Ethereal: The Light in the Shadow

by Zoe Knights

  Eddie sighed lowly. “Wow,” she said dully. “This place really so boring that one new student causes that much chatter?”

  Sam smirked again, his dark eyes mischievous. “Certain ones do,” he said simply. “And here we are,” he added smoothly, now gesturing to their left to a closed door with ‘Room 32’ written on a plaque that hung from the wood.

  Eddie smiled gratefully, but her stomach rolled with nerves at entering the class late, for she knew everyone would look at them. “Thanks…” she muttered quietly, reaching to open the door, but Sam stopped her.

  “Oh, one last thing,” he was smirking again. “I can assure you this class is utterly boring. If you’d like I can teach you some far more… enjoyable things somewhere… more private.”

  Eddie had to pause for a moment to make sure she’d heard that right. Then, with a firm gaze and her lips in a stiff line, “I’ll pass, thank you,” she said sternly. “I happen to like English.”

  Sam seemed momentarily shocked, but he shrugged it off quickly. “Your loss,” he cast off idly, and this time he reached for the door. “After you…” he said quietly, revealing the room before her.

  As she expected, everyone turned to look at them. “Mr Finley…” Miss Reed had strict features, but there were smile wrinkles around her eyes. “And Miss Osmond, I assume. You’re late.”

  Eddie opened her mouth to apologise immediately, but Sam cut her off.

  “Oh I know, Miss Reed, but I found the poor thing completely lost and showed her the way,” he said smoothly, that charming smile back on his lips.

  Miss Reed eyed Sam narrowly. “And that took an extra ten minutes did it?”

  “Well I had to make sure she knew where she was going, rather than just herding her, Miss Reed,” Sam said innocently. “Surely you wouldn’t disapprove of a thorough job?” there was something rather intense about the gaze he was giving his teacher and this allure to his tone that made even Eddie want to agree with him.

  “Of course,” Miss Reed said finally. “Well,” she added briskly. “Take a seat and catch up. We’ve already begun outlining this term’s assessment.”

  “You’re welcome,” Sam murmured in her ear before sloping off to a desk in the back corner. Eddie didn’t look at anyone, feeling as though their eyes were already all on her.

  Her gaze found Millie who had just cleared a space beside her and was now waving her over frantically from her desk in the centre of the classroom.

  Eddie hurried over to her. She glanced at Millie’s books already set on the desk. Hers were in perfect condition, she could nearly smell the scent of ‘newness’ to them from here. Even her pencil case was pristine. How was that even possible?

  Eddie sighed internally before finally taking the seat that Millie kept insistently pointing at. She plonked her books down beside hers. They looked even more tattered and old when set in comparison.

  She blushed slightly when she saw Millie’s eyes travel over her second-hand books and old, tatty pencil case that held several pens she’d found over the place along with several pencil sharpening’s and pieces of rubber. Ok… so the messy state of things was her fault. But their age – definitely not. The scholarship didn’t come with free books.

  Eddie cleared her throat slightly, straightening her things a little while gazing toward the front of class, but Millie had other ideas.

  “What happened?” she whispered.

  “Got lost,” Eddie hissed back quietly.

  Millie looked at her from the corner of her eye. “With… Sam?”

  Eddie frowned, glancing at Millie. “No, he just found me and helped me here like he said.”

  Millie nodded quickly, her cheeks flushing. “Oh. Okay.”

  Eddie wanted to ask why but did not get the chance for the teacher began outlining the term assessment again, and she turned away instead to listen.

  Eddie noticed she was starting to get looks from more people as the day wore on and she wondered why one new person could be so interesting; was it really that boring here?

  Her subject after English was science, and she shared the class with both Elliot and Devna. Thankfully, both treated her normally.

  Eddie sat on the end of the bench near the Bunsen burner while Devna and Elliot mostly bickered with each other. A group of boys near the front of the class were chatting amongst themselves before the teacher arrived and kept glancing Eddie’s way and smirking.

  Eddie’s cheeks reddened, and she began to feel thoroughly uncomfortable.

