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“Guess we’re expected to dress in the communal bathrooms.” I mutter.
“It’s going to be okay Ryx, we’ve been friends our entire lives. At least we’ve known each other that long, some of the others only met today.”
“When you put it that way, we’ll survive.” I agree. I couldn’t imagine having to share a room with someone I’ve just met. “You know we passed a lot of rooms, maybe they have some empty ones that they’ll let some of us use.” I suggest, hope filling my voice.
“That’s not going to happen.”
I spin on the spot, turning away from the window that overlooks the courtyard we started in. “What, why?”
“Read the rules, Ryx.” He says holding up said rule book. “It says right here on page one, Dorm rooms are non-negotiable and only temporary. Once they’re down to ten remaining students, they spread us out and allow us to have a room each. It also says that the two top ranking students each term receive extra privileges, including their choice of rooms and/or roommates. They are allowed extra free time and are given more spending credits. The four lower ranking students are sent packing.”
I mentally do the math, twenty students, four terms per year, three years… “That doesn’t add up.” I mutter, my head beginning to hurt.
“It does if you consider the fact that they bring in twenty new students every year. Only the top five students make it into the final year. Which happens to fall on a leap year, the one year they never take on new students.”
“So in the final year there would only be twelve students left and out of those twelve they only keep five? How does that work if they get rid of sixteen students every year?” I ask.
“It’s all right here, Ryx,” Eric taps the book in his hands. “It says at the end of the final year they hold an academic competition, the winners are then sent out into the world with their chosen Gods when they graduate.” He gives me a look, one that quite clearly says,I told you so.
“Yeah, yeah. I still think it’s weird that none of the students who come here are ever heard from again.” I grumble just as a bell tolls through the room. I frown up at the ceiling, trying to figure out where the sound came from. I can’t see any speakers or sound systems.
“Magic, Ryx. Gods have magic, remember.” Eric sounds far too happy about that as he jumps to his feet and crosses the room to where I’m still standing, “Come on, Ryx, let’s go check out the meal situation. I’m starving.”
“You’re always hungry.” I giggle as he wraps his arm around my shoulder. I can’t help the butterflies that fill my belly as we walk out of our room together. They’re fluttering so hard that I don’t notice the pissed off Gods-in-training until we’re right in front of them.
“Just friends huh?” Golden asks, glaring daggers at Eric. “You obviously haven’t read the whole rule book yet.”
Eric, who is actually still holding the rule book from our room, opens it and asks, “Which rule?”
“Page seventy-two.” Is all Golden says before turning on his heel and storming off. The other two stooges follow him without a word.
“What rule is he talking about?” I ask, slipping out from beneath Eric’s arm so I can see the rule book better.
Eric’s face pales as he slams the book shut. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, they’re just being jerks.”
I lunge for the book, determined to find out, but Eric holds it higher, just out of my reach. “Just tell me, Eric.” I snap.
“I said it’s nothing, just drop it.” To my shock, he too storms away, taking the only copy of the rulebook that was in our room with him.
“Well how am I supposed to learn the rules now?” I ask out loud. No one answers me, but a few of the guys standing near the stairs snicker before leaving.
I follow the rest of the crowd down the stairs and into the hallway where Golden gave me the “Tour.” The others seem to know where they’re going as none of them veer off the path. As a group, we all walk into the dining area and part ways, everyone going to tables in their friend groups.
I glance around, finding Eric already sitting with a group of three guys, no seats left at the table. The Gods-in-training are all at the furthest tables in the other half of the room, some of the humans hovering close by their tables as though waiting for something. There’s no other free spots at the other human tables, so I walk over to the corner one, where no one’s sitting, and drop into the closest chair.
Whatever rule Golden pointed out must have been bad for Eric to ignore me the way he is. He’s only ever done that once before and that was because we’d had a huge fight over me dating one of his other friends back in grade seven. I don’t understand why he’s taking it out on me but it’s made me lose my appetite, so when a waiter appears beside my table, I politely tell him that I’m not hungry.
“You really should eat something, Miss Day. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow.” I don’t even bother looking up, I’d recognise that voice anywhere. Especially after the way he spoke to me in the office earlier.
A hand is thrust out in front of my face, palm up. “I’m Tanner Hades, Power Manipulation instructor and male liaison for the dorms. I’m sorry about our earlier meeting. I didn’t realise you were human and I acted rather rudely.”
“You think?” I ask, finally looking up at him. It’s still eerie how much he looks like me. Even his eyes seem to have the same weird paleness to them. “Maybe you can answer a question for me then.”
Tanner nods, pulling out the chair across from me, “If it’s within my knowledge, I’ll answer.” He says as he drops onto the chair heavily.
“What is the rule on page seventy-two?”
To my surprise, he laughs. “That would be the stupidest rule in the entire book and honestly it’s so archaic that I don’t think anyone really cares about it being broken.”
