Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
A DIFFERENT LIFE
I guess the intent of the lock on the door and the card system was once a precautionary measure, but now I’m not sure the door would even keep the weather out.
The latch hangs at a right angle, and there’s a hole in the wood, like something went straight through it.
Pushing the door, I wait for it to open fully before stepping inside.
The inside of Nom House is empty; except I know I’m not alone. My senses are tingling. My father drummed into me at every chance that I had to trust my instincts, and right now, they’re screaming I’m being watched.
Before I can take another step or look around, my vision narrows.
A shiver tracks down my back, like a ghost walking over my grave.
The last time I felt like this wasn’t that long ago, it was when I saw Williem and his soon-to-be wife in a vision.
My hands move into the same position of their own accord, and sit cupped together as if I’m getting ready to receive something.
My fingers fade from view, and where they were, a distorted image takes their place. Once again, they become like a screen with a run of images, and though it makes no sense, it’s all I can see.
I watch as a guy, about my age, stands in front of me.
His defensive posture is as obvious as his red hair.
The dark hoodie he wears amplifies the night that shadows him, and there’s a gale-force wind whipping around us.
I can actually feel the wind blowing against my face.
He’s furious, yelling at people I can’t make out, then he spins around and faces me.
The stranger’s eyes are a soft violet color, full of friendship, condolence, and heartache.
“Come on, Maya, we’re not staying for this. I’m taking you home.”
It’s so real, I feel my stomach drop as his emotions radiate into me, bringing a sadness that hollows out my chest.
And then, as quickly as turning a television off, the vision disappears and I’m left looking at my empty hands.
A noise from above makes me look up, and I’m shaken when the same guy I just saw leans over the balustrade from a few floors up.
“Well?” He grins, his lips pulling into a half-smirk.
“Well, what?” I ask suspiciously, wondering if I’ve fallen victim to the concussion they warned me about.
I shake my hands out and crack my neck, willing myself to wake up, but it’s kind of obvious I’m awake and what’s happening is actually real.
The guy keeps watching me, almost as if he’s waiting for me to say something.
I’m not sure what. We stare at each other until it’s awkward, and then he rolls his eyes and smiles brightly.
“Look at you go pretending you didn’t just see something.
You’ll fit in just fine. Are you staying there or coming up? ”
“I’m still trying to figure out if I should. Have you seen the door?”
“Have you seen the other students at Thales? Doors aren’t going to do shit to keep them out.”
“You’re the first student I’ve met.”
“Must be your lucky day, then.” He grins again.
“Looks like.”
He suddenly closes his eyes and rubs his temples before they pop back open a second later. “Let me guess, you’re in room twenty-one?”
My head is pounding, and it makes it hard to figure out if he’s making fun of what just happened to me or if he’s being nice. I climb the stairs because regardless of what kind of person he is, apparently my room is where he is waiting.
Two flights of stairs take longer than they should, not because I’m unfit but because my body decides now is the time to start hurting. He waits for me on the landing before moving down the corridor.
“You didn’t have to wait to escort me to my room, you know.”
“No offense, Maya, but I kind of have to.”
“How do you know my name?”
“Same way you know we’re going to be friends.”
“I seriously don’t have the capacity to deal with too much right now. I’m not being rude, but I can’t do this.”
Something in what I say hits. It wasn’t like he was being a dick or anything, but his mannerisms shift and he takes one of the bags from my hands, then walks ahead of me slowly.
“Master Maddern called ahead and let me know you were on your way.”
He doesn’t say another word as we make our way down the hallway to the very end. I’ve never been inside a dormitory before, but I’ve watched enough movies to know the hallway we’re walking down should be full of students and noise.
“And here you are,” he says unnecessarily when we come to a stop outside the room marked twenty-one.
I hold up the plastic card, wondering where to use it, and my tour guide grimaces. “About that.”
I slide the keycard back into my pocket and use the handle instead. It opens without trouble, and my room comes into view. “Jesus.” The word falls from my mouth before I can catch myself. “Sorry. I am grateful for having somewhere to live.”
It’s not a lie. I’d take this shitbox of a room any day of the week compared to the option of being hunted down in the human world. But at the same time, this room does not compare to the rest of the luxury I have seen so far at Thales.
“No, I totally get it. I’ll help. We can check the other rooms and see what we can find.”
I smile at him before eyeing the decrepit desk in the corner, which is the only piece of furniture in the room. A mattress rests on its side, and it looks decent, but the rest of the floor is scattered with trash, like someone had a party in here and forgot to clean up.