  Devna must have noticed, because she quickly came to her rescue, throwing a pencil at the rowdiest boy’s head, clocking him square on. “Put your cock away, Brendan,” she called out over the class. “I hear she keeps a knife strapped to her shin, you wouldn’t want her to mistake it for a snake.”

  Brendan gestured obscenely to Devna, but Eddie threw her a grateful glance. “Don’t know that snakes that small exist…” she murmured quietly, making both Elliot and Devna laugh.

  “Just ignore them,” Devna whispered to her, still chuckling in amusement. “You’d think they didn’t know girls outside of this school existed. Each time a new one comes along it’s like they’re some rare exhibit,” she finished with a roll of her eyes.

  Eddie nodded in agreement, and ignored the boys for the rest of the class, concentrating instead on her work.

  She met up with Quinn for math in the afternoon who was smirking slyly. “So,” she said immediately. “So much for the ‘no boys, no drama’ talk Millie told me you said.”

  Eddie gave her a weird look. “Uh… what?”

  Quinn rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, I don’t judge,” her tone said otherwise. “I mean, I understand – he’s handsome, charming. You can’t help it.”

  “Quinn, what are you talking about?” Eddie asked rather demandingly this time.

  Quinn frowned. “Seriously?” she said, and Eddie just looked at her blankly. “Well, there’s been rumours flying around from your English class that you and Sam hooked up this morning.”

  Eddie stared, but anger quickly flared under her skin. “What?!!”

  Quinn blanched, laughing in surprise. “Whoa, whoa. Sorry. Okay, well… what happened?”

  “He just showed me to class!” Eddie spluttered furiously. “This is unbelievable! Is that what he’s telling people?!” she demanded.

  “I don’t know – I don’t think so. I think it was just… people from your English class saying you arrived together… late,” Quinn explained. “He does that a lot and, well usually it… always means one thing. Look – don’t worry. People will get over it, there will be new drama to talk about tomorrow.”

  But, Eddie wasn’t worried – she was furious. There was a vein twitching in her neck. So the moment they arrived back at the common room and Eddie saw Sam disappearing down the hall in the direction of the boy’s rooms – she walked off abruptly. Quinn stared after her with wide eyes and a bemused smile.

  “Hey!” Eddie stopped Sam with her voice, and he turned around with curiosity in his eyes at her tone. “You knew what people would think, didn’t you?” she demanded of him furiously.

  Sam’s eyes lit up with surprise this time, a smirk instantly crossing his lips. “Oh, hello to you too, Eden,” he said sweetly.

  Eddie glared at him, and he sighed.

  “I’m afraid I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” he told her simply, but his smirk remained. “Would you like to explain your strange little outburst?”

  Eddie bristled in annoyance. “You knew that people would think you and I hooked up when we got to class late together,” she spelled out, growling the words through her teeth.

  Sam’s smirk grew. “Oh, I see,” he pretended to be surprised. “You’re upset because you didn’t get the full experience? The offer still stands…” he crooned, his dark eyes dipping to her lips and back.

  Eddie clenched her jaw. “Not if my life depended on it,” she snarled. “Why did you do that?”

  Sam looked at her
, not seeming surprised this time – rather a little annoyed as though he was not used to being turned down. “I didn’t do anything,” he said simply, frowning slightly. “It’s not my problem what people want to think.”

  “It is when you deliberately let them think those things!”

  Sam rolled his eyes. “Anyone who’s actually asked me if I snogged the new girl has been told the truth. I don’t need to lie about such things,” he told her rather arrogantly.

  “Right well…” Eddie wasn’t sure what to say now. “Well fine.”

  Sam raised an eyebrow. “No apology for unjustly accusing me of such scandalous behaviour?” he quipped, and his smug little smirk was back.

  Eddie narrowed her eyes. “You just make sure people know the truth,” she snapped before turning on her heel and walking briskly away, the feeling of Sam’s gaze following her burned into her skin.

  Quinn was still staring when she got back to her. “Well that was kind of awesome,” she admitted with a tone of amusement.

  Eddie huffed grumpily, shaking her head and leading the way onward toward their room.

