Daddy himself.
He was sans Wolf and his other friends at the present, and where his gaze had casually passed over me before, it didn’t now.
If anything, it blazed.
Seriously, his expression cut in my direction, but through further observation, I noticed it more so laid on Principal Mayberry beside me.
Noticing my attention had shifted, Principal Mayberry shifted hers in the same direction. And I noticed she stood taller in front of the guy. Like he was the headmaster and she was the student. I found that weird as fuck, and she didn’t look at me again until the boy passed and turned a corner down the hallway. I had no idea where he was going, but I still felt that heated gaze well after he’d disappeared around the corner.
“So your guide will meet you inside once next period starts,” she said, but I noticed her attention still at that corner. This possibly could be in my head, though. I mean, he was just a boy, a student. Even still, she obviously noticed the look. She pressed a hand down her jacket before facing me. “Her name is Bow Reed. She’ll help you.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course, and if you need anything…”
She didn’t finish, instead nodding before heading in the opposite direction of the boy. Again, that felt weird, but I’d had a rather exciting morning, so I passed it off. Instead, I headed inside the classroom, and since second period classes hadn’t started yet, the room was empty.
Not for long. The bell rang, and seconds later, the room’s activity started.
I took a seat, watching as the room filled up and students milled about in their academy uniforms. Many of the girls had designer handbags, labels I’d only seen knockoffs for where I came from.
The culture here was most certainly different.
I waited, feeling awkward. I wondered if I’d need to tell the teacher I was the new kid so my guide could find me. I stood, starting to do that.
“Holy crap, you’re tall.”
I directed a look down, way down to what looked like a little girl, but then again, I was tall. The girl had dark hair, wavy and long, and so much fire red in her cheeks one would have thought she ran all the way here.
Maybe she did.
She shot a hand out. “Are you Noa Sloane? If so, I’m your guide. Hi. My name’s Bow. Well, Rainbow, but most people call me Bow. My whole name’s Rainbow Reed, but you can call me Bow like everyone else.”
She said that in one breath if one could imagine.
I took her hand, and she shook mine so hard I questioned her sized.
She grinned. “Wow, you are tall. How tall?”
“Five ten,” I said, eyeing her. She wasn’t tall. Maybe five foot. Maybe. I studied her sparkling broach where normally an academy tie sat. The thing looked real, like an actual ruby.
Well, she has money.
I supposed like the rest of them. I took in the heeled Mary Janes on her feet. She wore knee-highs like me, but along with her height, the shoe choice made her seriously look like a little kid. I frowned. “You sure you’re a senior?”
“Oh, no.” She giggled so spritely she gained the attention of the others who’d filtered in. She tucked hair behind her ear. “I’m a sophomore, but I’m advanced for my age. I rock at math, hence why I’m in a senior algebra class with you.”
I looked behind the girl, wondering if the enchanted forest animals would catch up behind her. She was literally adorable, rosy cheeks and everything. They went along quite well with the ruby studs in her ears.
They matched the expensive-ass-looking broach.
As it appeared, she’d come by herself to this class, no animals in tow. She proceeded to wave to the teacher ahead, informing him of my presence in this class, and that I was the new kid.
The man seemed unconcerned but did make me introduce myself to the class. Our teacher was Mr. Green, and he informed me to take a seat at the front with Bow.
Once seated, the little one continued to assist me by taking my bag. She even tried to hang it on the back of my chair like my mother.
“I got it,” I said, the girl moving a mile a minute. She spoke just as quick, a full smile on her face. I watched in fascination as she told me she’d be with me for the next two weeks and was here for anything I needed.