I force a path through the trash, moving from the door to the window.
Like the door downstairs, it’s busted, and the floor near it shows how much weather gets in.
Spinning around, I notice a small, attached bathroom.
As I get closer, the rank smell becomes impossible to ignore.
It’s in a similar state to the rest of the room, but it’s fixable.
I’d like to lie down and sleep for a week, but there’s no way I’m putting my face so close to the floor the way it is—I’d wake up with pink eye for sure. I raise my foot and sweep the desk free before I put my bags and academy blazer down. “Is there a supply closet here?”
He shakes his head, and I realize we haven’t properly met.
“Hey, sorry, I’m Maya. I know you know my name, but you didn’t… we skipped the introductions,” I say, holding out my hand.
He eyes my hand like it has spiders on it.
“I’m Orion, and you already know we’re going to be friends.
And as your friend, I’m telling you this—never offer your hand to anyone except someone you trust. Touch is a funny thing, and not in a ha-ha way.
Some supes can pull your energy, and they will drain you dry.
Others will read that you offering your hand to them as permission for them to do whatever they want.
But touch is also a sign of interest. It’s a warning to others that you and the other person share something and they should back off, unless they want to cross lines that maybe they shouldn’t. ”
It’s my turn to grimace.
“Unless you really trust them, and then you can touch them whenever you want. But be careful, Maya. You have to remember our world is really different from yours.”
Since he left me hanging while he explained the whole touch thing, I wiggle the fingers of my outstretched hand now that he’s finished. I’m running with my own instincts that Orion and I are going to be friends. Plus, the vision thing helps.
A small smile forms on his lips as he shakes his head and my hand.
“I knew you had a vision of something before, by the way. We can talk about that after we’ve cleaned up this shithole.
In case you’re wondering, this”—he waves his free hand around—“isn’t uncommon.
We’re Noms, babe, and that means we’re at the bottom of the awesome scale. ”
Where our palms touch, I feel a soft warmth. It’s like the feeling you get walking into the sun on a cold morning. It reinforces what we both already know—we’re going to be friends for a long time, maybe even forever.
We stop grinning like freaks at each other, and Orion throws his jacket on top of mine.
“Are the rooms on this floor empty, or was I just being paranoid?”
“Empty.”
I’m not getting into why the dorm would be empty; it’s really not my business.
“If all the rooms on this floor are empty, I’m going to see if I can use anything to clean this up.”
We split up, Orion checking one side of the hallway, while I do the other. Like my room, the ones I look into have all seen better days, but along the way, I find a few things that will help.
I drag a massive plastic sheet from the front room before nabbing a large cardboard box, and then I meet Orion in the hallway, who has his own collection of things to use.
Once inside, we work quietly side by side until all the trash is in the middle of the tarp and my room is as tidy as it can be.
It’s not clean, by any means, but it will do for now.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like crap. I was going to suggest we eat dinner together, but why don’t I just pick something up for you from the dinner hall?”
“I think I’m supposed to go? And yeah, that’s a question.” Before Orion can answer, I interrupt him. “No, Master Maddern said it was encouraged. So it would be good if you could pick me up something.”
Orion grabs his jacket on his way out. “I’ll be an hour or so.”
And finally, I’m alone. The fact I’m not at home, plus I’m apparently an other, hits me like a ton of bricks. I literally slide to my butt and stare blankly. Nothing registers, and I don’t move until I hear footsteps outside my room.
“Maya.”
He calls my name before he reaches my door, which gives me the chance to make myself look less like a zombie when I open it.
A bag fills my vision, and I take it gratefully. I’m also thankful that he doesn’t stop for a chat. Orion simply hands it over and gives me a wave. I watch him from the door until he reaches the landing and turns upstairs.
“I’ll walk you to breakfast, there we can figure out your timetable. See you at six-thirty.”
He disappears before I can answer. Shutting the door, I set the bag down and drag the mattress to block the door. There are no blankets or pillows, but it’s not too cold. Plus I found a piece of cardboard to cover my window which help cut the wind out.
Using the bathroom scares me more than the thought of sleeping in my room. It’s honestly pretty gross. The lingering smell of urine makes me feel ill, but it’s not like I have other options, especially after seeing the other rooms on the floor.
I don’t move off my mattress while I eat dinner rolls and a container of rice.
Saving the apple for later, I swallow more of the pain relief the nurse gave me before tucking myself into the corner and pulling my legs up.
It’s not comfortable, but when I’m exhausted, hurting, and freaked out, comfort is the last thing I’m going to prioritize.