Chapter 2 #2
‘My roommate?’ I knew I was going to be in shared accommodation, but had no information about who, exactly, I would be sharing with. I’d be lying if I said the thought didn’t terrify me.
‘Hmm, let's see…’ He put his glasses back on and peered down at the paper, flipping to the next page. ‘Ah yes, Miss Adora Price,’ he stated. ‘Nice girl. Smart. She’ll set you on the right path.’
I’d never had many friends… Since Robin – and the incident – I was always too scared to let anyone get close. I only became semi-friends with a few of the other kids at the orphanage, and they were very fleeting. If I was honest, I wasn’t really sure how to be a friend.
‘Anyway,’ Headmaster Draven continued, snapping me out of my reverie, ‘I shan’t keep you further, it’s getting late.
’ As if on cue, the antique grandfather clock in the corner rang midnight.
‘Mr Williams will show you to your room.’ He stood and began rummaging through a large filing cabinet.
‘Ah, here it is,’ he turned and passed me a slip of paper, ‘your schedule.
This has your classes, their time and location, as well as a list of the professors who teach them.
Any questions you may have, I'm sure Miss Price can help you.’
He reached out to shake my hand. ‘Thank you, sir,’ I said politely. ‘I’m happy to be here.’
‘And we’re happy to have you,’ he said with a smile, ‘A word of warning though, Miss Blackthorne,’ his smile dropped slightly, ‘Ashcroft University is a prestigious school. We have produced centuries of well educated pupils that rival any others. I do believe you can do well here, but you must work for it. Are you prepared for that?’
Heart racing, I said, ‘Of course, Headmaster. I'll put the work in, I promise.’
‘Glad to hear it,’ his smile returned, ‘Now, off to bed with you. Get some rest for your first day.’
‘Good night, sir,’ I said, and followed Williams out the door.
I was met with unexpected squeals of delight when Williams deposited me in my new dorm.
Adora, it seems, was very excited to finally have a roommate, after waiting what she described as “literally forever” for me to arrive.
I was so frightened as Williams walked me down the halls, heart pounding, not knowing who or what to expect – but her warm welcome and our cosy dorm bedroom did wonders to settle my stomach.
It was a small space, but she’d made it so homey in the time she’d already been here, going so far as to buy me bedding and put posters up on my side of the room.
‘Are you sure?’ She was saying for the hundredth time.
‘I can put up different posters if you’d prefer!
I had to kind of guess what you were into but really didn’t have anything to go off.
’ She laughed and it sounded melodic and beautiful.
Adora explained she’d been at Ashcroft since she was nineteen, and was so happy to finally have a roommate.
She didn’t seem at all upset at losing half her bedroom.
‘It’s honestly great, I love it. Thank you.
’ I said while admiring the posters of botany and the origins of flowers.
I did actually have a love for agriculture and botany, so she’d gotten it perfect.
At sixteen, when I was too old to be in the Orphanage anymore, Miss Cartwright wanted to cast me out on the streets.
I convinced her that my knowledge in botany would make me the perfect candidate to tend to her gardens, so she allowed me to stay on to work.
She paid me less than minimum wage, of course, but gave me food and board.
I only really wanted to stay so I could keep an eye on some of the younger kids – to make sure they were okay and being clothed and fed – because Miss Cartwright never would.
‘Also, if you prefer the bed by the window, we can totally swap!’ Adora was saying, her blonde curly hair bouncing around her shoulders. ‘And if you want to change anything else, just let me know!’
I laughed. ‘Honestly, Adora, everything is perfect. It’s really beautiful in here. You’ve done a brilliant job.’ And I meant it.
She visibly relaxed at that, shoulders dropping as she plopped down on her bed. Our room was dark wood, two single beds pushed towards either wall, with a shared desk in the centre against the back. Adora had hung fairy lights from the high beams, and added a fluffy rug between our beds.
I began unpacking some of my things as Adora asked, ‘Do you have a schedule yet?’
‘Oh, yes…’ I said, reaching into my bedside drawer and rummaging around.
‘Are you taking Literature?’ she asks. ‘I specialise in that, so we’ll have that together if you are.’
‘I am!’ I say, ‘though, I’m specialising in Philosophy.’ My fingers find the timetable and I pull it out of the drawer, handing it to her. ‘Here you go.’
Her eyes scanned the page. ‘So as well as Literature, we’ve got mathematics…’ She shot me a look. ‘…ew. And… oh! Science too.’ You’re in three of my classes!’
I laughed again. ‘Okay good, I’m glad I’ll know someone, then.’
But then quickly, her expression dropped. ‘Uh oh.’
‘What?’
‘You’re taking Moral Philosophy?’
‘Yeah,’ I nodded, ‘why?’
‘Well… that means you have Professor Locke.’
‘Okay…’ I said, confused. ‘Is he… not nice?’
‘He’s …’ She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ‘There’s just a lot of rumours about him… that’s all.’
‘Rumours?’ I asked, brows knitting.
‘Yeah… like, you know… bad ones.’ She glanced around the room dramatically as if someone could have just materialized in our dorm and could possibly overhear.
‘What kind of bad ones?’ I pushed.
‘Well,’ She said, all traces of her bubbly demeanor gone. ‘I’ve heard talk that he’s mad, for one.’
‘Mad?’
‘Yeah… So, he started teaching here about four years ago, but like, there’s no trace of where he came from? Like what school did he teach at before here? Nobody knows.’
‘Maybe that’s just not public knowledge?’ I laughed.
‘Or, he’s hiding something. You know, he’s the only faculty member who doesn’t live on campus? Why?’
‘Privacy? Maybe to stop the students whispering about him?’ I winked.
Just then the clock chimed one in the morning, and we looked at each other, not realising it had gotten so late.
‘So much for getting an early night for my first day.’ I groaned, but wasn’t at all annoyed.
‘Oh no, I’m sorry! I’m supposed to be setting an example.’ She giggled.
As we got ready for bed, I looked around my new bedroom, smiling, and realised at that moment that I had probably not smiled like that for a very long time.