Chapter 7
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"So, you too haven't been picked yet."
Cole sat across from me at the bench, brush stroking each nail with careful precision. My hand was growing tired of stiffening, I was careful not to move an inch.
Yesterday was eventful, I had wandered nearly the entire dorm in search of Derrick with his photograph picture firmly instilled into my mind, and I ended up getting lost. My search didn't amount to much, I didn't see the missing boy Ciel was so desperately looking for on the dorm grounds, but I did bump into Cole. He ended up helping me get back to the dorm rooms.
"Not at the moment…" I admitted, gazing at his handiwork.
He had successfully convinced me to paint my nails the standard color of purple house, a very dark violet that looked almost black. The color matched his own, I was surprised. It was unheard of for men to sport makeup let alone polish on themselves unless their work called for it, such as a performer. At least where I was from, Britain seemed to have a new set of social rules regarding it.
"Not to worry, it's only the fourth day, I'd say someone will fancy you soon." He assured, dark eyes focused.
It felt like a quiet tea picnic, talking about a potential suitor. This whole fag business was a lot more serious than it seemed.
"Is it that important?" I muttered.
I was honestly not in a hurry to be some seniors makeshift butler, it would make my work so much harder. Yet I suppose that was the point. To instill a humble attitude whilst acquiring success. His gaze flickered over to me, long used to my ignorance by now.
"Yes, you won't have a fag of your own when your a senior otherwise." His hands moved to seal the little glass polish bottle.
"Make sure to stretch out your fingers for a bit before doing anything with them, it needs to dry." He advised as I raised my own hands, admiring the cleanliness.
"Thank you, you're good at this." I shot him a grin.
"Yeah…told ya, I am better suited for the arts than for music." His own smile was shy.
He wasn't prone to good feedback.
"So I see, by the way…there is another boy here with the same name as you, Cole, do you happen to know him?" I asked, suddenly remembering the pretty boy standing inside the gazebo with the perfects.
It was fag time, classes having been over a good half hour ago. Unfortunately that perfect wasn't present in class this morning, the seat next to mine was empty the entirety of the class. No explanation was given, class went on with only a few curious glances towards my direction as we worked. Most unfortunate…and I had gotten up extra early to rush in hopes of catching him before anyone else did.
Oh well…I honestly wasn't sure what I could have said anyway.
Since Cole and I didn't serve any seniors yet, we had free time on our hands. I could have been searching again, but I was tired from it yesterday. All that time walking around chasing a ghost, and so here we were, leisurely resting on the bench not too far away from the main campus grounds, painting each other's nails and chatting like women on a tea picnic. Cole wasn't going to get picked by a senior like this, maybe he too wasn't in a hurry to serve someone else.
"Another Cole? If your talking about Redmond's fag yes, everyone knows the perfects and their fags, even if they are from different houses." He stated rather simply.
"Well…he seemed to have tricked my brother…" I started, unsure of how much to say.
I had to leave out the part where Ciel himself was trying to trick them first with treats that weren't made by his own hand.
The irony.
"Tricked him?" His gaze was on me again, I had his full attention.
"He wronged him, what do you know about him?" I asked carefully, blue eyes glancing across the campus.
Even with all these students walking around, no sign of Derrick.
"That's a serious accusation to make about a perfects fag." Cole pointed out.
"But it's the truth, I was there." I said with a frown.
It was a half lie, I was only there when Ciel was humiliated, not when he was lied to. I didn't have to be, I trusted the earls words.
An uncomfortable silence stretched. Cole, friendly as he was, had a hard time understanding what I had just said. I understood then, just how cornered Ciel was. It would be near impossible to clear his name, accusing a perfects fag was like accusing the perfect himself.
"Well…I mean, that will be hard for everyone to believe unless you have proof." he looked uncomfortable. "I don't know much other than he's been Redmonds fag for some time, I heard he's good at what he does."
My eyes narrowed. I thought as much, I could only hope Ciel was clever enough to figure something out. Sebastian was supposed to be following him around today, as well as gathering other victims' stories. A sign the earl was cooking something up. Knowing what they were up to made me feel like I was wasting time lounging around instead of doing something useful. My orders were to continue going about my day and keeping a lookout for the missing boy…I had to be patient.
