'Golden head by golden head,
Like two pigeons in one nest
Folded in each other's wings,
They lay down in their curtain'd bed:
Like two blossoms on one stem,
Like two flakes of new-fall'n snow,
Like two wands of ivory
Tipp'd with gold for awful kings.
Moon and stars gaz'd in at them,
Wind sang to them lullaby,
Lumbering owls forbore to fly,
Not a bat flapp'd to and fro
Round their rest'
~ Goblin Market, Christina Rosetti (1862)
Chapter twelve - Nancy
Anticipation had to be the world's biggest killer, Kathleen decided. There was only so long a girl could look at a blackboard and repeat Latin verbs on a regular day, let alone a day when she is less than a single hour away from reuniting with her best friend. She had never known verbs to be so painful. Unfortunately, the following textbook work was only a temporary relief. It had taken her five minutes to realise that she had been reading the same line over and over, yet she still couldn't recall a word of it.
"You appear to have gone back in time, Mr Dalton. One minute ago, you were on page twenty-four, now you're on page five," boomed Mr McAllister. The sudden sound caused Kat to startle in her seat.
"Ah, Sir. You recognise my talent at last! I'm flattered," he smirked, eliciting smothered laughter from his peers. Even Cameron's mouth twitched as he shook his head at his roommate's inability to keep his mouth shut.
"Five demerits," Mr McAllister snapped before turning back to the lesson, ignoring the insolent boy's answering 'fair enough' shrug.
The interruption only revealed that many of the dead poets were in a similar predicament to her own. Neil drummed his pencil absentmindedly, each drop keeping with the beat of Meek's tapping foot. Knox's pen wavered between his knuckles like a conductor's stick, his interest, like Pitts', was locked on the birds visible from out of the window. Only Cameron was paying attention, though Kat caught him glancing at his watch every now and again.
When the bell finally rang for lunch, the team of eight swept the contents of their desks into their bags, almost running in their haste to reach the dining hall. They slowed their pace as they approached the doors, taking one last look at one other before they separated at the serving area.
Once seated, they scarfed down their food in silence until Cameron issued the first command. "Group One. Now."
Neil, Charlie and Kathleen collected their plates and headed back over to the serving tables, but at the last second, they ditched their crockery and slipped out of the double doors. In four minutes, they were out of the side door, across the short stretch of lawn, and concealed by the woodland that surrounded Welton's grounds. For the next few minutes they picked their way through the undergrowth, carefully avoiding fallen branches and patches of nettles whilst trying to maintain a brisk pace.
"I think I can see her!" Neil pointed to a gap in the trees. Kathleen moved closer, and sure enough, a blonde girl in a pink and white floral dress was leaning against the gatepost with her arms crossed. The sight propelled her forward like an invisible force, and before she knew it, she stood a metre away and just out of the girl's peripheral vision.
"Those shoes are really quite impractical," Kat said with a smile.
Nancy turned, her face lighting up. "But very cute," she grinned, swivelling her right foot clad in a fuchsia kitten heel.
"The cutest."
"Never mind the pinching, or the blisters." Nancy deadpanned.
Charlie rolled his eyes, "so it's true, all girls really do is talk about shoes."
Nancy cocked an eyebrow, "which one of your boys is that?"
"Charlie," Kathleen pouted, "ignore him. Don't let him steal your attention from me, I'm the best friend you've been dying to see."
Nancy laughed, tackling the girl into a fierce hug, "I missed you."
"Me too," Kat spoke into the cloud of blonde hair and familiar, peony perfume.
"Sorry to interrupt," Neil said, "but we've got to get back if we want to stay on schedule."
"Schedule?" Nancy, pulled back, but her hands were still wrapped around Kathleen's elbows as she frowned.
"What Neil is referring to is our rigorously planned smuggling operation," Kat smirked as an expression of intrigue appeared on her best friend's face. "Come on," she slipped out of Nancy's hold, "follow us."
"So, what's the plan?" Nancy asked as the quartet trekked through the deep, damp woodland.
"We get as close to the side doors as possible, then dash into the building," Kat explained. "We'll meet some of the others and sneak you into my dorm."
"And up there," Neil pointed to the roof where two, shadowed figures were only just visible, "is Meeks and Pitts. Their job is the signal us if anything goes wrong. So, watch out for any wild waving."
"Noted."
"Fool proof," Neil smiled.
"You hope," snorted Charlie, avoiding the hand Neil stuck out to shove him.
The group rapidly approached the jagged edges of the tree line. Neil removed his standard issue Welton coat and handed it to Nancy. "To draw less attention to your dress," he explained. She nodded, quickly sliding into the coat and, rather regretfully, removing her shoes.
