Ceri was walking so fast, poor little Ana had to run to keep up. “Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Ceri paused. “I didn’t know it could be like this.”
“Like what?”
“So…nice. Everyone is so nice. And it’s all so interesting. It’s all of the good parts and none of the bad. I can’t believe it.”
“Ceri, I like you a lot, but I am not following you at all. You’re crying because people are nice and the classes are good?” asked Ana. The poor girl was out of breath by the time they reached their dorm room.
Ceri told Ana about her experiences with her tutors. Ana was horrified.
“Where I come from, that’s abuse. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. The worst I ever got was an ‘Ana, I’m disappointed in you’ from my Elvish History teacher, and that damn near broke me. You know you’re really strong to have gone through what you did and to still come here.”
Ceri didn’t feel strong, but she was grateful to Ana for saying it.
“You’ll never guess who I met in that Ancient Languages class you didn’t want to go to,” Ana said once Ceri had calmed down.
“Who?”
“Harry Charlton!”
That didn’t help Ceri any. “Who?”
“Do you not have picture shows in the castle? News reels? Newspapers? Harry Charlton is from Arcas Dyrne, and he’s a flagball super star! He led Typhon Memorial Comprehensive to their victory over the Arcas Dyrne Dragons last year to win the championship. Winwold has a great flagball team. He said he’ll be going down to the main campus for practice a lot, but he really wanted to have the fresher experience, so he’s living up here. Isn’t that so cool? I think he may be more famous than you. No offense.”
Ceri smiled. “None taken.” She didn’t care much for flagball; that was more of her father’s kind of thing, but she didn’t mention that to Ana.
“The first game is on Friday. Do you want to go together?”
“Sure,” said Ceri.
Who knew? She’d been wrong about school. Maybe she was wrong about flagball as well.
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, for Ceri), the first flagball game of the year was cancelled.
The students reacted to the news with as much devastation as if someone had died. Dean Whittaker stood up at the head table on Thursday morning having just given the terrible announcement, and Ceri was worried that someone was going to pelt him with a tomato from their plate of full Loegrian breakfast.
“Now, I know that comes as a shock and a disappointment to us all. Especially Groundskeeper Tomasar,” said Dean Whittaker with a wink. The groundskeeper had quite a pool going on the outcome of the game. “We are still hopeful we’ll be able to reschedule the game after the regular season. Believe me, if there were any other choice—”
“I don’t see any storm,” shouted someone a couple of tables over who ducked down quickly afterwards to not be seen.
“It hasn’t arrived yet, though the wind is picking up. I’ve been assured by the royal meteorologists that this is an unprecedented situation. Storms of this size and magnitude hardly ever hit this region. For the safety of the entire school, classes will be cancelled tomorrow so we may make preparations. Some of the students who live too near the river’s floodplain will be joining us at High House tomorrow night. The plan is to board up the windows here in the dining hall, and we’ll all spend the night together here until the storm clears, hopefully the next day.”
Most of the school seemed to be upset, but Ceri was excited. It sounded like a great big sleepover, just like the ones she’d had with her cousins and ladies-in-waiting when she was a little girl.
“We’d better have baths before it comes tomorrow,” said Ana. “Storms like this are common on Turtle Island. Sometimes the water and ‘lectrics are out for weeks.”
Alright, that sounded less ideal. Ceri wondered what that meant for the power-saver research. If the ‘lectrics went out, could they keep working?
“There you are,” said Leo, joining Ceri after Dean Whittaker had finished his announcements. Ana took it as her cue to leave; she was just the best about that. “Professor Marin wanted me to ask everyone I could if they can help move our equipment to the infirmary. Are you up for some heavy lifting?”
“You mean, can I use my magic to help make it lighter?”
“Perhaps,” said Leo. “And perhaps, if I were to take a measurement or two…”
Ceri smiled. “Is that the only thing you like about me?”