"My my, you'd forget your head if it wasn't attached to your neck I'm afraid." I looked up to meet the voice that spoke out so suddenly.
Sebastian.
He stood before us in that silly garb, arms outstretched and holding what appeared to be clothes. I didn't have to ask to know what it was, and my cheeks grew hot.
I forgot to pick up my cricket uniform.
"Would you excuse us?" He kindly asked, head turning towards Cole with that usual fox-like grin.
"Ah! Y-yes sir." Cole scrambled up, no doubt embarrassed about being caught like this by a 'teacher'.
If only he knew.
I watched as he left with only a curious glance thrown in my direction, shaggy hair nearly hiding his eyes. It hadn't occurred to me until now, if Derrick ended up in purple house maybe his looks changed drastically. He could have colored his hair black and polished his nails. He could be lurking somewhere, hiding under a cloak.
"Cricket starts soon, will you participate?" Sebastian showed no signs of leaving.
"Do I have a choice?" I muttered, taking the clothes from him. "Thank you."
"I suppose not, you're very welcome." The glasses he wore seemed to make his eyes look even browner.
"There's just one problem…" I said rather shyly, blue eyes averting from his.
"You don't know how to play cricket." He smiled.
He already knew, of course he did. Women did not play cricket. Did he come to watch me get run over by boys a few years younger than me?
"Obviously." I shot him an annoyed glance, already in defense mode as I walked past him with the clothes in my hands. "Aren't you supposed to be tutoring someone?"
No use dilly dallying around now, I had only a bit of time to change before the rest of the boys stormed the changing rooms, and I wanted complete privacy.
"Not to worry, I came to tutor you." His voice held amusement, and it stopped me dead In my tracks.
"What? Tutor me?" I was surprised.
"Courtesy of the young master, he shan't let a lady fend for herself amidst a group of young men." He said brightly, accent thick with the heart of Britain.
My, gentlemen they were, as expected of an aristocrat. I should have known the earl would intervene. I was grateful anyhow, Ciel was at least mindful of the environment he had put me in.
"That's very thoughtful of him." I responded, though the comment should have been directed at Sebastian instead.
I knew the butler was just following orders, but it was still kind of him to pull me away from the boys under the guise of a one on one lecture. They may have been young, but they were still taller, bigger. The thought of getting caught in between anyone fighting on the field gave me a shiver.
"Indeed, now, shall we begin?" His chin lifted towards the locker rooms, encouraging me to keep walking.
"It's an hour early." I said with a frown.
"Indeed, as they say, the early bird gets the worm." I could almost swear that his smile was curled up in the cruelest way.
"Are you serious?" My mouth was agape.
"You are a noble now, it is expected of you to strive to achieve the best, part of that is to prioritize starting something early to maximize the potential outcome." he inched closer to me, long legs gliding along the floor as he walked.
"I'm only pretending to be a noble." I hissed, voice low in fear of being overheard by a passerby.
I shrank back when he bent down towards me, nose inches away from my own, gaze dark and cold, eyebrows arched in a frustrated frown. The air had suddenly grown heavy, and the hairs behind my neck rose as if shocked.
"So pretend harder." His tone was threatening.
Sebastian was a natural at acting, the sunny demeanor he wore hid the fact he didn't like this any more than I did. This really was all of Ciel's doing. I took my words back, Ciel was the one I should be thanking. I swallowed, body tense as he grabbed both shoulders and urged me along, large hands squeezing slightly.
"Now then, let's get you ready for your first lesson at behaving like an obedient human being." The sarcasm in his voice was dry, hidden by the honey'd tone he sang.
I dared not talk back. I knew he was summoning the patience not to squeeze my shoulders until they broke. He wasn't used to this.
"You are NOT coming in with me." I shook away from his grip once we got to the locker room's entrance.
"Not to worry, I will wait for you out here until you are done." He was back to his fox-like smile rather fast.
An optimistic man.
"Wait! On second thought, can you come with me?" I blurted, changing my mind altogether.
His lip twitched.
"Will you keep a lookout please? In case someone comes in, just give me a shout so I know." I asked, softening my tone.
I had to be polite. I needed his help now more than ever, and the thought of him taking revenge by letting someone walk in without stopping them, or at least sending a warning, was horrifying.
"Certainly." His sigh was low.
