Chapter 12
Social Hierarchy
Sinta
I had to peek inside the bathroom to make sure it was safe to enter this morning.
I thought I was done tiptoeing around when I moved out of the foster monster’s house.
Apparently not. I’d just swapped them for a roommate that wished I was dead.
Listening at the door to Tomashi’s room, I try not to feel like a creep and reason that I was doing it for my own safety.
I didn’t want him to walk in while I was showering, and I couldn’t figure out how to lock the fancy door handle.
After a moment of not hearing anything, I step away and go about my business.
I eye the bathtub occupying the right corner of the room, close to Tomashi’s door.
I’d be immersing myself in that thing, sooner or later.
But for now I had a quick rinse, a little shy since the walk-in shower only had one wall, and that held the shower head and taps. On one side was a wall of frosted glass separating the shower from the room, and on the other was a window mimicking the huge arch in my room.
Luckily the only thing on this side of the house was forestry and a view of the cliffs, so I wasn’t too worried about accidentally flashing someone.
The space also had a toilet separated from the room in a little closet, and the dark counter had two sinks – one of which was surrounded by male toiletries.
I stepped up to the sink closest to my door, my toothbrush and a few simple toiletries already sitting beside it.
Brushing my teeth and braiding back my wet hair, I examined my reflection for a moment.
My eyes were bright, my cheeks slightly flushed, and I was wearing a singlet with thin straps, so my Marks were on full display.
I felt good. Optimistic. Excited.
I was stepping out on my own, with no one to answer to and the chance to choose where my life was headed.
It felt so good.
Practically skipping back into my room, I choose a lacey bralette that matched my feel-good mood with its neon green colour. I slip on black jeans with a tattered look at the knees and a large white quilted sweatshirt.
The black writing across the front said ‘Show Me Your Sass’ with a cheeky winking face. The ‘S’ on the last word was crossed out with red ink.
I’d found it at a thrift store and swiped it off the rack. It’d earnt me some pretty dirty looks from other shoppers but had been so worth it.
Slipping on some socks and looking over my small collection of shoes – two pairs of sneakers, one black and one white, my beaten-up steel cap boots, my uggs, and the only pair of nice heels I owned – I decided to go with my white canvas sneakers.
Shoving my phone and a few other essentials into my backpack, I make my way downstairs to see about some breakfast.
I can hear talking and the sounds of cooking before I’m even halfway down the staircase.
Stepping into the kitchen, I see that Fade, Elijah, and Rapid are seated at the counter.
Fade is sipping from the cauldron mug I’d seen yesterday, and Rapid is bent over the counter with his face pressed against its surface, the checkered blanket draped over his half-naked form.
Elijah is talking animatedly about something called a Shriek, and Tomashi is at the stove, flipping food in a pan.
He's dressed in sweatpants and a tank, a pair of headphones around his neck.
It was a strangely domestic look for him.
“Sinta. How did you sleep?” Fade calls, his accent deeper and sleep roughened.
“Really good. I don’t want to know how much that bed costs, but it’s like sleeping on a cloud.” I laugh and move forward. “Why does Rapid look like he survived a tsunami?”
“Because I let some pretty ladies talk me into attending a party. Someone put a little too much fun sauce in the punch.” He moans dramatically, dragging the blanket up to cover his head.
Fade and Elijah shake their heads and share a look of exasperation.
“Poor baby.” I fake sympathy, but I can’t relate. Never being drunk means never experiencing a hangover.
That was one high school experience I was glad I’d skipped – only the Gods know what my classmates would’ve done to me in that position.
“Do you want some breakfast?” Elijah asks shyly, his voice barely loud enough for me to hear.
For such a huge guy – and I mean huge, he was probably the second tallest out of all of them – he was as quiet as a mouse. A gentle giant.
“I’m starving. Are there rules about the food in the House? Do we have to purchase our own stuff for the fridge and label it or something?” I ask, since I didn’t even think about it yesterday.
