The rest of the students file out as Erin and I stand awkwardly at Professor Waldman’s desk. Sawyer lingers by the door, but Professor Waldman gives him a pointed look and he slips out, closing the door behind him.
As soon as he’s gone, Professor Waldman perches herself on the edge of her desk and shoots us an overly familiar smile.
“Thanks, ladies,” she says, shimmying a little on the top of her seat. “I just wanted to let you both know that Friday evening I’ll be hosting a little party. A soiree, if you will.” She says the word with relish and a forced French accent, which makes me cringe inwardly. “It’s for all the girls at Saint Marcellus. There are so few of us, you know? It’ll be nice for us to all get together. We girls have to look out for each other.”
I think she means well, but it isn’t just the accent that feels forced.
I say nothing, but Erin nods shakily.
“It’ll be a good opportunity to meet some of the other girls. One week here, and the testosterone levels can get a little … overwhelming …” Waldman says, winking at us and nodding towards the now empty seats at the back of the class once occupied by Piers and the others. Clearly, she’s misread that situation entirely. “Whaddya say?”
I glance at Erin, who’s just staring at a spot on the wall over the professor’s shoulder. I didn’t come here to make friends, but I’m not keen on making any enemies either.
“We’ll think about it,” I promise.
“That’s all I can ask.” She hops off her desk. “Now off you go, you two.”
Sawyer is leaning against the wall beside the door on the other side, waiting for us. “Hey! What’d she want? You’re not in trouble, are you?”
“Maybe!” Erin squeaks. She looks about ready to bolt, just the prospect of possibly having to participate in a group social activity enough to make her fret.
I tell Sawyer about the invitation, and my misgivings about it. I consider telling them about the look I saw in Professor Waldman there, just for a second, but decide better of it. It was probably just my imagination.
“I’m just wary of any teacher who seems overly keen to be seen as so … approachable.”
“I agree,” Sawyer says. “She’s weird. She called us kids. Does she think we’re in kindergarten?”
Sawyer and I mimic Waldman’s airy way of talking all the way back to the dorms. Erin stays silent, but squeaks out that she’s going to lie down as soon as we get back. She offers to take my things inside, then disappears behind the door. I hear it lock.
“Guess she isn’t in the mood for company,” I say, as both Sawyer and I share a slightly-shocked glance. I’ve never been locked out of my own room before, and I have half a mind to try and knock it down out of principal.
“Give her a break,” Sawyer says, nudging me. “Not everyone can be as brave as you.”
I roll my eyes, but I do follow him back towards his room so he can drop some things off too. “So,” I say, my curiosity getting the better of me. “You’re pretty protective of my roommate, Erin.” I stop and nudge him back. “You like her or something?”
He laughs and shifts his books to his other arm. “Nah. Scared, nervous girls aren’t my type.”
I tell myself I don’t care how he answers, but a tiny part of me warms at his words. It’s been a long time since I felt a genuine, human connection, and it tugs at a soft part of me I thought I buried a long time ago.
Ever since I learned about the monsters last year … I had a hard time with my old friends. I withdrew, isolated myself while I prepared myself for this new life. It was the first lesson I learned; hunters hunt alone. Even with a partner, it’s up to you to keep yourself alive. The less people around you, the less people get hurt.
My parents are the perfect example of that.
However, just because I came here to learn to hunt monsters doesn’t mean I’ve lost the human part of me that tingles a little when a boy like Sawyer looks my way.
“I mean, she doesn’t seem cut out for this monster hunting thing, does she?” he continues, completely oblivious to the way I’m full-out ogling him. “She almost barfed all over me at PW this morning, and we hadn’t even started.”
“PW?” I ask, shaking my head to clear it.
He explains. “Physical and Weapons. Heard some of the older students calling it that at breakfast.”
Ah, that would explain things. I overslept and missed breakfast earlier.
Now that Sawyer’s confessed he lacks and feelings for Erin, I find myself growing a little defensive of her. Hypocrite. I know, I’m the worst.
“Erin might not exactly excel at PW, but she scored really high on the written test,” I say.
Sawyer cocks his head to the side. “I mean to ask about that,” he says. “She was in your group at the last trial, right? How’d she do?”