Chapter 2: St-Ann Hall
"Can we go to the candy shop?" Alice asked with hope. "Oh, look at these flowers there!"
"Alice, come back here!"
Crymston Hall did not have any train station, but the neighboring town of Sadran City, which was way bigger, did have one – one which has been abandoned for years. It was shabby-looking building with two floors, pastels walls, and dirty windows. Nearly located in the middle of nowhere, Mina even doubted that the people of Sadran City knew about it. Since she started going to school, never did she see anyone around the station – except for fellow students and their parents – which was way too far the city center and the housing estates. Led by Nan, they entered the building, the noise made their bags breaking the probably permanent silence. The room was empty, as it could be expected, with the exception of some chairs in the middle, and some posters from the last decade on the walls with faded paint.
"We are going to be late," Nan said, checking her watch. "Max, put your ring on the door lock."
But, whose all attention was on his phone, did not hear her.
"Max!" Nan repeated, beginning to be impatient.
"Yes, what?"
"It's alright," Mina laughed. "I'll take care of it."
She walked to a simple grey door that usually led to the platform, of course now locked, and brough her thin finger which had the school's golden signet ring on it to the lock, more precisely to the slot where keys were put. They heard loud click!, and the door slightly creaked slightly open.
"Let's go."
Mina completely opened the door, which made it creak even more, but instead of opening to the platform and the blue sky, the door opened to a large station hall – this one not abandoned – which, unlike Sadran's, was well taken of. Nan came in behind her, firmly holding Alice's hand because the latter had a strong habit to run away as soon as the occasion came in, and Max closed the door behind them. Around them, people were coming in by the other doors, mostly students who were getting back to their school, accompanied by their parents. The sound of the laughs and joyful conversations really contrasted with the silence of Sadran City's station.
"Stay together," Nan told them.
Their baggage rolling behind the twins, they walked through the hall until they saw the platform a little further away. Mina then started to look around nervously, trying to see a more than friendly face in the crowd. Suddenly, she felt a particular excitation, as being in the St-Ann Hall meant going back to school, and most importantly, see her friends again. She started to wonder if she should send them a message to know where on Earth they were when a voice she could have recognized among a thousand called her.
"Mina! Mina!"
Mina turned around and saw a young girl of the same age, who also had put the school's jacket on, rapidly walk towards her. Taller than Mina, she was as blonde as Mina was a brunette. Her straight blond hair that fell on her back, light blue eyes, thin and severe eyebrows, high cheekbones, a long nose, and a mouth that was neither wide nor thin. She was wearing a blue shirt under her jacket, a white skirt, and flat black shoes that were a little bit tired.
"Roxanne!"
Instantly letting of her bags, Mina almost started to run to her, they fell into each other's arms laughing, which made some people give them a weird look.
"Do you know where the others are?" Mina asked.
"I guess they're gonna be there soon. Oh, here comes Sonia!"
Another young girl was indeed coming, weaving at them. She had tan skin, stunning curly brown hair that fell on her shoulders. Her eyes were brown, she had a thin nose and rather thin lips. Her shirt was Bordeaux, and she had a black skirt and wedge shoes, and the school's jacket was around her waist. She was with her older brother Theo, two years older than her, and their parents, a tall and very beautiful black woman with dark hair and a man with balding hair and bright eyes. Sonya hugged Mina and Roxanne, and the latter then greeted Mr. and Mrs. Taylor and Theo, who quickly went to start talking with Max.
Only seconds after it was Alden's turn to come with two large bags including one mostly full of books. He was a bit taller than Max, thinner as well, and his brown hair and his glasses which were hiding his green eyes gave him a candid look. Alden was the boy in the group that Mina saw the most as a brother – if she ever was able to make a ranking. She adored Max, but she would have loved to have such a calm and sweet like Alden as a brother. Alden greeted them one by one, and Mina saw Sonya discreetly run a hand through her hair right before Alden came to her and blush when they talked, which made Mina smile.
