Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ALONE AGAIN, NATURALLY
The next couple of days follow an eerily similar pattern to the first. And despite someone mentioning we’re not in high school, it sure as heck seems like it, as from students and teachers alike come obvious and subtle digs.
A lot of the noise centers around me being both a Nom and a human, which is mildly amusing.
It’s like they can’t decide what’s worse and only confirms it’s not actually about me.
It’s a flex, so they can assert themselves, which in turn suggests they’re actually intimidated by me or my presence at Thales. Of course, I keep that to myself.
I also completely ignore the bs auction Seraphina and her posse are running, which is a little harder to do, but I know what I’ve endured previously.
“You’re quiet,” I offer Orion as we’re walking back after another hideous torture session with Coach Beckington.
He looks over at me; his cheeks are like rosy apples, but his complexion is pale.
I pull on his arm, and we come to a stop. “Are you coming down with something?” I ask, pressing the palm of my hand to his cheek. “You’re burning up.”
As soon as I say it, Orion deflates. His shoulders roll forward, and his mouth turns down. “I was trying to ignore it.”
“I think it’s past that, Orion. You’re sick, as in, you have a bug. Give me the bags.”
I hold my hand out, and he passes everything to me without argument. Though I nearly topple over trying to carry them all, I’m determined, and I put my hand under his elbow in case he stumbles, which he slaps away.
“You focus on our food,” he grumbles, eyeing our takeout from the cafeteria.
“Are you hungry?” I ask in surprised.
“No. Honestly, I’m crabby more than anything. After a quick nap, I’ll be better… and starving.”
He looks so hopeful that I force a smile, even knowing what he thinks will happen won’t turn out that way. As soon as we start off again, beads of sweat appear on his upper lip, but I don’t mention that either.
“So,” I start, making an obvious show of putting a bit of distance between us. “Don’t take offense, but maybe you and your germs should stay over there.”
Orion pouts dramatically before a grin lights up his face. As fast as it appears, it’s gone again when he starts coughing.
“Do you think I should take you down to see one of the nurses?”
“No,” he sighs softly before coughing again. “If I’m dying, I’m doing it in my own bed.”
I watch him like a hawk as we get closer to the dorms, and he seems to lose energy by the second. I swipe my card and hold the door open for him to pass.
“Give me your key, and I’ll run up and get you sorted, in case you’re still feeling crappy after your nap.”
He passes it over without another word before climbing the stairs at a snail’s pace. I zip up to his room with all the bags and get it set up.
The first time I came into his room, I was surprised by the difference between his floor and mine. Now, even though the third floor is more modern, everything is newer, and the room is in a much better condition, I prefer my floor and room.
I leave my bags at the door, unpacking Orion’s and putting what I think he’s going to need within easy reach.
Then I find a pair of loose shorts for him to put on and lay them on his bed, before I rearrange his room, moving his small fridge so it faces him and is within reach.
With his room now ready, I get the shower going and find a clean towel.
He kicks the door shut, giving me another sad face as he undresses out of his uniform until he’s standing in his boxers. Orion’s like his namesake from Greek mythology. He’s got a great physique, exactly like I’d imagine an ancient soldier from eons ago would have.
It makes me happy that one day someone is going to appreciate and adore everything about this man. It just won’t be me. I think we both realized very quickly that there was nothing romantic between us. Not that we talked about it, we simply knew.
After scooping up his discarded clothes and tidying up his room some more, I push the door to the bathroom open and talk through the small gap.
“Orion, I left you some tablets I had. They’ll help with your pain and keep your temperature down. I’ve put your food in the fridge, and there’s a bottle of water next to your bed. I’m going to lock the door behind me, but if you need anything, just message me, and I’ll come straight up.”
“Thanks, May-May. I seriously hope you don’t catch this. I feel like crap.”
“Do you want me to stay?”
His face emerges through the steam. “I’ll call if it gets super bad or if I want some company.”
“I haven’t unpacked my phone.”
Orion starts coughing again, and I pull the door shut, talking through a smaller gap in the door. “Just message me, I’ve always got my device with me.”