  The Antichrist

  3

  Eddie stayed up late that night to Skype her brother. Earlier that evening she’d received a parcel that had been posted from him all the way back home. He must have sent it before she’d left for her to get it so soon. Inside was a thick, brown coat with cute wooden buttons, several bars of chocolate and a little note with words of comfort and encouragement. She’d had to force back tears upon opening it, a strange wash of homesickness hitting her abruptly with his thoughtful gift. He could have given this to her before she left… but the surprise was far better. She was so ridiculously overwhelmed that she could not wait to thank him.

  So she snuck out to the library in her pyjamas wearing his coat with her old laptop carefully under her arm. She didn’t tell Quinn, unsure what her new friend might think of rule breaking. But, she didn’t have a choice – and the rules here were stifling. She felt rather exhilarated in taking this little bit of rebellious freedom for herself. Besides, it was first thing in the morning for her brother and the best time for her to catch him before he went to work.

  Eddie crept through the halls to the library, her only light cast by the flickering moon outside flooding in through rain-streaked windows and illuminating the bookshelves dully. Eerie silence fought to set her on edge, but she squashed it down and found somewhere to sit.

  She set her laptop on a desk by the wall, pinching the side to get a crocodile clip on so the screen didn’t fall backward while twisting the charger cable several times until it finally registered and lit up. Carefully, she let go of the screen, and it managed to balance and stay open while the fan whirled into action, hot air already pumping from beneath it.

  It got stuck on the loading screen, but she’d learned from experience that tapping the ‘alt’ key repeatedly somehow got it to work. She pulled up Skype, and after a few more minutes of loading, she was finally on the call with her brother.

  His face popped up on her screen, and sunny light streaming from a bright blue sky shone behind him through his window. With the dreary trickling rain outside it instantly made her homesick.

  “Hey,” she said, and even she could hear the relief in her tone.

  Alex smiled, “Rough first day?”

  Eddie shrugged, sighing slightly. “Still less drama than home so… can’t really complain,” she quipped. “Thank you so much for your parcel! It’s amazing, I think I would die of frostbite without the coat.”

  Alex chuckled, “Yeah, well I couldn’t have you dying on me. Can you imagine me dealing with mum without you?”

  Eddie laughed, but her eyes tightened slightly. “How’s she doing?” she asked carefully. “And Dad, are they ok?”

  Alex nodded seriously. “Yes, and don’t worry about them!” he urged scoldingly. “You’re there to focus on your studies, remember? Fill me in on your first day. Have you made friends? Are they nice? Good teachers?”

  Eddie sighed wearily. “Well…” she began slowly. “I have one friend. My roommate, Quinn. She’s nice and loves Doctor Who.”

  Alex laughed, “Perfect match for you.”

  Eddie nodded in agreement. “And then there’s a girl called Millie who’s nice to me. But, she’s head girl, and she’s nice to everyone. So… it’s kind of her job,” she reeled. “The teachers are good so far. I’ve got to go shopping on the weekend though – everyone else has stocked up like crazy on snacks – or they call it tuck. I only brought a few nibbles and extra tea bags!”

  Alex laughed, “Of course you’d bring teabags. Worried an English school wouldn’t have enough?”

  “Had to be safe,” Eddie chuckled. “So how’s work for you?”

  “Same old…” sighed Alex. “But they might be getting me to work in London over Christmas.”

  “Seriously?!” Eddie could barely contain her excitement. “Oh please do!!! Please!”

  “I’m trying, don’t worry,” Alex smiled.

  “Try harder!” Eddie urged excitedly. “That would make my week! Though poor Mum and Dad…” she added guiltily.

  “They’ll be alright. They’d be happy you had some family to spend it with.”

  Eddie chewed on her lip nervously. “Yes, but Mum… what if she-”

  “Eds, she is fine,” Alex said seriously this time. “I take her to her appointments every week. She’s doing well. Ok?”

  Eddie swallowed but nodded slightly.

  “Eds, you need to put it out of your mind. Ok?” Alex urged softly. “Tell me more about school. Have you made your study plan yet? Remember you’ve got to keep on top of it – never let the work overwhelm you.”

