Suddenly Seymour
Delores
Fitz’s twin is an asshole; that’s all there is to it.
I can’t believe I have to deal with his moody horseshit all year, especially once he figures out I’m not a pred. Choosing not to let Fitz move me into his place was a damn excellent decision and I’m patting myself on the back for making it, despite the vigorous protests of my lady bits. Being where I could watch Fitz and Chess in any capacity sounded fantastic. But it felt wrong to invade their private space, when I hadn’t even met the top kitty in their litter.
Way to be an adult, Dolly; good choices make happy bunnies.
Sighing, I look at the schedule I took a picture of on my phone. There’s a gap between Shifter Basics and lunch, but I’m not hungry yet. Because of the stupid pee-pee incident, I didn’t have time to explore the campus after I moved in, so I’m limited to a handful of known areas to hang out until I feel like eating. I chew on my fingernail as I look at the map and finally decide I want to go to the Shirdal Arts Center so I can change my major. The email I received during the summer said I needed a signature to join an art major and they’d only process my request if I got it. This is as good a time as any to look for the prowling professor that cuddles up with Fitz.
At least this member of his family won’t bark at me like I’m a fool.
My irritation at being underestimated by one of the Khan twins manifests in a speedy walk across the green and throwing open the doors of the theater once I’m inside. If one more person acts like I’m worthless today, I’m going on a rampage. That’s all there is to it. I stalk down the aisle on a mission when I see Rufus, Cori, and the gorgeous Chess standing in very similar spots to the last time I left this room.
“Look what the cat dragged in… our adorable visitor from last spring,” Rufus says as he slides his eyes to the professor with a smirk. Chess is facing a backdrop, studiously working on adding detail to it. He doesn’t turn at the joyful exclamation, but I see his shoulders tense a little. “Get up here, doll face. Cori and I were hoping you’d drop by once you got here.”
I smile, happy to feel welcomed by someone other than Fitz. Not that he isn’t important, but he can’t be by my side twenty-four hours a day. He might want to be, but I need other friends, even if I’m scared to death to make them. The Heathers emotional abuse after prom was no joke, but I refuse to let the terrorists win. All the internal work I did to heal from my trauma only goes so far until I resume living my life like a normal person.
So I comply with his request, taking the stairs on the side of the stage to meet the punk rock looking honey badger. I felt an odd sense of belonging as I saw that Rufus, like me, was wearing the Apex uniform as required, but he had his pants cuffed to show off matching Doc Martens and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to show off a myriad of interesting tattoos. He barely ties his tie, and he put a white chunk in his raven locks, making him look related to an X-Man. Even his hardware and eyeliner are chosen to amplify his ‘rude boy’ look.
I understand using unique style as armor against the automatons in a place like Apex.
As soon as I get on stage, Cori lets out a high-pitched squeal, bouncing over and giving me a bone-crushing hug. She’s dyed her tumble of curls in a pastel rainbow that would make any little girl scream, and she’s similarly decked out. Her style is the complete opposite of Rufus—more waifu than e-boy—but her smile rivals the sun as she pulls back. “I’m so happy you’re here!”
Her words make my chest hurt, but my brain tells me I have to be cautious. Letting Fitz in after he helped me on prom night was dangerous enough, but he’s proved himself over and over since then. Rufus and Cori were kind, but I don’t know them well enough yet to trust they won’t betray me. They seem like good people, but a lot of crazy bitches are good at hiding their insanity until you’re hooked. Ignoring possible red flags is how I ended up staying with the Heathers for as long as I did. In the end, they showed their true faces and I’ll never allow myself to be treated that way again.
I’m no longer the wide-eyed idealist I was before I emerged; people have to earn my trust now.
“I have some free time before my afternoon classes and I thought I’d come visit. Thank you for being so welcoming,” I reply as I step back. My heart is racing from the proximity to a predator I don’t know if I can trust, and I need the space to calm down. “Whoever put Shifter Basics at seven a.m. is a sadist, by the way.”
Rufus howls with laughter. “No wonder you stomped in here like you were storming the beach at Normandy! You had Professor Felix snarl at you at the crack of dawn. Freshman Shifter Basics are the worst , especially in the first month. I enjoyed staring at his sexy ass, but his bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired.”
“You wish you knew what his bedside manner is like,” Cori giggles as she winks at me. “Don’t worry, Delores. Felix hates all of us, though he’ll pick some he hates more than others and those people should drop out. I doubt you’ll end up on that list, though. You don’t put on airs like the students he despises the most.”
That information makes me feel a shit ton better. I thought he was focused on me because of Fitz, but he’s just an asshole to everyone. Now I’m not worried I should avoid their house like the plague if my tiger friend asks me to visit. “Holy shit. I thought it was me. You have no idea how much better I feel knowing he’s simply a dickhead.”
Chess turns and looks at us, frowning. “Felix isn’t really a dickhead. He’s got a lot of issues, and anger is the way he deals with them. Don’t write him off like everyone else.”
“I wouldn’t if he hadn’t started calling me Barbie,” I grumble to myself. “I’m not a dumb blonde like my ex-friends.”