“I know. You’re the best friend ever. Now, go. Except, wait!”
I stop mid-step.
“I know you’re stressing about the auction, but don’t. Children play childish games. If all else fails, I’ll either kick someone’s ass when I’m better, or I’ll rob a bank and win the auction.”
I let out a loud, cheesy sigh. “My hero.”
“Damn straight. Now go!” He shuts off the shower, and I wait near the door until I hear him moving around.
“Message if you need anything!” I yell out a final time before pulling the door closed behind me.
The corridor is empty, and all the dorm doors are shut, which is weird. The other times I’ve been to visit, at least some of the doors are open and the hallway is full of noise and activity. As I walk toward the stairs, the sound of students coughing is the only thing I hear.
The silence on my level is comforting. At first, I was miffed, even a little hurt, that my room was so alienated from the other students, but it’s not so bad down here.
Unlocking my door, I put everything on my desk before washing my hands and changing my clothes, knowing how easily viruses spread. Being paranoid, I wash my hands again before opening my window to let the cold, fresh air in. The last thing I need is to get whatever Orion has.
It’s not like we had any plans, but there’s a gap in my schedule made by him being sick.
I fill it by working on a few assignments.
I’ve fallen into a good habit of studying after dinner, followed by reading until I fall asleep.
Each book I read, even if it’s only a chapter, highlights how little I know.
The books Thales provides are academic-based, while the ones from Professor Drummond have a different slant on the world I’m now a part of.
But it’s the tomes in the box that I love reading the most, as those tell tales of harmony, of a happy world, united and fair.
The endless battles in the pages are like epic journeys into forgotten worlds.
Each new story I start focuses on powerful beings and discusses their strengths from a moralistic and virtuous point of view, as opposed to more modern books.
The tomes talk about fate and destiny over and over and over again, imploring the importance of faith and hope.
Where they also differ is in whom they worship.
The Thales books are published by the individual groups themselves—vampires, shifters, celestials, and magiks.
Whereas the tomes talk about those groups, each doesn’t consider itself the ultimate being, instead, they refer to the gods.
I kind of wish I were there to witness the world as it was then.
The modern version is eerily similar to those beliefs held in the upper echelon of human society, where the only god they worship is money, the only strength you have is based on your financial status, and the only good deed done involves a takeover that increases your wealth and standing.
As I switch off my desk light, darkness invades, but the moon balances it out, and I drift off to sleep.
A ding on my device pulls me from my dreams hours later.
Although it’s not morning yet, sunrise isn’t far away.
I sit up, expecting a message from Orion, but it’s not from him.
Instead, I open the email from Master Maddern, reading the contents a few times before the words sink in.
I knew it was the weekend, so I had plans to study and clean my room before visiting Rodderick, but all that is dashed when I get a summons to attend commission training.
That’s made worse because I don’t have any idea what it entails.
The final paragraph stirs my worries and anxieties into a jumbled mess.
It’s a Thales-wide notification that Nomina House, floors three and four, are in isolation due to sickness.
Students housed in those levels are out of action, and students in levels one to two will take over duties until further advised.
Students already commissioned are exempt because their unit needs them.
Considering I’m the only person on both level one and two, my weekend plan of studying is replaced with wondering if I’m going to survive long enough to see another sunset. Commission training suggests the odds are not in my favor.
I check the time and blast out of bed, straight into the shower.
A cold shower, too, for no other reason but to deaden my senses.
I get I’m being slightly over the top but considering the bs I’ve witnessed in the dining hall, I think my early morning meltdown is justified.
There comes a point when I have to get out, or I’ll suffer hypothermia.
So I wrap myself up in a towel, then go back to check the details of the message again.
There’s no mention of what to wear, so I couple the sports uniform with a pair of running tights from home and a big baggy hoodie to hide in.
As I walk out of my room toward the stairs, I’m tempted to run up to see Orion, but he’s infectious, and I know he’s got everything he needs for the rest of the day. I’d planned to grab him some takeout later, so I’ll check on him then.