by CN Thornton
“I should ask my father first.”
He nodded his head in agreement and said, “Yes, that would be a good idea.”
“Yeah, especially with my father being the deputy headmaster.” I smiled, and we gazed into each other’s eyes for another minute. I felt awkward as his blue-green eyes held mine—my chest tightened and my heartbeat quickened.
Finally, he spoke. “We should get going.” Then his eyes broke away from mine as he looked down at his watch. I was free of his mesmerizing gaze. “It’s 11:30, almost lunch time.” He walked back to the front of the cart, grabbed the handle and began pulling. We were on our way again.
It was ten minutes till noon when we returned to the Tamarack House. Asherah met us in the kitchen and we checked through the inventory of what we’d picked up. Everything we requested was there, and more.
“How much did all this cost?” I asked as we brought our large, tiered platters and set them on the island counter.
Asherah began moving the desserts onto the platters and then replied, “Total, about fifty cirrus.”
“FIFTY!” I gasped, one of the boxes fumbling in my hands. I managed to right it before I lost control. “Where did you get the money to pay for it all?”
“I didn’t,” she said. “It was free.”
“Free?” Silas repeated as he worked on setting up a second platter with desserts.
“The majority of the business the shops in Sunsweet get comes from students at this school. And the party tonight will have every single student head attending. They eat, they want more, they go to Sunsweet—instant business. It’s a win-win.” Asherah finished the top tier of the platter and then moved it aside before she started on the second one. “They make their money back, plus more, in less than a week.”
That made sense. And it made me feel better about wanting to eat it. I joined in on setting up the dessert platters. When everything was finally ready, I felt my stomach clench.
“Goodness.” I sighed. “Everything looks so delicious.”
Asherah placed her hand on my shoulder. “Take whatever you want. You missed lunch, so it’s the least I could do.” She pulled her hand away, then began setting up the main dishes and hors d’oeuvres.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
Without glancing up from what she was doing, she nodded.
“Take an hour to yourselves. You’ve earned it.”
“We still have a lot to get done by five. That’s just four hours from now,” Silas said.
Asherah stopped what she was doing to look up. “Everything is on track. I have grade-four faeries working on setting everything up in the back yard.”
“They don’t know the design.”
“But the other two young ladies in your group do.” She gave her attention back to the hors d’oeuvres. “One hour—I have to give you one hour to eat or else Carol will wring my neck. Now take your food and go.” The severity in her tone convinced us.
Silas and I grabbed one of the food carriers and blindly filled it with a small assortment of desserts, hors d’oeuvres and drinks, then left to find a spot to eat where we could get some sun.
We sought refuge in the common room, where we sat at the window seats with a view of the backyard.
So far, everything looked like a giant mess. Oversized vines, massive leaves, giant flower petals, enormous toadstools and more filled the backyard.
“This is unreal, isn’t it?” I said, staring out the window. When Silas didn’t answer, I turned to him, only to find him staring intently at me.
“What?” I asked. I wiped my face, thinking maybe I had gotten some food on it from when we were helping put away the food. But there was nothing. “What?” I asked again.
He shook his head and looked away. “Nothing. I spaced. That’s all. Um, let’s eat.” He took the top off the food carrier and grabbed the first thing his hands touched. Dragonfruit moon cake. I loved dragonfruit, but there was only one.
“You should eat something else before putting sugars and starches in your stomach.” I picked up a bowl-like container and removed the lid. “Like this.” Inside was a stew-like mixture. I looked at the side label—spiced stew with walnuts and pomegranate.
“What is that?” he asked.
“Spiced stew with walnuts and pomegranate. It’s a vegan dish.” I pulled out one of the spoons I’d grabbed from the kitchen, dipped it into the container and took a bite. “This is amazing. You’ve got to try it.” I dipped the spoon in again and lifted it to his mouth. He parted his lips and took a bite.
He chewed for several seconds before swallowing and then said, “Not bad.” Then he held the dragonfruit moon cake up to my lips. “Take a bite.”
His eyes held mine as he waited for me to open my mouth. But I couldn’t. He was gorgeous, and his eyes were like the ocean. Beautiful.
I took a small bite, my eyes locked on his the entire time, even as I chewed. When I swallowed, I took another bite of the stew and then offered him a second.
“This is new,” he said when he’d swallowed the food in his mouth. “I’ve never eaten food given to me by a beautiful girl.”
I could feel my cheeks flushing. “I’ve never been around boys before.”
His eyes closed and his face scrunched up, as if he was trying hard to think of something. When his eyes opened again, I saw in them a burning passion.
Very slowly, he reached out to me and cupped his hand against my flushing cheek. The feeling of his skin on mine was nice, cool to the touch against my burning face.
“I really hope your father says yes,” he whispered before letting his hand drop to his lap.
Deep down inside, I hoped he would say yes, too. But I was also hoping he would say no. I was afraid of everything that came with the dating territory—which I knew nothing about.
