by Gavin Green
Chapter 20
After first glamouring the headmaster of St. Niall's secondary school, and then a few of the male instructors in the teacher's lounge, Saraid casually walked down the school halls in her latest manifestation. She adapted the appearance of a teen girl barely over five feet tall, but shapely and very attractive. Her blue school uniform fit her snugly, and her skirt swayed suggestively while strolling down the halls. A green and white hair band held dark hair away from her pale, fresh face. Green, leaf-shaped studs adorned her ears.
An evocative smile and quick query to a boy on his way to the loo gave her a stuttering reply that Jane McCarthy might be in the theatre hall. She soon after found a wall map and made her way to it.
Saraid viewed the long, descending theatre room from the shadows in the back. Teenagers scurried about the stage area, working on backdrops and props. A few others off to the side were practicing lines for an upcoming play. Two more teenagers, a boy and a girl, were at the front of the stage with their teacher down in the front row.
The boy of the duo was singing; a strong voice, but without much range or depth. The teacher, a short, lanky man, stopped the boy for further coaching. As Saraid moved closer, the boy stopped listening to the instruction when he saw her.
The teacher quickly saw the boy's slack jaw stare and turned. Approaching Saraid, he inquired, "May I help you, young lady?"
Instantly releasing glamour onto the man, she replied, "Sorry, sir. I'm a transfer; the headmaster has my papers. I was told to wait here while my books were gathered. Is that alright, sir? Can I wait here with you?"
The teacher's eyes glazed. "Why - why, certainly you can, my dear. If you like, you could -"
A sound came from the stage, stopping the teacher in mid-sentence. The girl of the duo had begun to sing. The pitch was perfect, the inflections smooth and pure. Within the first few seconds of the girls' song, a subtle but dramatic effect began taking place. All of the other students had stopped in their tasks, taken with the power and emotion of that voice.
The girl began the Irish tune with a mezzo-soprano tone, but she soon proved that her range couldn't be labeled. Every pitch, from high register to low, was rich and velvety. It was quite possibly the loveliest human singing voice Saraid had ever heard.
The singer was only practicing a section of the song, so it ended quickly. Just after, Saraid tapped the teacher on the shoulder. "Pardon, sir, but who is that girl?"
"Oh, eh, that's Jane McCarthy. A fine voice, no?"
"She's grand," Saraid agreed. "Is she friendly enough, sir? I was told to find someone to show me the grounds and best routes."
The teacher frowned. "Um, she's a nice enough sort. If you'd rather, I could -"
She cut him off. "Sir, I'm not sure that'd be proper." Saraid added a captivating smile to her glamour. "If you would, please send her my way, and mayhap soon we could... meet somewhere, just for a coffee or something."
The teacher's eyes widened with the suggestion, and he quickly scurried off to fetch the McCarthy girl. Saraid sighed, wishing once again that her gift of seduction worked for both genders. Alas, she would have to take the long route to befriend her target and gain her trust.
Saraid thought that the only things that she and Jane McCarthy really had in common were good looks and fae gifts, and she'd use the latter to quickly earn the girls' confidence. That ability to create doors into the nether was a puzzling gift, and she wanted to explore its possibilities for herself.
Jane approached the pretty new girl and took notice of her fair skin in contrast to her silky dark hair, and the thick lashes around her green eyes made them stand out. Not to mention she filled out her jumper, which meant she'd soon have boys on her tail. Even with her looks, she didn't have a lofty air; a bit timid, actually. "Hi, I'm Jane. You're just new in?"
"Yeah, um… Hi. I'm Sara."
"Did Mr. Buckley give you a start? He can sound gruff but he's a bit of a pushover."
They exited the theatre hall and began walking down a corridor. "No, he was nice enough, really. It's just coming to a new school and all that, especially mid-term, and in the middle of my leaving cert."
Jane smiled at her. "Not to worry, I'm sure you'll smooth right in. What are your specialties?"
"Oh, um, I'm taking languages and Irish." Saraid said demurely. "I have a bit of a knack for them. And good thing too, since I'm shite at anything else," Jane giggled, so Saraid followed suit. "What about you? I'd wager music is your main. I heard you singing back there; your voice is savage."
Jane's cheeks reddened. "Thanks, but I'm like you, I suppose. I'm an eejit with math and such. So we can help each other along, at least in one respect; we'll have Gaeilge together."
"Oh, grand; It'll be nice to see a face I know in at least one of my subjects. Well, sometimes, anyway."
Jane saw Sara's face quickly turn downcast. "Don't worry; I'm sure we'll get along fine, and you're welcome to sit with me. Or, is that not what you meant?"
"No, it's just..." Sara began hesitantly. "I have to miss lessons now and again. My mam is always down with a bad dose, and da works so hard with his business. I'm left to watch over her on more than I'd like. That's mostly why we moved out this way; housing is cheaper here than near Galway, and my mam's meds are costly." She looked up at Jane. "Sorry, you didn't need to know all that."
With a reassuring smile, Jane said, "It's no fret, really. But the headmaster knows your state, right?"
"Oh, yes, and he was very understanding."
That surprised Jane, but she said nothing. They continued to roam the halls, and various locations of note were pointed out. When one of the early classes let out, they were surrounded by a throng of students. Jane made introductions to a few of her friends, as well as the young man she'd just begun seeing socially. Saraid acted shy and elusive around him, not wanting to draw the boy's attention and cause tension with Jane. Soon enough, the school halls were empty again, and the two chatted amiably while Jane showed her around.
The escort time was almost over, and Jane said she'd have to get on to her next class. The new girl shyly asked if Jane might show her around the village sometime. With the sad reply of not having a car, Sara excitedly said that she could get the use of one, although her skills were suspect and Jane could drive them around if she liked. Jane happily agreed, and so they made plans to meet soon. Sara said she'd have to get a new phone, but took Jane's number and promised to be her first call on it. They soon after parted with friendly smiles.
Saraid slipped into an empty classroom and disappeared from Verden sight. As she strolled through the once-again busy hallways unseen, she took further note of parlance and social interactions. Some of the intricacies of modern youth were puzzling, but she felt comfortable enough to get by.
Apparently, a phone was a necessity, so she'd have to either buy or liberate one from some willing victim. It wouldn't be needed for long, anyway. She'd also borrow some remote vehicle and have someone show her how to use the strange machine.
Saraid thought that even if Jane's 'door gift' turned out to be for naught, she wouldn't walk away empty-handed. The girl would still make a fine vocal entertainer in the dryad's court back in the Lore.