"Does any of you know when Seb is supposed to come?" Mina asked. She was getting more worried by the second. "He's usually early."
"No clue," Alden answered. "Soon, I suppose."
Alden always have had this calm, reassuring aura, and always knew the words to say to comfort everybody. But this time, his words barely reassured Mina. She took an anxious look around her, and felt Roxanne put a fresh hand on her arm to calm her.
"Hey, he will arrive eventually."
"I know, I know. Hey, Alden, where are your parents?"
"Oh, they had a lot of appointments this morning, so they just dropped me by. They wanted to stay, though, but seeing Sonya's parents reassured them."
Alden's parents were both dentists in Chicago, and the family lived a few miles from there. Mina's attention abruptly deported on the Hall's door, and it did not take her long before she understood the two people, or actually the two teenagers, who were loudly arguing, which attracted attention.
"I'm telling you it was!"
"And I'm telling you you're raving!"
"They're so discreet, it's incredible." Sonya mumbled.
"Oh, you guys are here!"
Kenna, the one who apparently was raving, immediately calmed down, and had a big smile. She was perfectly made up, had long, wavy hair that was blond but darker than Roxanne's that were help by a black headband. She had brown eyes with long eyelashes, a wide mouth, a pointed chin, and arched eyebrows. The school's jacket simply put on her shoulders, she had a black crop top, which made Mina shiver, and a short skirt than Roxanne and Sonya's. The sound of her heels resonating behind her, she opened her arms with manicured hands towards Mina.
"I'm so happy to see y'all!"
She embraced each girl, and just had a simple yet genuine smile for Alden. After he smiled back at her, he turned to the boy Kenna was with.
"Hi, Nathan!"
"Hey, man!
This time, Alden was given a franc embrace with big slaps on the back. Nathan was rather tall, and just seeing his muscular arms was enough to know that he did sports. He also had a lot of success with girls, with his blond hair on the side of his face, his blue eyes, and his bright smile – or "Colgate", as Mina liked to call it – but his girlfriend Kenna was here to keep him in check and never hesitated to tell off the girl who had the misfortune of being too insistent. Nathan and Kenna started dating during their first year at school, and their average of their arguments was, according to Alden, of two per day, but Mina was more indulgent. Nathan rapidly hugged – not because of Kenna but because of the awkwardness – the girls and then went to speak to Max and Theo, who were speaking about basketball – they were both part of their respective class' teams. They all asked about each other's health and holidays, when the penultimate member of their group arrived, walking fast.
"Raph'!" Nathan exclaimed. "Where the heck were you, man?"
"Traffic" the boy answered with a sigh. "Hi, everyone!"
Out of breath, Raphael ran a hand through his brown hair and said hi to everyone – a kiss on the cheek and a hug for the girls, and a hug for Alden and Nathan. He was wearing a simple jean, a white t-shirt and the school jacket which seemed to make him warm because he took it off. He had slightly tan skin, bright chocolate eyes, and looked, according to Mina and Roxanne, like a Peter Parker that came straight out of the comics, and the fact that he was just like Peter passionate about science only made this impression stronger.
"I really thought I was gonna be late."
He took a look at the small group they were forming and frowned, still a bit Out of breath.
"Seb isn't here?"
"Oh, that's true," Kenna said. "Grey isn't here."
"I'm gonna send him a message. The train is gonna be there soon."
"Maybe he's not taking the train this year?" Sonya suggested.
It was true that the students had the choice to come either by train or by their own means, with the condition to be at the school by sharp noon.
"No, he told me he was taking the train with us" Raphael said, shaking his head. "He must be stuck in traffic like I was. I'm sure he is not far away."
Yet, Mina started to have a bad feeling about this.
"Maybe we can ask the driver to wait for him?" Roxanne proposed.
"Yeah, right," Nathan mocked. "The train isn't waiting for anybody."