***
After we’d finished eating, I told Silas I was going to go see my father. He joined Quinn and Florence in the backyard, and then I left. I didn’t know where my father’s office was, so I did the only reasonable thing and made my way to the front office to ask.
When I got there, I went to the first of the four desks that decorated the main room. A woman sat behind it, her eyes glued to the computer screen while she rapidly typed on a keyboard.
“Excuse me—” I paused briefly and glanced at a name plate on the desk that read: Rose Banner. “Mrs. Banner,” I said in a low voice. Mrs. Banner broke her gaze from the screen and looked at me, a smile quickly forming on her face.
“Hello, sweetheart. How may I help you?” She spoke in the kindest voice.
I cleared my throat and said, “I’m looking for Deputy Headmaster Fynn.”
“He’s in his office right now; can I take a message?”
I shook my head. “I just need to see him, please.”
“I will let him know you are here,” she said before picking up a phone and pressing a button. There were a few seconds of silence before she spoke again. “Mr. Fynn, I have a student here at the front desk wanting to see you.” She paused and I heard a muffled response. “Yes sir, I told her you were busy but—”
I cut her off. “Tell him that it’s Neenah.”
“It’s a Miss Neenah—” She started to say something else, but paused and looked at the phone as if it had offended her, then hung it back on the receiver.
“Sorry, sweetie. I guess he is too busy at the moment.” She returned to her work on the computer and began typing again.
I let out a sigh and turned to leave.
“Neenah,” I heard my father call from behind me.
I spun around to face him. “Father.” I grinned, walking forward to embrace him.
He gave me a quick hug and then stepped back.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been around to check in on you yet. I’ve been very busy with some problems I am trying to resolve.”
We retreated to his office so we could continue our conversation in private. He went into a brief explanation about some differences he’d ha
d with Headmistress Hastings—about the wellbeing of a student—and then left it at that. I didn’t bother trying to glean any more information on the subject from him because I knew it was teacher/student confidentiality.
“So, how have you been?” he asked. He sat across from me in a chair that looked like it had been carved out of wood—just like the one I sat in.
I bit my lip, trying to decide what I should tell him and where to start.
“Well, as you can see, I’m a white-walker.” I gestured proudly to my white uniform. “I picked Tamarack.”
My father steepled his fingers, watching me. “I remember,” he said nonchalantly. “Have you made any friends yet?”
I couldn’t help but smile as I thought of my friends back at Tamarack House. Quinn, Florence and Silas. Silas . . .
“Yes, Father. I have three friends so far. They’re all really nice.”
“And you’ve been spending most of your time since yesterday with them, I presume?” I nodded. “And you were with them all day today?”
I nodded again and said, “Quinn and Florence were in the forest, and Silas and I went to Sunsweet.”
“I thought I taught you better when it came to choosing your friends, Neenah Lur. It is important that you keep yourself out of trouble and attend all of your classes. Your future depends on whether or not you get your wings.”
I sighed as he went on a spiel about how my choices not only affect myself but everyone else. About how things needed to be absolutely perfect when it came to my education at Endeavour because I had a lot riding on me getting my wings. This was the same speech he’d been giving me ever since I was old enough to understand. Though I’d never told him, the entire thing sounded overly dramatized. The way he spoke made it seem like the entire world would fall apart if I failed. And that was ridiculous.
When he finally finished talking, I spoke. “I didn’t ditch class. I got permission to have the entire week off, along with my friends, because we had the winning idea for Tamarack’s Welcome Back Party. Everything we did today, we had good reason and permission for.”
I then explained to him how Quinn and Florence had gone to the forest to gather the items needed to construct the party for tonight. And how Silas and I had only gone to Sunsweet to gather the food for the party.
“You can trust me and my judgment. You raised me well, Father,” I reassured him.
This seemed to put his worries at ease. We sat in silence for several minutes, staring at each other awkwardly. I didn’t know what to say next. How was I supposed to bring up Silas?
As if my father had read my mind, he said, “This boy . . . Silas. Tell me about him.”
I felt my face blush, and since my hair was braided back, there was no way to hide it from him.
“He is a friend. Um . . .” My eyes darted nervously around the room, doing their best to avoid looking my father in the eyes. “He is the only other white-walker in my year.”
“And . . .” my father pressed.
“We just had this connection.” I paused, trying to muster up the nerve to continue. What was I going to say? “Oh, by the way, Father, Silas wants to take me out to lunch and then to a movie. I think he really likes me. Give me your permission, please?”
My father let out a sigh. I grew curious and allowed myself to make eye contact with him. He looked uneasy.
“I should get this out in the open, while there is still time. You are thirteen summers old; that means you are no longer a fayelette. That also means you look like a faye.” He paused as he tried to decide what to say next. “Boys will be attracted to you and you to them, which brings me to the subject of boyfriends. I don’t care if you decide to date, but please, just make good choices.”
“What are you saying, Father?”
His face seemed to harden slightly. “I’m saying that I am not an idiot and you are terrible at hiding your emotions. I know you like him.”
I frowned. “You really think so?”
