by Lilly Wilder
“Hi, there,” the lady replied.
Right there, on the desk, turned to her, Mina could see a plaque with the lady’s name. Mirna Watson.
“I hope I’m in the right place,” Mina continued as sweetly as she could.
“How may I help you, dear?” Miss Watson replied.
She was a pretty-ish woman in her thirties, that was at least what her appearance showed. Her eyes were overly drawn out with black eyeliner, trying to make them look bigger, which was only more painfully obvious from behind her glasses. She was wearing a short sleeved blouse with pink flamingos and there was a barely visible pink hair clip in her hair, which was half up and half down, with a few loose strands of hair around her ears.
“I’m here to enquire about the Headmaster,” she started, clearing her throat a little, “you see, I arrived here less than a month ago and there are a few things I’d like to ask him. I understand that every new student who arrives like this, in the middle of the school year, is to meet the Headmaster and, you see, I’ve heard so many things about him, I’m just so eager to meet him in person.”
Mina hoped her little speech did the trick. It was supposed to leave the impression of an overly eager student, a little clumsy, a little curious, who just wanted to meet the Headmaster. Miss Watson eyed her sweetly and the right corner of her lip danced a little.
“I have the right information, don’t I?” Mina added, for effect and it worked.
“You do, Miss…”
“Wing, Lucy,” Mina gave her alias.
“Ah, Miss Wing,” Miss Watson’s face changed a little, but Mina couldn’t quite put her finger on the reason why.
It sounded as if Miss Watson had already heard her name before. Now, it was up to Mina to figure out whether this meant something or not.
“Yes?” she chose to say.
“Miss Wing, you were informed correctly,” she continued, “you will be scheduled a meeting with the Headmaster but that’s only when he returns.”
“You mean, he’s not back yet?” Mina asked.
“I’m afraid not.”
“Do you know when he’ll be back?” Mina asked again.
Apparently, this wasn’t the kind of question students usually asked. That was the impression Mina read from Miss Watson’s face this time.
“I’m afraid not, Miss Wing,” she replied, a little sternly.
“I’m sorry,” Mina immediately wanted to fix the impression, “I know it’s probably not the kind of information you give out to students but I’m just so excited to meet him. My parents have told me so much about him, I feel like I already know him.”
This softened Miss Watson a little. Maybe she had a family of her own or had someone she herself was admiring. Whatever the reason, Miss Watson smiled. Mina knew she did it.
“I know what it’s like to be ….” she paused, in search of an appropriate word, “eager to see someone.”
She suddenly pulled back a little in her chair, as if she was metaphorically pulling herself out of this conversation, in which she almost revealed one of her secrets.
“He should be back the first week of November, I think. That’s what he told us last time but, of course, it always depends on his obligations. He is the kind of man who always does his best, you know.”
“Oh, I know,” Mina nodded, trying to give the impression that she really did know everything about this man. “My dad always said, he could count on him no matter what.”
“Then, your dad was a lucky man,” Miss Watson said, with a deep, melancholy feeling in her voice.
“So, should I come the first week of November then?”
“No, dear, you shall be notified when you should come. He is busy, you know. We can’t just have you students barging in here, as if this was a market.”
“I know, I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright, dear. It takes some time to get used to this place. Trust me, I know.”
There was a tone which revealed to Mina that Miss Watson wanted to be more than just a secretary to the Headmaster, but her hopes and desires weren’t reciprocated.
“Have you been here long?” Mina asked curiously.
“Longer than I can remember,” she sighed the sigh of a broken heart.
“Were you here before the Headmaster came?”
“No,” Miss Watson shook her head, “we came here together. I mean, we were hired at the same time,” she was quick to correct herself but her blushing didn’t escape Mina’s watchful eye.
“Did you know him before that?”
“Um, I…” Miss Watson sounded confused.
Like any woman in love, she relished every chance she had to talk about her beloved. But, at the same time, she was aware of how inappropriate it was to discuss such matters with a student there.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” Mina added sweetly.
“Oh, you’re not, dear, it’s just there’s nothing to tell really.”
“You know, I’m surprised there aren’t any photos of the Headmaster around the place,” Mina suddenly realized something. Photos meant she could identify him. She would find out whether she saw him before.
“Well, we keep all our photos in yearbooks. I don’t think there are…” she was talking, then suddenly stopped, as if she remembered something important, “wait, there is one photo, I think. A big framed one in one of the dorms.”