Mina glared at him, which made the blond boy stop laughing immediately, and took her phone. She quickly wrote a massage that sounded panicked and sent it. It was now five to eleven, and one could hear the train arriving at the station. Mina checked if she had received an answer, and felt her anxiety grow by the second. What if something happened to Sebastian?
"Departure for Eagle's School!" one of the station's agents announced.
"Don't worry, Mina" Roxanne said with a calm voice loud enough to cover the sound of the train which just stopped neat them. "Even if Seb doesn't take the train, he'll just have to tell the school that he'll be late, but indeed on his way. He won't get in trouble at all, it happens to some students every year.
"Mina! It's time." Nan said uselessly.
"Nan, Sebastian is still not here!" Mina informed her, almost running towards her nanny.
"Mina, look!" Alice screamed, pointing something behind her sister.
Mina flip-flopped, and silently thanked the Three First. Entirely dressed in black, his jet-black hair on one of his eyes, Sebastian Grey walked with a barely hurried step.
"Seb!"
Not thinking anymore, Mina ran to him, and he grabbed her with agility and a laugh.
"You scared me to death! You almost arrived late!"
"Ah, sorry, corazón, there were some complications."
He softly let go of her, and Mina was once again amazed by Sebastian's handsomeness. He had a peach complexion, black eyes, a thin nose and face, a small diamond on his ear, and was, according to basically everybody, one of the most handsome boys of the school. He was Mina's best friend, but she was madly in love with him. But he shall never know. He kissed her on the cheek and putting an arm around Mina's skinny shoulders, greeted the others. Mina, almost reluctantly, detached herself from him to go say goodbye to Nan, who adjusted Mina's jacket.
"Be careful, alright?" she said to the twins. "And do let me know if you need anything."
"Don't worry, Nan, everything will be fine." Mina assured her.
"Of course," Max approved.
Nan kissed the both of them on the cheek, and Mina turned to Alice whose eyes was watery.
"Aw, don't cry, little sis, we'll see each other soon! Come here."
Mina held Alice tightly and held her hand.
"Be good, and try not to break anything that is in my room, understood?"
"Yes. I'm gonna miss you guys."
"You too, Lili, you too."
"Mina!" Roxanne called, almost inside the train. "We gotta go!"
"Goodbye, darlings! Be good and do your homework!"
"Of course! We love you, Nan!" Mina shouted while getting in the train.
She caught up with Max, who was just before her and was talking with Sebastian.
"Hey, man. It's nice to see you. Sorry, I didn't see you earlier."
"Right," Max laughed, "too busy smothering my sister, huh?"
"Probably." Sebastian admitted with a smile before turning towards the sister in question.
"I'm glad to see you arrived in time, Seb." Roxanne teased, "Mina was about to have a nervous breakdown."
Sebastian laughed, and gave a tender look to Mina, who didn't even try to deny it. Each of them got in the train after putting their bags in, and then all went to the train's second floor of the second car, which was reserved for the students of the Blue Class – in other words the students in their fifth year at Eagle School. Mina weaved at Nan and Alice and sat between Sebastian and Roxanne. She put her head on the young man's shoulder, who put an arm around her. Mina and Sebastian were more and more clingy with time, so much so that a lot of people at school thought they were dating.
"I'll go find my friends." Max told Mina.
"Alright. Don't forget that we must send Nan a message as soon as we're at school."
"Right. See you all."
"See you, dude!"
Max walked away, and Mina's attention fell on what Sonya was saying.
"I spent the whole summer having terrible nightmares, you guys have no idea."
"Me too," Roxanne answered, very surprised.
"I did, too." Sebastian added.
Raphael nodded with an air of surprise, putting himself on the list. And it turned out that it was the case with Nathan, Kenna, and Alden as well. Mina frowned and tried to think. All of them having nightmares was probably not be a coincidence, and the eloquent looks they all shared proved to her that they were thinking the same thing.
"Just…Out of curiosity," Raphael asked – he seemed fascinated all of a sudden, "what were your nightmares about?"