"Thank you." I meant it.
The stalls smelt of newly painted walls, and they were spacy enough to change in comfortably. The sound of the door wailing filled the building when I opened one, conveniently away from the entrance. It was more shadowed, missing the light from the upper windows. A passerby walking by wouldn't be able to see me, I only had to worry about the large gaps in between the doors of the stall and the sides. Sebastian blocked most of it from view with his back as he casually leaned against the stall.
"And don't turn around please." I added.
I probably shouldn't have, he may have been a bit dry, but he seemed like a decent gentleman. Still…
"Wouldn't dream of it." He muttered under his breath.
I could practically feel the eyebrow twitch.
Removing my uniform was tedious, and the back of my feet were both red and a bit swollen. I knew it would happen, it always did with new shoes, especially dressy ones.
"How long have you been working for the earl?" My attempt at small talk was a good distraction from the pain.
"Quite some time." Sebastian's voice had a small echo.
"I never thanked you for recommending me…" I muttered, adjusting the cricket uniform to slide into the trousers.
They were only a tad big, but they fit well otherwise. My feet were getting cold the longer they stood planted on the white tiled floor, and the longer I stayed the more I ran the risk of others coming to change. I had to hurry.
"You wouldn't be here now If I didn't." Sebastians soft response made me pause.
Did he think I regretted this?
"It's fine." I said as I slid into the shirt next, feeling the soft texture brush against my skin. "Back then…when I first read your cards…why'd you want to drag me deeper into the alley?"
It was a question I had always wanted to ask but never could find the right moment to. There was a pause, a long stretch of silence. I could only assume he was thinking about what to say. Perhaps the question was too sudden.
"My apologies if I had alarmed you, I've forgotten about that day, rest assured scaring you was not my intent." His words were slow and smooth as he talked.
It was hard to tell if he was genuine.
"You gave me a fright, I thought you had sinister intentions." I pulled at my shirt in distaste.
It was itchy.
He let out a faint chuckle. I felt silly saying it out loud, but could I be blamed? I didn't know him then like I did now, and I still didn't know him well yet. Not completely.
"Did you ever find your friend?" I asked, briefly remembering the odd silver haired man that Sebastian was looking for.
It felt like it had happened long ago.
"Hardly, I'm afraid that's a story for another time should the young master choose to tell." His response was curt.
Got it...I chose not to pry further, I was done changing after all. The lock clicked when I opened the door, and Sebastian gave a nod of approval, a favorable sign I did better than the tie yesterday morning. I picked up rather quickly.
"Have you played cricket before?" I took the time to ponder his question quietly as we walked through the exit passing the showers.
Neither of them had doors, they were open showers that had little to no privacy. Two walls each, that was it. Why didn't they install doors? I was going to have to use them when the place was vacant. Asking Sebastian to keep watch while I showered was more scandalous than merely changing clothes. It was out of the question.
Yet another inconvenience.
"Only once, with my sister and some friends as kids…it was a long time ago." I murmured.
Despite it being evening, the sun was still up, and it felt good against my skin as I followed the tall man up the grassy hill once we were out of the lockers.
My feet brushed against uncut blades of grass, slightly wet from active sprinklers only a few hours prior to now. It dampened the bottom of my uniform, clinging to my skin like a tight grip.
It was familiar.
Just like my nightmare. Slowly walking up the hill towards a house that no longer stood.
"Are you alright?" I snapped out of the awful memory at the sound of Sebastian's voice, who was peering down at me with a questioning gaze.
"Yes? Why wouldn't I be?" He was probably talking and I had failed to listen, being too consumed in my own thoughts.
"You look distressed, I asked if you remember the rules of the game." The wind caressed his raven black hair, dislodging the locks he had tucked being his ear.
I must have said the wrong thing.
"No." I admitted, keeping my own locks down with one hand to gaze at the field.
"Not to worry, I shall go over them in great detail, please do try to focus." He sighed, moving over to the the long strip of dirt sitting in the middle of the field.
I could see the stumps on each end with a small basket next to it. A lone bat rested on the floor next to it, showing signs of wear and tear from everyday use. I moved over to it, picking it up with only slight difficulty. The fields were empty since we started an hour early, once cricket classes had begun, the strips would be full of people.