That gets a frown from the cute cheetah, and he shakes his head. “Sometimes he doesn’t think before he speaks. Especially when he’s dealing with new students. Fear is the way he keeps the spoiled kids in line.”
“That’s kinda true,” Cori says with an apologetic smile. “He didn’t turn into a ray of sunshine, but once everyone in my class calmed down enough to listen, Professor Felix mellowed a little last year.”
“Exactly,” Chess calls over his shoulder. “Give it time.”
I roll my eyes and sigh. They might be right, but that doesn’t make dealing with his derision any easier. “Fine. I’ll try, but that’s not why I came here, anyway.”
Rufus looks up from the notes he’s making on a score book, his lips curving into a wicked smirk. He rolls to his feet and walks close, eyeing me with a predatory stare. “Then why are you here? Tell me more, tell me more, girl.”
I chuckle, enjoying his playful response. If I had any doubts about this change before, I definitely don’t when I hear Cori snicker, and even Chess huff a laugh. Lucille always wanted me to get a job where I couldn’t screw anything up and I chose English because I could work in communications, a library, or somewhere my mother wouldn’t be caught dead. Back then, Todd wanted to intern in D.C. with the Council and I thought I could follow him during the summers. There were plenty of places an English major could work there and eventually, we might even have escaped my fucking parents.
Even I’m shocked at how na?ve I was a few months ago.
I’ll never get rid of Lucille and Bruno—not completely. My dream of a job in the capital is gone now that I’ve emerged as prey and Todd’s been revealed as a total wanker. Everything I thought I wanted went up in a puff of smoke and it’s time to grab the bull by the horns if I want to make a life for myself. Licking my lips, I prepare to give my mother the biggest finger yet—pursuing a career in the arts.
“I came here to get Professor Chess to sign my form so I can switch my major to performing arts.” That gets everyone’s attention and I smile shyly as I wait.
The cheetah grins a little, wiping his hands on a rag and putting his brush down. “Apex requires a singing audition for this program. Would you be able to do that… now?”
“Dolly, you have to. You’ll love our program. We’d get to see you every Tuesday and Thursday,” Cori gushes as she squeezes my arm.
I give her a tiny smile, my nervousness making it hard to match her excitement. I’ve never played piano in front of anyone before. I didn’t even show Todd my songs on paper because he and our ‘friends’ openly mocked all the theater kids at Shifter Secondary. My love of music and singing was my dirty little secret, and even though my keyboard wasn’t hidden when the Heathers came over, they never once asked about it.
Yet another red flag I ignored.
If I’m being honest, they barely asked about anything I did unless it directly affected them. I should have seen the ugliness beneath their facade sooner, but I was too wrapped up in dreams of running away to the big city with my douche-y ex to pay attention to their glaring self-centeredness.
“Uh-oh, Coco. I can see the little frown lines forming as we speak. Are you scared to audition? How can we help?” Rufus asks as he drops his book on the piano.
Chewing on my lower lip, I look between them, taking in the earnest expressions on their faces. I haven’t had the greatest experiences lately with showing people my underbelly, and outside of Fitz, I haven’t considered giving anyone the opportunity to get close enough to hurt me. I know the crazy tiger is an odd choice to place my shaky trust in, but his obsessive protectiveness has made me feel safer. Not that we won’t have a conversation about his family—because they’re known murderers with ties to my parents—but he hasn’t asked for a single thing in return, besides the kiss, which I was happy to give. He’s pervy, but I kind of like it, and he seems to be the only person in this hellhole who gives a shit about my safety.
Cori’s eyes soften as she watches my internal struggle. “Ru-Ru, she’s terrified. I recognize that look—someone’s done a real number on our girl.” She holds her hand out, clasping mine when I tentatively take hers. “I don’t know who hurt you or why, but I swear on my Meemaw’s peanut butter pie recipe that we won’t do you dirty.”
Her pretty words are pleasant, but I’ve heard them before. It’s hard to accept anything at face value after you’ve grown up in a viper’s nest, and lost every ally you thought you had in an instant. “I...”
“I second that, sister. Give us a chance to help you through this, and we’ll prove we’re not the enemy,” Rufus cajoles.
“Okay,” I murmur, taking a deep breath. “I never performed in public. All of my experience with singing, dancing, or acting has been in front of my mirror, with a YouTube video behind me. I don’t know if I actually suck or not.”
Their eyes widen as they share a look. Twisting my lips, I drop Cori’s hand and stare at the marble floor beneath my feet, wondering if they’re going to take back their offer to help. After a few quiet moments, I look up to find them both grinning at me.
Since I have no way of knowing what’s going through their heads, I hesitantly add, “I might embarrass the hell out of all of you.”
Rufus snorts, cutting me off. “You won’t embarrass us, babe. The people we have to accept just to fill a production or show here at Apex are not professionals. Preds here despise this building because it teaches ‘soft studies’. Those of us who have the cajones to major in the arts among ruthless business-types have pretty thick skin. You’ll develop one, too.”
“Let me call the other professors so we can get it done,” Chess says softly. “You’ll only get more nervous if you wait.”
