Chapter Five

Chapter five

Olly and Declan looked like they were about to start arguing, but luckily, Wit cut in.

“I’ve taken the single bed, Declan sleeps in the attic like a bat.” Declan responded to this with a snort and a toss of his dark bedraggled hair. ” Olly prefer to be closer to the ground, so he’s always on the bottom bunk, and Blake never cares.” Wit looked at Declan and said pointedly “You may go.”

“Glad to know I have permission” Declan said sarcastically as he backed out of the room. The door wasn’t closed long, a boy with dark skin and dark hair walked in and gave them all a smile.

“Hey! We got newbies in our room!” He clapped Hayden on the back, Hayden gasped and spluttered comically and the boy, who had to be Blake, laughed. “Ok, let’s get this bunk issue out of the way because I really want to take a shower before supper.” He cocked his head to look at the new guys. “I was playing with Ginger, AD’s dog. Oh, and I’ll show you boys around the manor, the grounds, and the school if you’d like. I’m sure AD didn’t give you a very good tour.”

“AD?” Dave asked, picking up what must have been his suitcase and messenger bag, and flipping it onto the top bunk closest to the large window. Olly, Wit, and Blake answered at the same time.

“Assistant Dean”

Wit, who appeared to be the leader, of the obvious three best friends, continued.

“That’s a term you’ll come to be familiar with here.” Wit said.

“So, how did things go with Lye?” Blake asked, feigning nonchalance. Peter, whom hadn’t noticed Blake looking at him, snapped his head up and starred at Blake.

Blake laughed at Peter’s surprise.

“I knew you were the one she picked on this year. You seemed a little freaked.” Peter awkwardly cleared his throat and picked his bag up, he looked around and chose the top bunk that was closest to the door. Blake leaped up from the chair, which was next to one of the chest of drawers, and tossed his bag on the bunk below Peter “I’ll bunk with you little man!” Hayden and Olly shared a look.

“Looks like we’re going to bunk together.” Hayden said, Olly nodded.

“Yep.”

§***§

Were, where am I? I, I can’t move! Am I tied up? No, what is this? I’m free but, imprisoned. Those eyes, so tantalizing. I’m hypnotized!? Ringing, ringing in my ears high pitched squeak can’t stop it! Pain so much pain, fire, death, no! No!!!!

“No!” Peter jerked up from his dream. Olly, Hayden, Blake, Dave, and Aden all gave him looks, full of a mixture of shock, and concern. He was sweating, and breathing hard. Peter griped the arms of the chair and panted, his heart beating what seemed like 2,000 beats a minute. The high pitched ringing was still going on it, but it was louder and it’s tone was steadily getting deeper. Wit was by his side in an instant.

“Breath, Peter.”

“What, was that?” Aden couldn’t disguise the shaking in his voice. Wit pushed his hair off his forehead.

“Are you alright?” Wit asked him. Peter replied in between breaths.

“Yeah, it was just a, just a dream. It freaked me out and that, that noise.” The noise he had heard was still going, and then suddenly it stopped. Olly nodded.

“That was the dinner bell. Always scares the crap out of the newbies, that don’t know if there is a fire or not.”

“You alright Pete?” Hayden consulted his best friend.

“I’m fine, and famished, lets go.” He said standing up.

“Good call newbie.”

“You know Wit, the name newbie is getting annoying.” Wit laughed at Hayden’s blatant remark.

“Oh? Well deal with it. Everyone at this school is going to call you that until you come back next year!” As they walked down the hall they were met by Phillip, Jerald, Terrence. The question of where the girls were staying was answered when a few came down the stairs. Following the girls was Declan.

“See, I was right! You sleep in the attic, just like a bat.” Declan shook his head and playfully punched Wit.

“The year I came here there were so many students they had to put me and a few others in the attic and we just never moved out.” Wit shook his head.

“Bat” He confirmed.

The dinning room was lit up with several candelabras in the corners, the chandeliers were alight and the crystals were sparkling. Sending prisms of light, and color onto the walls and floor. Wince, Claire, Mr. Roblin, Donte and other students the boys didn’t know, were already sitting. Wince, who was sitting in the right out of the two chairs on the end, turned around with a twinkle in his dark eyes.

“Be careful where you sit, once you sit there, that is your spot, forever.”

He ended the sentence with a whisper. Hayden scoffed and sat on George’s left who had Donte on his right. He and Mr. Roblin, and now Hayden and George, sat on the left side of the table. Aden sat next to Hayden, Peter sat next to Wince on the end. Phillip, Jerald, and Terrence piled in on the right side, because none of them wanted to sit next to Mr. Roblin. Jerald sat next to Claire, Declan was next her and on Wince’s right. As more students piled in and sat in chairs a door on the right side of the table opened and a tall and slightly chubby man, with a short beard and dark hair came out with large trays of food in his hands. With the help of a boy, who Wince said was was Jack, the table was soon ladled with good things to eat.

“New students are always welcome! It means I get to cook more!” The man then said his name was Antonio, and that he was from Italy. Claire shook her head and laughed.

“Anthony you pull the same joke every year and it is not funny. You’re not Italian, you’re an American, who’s traveled and knows how to cook lots of different foods.” Anthony glared at her.

“Your ruin my fun.” He’d dropped the Italian accent. Everyone laughed, some of the girls further down the table even started teasing him. He rolled it all off his back. Jack came out one last time with a three plate, on them was a very uncooked looking steak, some salad, a roll, and he also had a glass of a red liquid. He placed them in front of Declan, a girl who sat next to Daniella, and at the single, empty chair at the other end of the table. After he had done this, he sat down next to Terrence and started eating. Peter turned to Wince.

“How come that chair is empty? Who sits there?” Wince swallowed, he turned to answer Peter but stopped because the doors opened behind them. Without looking up from his food, Donte spoke airily.

“Your late Lye.” All the new students looked up to see her walk, gracefully in a sauntering way, into the room. Peter lifted his head to watch her as she passed his chair, his breath caught in his throat when their eyes met. She held his gaze for a few moments, her eyes burning into his, before she turned her head and walked towards the empty chair. Responding to Donte’s exasperated comment on the way.

“A psychic is never late, everyone else simply is.” You could easily tell who was not new, because those people rolled their eyes as if this happened every day. All through the meal, through the light dinner conversation, Peter’s heart kept thumping against his chest. He was sure Anthony could hear it in the kitchen. Every time he look at the other side of the room, Lye would lift her gaze to his as if she knew when he was going to look at her. If the rumors were true. She did.

§***§

After dinner all the students filed out of the dinning room. They gathered in the parlor, which was much larger that it seemed. They spent the remainder of the night getting to know each other, or get to know the newbies. They merely learned names of the others. All through this Lye was missing, Peter felt he would have known if she was there.

I know I’ve only been here a few hours, but I can tell its going to be like what happened during dinner every time I’m around her.

This terrified him.

At 11:00 they were ushered out of the parlor. Olly showed them where the bathrooms were. As they got under the sheets it seemed to hit them for the first time. We’re in England.