Sebastian had good judgement in starting early.
I still didn't fancy it.
"Is it heavy?" Sebastian watched with a smile, brown eyes studying the way I held the bat.
"A bit." I hated to admit it, but if I were to play with boys, I was at a physical disadvantage.
"Try holding it a little closer to the center, like this." He moved behind me, arms reaching around to grab my hands and reposition them. He was too close, I could feel the warmth radiating off of his body, and I tried my best not to think about it as he talked.
"Knees bent, don't lean forward too much, since your frame is smaller, you'll have to use your stance to leverage some of the bat's weight." He advised, tongue clicking as I struggled to maintain the stance he had formed me into.
"It hurts my legs." I complained.
"Practice will condition you" he gave a small chuckle.
I tried not to roll my eyes. Easy for him to say, I was not built for this at all.
"How is the game played?" I asked, straightening to stretch my back, arms reaching back to ease the tension from holding the bat.
"The game is played with two teams of eleven each pitted against each other. Nine fielders are strategically positioned around the field in addition to the bowler and wicketkeeper. The bowler throws the ball, and the batter tries to hit it, competing to score a run while the bowling team tries to get the batters out. Once all batters are out, the teams switch. If all batters are out on both teams an inning is concluded." Sebastian explained in good detail as promised.
"What's an inning?" I asked curiously.
"In which a team bats, there can be up to four innings in a match, though it is typically two in a twenty." Sebastian said, gloved hand reaching up to caress his chin.
"I see, it's really not that complicated, I suppose I understand it now." I gave a nod of understanding.
"Excellent, given your physical difference, what you lack for in strength you make up for in agility…you might be good at running for the stumps, therefore it will be wise to practice your batting and focus on that." He walked over to the basket, coat swaying in rhythm to the wind.
He looked like death, gliding along the grass like a ghost. All he needed was a scythe. I watched curiously as he picked a ball from the basket, twirling it in his hands, and I repressed a groan. This was ludicrous, I was sent here to assist in finding a missing person, why did I have to practice playing cricket?
"I'll throw the ball, try to hit it as best you can." He called out, tall figure standing gracefully across the field.
Elegant as a butler should be.
"Must I really do this? Can't we pretend to practice and talk instead?" I called out, at this point not bothering to care for the possibility of being overheard.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt the strong wind glide against my cheek. The ball flew past me so fast I had failed to notice it coming at me. If it were any closer it would have hit my face.
"H-hey! I wasn't ready! Are you mad?!" I shouted, temper rising.
"Best be on your toes, your opponent won't go so easy on you." Was his response before tossing another, this time, slow enough for me to see.
I gasped, swinging a tad bit too early, and stumbled on my own two feet as the ball bounced behind me. I missed it. Seriously…the jerk. He was taking his role of a teacher way too seriously.
"Stay crouched as I had advised earlier, your stance is too rigid, relax, focus on where I am going to throw." He shouted sternly, pitching another one.
This time I hit it, but the ball bounced awkwardly to the ground beside me.
"You want to hit it forward, not down." He called out, repressing a laugh.
"I know that." I grumbled, letting out a deep sigh.
He was enjoying this, perhaps Sebastian was the type that liked teaching. I had to wonder if he had taught Ciel cricket before. It was a frustrating task, learning something I wasn't even into.
Another throw, I closed my eyes for a split second before swinging forward. The force of the ball hitting the bat nearly forced me to drop it, but I held it firmly in place. I hit it, the ball flew forward, gracefully this time and I made a run for it, feet slamming against the dirt as I ran for the stump. It was exciting, I didn't expect to land a good swing in such a short amount of time, and it felt exhilarating. I smiled widely as the wind carried me, blue locks dancing wildly around my face.
It was short lived.
One minute I was flying through air, the next I was falling face first into the ground and time was at a standstill. A gasp escaped my lips, my hands instinctively flew up to shield some of the impact. My eyes squeezed shut.
I knew what was coming, but it never came.
When I opened them, I saw Sebastian above me, arm wrapped around my torso just under my outstretched arms. He caught me just before I landed.
"Ah..h-how." I stammered, baffled.
He was standing across the field, just how did he get to me so fast?
"That was close, you shouldn't run too fast young master." He scolded, warm brown eyes softening for only a split second before going wide.