  Eddie rolled her eyes. “I know, Alex. You kinda drilled it into me over the last year. Don’t worry – I got the scholarship, didn’t I?”

  Alex gave her a serious look. “Yes, and you don’t want to go and lose it by forgetting the study tricks I taught you.”

  Eddie withheld a weary sigh. “Yeah, I know, Alex. I won’t ‘squander the opportunity’,” she quoted what he had said to her when she received the scholarship. “Anyway I-” she cut off abruptly, hearing a noise somewhere behind her in the library and she froze. “Shit…” she muttered under her breath, glancing over her shoulder. “I have to go. Talk later?”

  “Hm. Clever timing.”

  Eddie gave him a look through the webcam. “No, I actually have to go.”

  “Alright, alright,” Alex smiled wryly. “Good luck, okay Eds?”

  “You too,” she smiled back briefly. “And please, please come for Christmas!!”

  They said their goodbyes and Eddie quickly, but carefully packed up her broken laptop before scurrying quietly to the exit.

  She hesitated by the doors, catching movement to her left. She froze, at first only catching a dark silhouette moving through the aisles, but her eyes focused on a boy with dark hair that was glinting under the milky moonlight as he slowly browsed the books.

  It was Sam. He hadn’t noticed her. And Eddie frowned when he suddenly fingered a book carelessly out of the way before reaching behind it and pulling out a small bottle of whiskey. He then opened the book he’d pulled out before thrusting several pounds inside the cover casually and putting it back in place.

  Wide-eyed, Eddie quickly turned away, scurrying to escape the library before he saw her.

  She ducked through the shelves, holding her broken laptop tightly to try and stop the pieces of metal and plastic from rattling too much.

  She got to the door and then,

  “Nice pyjamas…”

  Eddie’s heart jumped to her throat, and she jolted violently, gasping back a yelp of surprise while only just managing not to drop her laptop. “Christ!” she cursed when her eyes fell on Sam who had somehow managed to get around to the entrance of the library. He was leaning casually against the wall with a bent knee and his bottle of whiskey swinging by its neck between his fingers.

  Sam chu
ckled, “not quite,” he smirked. “You should be careful around here at night,” he warned her quietly, standing slowly off the wall and walking past her toward the exit. “Some say this place is haunted…” he told her softly, before disappearing down the hall.

  Eddie stared after him, her heart still pounding while she was frowning furiously. She shook her head, glancing behind her as Sam had made the hair on her neck stand on end when he walked so closely past her.

  Well, she wasn’t sure about haunted, but the castle was certainly creepy alone at night.

  That thought in mind, Eddie hurried back to the warmth and comfort awaiting her in the form of her bed.

  The next day Quinn woke Eddie up at seven a.m. to avoid any more tardy mishaps.

  Eddie groaned, shielding her eyes from the light. “Thanks…” she muttered groggily. “I promise you won’t always have to do this,” she added. “I think I’m just still jetlagged.”

  Quinn just smiled, “It’s fine. Are you going to breakfast or shower first?”

  “Uh, shower… I’m never very hungry in the mornings,” Eddie sighed, finally pulling herself into a sitting position. “You know I saw Sam smuggling whiskey last night from the library.”

  “What?” laughed Quinn.

  “Yeah, I was there a bit late and ran into him.”

  “You what? Jesus, Eddie. You realise night walking is-”

  “Night walking?” Eddie cut in laughing.

  “That’s what they call it!” Quinn urged. “And the matron is crazy strict about it. You’ll get in more trouble for that than if they catch you smoking!”

  “It was fine,” Eddie shrugged, not feeling concerned as she sluggishly stood up to begin getting ready. “Shouldn’t you be more shocked by the whiskey?”

  Quinn inclined her head. “Well, it just doesn’t really surprise me.”

  Eddie shook her head. “Who does he think he is?”

  “The Antichrist.”

  “What?” Eddie frowned.

  “That’s what Devna’s told me – she goes to that faith group sometimes. They say it,” Quinn shrugged.