Tomashi slams something over by the stove, the bang startling a pained moan out of Rapid.
I catch the glare Tomashi shoots me before he starts plating up what looks like omelettes and fruit.
“No, we have a housekeeper that comes in and cleans, restocks the fridge, and sometimes does our laundry. Help yourself to the food, she replaces it weekly so its not a big deal if you eat the last of something.” Fade assures me. “We all take turns cooking breakfast. It is easier than walking all the way to the cafeteria when the students in the dorms have likely already eaten it all.”
“Okay. Which day do I cook breakfast?”
“I’ll swap you my day!” Rapid offers from beneath his blanket. “You can do Monday mornings and I’ll take Saturday.”
“Sure.” I easily agree. “But there are only six people living here. Does someone cook twice?”
“No.” Tomashi grunts and drops a plate down in front of me, then disperses food to everyone else – a lot more gently I might add.
I was tempted to pull this guy’s stick out of his ass and beat him with it.
“You’ll do Monday now, I do Tuesdays, Tomashi Wednesdays, Fade does Thursdays, Bastien normally does Fridays, and now Rapid will do Saturdays. No one ever has classes on Sundays, it’s a universal day off for teachers and students, so we usually just freestyle.” Elijah mumbles.
I nod. “Simple enough. Is there a roster for dinner too?”
Everyone shakes their head no and begins to eat.
I look down at my omelette, pleased to see it was actually visually appealing and smelled amazing. I could see little bits of bacon and cheese, some vegetables, and what I thought was a piece of chicken?
Next to it were a few peach slices, some chopped apple, and a handful of grapes.
“Tomashi looks like a badass, but he’s a health nut.” Rapid whispers to me, peeking out from under the blanket with a devious smile.
Said health nut throws an oven mitt and nails Rapid in the head with a thwack.
“Ow!” He yelps, sitting up.
“Eat.” Tomashi snaps, sitting down and digging into his own food.
I grab a fork from the centre of the table, watching the boys absolutely house the food, and prod gently at my own. “It’s not poisoned, right?”
Elijah chokes on his bite, heaving.
I meet Tomashi’s glare with one of my own, raising a brow in challenge.
“If you don’t want it,” He snarls, leaning forward. “Then throw it out. I don’t cook to please delicate females.”
My mouth drops open. “Delicate? Says the male who cut up fruit and arranged the plate all nice and pretty!” I snap.
He stands and leans over the bench, as if he would snatch my plate away.
I pull it out of his reach and scoop up the omelette, taking a big messy bite of it, ignoring Rapid’s loud guffaw.
“Play nice and I’ll do the same. It would be a shame if you chipped one of those shiny white teeth of yours on something I cook.” I taunt as he bares said teeth at me in a savage snarl.
“By the Gods, Tomashi. Calm down.” Fade sighs, muttering something under his breath in French. “Sinta, please, do not antagonise. He has a quick temper.”
“Sounds like he just needs to take a dip.” I gesture towards the pool outside the sliding glass doors. “Want me to throw you in and hold you down?”
“How about I hog tie you and throw you over the nearest fucking cliff?!” Grouchy McGrouch Pants roars, the red tips of his hair suddenly catching fire.
Poor Elijah dives away from him with a yell, eyes wide.
“Kinky.” I purr.
All the males freeze to stare at me, Fade with a dish towel in his hands and Elijah observing from a safe distance away.
Rapid is leaned back in his chair, arms wrapped around his middle, grinning like the Cheshire Cat himself.
And poor Tomashi looks like a fish out of water, the flames in his hair dying down while his lips struggle to form words.
I finish the omelette and grab the grapes, since they are the only fruit on the plate that would survive travel, and point at the literal hot-headed ass.
“You give me trouble and I’ll throw it right back. I’m here to study and build a future. We can either be friends while I do that or I can become your worst nightmare. Choose wisely.”
And with that, I swan right on out of there and retrace yesterday’s steps back to the Academy’s main building.
I had a day of exploring ahead of me.