A smile brightened my father’s expression. “I know so, honeybee. You blush when you are embarrassed, and you just so happened to blush whenever his named popped up in our conversation. I know how to put two and two together; it is required for my job.”
“So you’re saying I can date him?” I asked hesitantly.
My father rose from his chair. “I’m saying that it is your choice. I just want you to make good choices. Smart ones.” He crossed to me and pulled me to my feet before wrapping his arms around me. He pressed his lips to my hair and sighed. “I still can’t believe you are a woman now. Every time I look at you, I see the little girl who used to bring me flowers and paint me pictures.”
“Dad, no matter how old I get, I will always be that little girl.”
Then there was a knock on the door, and he released me. His eyes went straight to his watch and I saw him tense up.
“It was nice seeing you, honeybee,” he said, leading me towards the door. “Enjoy your evening,” he added before opening it.
I was taken by surprise to see Dean standing there. He looked slightly bothered for some reason.
“Hi, Dean.” I smiled. He forced a smile back and then entered the room.
“It’s nice to see you, Dean,” my father said before he closed the door, giving them privacy.
I left the office and headed back to Tamarack. It was just after two-thirty. That gave us two and a half hours before the party began. I wondered how much they had managed to get done in a little over half an hour. I couldn’t imagine much, after what it had looked like when I’d left, but who knew. Anything was possible.
“Wow!” I gasped, standing before a magnificent scene. It was still unfinished, but the majority of it had come together nicely.
It was like a carnival made from nature. The swings rose high into the sky and spun around in circles—all erected from massive vines, an old tree trunk and oversized flower petals. A merry-go-round had been built from stones, wood and carved horses. I even saw the giant toadstools for jumping on. And those three rides were just the beginning.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Silas said as he walked over to me. He stopped beside me, an expectant look on his face.
I already knew what he was waiting for. He wanted to know what my father had said.
“It’s going to get even better.”
He smiled at me. “How was your visit with your father?”
My breath caught in my chest as he looked at me, waiting for an answer. His blue-green eyes held mine.
“He said it was my decision; he just wants me to make good choices,” I muttered quietly.
His forehead creased, and he looked confused. “What?”
“What?” I responded.
“I didn’t hear what you said.”
I took a deep breath and repeated myself. “I said, my father told me it was my decision. He just wants me to make good choices.”
A large smile formed on his face. A smile that would break with what I was going to say next.
“It’s my choice—which is why I’m going to say no. I don’t think I’m ready to date right now. I’d like us to just be friends for a little while longer.”
Like I presumed, the smile on his face fell into a frown. I felt my heart clench as I witnessed it. I’d hurt his feelings.
“Okay.” His lips pressed into a hard line. “Friends, just friends.” He cleared his throat as he turned away from me to look at the unfinished party scene set out before us. He mentioned something about going to help construct the spinning cup ride and then walked off.
My mouth hung open as I stared after him.
Shrugging off the awkward encounter with Silas, I jumped into helping set up the remainder of the party decor.
It was fifteen minutes before five when we finally finished setting up. An elegantly arranged eating area marked the center of the entire scene. A buffet table had been set up with other tables strategically placed around it—all the pieces carved from wood.
“Hey,” Quinn called as
she joined my side. “What did you do to Silas? He’s been moping around for the past two hours.”
I felt a pang in my gut as guilt washed through me. I wrapped my arms around my waist. “I told him I didn’t want to date him. That’s all.”
“Ah, you broke his heart.” She grinned at me.
I shook my head, my eyes widening at her accusation. “No, I swear!” I didn’t want anyone thinking I was that kind of person. “I—I just am not ready to be into all that kind of stuff. Plus, I just met him yesterday.”
“That kind of stuff . . .” She looked at me, her expression amused. “You mean kissing and holding hands?”
I turned my head and looked down at the ground. “I think relationships are more than that. Emotions and stuff.”
Quinn placed her hands on my shoulders. I could feel her eyes on my face, even though I wasn’t looking. “Okay, what if you don’t date him? What if you guys just hang out like friends would?”
“He wanted to take me out to lunch and then to the movies,” I objected.
Quinn gave me a bemused look. “Okay, and . . . ? Friends can do that, too.”
I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Why? Why do you want me to do this?”
She shrugged. “Have you ever thought that maybe I want to live vicariously through you?” She placed her hand on her hip. “Seriously, though. If you don’t go for him, I will,” she said, teasingly.
“Ah, there you guys are!” Florence said, half-jogging towards us and looking relieved. “We have ten minutes to go get ready.”
“Ready?” I questioned. “Ready for what?”
“Ready for the party. It’s an informal gathering, and we’re not supposed to wear our uniforms to informal gatherings.”
I’d never gotten around to reading the uniform handbook, so I hadn’t known this until now. Only, I didn’t have anything to wear to a party. Or at least, I didn’t know what one would wear to an occasion like this.
“Come with me,” Quinn said. “Let’s get you all dolled up for the party.” I already had a feeling that I wasn’t going to like the outcome. But, she seemed to know what she was doing . . . Or did she?
