was the extent of my ridicule, I’d be in heaven.
Since I’d filled out the questionnaire in the car ride here, my bras, panties, socks, and other odd garments were already in a large bag for me with the uniform materials. I didn’t even have enough time to begrudge this whole new concept of being forced to wear freaking uniforms because once fitting time was over, Marcy and Paige led me to my room. My and Paige’s room.
With updated paint, no holes or poorly spackled spots, it was clean, modern, and functional. It was also three times more spacious than the itty-bitty bedroom Sabine and I had shared in our trailer. I had to wonder if she was liking the extra room to spread out in as well.
God, I feel sorry for whoever she’s rooming with. Even though the rooms were larger than what we had at home, it’d probably take Sabine two hours to clutter it to destruction.
I paced back and forth a couple of times, taking in all the details. Running my hand over the coverlet, I smiled at the softness. An entire dresser—all for me!—waited at the far wall. A mirror stood next to a wide window. Whoa. I got a window! I stepped over to see it allowed a view of the woods. Beautiful green shade to glance at whenever I pleased.
“You like it?” my roomie asked.
Paige stood behind me with Marcy, again with her arms crossed and leaning against the wall. Did she get tired of standing for long times or something?
I grinned. These digs were a definite upgrade. “Love it.”
Paige grinned too wide and emitted a little squeal as she crossed the gray carpet to me. Another hug. I was getting the hang of this pattern. Happy Layla equaled hug. Hmm. I was sure I’d get used to it.
“I’m glad you approve, Layla.” Marcy stepped away from the wall and further into the room.
“I do. I do.”
/>
“Well, then, how about this?” She tilted her head to the window behind me. “It’s getting pretty late, and I think the cafeteria might be crowded now. I’ll go ahead and order something to be brought up to you guys for dinner. Paige, maybe you can guide her through the tablet and get her organized for her day tomorrow?”
Neither of us was inclined to leave and wait in a line for food, so that was how Paige and I ended up for the rest of the night. Paige lying on her stomach on her bottom bunk and me sitting in the chair at my desk. I have my own desk. I have my own chair. It was foreign to consider furniture as mine. An awesome kind of newness.
I didn’t know if it was because Paige was the librarian’s daughter, or because she was used to Olde Earth already, but she was uber helpful with the device. In no time at all, I had access to my schedule, my emails, the etiquette handbook Ethel had referenced, and a couple of titles in my ebook account. Never hurt to have something to read. In case of emergencies, of course—like spending time with people.
“What do you think of it?”
I glanced up from the screen and found Paige pointing to the lines I’d been reading.
“Your schedule,” she clarified.
It was a busy one, for starters, and packed with topics I was eager to learn about. “I’m excited.”
“Me too!”
“For my classes?”
She huffed. “We overlap in half of them.”
Ah. Well, that’d be nice. A familiar face to rely on.
“And Flynn’s in a lot of them too.”
I gaped at her. “Okay, you’ve got a lot of bennies being the librarian’s kid, don’t you?”
She winked and fell into a fit of giggles. “I might have checked out his file on Mom’s tablet.”
Still, I smiled. Okay, make that two familiar faces I’d be seeing in the morning.
Chapter Nine
Morning dawned gray and rainy for my first day of classes at the Academy. My mood was the opposite. Apparently, Paige was an early riser, but I’d even beat her to our bathroom to get ready. Given all the practice I’d gained as Sabine’s sister, I knew how to be efficient.
Secrecy: Olde Earth Academy: Year One Page 7