The teens stayed crouched behind the bushes, their breath visible in puffs of mist as they exhaled. Kat had begin to shiver when two figures appeared by the doorway - Todd and Knox. Neil waved at Todd, who tapped Knox and said something. Knox nodded, then ducked back into the building.
More suspiciously than Kat liked, Todd made his way awkwardly up to the group.
"Is it clear?" Charlie asked.
Todd nodded, his gaze sliding back to the many windows overlooking the grounds.
"Right, Nancy," Neil rose to his feet and gestured to her borrowed coat. "I want you to stay behind us at all times with that hood up."
"Sure thing," she answered, flipping up the garment.
"Let's move!"
The group arranged themselves into an almost circular shape around the visitor as they moved swiftly across the grass and up the stone steps into the east wing. The corridor was deserted. Only the faint chattering and clattering from the dining hall could be heard. Knox waved at them from the corner, pushing himself off the wall as they made their way over.
"Good afternoon, I'm Knox," he politely extended a hand. "And you must be Chris's cousin, Nancy."
Nancy cocked an eyebrow at his formality, but accepted the handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she replied with only the barest hint of teasing.
Trying not laugh, Neil turned to the face the empty corridor beside Knox's station. "How does it look?"
"Clear." Knox replied, though his eyes still scrutinised Nancy's face. "It's sixteen minutes past one so we need to hurry."
Neil nodded, beginning to lead them down the east corridor, "we can do it." They successfully passed the doors to the dining hall and had almost reached the entrance hall - where the main staircase was situated - when Neil walked around the final corner and straight into Dr. Hager.
"Dr. Hager!" He cried, causing Kathleen to push Nancy into the gap between two trophy cases.
Charlie swore under his breath.
"Help him!" Kat whispered to Todd before giving him a gentle shove in the direction of the corner. Todd disappeared around it, joining Neil in the line of fire.
"What do we do?" Whispered Knox, his eyes wide.
"Improvise," she muttered darkly, repeating Neil's casual words from last night.
They listened to Neil's voice as he wittered on about the school needing a drama club, and the importance of arts and culture in the development of healthy minds. After a few minutes of agony, Dr. Hager silenced him and ordered them out, before storming around the corner. He eyed the trio gathered around the trophy case with unconcealed distrust.
"Why are you loitering in the corridor?" His eyes narrowed.
The three turned, each teen wearing an expression of innocence.
"We were looking for old Nolan's name, Sir." Charlie said cheerily, "along with the other ancients."
"What he meant to say," Kathleen corrected, throwing a mock glare in his direction, "is that I wanted to find out about my ancestors who attended the school. The boys offered to help me look."
"Do you know where we could find anything?" Asked Knox.
With one last, suspicious look, he acquiesced. "Clear out of the way," he waved them to the side, not noticing the panicked looks they shot one another.
"Really, Sir. We don't want to waste your lunch hour," Knox protested.
"It's alright if you're busy. I can ask my grandfather."
"I think it will be further down that way!"
"What," Dr. Hager growled, pointing at the gap between the glass cases, "is this?"
Nancy froze. Even the breath in her lungs seemed to still in the beat of silence.
"Laziness and convenience, Sir," shrugged Charlie, "welcome to the new America."
"There is no excuse for dropping your personal items and piling them up. This is a respectable school, not a playground," he lectured, gesturing at the plie of coats and scarves stuffed between the trophy cases. "It is unacceptable. Remove them at once and get to your lessons."
"Yes, Sir." Kathleen learned down to pick up the scarfs, handing them cautiously to the correct owners as they watched Dr. Hager leave. The second their least favourite hall moniter had gone, she threw aside the three, layered coats to reveal a girl curled up like a sleeping cat on the floor.
"God," Nancy breathed, "I have never been so scared in my life."
Knox helped her up and the four stared at one another in utter disbelief.
"How the hell did we get away with that? "Charlie voiced their shared thought.
"I don't know," Kathleen shook her head slowly, "but I'm not risking it again."
"Run?" Suggested Nancy.
"Run," the three Welton students agreed. They raced up the stairs and did not stop until Kathleen had wrenched her door open, allowing them all to pile in as Charlie kicked the door shut.
A shrill ring echoed over the grounds.
Charlie checked his watch with a groan.
"That's the end of lunch, isn't it?" Moaned Knox from where he had collapsed onto the floor.
"Off to lessons, you three," Nancy chirped from her perch on Kathleen's bed, "we can't have the administration barging in here to search for you."
"I hate you, Turner," Kat grumbled as Nancy shoved her off the bed.
"Love ya too, Murray," she smiled as she waved them goodbye. "See you later. And don't forget to have fun!"
This chapter was so difficult to write! Switching out characters, introducing a new one, and enacting the plan! If it is too confusing, please let me know so that I can edit and repost. I got into little bit of a muddle while writing so I understand completely if that's the case.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review your thoughts and theories, I love hearing what everyone thinks :)