“It’s not in mine,” Mina assured her, “I would have noticed it.”
Mina actually did notice the photos everywhere she went. Mostly, there were old, black and white photos of the place, its construction, a few people who participated in the construction. There were no current ones.
“Then, it’s probably in one of the others, I’m not really sure.”
Mina made a mental note to inspect all the dorms for possible photo identification of the Headmaster. For now, she had all she wanted. She could go ahead with the Witches’ Sabbath, without fear of him being there. Of course, she still knew that nothing she was told here was one hundred percent sure. This could still all be a trap. But, Mina was being lulled into a safe feeling of assurance that nobody here knew who she was. Would they treat her so nicely otherwise?
She immediately remembered Hendrik, Thorne, Renwick, Reeba, even that jerk Raphael. She had no idea why, but whenever she thought about the other three guys, Raphael’s image always came along with theirs. It was like the four were intricately connected somehow and one didn’t go without the other three. She was head over heels over all three, and despite her complete and utter reluctance to admit it, she was head over heels over the fourth one, too. There was no doubt about it.
“I really appreciate all your help, Miss Watson,” Mina concluded. “You’ve been very kind and most helpful.”
“Why, it’s nothing, dear.”
Mina’s compliment had made her day. The smile on her face vouched for it.
“I guess I should be heading back to my dorm,” Mina smiled back.
“And don’t worry,” Miss Watson assured her, “as soon as the Headmaster returns, he shall send for you immediately, I’m sure.”
There was an ominous feeling hanging in the air after these words. Mina knew that she’d be ready. She thanked the secretary and waltzed out of the main building. He wasn’t here yet. Sure, it could all have been a clever ruse, but Mina was certain that she’d see some signs of him there. There were none. His secretary, who was madly in love with him, would have surely spilled it, if he were there. She wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret. No loving heart could.
Just as she was walking out, her head still under the impression of what she just heard, headed back to her dorm, she noticed a familiar face. That cocky walk, that overly self-confident grin, that sleek hair which no wind could even touch. There was only one person like that in the entire place. Hell, in the entire world.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” Raphael greeted her, as he approached her.
She
noticed that there was a small group of guys huddled around in a circle, some of them sitting on a little bench. Obviously, they were just hanging out there and Raphael came up to say, hi. What the hell was he trying to do? She couldn’t figure him out and it was driving her crazy.
She really disliked him. It wasn’t only the warning she had received in the school bathroom. It was him. He was a jock and had all the worst traits assigned to one. She wouldn’t be caught dead spending time with him, even if her life depended on it.
“Oh, it’s you,” she rolled her eyes.
“Ouch,” he pressed his hand on his chest, which she could tell was chiseled as hell, “that hurt. Why the hateful welcome, when I’m being so nice and just wanted to say hi?”
“I seriously don’t get you,” she got so close to him, then blew hot air right into his face, like a bull about to go on a rampage.
“I’m mysterious like that, I know,” he chuckled.
She wasn’t sure if the guys he was with could hear them, not that it mattered, really. The last thing she wanted to do right now was to argue with him. She just wanted to get out of there.
“Do you always have to be like that?” she asked, not having any more strength to be rude.
“Like what?” he answered and she could see confusion in his eyes.
Could it really be that he wasn’t aware of how annoying he was? Or, was it that he always got what he wanted just because of that handsome face, so it never mattered what he said, because no one really listened?
“Like… this,” she replied, gesturing at him with her hands. “I have no idea what you want, and honestly, I have no time, or desire to waste time, on finding out.”
“Whoa, whoa,” he said, pulling them a little to the side.
She was sure that from where they’d just been standing, his friends could hear that. Now, they had moved a little further away from them and she figured, it was because he didn’t want them to hear any more of their conversation, not that she planned on staying here with him much longer.
“Why do you always have this angry vibe towards me?” he asked, and to her complete and utter surprise, he sounded genuinely sincere.
He eyed her with a puppy-dog look. She hated it. He was just playing her. She could sense it. There was probably a bet or something going on with his jock friends, about him getting her to bed or something equally distasteful. Why else would he even be talking to her?
“You are everything I dislike,” she told him, plainly and unapologetically.
“What do you mean?”
He obviously needed more clarification and she was willing to give him some.
