“Of course, this is Pádraig, who will head up Section Three.”
An excited murmur rose from the audience with some students clapping and others proudly gushing that they were in his section.
There were five sections in all with a bushy-bearded and smiling Boris standing to represent Section Four and a stern-looking Wilhelm heading up Section Five. Professor Woodfork didn’t introduce Asher, who had somehow snuck in and was sitting in the front row, stock-still with his head down.
“ParaScience 110 will teach you the theory and history you’ll need to complete your experiments and write your reports on paranormal observations. Rest assured that these five gentlemen will ensure you survive your first year, and they will prepare you for your second-year responsibilities.”
He held up an instructive finger.
“Now, I’d like for you to spend the remainder of today’s class divided into groups and meeting with your section leads. They will help you choose your term project and prepare you for your first lab tomorrow morning… I believe Boris will beconducting a field trip and extraction exercise into an in-between, for example, and Rakesh will be leading a journey through the White Forest,” he said as four of the gentlemen dispersed to separate corners of the auditorium.
Deeply engrossed in reading a book, Asher remained seated.
A flurry of auditorium seats swung up, and students sorted themselves into their respective corners, while Hailey and only Hailey made her way toward Asher, limping slowly down the stairs on her right heel, each step a red-hot nail through her foot. Half-way down the stairs, she met Professor Woodfork.
“Miss Hartley, you’re limping—are you hurt,” he asked, adjusting his glasses, and Hailey shook her head dismissively.
“It’s—it’s just—it’s just a tiny cut,” she lied. “I stepped on something.”
“Where are your shoes?”
Hailey looked at her feet and sighed.
“They—uh…they’re gone. Along with my books. And my clothes,” she added. “That’s why I was late, Sir, I’m really sorry.”
“The joys of living with poltergeists,” he said, smiling kindly. He patted Hailey on the head, re-gripped his briefcase, and continued up the stairs.
Hailey continued hobbling down the stairs. Asher never looked up from his book.
“Where’s the rest of our group?” she asked, nervously sitting on the edge of the seat next to him, idly wondering whether her first lab with him would involve a set of bars and a sturdy lock.
Asher flipped the page of his book.
Biting her lip, Hailey tucked an invisible strand of hair behind her ear. “Asher?” she said, her heart racing.
When she quietly cleared her throat, Asher’s jaw tightened.
“Leave now, Hailey,” he said in a condescending voice, still staring at his book. “I don’t want to see you.”
She blinked, her stomach a vacuum as she stared at his back in disbelief, wondering if he was mad at her because she didn’t want to be his prisoner or if there was a new ridiculous Envoy tantrum afoot.
“But…” she said hesitantly. “We’re supposed to discuss tomorrow’s lab, and I thought we might chat about—” A bolt of pain shot straight into her bone, and she drew a sharp breath, which provoked an equally sharp tone out of her section lead.
“Go to the hospital—your foot requires attention.”
She tilted her head to see his eyes, hoping he’d at least look at her, but he didn’t.
“Leave now, Hailey,” he repeated, barely opening his mouth.
She stood up with her head down, biting her lip, her eyes stinging as much as her foot. Very gingerly, she hobbled up the stairs, frowning and trying not to grunt as her foot screamed with each step. Thankfully, everyone else seemed absorbed by their lab preparations and didn’t notice when Asher kicked her out. Her lip trembled, but she made it up the stairs without the pressure of a hundred eyeballs following her, and that was the only reason she didn’t cry.
In fact, she made it all the way to the door in stealth mode and was about to sneak out when Fin decided to humiliate her.
“Hailey!” he yelled, causing the whole place to turn and look as she froze next to the door.
Fin bounded up the stairs.
“You alright?” he asked, but Hailey knew if she tried to talk, she’d just cry, so she stared at the door with wide, misty eyes and shook her head.