He stiffened, I could feel it on his arm, and I blinked as he quickly let go. It was brief but I felt a change in atmosphere in the raven haired man. I stood, shaking off the bit of dust that had settled on my shirt.
He called me young master…
There was a very long stretch of silence that felt almost uncomfortable. I couldn't read his expression at all, he looked as if his thoughts had drifted far away, eyes blankly staring at the cricket bat I had left behind.
"Thank you for catching me on time…I suppose I must look very much like Ciel, don't be embarrassed for mistaking me as such." I said, trying to break the ice.
Was he embarrassed? He was only human after all…mistakes were normal. I would confuse mother with Lysa all the time...
He blinked, cool gaze sliding back into mine, and he smiled.
"Certainly, I must admit, if only the young master was just as easy to teach" he said in amusement, voice sounding a little gleeful.
I was surprised yet again.
Did Sebastian just compliment me? It only meant he thought I was more manageable than Ciel, but it also meant he enjoyed teaching me something as small as cricket. I felt relieved. In the entire time of being in the butlers presence I had been feeling nothing but tension and a feeling of dislike. But here we were now, it was like the ice between us was slowly starting to break. Perhaps I could befriend Sebastian, and come to call him as such someday. It was a slow approach but it was better than nothing.
"Let's try that again, I won't be so hasty next time." I shot him a toothy grin.
"Excellent, shall we begin?" He suggested, eyes lighting up rather humorously.
"You bet!"
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"So, death doesn't actually mean death?" It was the hundredth time someone had thrown that question at me.
But it was the first time Cole did, and he was a good acquaintance so far, therefore I had to take it upon myself to be not only patient, but understanding.
"Not exactly, it does mean death, but in a transformative way." I explained, letting him grab the card to examine.
He stared at the card in wonder and curiosity, dark eyes as wide as an owls. It was dark out, with the clock hitting nine pm, bed time was soon to come. Cole was a night owl, he liked to read old newspapers before bed, a habit I found to be odd.
It couldn't have been as odd as my hobby.
The moment he spotted my tarot deck he was on his feet begging me to let him see them, and so I gave him a reading. It was a bright one, with very little obstacles coming his way. It was well over an hour now and he was still marveling at each different card, asking about its meaning.
"So like change?" He murmured in a low tone.
"Yes, but it's not the same for everyone, everyone's reading is different." I always found it hard to explain it to others.
Nobody's reading was ever the same, it was like a fingerprint, unique only to them. Simply stating what the individual cards meant couldn't tell anyone's past, present, or future. I had to do a personalized reading for that.
"I get it, but how could you tell?" He asked, eyes shooting up to meet mine.
"I beg your pardon?" I blinked, taken aback.
"How do you know what each card means for a particular person? How do you do it?" His question was straightforward.
"I don't know, I just do." I murmured, mind searching for the correct answer.
There wasn't any, there were no words. It was like trying to explain what water tastes like. It was simply impossible to explain without the other person trying it for themselves.
"I see…I think you have some sort of gift, cos my past was pretty accurate, it's kind of freaky." He admitted.
"I'm sorry if I unsettled you." I apologized despite him being the one to ask.
This wouldn't be the first comment I had heard.
"It's quite alright, it's not everyday I meet someone who can do this sort of thing." Cole smiled, eyes averting down to the cards again.
"About that man earlier, mr. Michaelis, word is spreading he's tutoring you privately during cricket."
"Oh…yes." I blinked. So his last name was Michaelis, it was fitting...somehow.
"That's lucky, everyone talks well of him, he must be a good teacher." He exclaimed, leaning in.
He was obviously fishing for details, it was almost comical. I had no idea Sebastian had become this popular already. I knew his looks played a role, Sebastian could charm anyone with his appearance. Even in an all boys school.
"He certainly has the patience for such a position." It was all I could say.
"Certainly…I suppose we should go to bed, tomorrow will be another early day." Cole suggested, standing up from his crouched position at the foot of my bed.
"Yes, indeed." I nodded, eager for his retreat.
