Mina did the same. The cans popped open almost at the same time and Mina quickly put her lips to hers, so that the foam wouldn’t seep through.
“I like it,” Mina nodded, looking around.
A few people were dancing now, it was as if there was a shift in action. Everyone started doing something else and they were having as much fun as before. Mina felt like she was at a friend’s house when their parents weren’t home. She liked the feeling. It was something normal teenagers did, something she didn’t have much experience with.
She half expected him to make a move. She even caught herself being overly flirty with him a few times but it seemed like he wasn’t getting the hint. They spent a few hours talking and despite the fact that nothing romantic happened between them, she realized that she’d had a lot of fun with him.
“So, what… we can be just friends…” she thought to herself, as she cozied up in bed, and went to sleep, with occasional images of what just happened popping up, before she finally fell asleep.
Chapter 12
All Hallow’s Eve was just around the corner and there was no sign of the Headmaster. Mina had hoped that he’d return by now but, at the same time, she was happy that he wasn’t there yet. She didn’t feel ready. Dante was notorious in vampire slayer circles. He was dangerous and unpredictable. This was the only thing she knew, because not many had survived a meeting with him and lived to tell about it. But, she was sure that Emile was right. If Dante was really the Headmaster of Zeadore Academy, then he knew what happened to her brother, because he was most certainly responsible for what had happened. That thought alone gave her the necessary strength to face him at any given point.
That was exactly why she concocted a plan. She’d go to the secretary just to enquire whether he was back. She could take a look around at the same time, maybe get some info from the secretary herself. It was a simple plan, so she hoped nothing would go wrong.
After school, on Friday, Mina headed towards the main building. She had no idea if she needed to schedule anything or not. After all, even if the Headmaster was back, she’d need to get out of actually meeting him. She could make something up, lie, bend the truth a little. All she wanted was info.
She strolled over to the main building, rehearsing her speech inside her mind. On the way there, she almost had to elbow her way in the opposite direction, as students were generally headed back to the dorms, most of which were situated in the same part of the campus. Mina had arranged to meet up with Reeba later on and take a walk, maybe grab a late coffee from the cafeteria or one of the machines. Either way, the coffee tasted bad, but it gave one an excuse to hold something liquid and warm in one’s hand, while chatting. It was a habit one couldn’t break easily.
Stopping before an old, worn down part of this ancient building, Mina knew this to be the entrance. The main offices were situated here, the Headmaster’s office and the school psychologist. The teacher’s lounge was in the other part of the building, where the students went to class every day, but the teachers had one lounge here as well. Mina guessed this one was for those precious moments of solitude, where the students wouldn’t bug them as much.
Mina climbed a few steps, then stopped before the left side wall, which held a large metal poster, with the location of each room and office in the building. She found the Headmaster’s office easily and figured his secretary must have a desk right in front of his office or somewhere very close to it.
She entered the building and, immediately, felt the temperature get colder. She shivered, then rubbed her upper arms, trying to make herself warmer. She found herself in a big, seemingly endless hallway. Its tiled flooring was time-worn. The paintings on the walls hung in chafed, wooden frames which could have used a bit of a touch up. However, old as they were, they still possessed some vintage, antiquated charm which had always appealed to Mina. In the middle, there was a winding staircase. There was no sign of any possible elevator, even though Mina preferred to climb stairs. Once, she got stuck in an elevator and it took them over three hours to get her out. S
he wasn’t scared, really but it was still unpleasant and, worst of all, she had no food or drink on her.
She grabbed the handrails confidently, going over her speech one last time in her mind, thinking what would be the right note of polite and inquisitive but not overly pushy. She’d have to start, and then see. She climbed one step at a time, until eventually, the third and final floor opened up before her. There was a small desk to the right of the heavy doors with golden door knobs in the shape of a wolf’s head. The doors were closed tight. The desk next to it was small and neatly arranged but it managed to accommodate the woman who was sitting at it easily.
Mina kept walking towards her and the woman lifted her gaze the moment she heard someone approaching. Her eyes watched Mina closely from behind a pair of V-shaped glasses, inspecting her closely.
“Hello,” Mina greeted her politely, as she stopped right before the desk.
“Hi, there,” the lady replied.
Right there, on the desk, turned to her, Mina could see a plaque with the lady’s name. Mirna Watson.
“I hope I’m in the right place,” Mina continued as sweetly as she could.
“How may I help you, dear?” Miss Watson replied.
She was a pretty-ish woman in her thirties, that was at least what her appearance showed. Her eyes were overly drawn out with black eyeliner, trying to make them look bigger, which was only more painfully obvious from behind her glasses. She was wearing a short sleeved blouse with pink flamingos and there was a barely visible pink hair clip in her hair, which was half up and half down, with a few loose strands of hair around her ears.
“I’m here to enquire about the Headmaster,” she started, clearing her throat a little, “you see, I arrived here less than a month ago and there are a few things I’d like to ask him. I understand that every new student who arrives like this, in the middle of the school year, is to meet the Headmaster and, you see, I’ve heard so many things about him, I’m just so eager to meet him in person.”
Mina hoped her little speech did the trick. It was supposed to leave the impression of an overly eager student, a little clumsy, a little curious, who just wanted to meet the Headmaster. Miss Watson eyed her sweetly and the right corner of her lip danced a little.
“I have the right information, don’t I?” Mina added, for effect and it worked.
“You do, Miss…”
“Wing, Lucy,” Mina gave her alias.
“Ah, Miss Wing,” Miss Watson’s face changed a little, but Mina couldn’t quite put her finger on the reason why.
It sounded as if Miss Watson had already heard her name before. Now, it was up to Mina to figure out whether this meant something or not.
“Yes?” she chose to say.