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“Great.” She flashes me a victorious smile that makes me bristle.
“Great,” I mutter, pulling my door closed and following her down the hall.
“So this is the girls’ dorm. But I’m sure you already know that. There’s a common room, a communal kitchen, and a laundry room all at the end of the hall.” She points behind us. “Mrs. Danvers is the Dorm Aunt. She’s pretty chill. If you have any problems, you can go to her. Just don’t try and sneak in any boys after curfew. That’s a hard line for her.”
“Not going to be a problem,” I mutter.
“The dorm is right next to the student welfare building. We’re super lucky to have a state-of-the-art facility. Swimming pool, therapy rooms, a studio.” She glances at me and smiles. “It’s pretty great.”
“Great, right.”
“Miss Linley is really nice too.”
So she knows. It shouldn’t really surprise me. The headteacher probably spilled all my secrets while assigning her to babysit me.
“Then in the other direction toward the main building is the boys’ dorm.”
“What’s that building?” I ask, pointing to a church style building in the distance.
“Oh, that’s the Chapel.”
“The Chapel. So it’s a church?”
“Not exactly,” she murmurs. Before I can ask her anything else, she says, “Let’s check out the sixth form building. I can get you up to speed on where all your classes are and show you the cafeteria.”
Tally takes off toward the school and I traipse after her, unable to shake the feeling that all is not what it seems with the Chapel.
But I’m not surprised. All Hallows’ is old, steeped in tradition and elitism. It reeks of money. Places like this are always full of corruption and secrets.
“What are you studying?” she asks me as I fall back into step beside her.
“English, psychology, and sociology.”
“I’m sure you’ll fit right in.”
“I think we both know I won’t.”
“Raine, that’s—”
“Save it.” I cut her off.
Tally studies me for a second but chooses to swallow whatever bullshit is on the tip of her tongue.
I’m grateful.
Because I meant what I said.
I’m not here to make friends.
I’m here because I have to be. And when I age out…
I’m gone.
* * *
After forty minutes of strained conversation and Tally’s attempts to get me excited about life at All Hallows’, she finally lets me return to the dorm.
I refuse her offer to show me the way back. I’ve got it. The campus might be a vast sprawling place surrounded by perfectly tended lawns and fenced off by an ominous looking forest on three sides, but most of the buildings are clustered together, making it easy to remember the route back.
