“What? But I thought we got assigned to our dorms tomorrow,” I protested.
“They’ll make the formal assignment based on our exam scores,” he said. “But for tonight, we’re all together in The Great Dorm. Come on—we don’t want to be late.”
“But it’s not that late,” I protested, wishing I could have more time before I was cooped up in a room with a hundred strange boys.
“That doesn’t matter,” Leaper said as we all grabbed our trays and hustled to the long rectangular window where used dishware was deposited.
“The upperclassmen get more time—by the time you’re a Fourth-year you can stay out until midnight,” Bugs told me. “But First-years have to get to their dorms right after dinner.”
However, there was a brief reprieve coming. A moment later, a booming voice started echoing in the Mess Hall.
“First-years!” it shouted. “First-year cadets! Listen up—before you go to your dorm, please stop by the Commissary first to pick up your uniform and personal items. If you don’t know the way, ask someone!”
“The Commissary is on the Second Level, so we’re not far from it,” Jorn-o said helpfully. “Come on, Auri—I’ll take you.”
Leaper, Bugs, and Toady tagged along and the five of us ended up at the back of a long line of cadets who were waiting for their new Academy uniforms.
I just hoped they’d have a uniform to fit me.
11
AURORA
The Commissary was a broad stone archway with a counter that ran the length of it. Because it was so long, there was room for five lines of cadets and the process moved quickly. Though we started at the back of the line, Jorn-o, Toady, Bugs, Leaper and I soon came to the counter, which was being manned by five bored-looking upperclassmen.
“Let’s see now,” said the upperclassman who was leaning on the broad stone counter said as I stepped up. “Extra-extra small, without a doubt. Do you know your shoe size?”
I lifted my chin, determined not to let him look down on me—even though that was literally what he was doing from his greater height.
“Size four,” I said.
“Four?” His eyebrows shot up. “Really? That’s tiny.”
“That’s my size,” I said, looking him in the eye and trying my best not to sound ashamed. In my previous life, my dainty feet and hands had been a point of pride for me. It seemed strange to be in a world where they were shameful instead, for being too small.
The upperclassman shook his head.
“Don’t even know if we carry sizes that low. Give me a minute, newbie.”
Then he went behind a partition, leaving me to stand there, wondering if he would be able to find me anything to wear. I hoped my diminutive stature wasn’t going to be a problem here at the Academy, but I very much feared that it would be.
As I was musing on how to make everyone think I was masculine despite my size, the upperclassman finally came back. He had a stack of clothing in his hands with a small pair of black boots balanced on top.
“Here you go—two size extra-extra small uniforms, including shirts and underclothes,” he said to me. “Two size extra-small night shirts—we didn’t have extra-extra small in those. And one pair of size four boots, that I think must have been made for Professor’s Horlick’s son when he was little and wanted to dress up like a cadet.”
I ignored the implied jab and took the bundle with a nod.
“Thank you for finding my size,” I said, determined to keep my dignity no matter what.
The upperclassmen looked surprised but only shrugged.
“Hope it fits,” he said. Next!”
From the Commissary—which was also the place to buy things like sweets between meals and razors if you needed a shave, according to Jorn-o—we went straight to what he called “The Great Dorm.”
“They used this more when there were more First-years,” he said as we stepped into the large, echoing chamber lined with cots. “Now they usually only put twenty to twenty-five cadets to a room. But this is kind of tradition—every cadet in the Academy spends his first night in The Great Dorm.”
I was glad we only had to spend one night here. The room was so big it made me feel like an ant and the rows of folding cots didn’t look very comfortable at all.