Cole was already in his pajamas while I was still in my uniform, something I did on purpose so I'd have an excuse to visit the lockers. When he asked why I wasn't dressed earlier I simply said I had forgotten my nightwear there, and it wasn't a lie. Odd as it may be, but I needed to shower, and unfortunately dusk was when they were most vacant. It had been two days and I felt gross. A quick shower would do, I had to make it fast. Perhaps the most major inconvenience. I had given very little thought on this particular need until now, and I was disliking it.
"I'll be back, would it be okay to take the lamp?" I asked, gathering the cards to put away whilst glancing at the kerosene lamp on his side of the dresser.
Those things seemed to be popular here.
"Lights are out at ten sharp, so you may as well." Cole responded with a yawn.
He was already half-slipped into his own bed, dark shaggy hair strewn around the white pillow underneath him.
"Thank you." I said, taking the lamp and lighting it.
I had the common courtesy to shut the lights before I left the room. I didn't want that perfects fag to come barging in after seeing the lights on from under the door. After what happened the first day, there was no telling what he might do next. If he had a habit of roaming the halls after curfew I had no idea.
I didn't want to find out the hard way.
The hallway was dark when I left the room, with thick rays of moonlight penetrating through windows like lightning beams. Shadows danced as I walked, encouraged by the small flame of the lamp I held. It was eerie at night, and purple house's style didn't make it any better. The dark colors made it all the more harder to see, and I had to keep towards the moonlight to guide me. My footsteps were soft, silent, as light as a feather. It was deserted save for singing crickets that could be heard in the graveyard they called a garden outside the dorms walls.
"Everything's dead out here, even the grass." I mumbled, stopping short of the doors exiting the hall.
The air outside wasn't as cold as I had thought it would be, much to my delight. I had to love spring, summer wasn't too far off and the weather was slowly getting warmer. Grass crunched underneath my feet as I crept across the backyard passing the gate. The lockers were located towards the cricket fields, a bit of a ways but walking distance wasn't impossible. I hovered a hand over the lamp in an attempt to keep the light low. If someone saw it they might come out to see who was out and about. Not the most favorable thing to do but it couldn't be helped, the lack of proper lighting made it hard to see in the dark as my feet brushed against the grassy floor.
I hated the dark.
"Just a bit more, hang in there." I whispered to myself, huffing as I sped up.
I could see the building of the lockers now, half hidden by shadows. Just a bit more…
Somewhere, a branch snapped.
I stopped dead in my tracks, Stiffening like a mouse caught in the light. It had come from behind me, but I couldn't see anything, even when I thrust the lamp forward. An animal? Perhaps, I was paranoid. Sneaking around may have been easy for Ciel and Sebastian but it made me anxious.
Without another thought, I turned and jogged towards the building.
It had to be an animal. No one was following me.
I had to keep telling myself that until I got to the door.
Finally.
The locker room felt damp and cold upon entering, large doors moaning as I pushed through. The tiled floors were still wet from being previously used, and it was way too dark to see without the help of the lamplight.
I raised it as I rushed towards my locker, footsteps echoing across the dimly lit walls. Just as I had left it, my nightgown was there, neatly folded. I grabbed it along with the towel beside it quickly, shutting the small door with a slam before searching for a stall. None of them were in use at this time, but they were all so dark it was creepy.
if only they had a door...though I didn't know which was worse in all honesty. Seeing the abyssal shadows? Or not seeing them?
'There is a pattern of missing boys in this school.'
Ciels words came back to me as I stared into the dark crevasses of each stall, so dark it felt like something might be in there, watching, waiting. Missing boys…what could have happened to them? Why on earth was I thinking about that now?
Now of all times…
I imagined them, corpses hiding in the stalls, mouths agape in silent agony, waiting for a random passerby to get close enough…Trying to speak their demise. I shook my head vigorously, willing the thoughts and images away. There were no corpses, the boys were missing, not dead. My imagination always got the better of me when I felt the most vulnerable and I hated it.
I had to think of something else.
I chose the stall at the far end, moonlight shone through the small window above it, slightly illuminating it. It felt safer, and I could use the beams to see.
Placing the lamp on the small ledge where the soap bar lay, I quickly stripped out of my uniform, unwrapping the chest bindings as best I could. Playing cricket in it made it sweaty, I had to find a way of cleaning it without having to ask Sebastian. The thought was…embarrassing.