This time, my answering smile is genuine. If I can survive the horror of my prom night, I can survive a train wreck audition, right?
“What experience do you have… Dolly?” The tall, imposing woman glares at me as if I’ve wronged her ancestors by setting foot on the stage. Her willowy frame, fluid movements and the tiny remnant of sibilance in words with ‘s' sounds gave away Professor Bindi Sarabhai's species immediately.
I’d told everyone what I prefer to be called now when they arrived. My mother calls me Delores and my ex-friends called me DD, neither of which I really want my new friends or professors to use.
“Uh, well. I don’t have formal training or experience outside of the required dance electives at Shifter Secondary,” I reply, discreetly rubbing my sweaty hands on my skirt. I feel like she’s going to ask me to show her something impressive, and if Professor Sarabhai asks me to do some complicated step combo, I might flash lacy undies at the world.
As a rabbit, I have no interest in pissing this woman off enough that she shifts into a King Cobra, that’s for damned sure!
“Hmph,” she scoffs, shuffling the papers in front of her.
I frown as she wrinkles the pile of sheets I just spent thirty minutes neatly completing. The professor wouldn’t even come downstairs to speak with me until I had a tree’s worth of paperwork finished. Now she’s crumpling it like a burger wrapper. “Is there something you would like me to show you?”
“No. This is not an appropriate venue or time for a trial. You will report to Dance and Movement at the Leonidas Gym on Thursday at seven a.m. sharp for our first class. We’ll see if you measure up then.”
The hissing makes everything she says even more threatening, and I wonder if she’s stressing it on purpose. Are there any professors at this school who don’t torture their students for shits and giggles? I haven’t met one yet who hasn’t harassed me—physically or verbally. Shifter Secondary wasn’t like this at all, which makes me glad I didn’t get to attend the Apex Lower School. I don’t know if I would have survived teachers who scared the hell out of me every day during my younger years.
“O-okay. Thank you. I’ll do my best not to disappoint you,” I reply, turning to Cori and Rufus. They roll their eyes and I hold back a smile. Maybe Professor Sarabhai is less intimidating once she gets to know you. Neither of them seems overly concerned.
“I highly doubt you’ll accomplish that feat, but we shall see,” Bindi says before slinking off the stage.
“Annabella, you may proceed!”
A massive woman comes trundling out from behind the curtain like the prima in a production of Figaro. Her skin is shiny like patent leather, and her snow white hair flows down her back like a waterfall. “I am la prima of this school. My name is Professoressa Annabella Balena and unlike my colleague who is content to wait, for me, you will sing!”
Panic grips my chest as I look at my new friends with wild eyes. A little warning that the vocal professor prefers to walk around in her half-shifted orca form dressed like some sort of valkyrie from an opera would have been nice. This woman has a personality that could fill a canyon, and I do not feel ready for her. Rufus winks and gives me the hint of a smirk—he definitely knew she’d wig me out, but I suspect he’s not being mean. He wanted to see if I could handle it.
And maybe... prove to myself I could, too.
I appreciate his blind faith in me, but I also think he needs to pay for his little ploy. “ Professoressa ? I didn't prepare for an audition today, so my chords aren't fully warmed up. Would it be permissible to sing a duet with Rufus to help showcase my abilities without risking nodes?”
Her face lights up like a jolly orca giant as she makes an excited whale sound. “ Bellissima ! Rufus, alzati qui ? 1 ! ”
Cori covers her mouth with her hand, shoulders shaking as she tries not to laugh. Rufus leaps over the two rows of seats in front of the proscenium and pulls himself up to climb on stage. He stops to whisper to the tiny raven shifter who took a seat at the baby grand upon Balena’s entrance, before walking to me with an expression full of both mischief and approval.
“Since Dolly pulled a fast one, I get to pick the song. Only fair, if you ask me,” he bares his teeth with a grin. “I hope you’re warm enough to keep up, cottontail.”
The opening bars of a familiar song start, and when he opens his mouth, I blink. I’ll be damned. Rufus can definitely sing, and he knows his theater. I didn’t expect to have to pull off Audrey to his Seymour for this song without so much as a warmup, but it doesn’t look like I have a choice. I put him on the spot, and he returned the volley, so now I have to show them what I’ve got.
Time to sparkle, Dolly.
Closing my eyes, I let the world fall away, feeling the music flow through me like blood in my veins. The harmonies and rhythm are the only things in my head as we sing through the Broadway classic ballad from Little Shop of Horrors together, and when I finish, my whole body is trembling a little. I don’t have a clue if we sounded good or not—I’ve never had a partner before—but I felt the performance in my soul.
“Perfetta! ? 2 You little blond girl will join my program. We will make beautiful musica this year!” Her large hands clap together—the thunderous sound enhanced by the theater acoustics, making me wince.
“Good job,” Cori mouths at me from the audience.
Rufus sighs, dropping his mic on the piano with a bored look. “Yes, yes. We’re fabulous, teach. Is it time for lunch yet?”
I let out an enormous sigh of relief when I look around the room and see only smiling faces. Even Professor Sarabhai seems pleased, in her grumpy way.
Maybe my time here won’t be so terrible after all?