“You walk around this place like you own it,” she started, gleefully, “I mean, seriously. Do you think you’re that important, in the grand scale of things? Well, you’re not and the fact that you’re acting like you are, doesn’t change that fact. Also, you should talk to your on and off girlfriend and finally decide what you want, and just keep me out of it. Because, every time we talk, she gives me shit and I’m sure she’ll find out about this, and more shit will be coming my way.”
She was breathing heavily, because she blurted all this out in less than ten seconds, making sure not to forget anything.
“Is that all?” he asked, with a smile on his face.
At first, she thought he was making fun of her. He looked like he couldn’t care less about what she had just said and this pissed her off. But then, she realized that the smile on his face was genuine. He was simply smiling. It wasn’t a smirk.
“You’re a jackass, pure and simple,” she rounded it up.
“I admit,” he scratched his head as he spoke, “you’re right. I can be a jackass.”
“Well,” she was taken aback by this sudden and easy confirmation, “I’m glad we agree then.”
“But, I can also be just a regular guy,” he added.
“You?” she burst out into loud laughter. “I doubt that.”
“Let me show you,” he suggested, as if he just thought of this idea and it was paramount that she agreed to it.
“How?” she wondered, eyeing him suspiciously, as if this was a trap. She thought everything was a trap nowadays.
“Let me buy you one of those horrible cafeteria coffees and take a walk with me.”
“A walk?” she repeated.
“Yeah, we can even go to the Bunker, I can get you in.”
“I appreciate the offer but I’m already in,” she told him.
He frowned, as if he disapproved of the idea.
“Who got you in?” he wondered.
“Um, am I allowed to say?”
“Why wouldn’t you be?”
She figured it probably wasn’t a secret, since everyone there saw her with Hendrik, but Raphael was asking it so sternly, that she actually thought she might get punished for saying who it was.
“It was Hendrik,” she finally said it, without any hesitation.
“Hendrik?” he repeated his name and Mina just nodded.
“That wasn’t…” he started, then bit his lip.
She wondered why he’d do that. What was it he wanted to say?
“Wasn’t what?” she asked, curiously.
“Never mind,” he waved his hand dismissively. “What matters is that you’re in.”
“Really?”
“Of course,” he nodded. “So, that’s a yes on the coffee?”
“No,” she quickly shook her head. “I never said that.”
“So, what are you saying?” he wondered.
“I haven’t really said anything yet.”
“That means there’s still a possibility of you saying yes.”
“There’s an equal possibility of me saying no,” she quickly added, but it was obvious that they were both having fun.
Right now, he wasn’t his usual jackass self and he was almost cute. Almost.
“How about this?” he suggested. “Agree to a coffee. Just one coffee. It’s a few sips, right? Maybe fifteen, twenty minutes of your time?”
He kept wondering out loud, as if he was just talking to himself and she caught herself nodding, curious to hear more.
“If by the end of that time you still think I’m a jackass, you can just throw away that paper cup, walk away and I’ll never bother you again.”
“You promise?” she asked that so quickly, that they both burst out laughing.
It felt good to laugh at something together. It was a strange kind of unity she rarely felt with anyone else.
“Cross my heart and hope to die,” he said it, crossing his heart with his index finger.
“You won’t leave me alone until I say yes, will you?”
“No, not really,” he chuckled.
“Before I say yes,” she seemed to think of something, “why me?”
“What do you mean?” he didn’t understand.
“I mean, I’m no Miss Universe. I’m just a regular girl, nothing fancy about me.”
“If that’s all you see, then you really need to readjust your prescription,” he smiled, and despite all her conscious efforts, she blushed.
“So, we got a date?” he asked, hopefully.
“It’s not a date,” she corrected him.
“A friendly get together?” he wondered.
“We’re not friends,” she shook her head again.
“Acquaintances getting to know each other?”
“Bingo.”
They laughed again and she was stunned how easy it was to laugh with him, how effortless, how natural. But, this was only when he wasn’t being a jackass. She wondered if he could be like this all the time.
“When do you want to do this?” she enquired.
“Now?” he shrugged his shoulders.
“Now?” she eyed him, then his friends, who weren’t really paying any attention to them, then back at him. “Aren’t you busy with your friends?”
“No, not really.”
“Just a quick coffee?” she wanted to confirm.
“Just a quick coffee,” he repeated.
“You have no idea how much this is going to cost me…” she whispered, more to herself, because he’d already rushed back to his friends.
He was explaining something shortly, and a few curious glances were thrown her way. She immediately turned around, as if she was afraid that some of them might recognize her, even though that was close to impossible. A few seconds later and he was back by her side.