I folded the clothing in a neat pile and bent to leave it at the bench seat beside the stall. There was plenty of light to see now thanks to the mixture of moonlight and flame. It gave the shower stall a pretty orange-blue glow. My skin seemed to glimmer. If only I felt as nice as it looked, who knew playing sports out for two hours would make me feel this grimy? I was dying to shower.
Turning the knob, I looked towards the shower head and waited, sighing in relief when warm water hit me.
The nobles in this school were very lucky, It was unheard of to have warm water in locker rooms from where I came to study back at home.
I wished I had the time to enjoy it, but I had to hurry. The longer I stayed the more probable getting caught was.
I grabbed the soap and scrubbed frantically, trying to push the thought that boys had used it before me away. It was gross really, scandalous. To be showering in a place meant for males…Ciel owed me big time.
'Find Derrick, search purple house for any signs of him.'
Would I ever find him? Even if I did…what would I say? I supposed there was nothing to do but report it to Ciel, but what would he do about it? Surely he couldn't force someone out of here against their will, even with the queen's approval. But I had failed to see Derrick here…and if I hadn't seen him yet…did that mean he was…?
I bit my lip.
"There I go again…thinking of absurd things." I sighed, reaching up to scrub under my arms.
Derrick was most certainly not dead, because if he was dead, that would mean someone…murdered him. No accident would go unnoticed, but a murder…
I shivered.
My eyes flickered over to my arm, and I paused, soap stopping midway just above my elbow. There was a stain of some sort just above my armpit.
Charcoal from art class? How did it get there?
I squinted against the lamplight, light shadows dancing in waves as I peered closer. It was a bit hard to see because of the angle. I wiped at it, frowning when the stain remained, and it was only after the third attempt that I realized it wasn't a stain.
I inched closer to the lamp, ignoring the pouring water over my chest as my eyes widened. No it wasn't a stain, it was some sort of marking. A circle of sorts with a peculiar pattern. It was too symmetrical and pretty to be a stain.
It looked more like a tattoo.
"What the hell…?" I was dumbfounded.
I was so engrossed in the strange appearance of the marking I had almost failed to notice the figure's reflection on the lamp's glass surface.
Almost.
I gasped, turning so fast my elbow had struck the lamp and it came crashing down against the tiled ground rather loudly. The light was out now, but for the split second it was up, just before it hit the floor, I saw it. A cloaked figure standing at the other end of the stall, body so dark it blended into the shadows. It melted into the background like hot chocolate.
The lamp broke, pieces of shattered glass exploded and flew past my bare feet, making the small space of the stall dark once again.
My arms flew up to cover my chest, cheeks reddening in both embarrassment and fear. I heard it, footsteps retreating across the distance, and when I squinted towards where I saw it last, it was already gone.
Crap…did someone see me? Was it a person? Or an apparition? The stalls were all dark, it wasn't too long ago that I was imagining corpses standing in them. Perhaps I imagined it.
But the footsteps. They were most definitely footsteps. As if someone was running away.
"H-hello?" I called out, shakily reaching for the knob to turn the water off.
The silence was deafening, and I heard no reply. The footsteps were gone as well, had I imagined those too? Either way this was bad. If someone had really seen me, it would only be a matter of time before I was expelled.
I reached for the towel quickly, avoiding the glass shards around my feet as best I could to dry myself off before fitting into my clothes.
It was but a memory now, there was no way to tell if what I had seen or heard was real. No way to tell…
Another sound rang out somewhere in the distance. I didn't hesitate nor pause this time. Without thinking, I ran forward, nearly tripping on my own feet. My heart raced, pounding and swollen with fear as adrenaline took over. My feet slammed against the floor with each step but I cared very little about the temperature at the point.
I didn't see the next shadow coming my way as I rushed out the door, I didn't slow when I hit the strangers shoulder.
"What the...! Hey!" The voice shouted.
I didnt turn, even knowing it was a student and not a ghost. I kept running, breath quick and uneven.
panicked.
I wasn't coming back here at night, I could wake up in the very early morning if I had to shower. I didn't stop until I reached the dorm rooms, daring to slow only when I made it through the door. Cole was asleep, the room was as dark as the locker room stalls had been, and I threw myself into the much welcoming bed.
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Thank you for reading! Sorry for the late chapter, but I wanted it to be good before posting ^.^
~Gummie