The Curiosity of The Enigmatic

I was sorely tempted to scream, “Yes! I would love to major in espionage!” I had been honing my abilities in that area for years after all. Okay, maybe following mysterious looking people around and knowing where everyone in my class lives was merely creepy and not the correct training. But...

“Will l be taught how to control my... err...gift?”

“That is the first thing you’ll be focusing on. Late bloomers like you usually have very versatile temperamental abilities,” Mrs Fleur offered helpfully and I gave her a tentative smile.

“No offense meant to you ma’am, but why can’t I have another alias?” The image of a wilting flower rose to mind. Come to think of it, did I water my Sweet Peas before I left?

“We understand your worry and are aware that nurturing is not your strong point. But, as Mr Hawkins explained to me earlier...”

“You have to learn to adapt and cope in difficult situations, quickly and efficiently,” Mr Hawkins interrupted a bit rudely. Obviously he thought himself in a more senior position than the vice principle. “If, for example, you did a general course, then that would be no challenge as blending in would be all too easy and certainly not training on the appropriate level. Besides...Botany is the only class that isn’t filled to the brim, so to speak.” He chuckled casting a sideways glance at a now red faced Mrs Fleur who gave him a tight lipped glare.

Wonderful, I thought. I’m to be caught between these two.

Suddenly Mr Hugo did something very subtle with his eyes and the two teachers immediately calmed down. “But the course is very competitive and strenuous. So we’ll give you till tomorrow morning to decide. In the meantime,” he said as if nothing had happened. “Miss Tomlinson will show you to your dorm. Decide carefully...”

I turned around, shocked to find Tomlinson had been here the entire time and I had forgotten all about her. Was she one of the academy’s spies? Damn she was good. And here I was thinking I wasn’t too bad myself.

“Come with me Miss Davids,” she said to my surprised face. I nodded but when I glanced behind me the Spy master had disappeared and Mrs Fleur and Mr Hugo could be seen walking together down the path I had taken seemingly hours ago. Were they devising my future?

I followed her and we took the same path those annoying pests had taken earlier. We passed the gate and two men dressed in khaki uniform saluted her on the other side of the gate.

We were now in a giant courtyard surrounded by trees and wherever the bricked pathways did not flow was ankle length thick grass and I caught a glimpse of a large fountain in the centre of the courtyard through the trees. We followed a path that hugged the perimeter and suddenly there was a hallway to our left which I followed Tomlinson into. The hallway was short and suddenly ended and cut to the right. I’ll have to find that map I printed out of the school. I know it’s somehwre in my bags…

We entered a door and I read the inscription: ‘Student affairs’. I’ll have to remember this place’s location.

It was a small but comfortable office with about half a dozen plush chairs lined up against opposite walls and, facing us, were two desks. At the one sat a harassed looking elderly lady with glasses and on the right was a harassed looking elderly man with glasses. They looked like siblings.

The woman looked up and smiled at Tomlinson before continuing to type furiously at her rather high tech looking laptop. We went to the man however and didn’t even bother to look up, merely grunted, and handed Tomlinson (Damn! I should really get a nickname for her) a stack of paper which she then handed to me.

“I’m not here to babysit; ask Mrs Everhardt where your dorm is.” Tomlinson looked down at her wrist watch. “Damn, I better get moving. For your own sake I hope you steer away from the Spy Master’s offer but if you do accept, register your course at this office before tomorrow morning. Goodbye.” She nodded at me briefly and swept out.

“Err…” I looked from the man secretary to the woman. “Who’s Mrs Everhardt?”

“That’s me dear,” the lady said looking up with a slight smile. I smiled back at her relieved and asked her where I would be dorming? She asked for and I gave her my name and surname and student number which I had received in the post. She quickly typed in the information into her computer and looked up and gave me a laminated purple card that hung on a cord.

“You’ll be in the Lavender dorm. It’s across the courtyard. If you can’t find it, ask around. That’s your access into the dorm, nothing else will get you in so keep it safe.” She saw me looking down at the papers I held in my hand and went on helpfully, “It’s a lot to take in, so make sure you read the rules and regulations along with the code of conduct. You may never claim ignorance about them as we give you the privilege of knowing them up front, so you’ll have plenty of studying tonight.” Lovely.

“These are just the rules?” I asked incredulously. The bundle was heavy! They were stringed together so as to form an informal book and there was ‘NB’ net to almost everything.

“If you have any troubles dear, come speak to me,” Mrs Everhardt said. “Now off you go; dinner starts in twenty minutes.”

Gah! I scratched my head furiously. “I have to register my course before tomorrow morning. Is it possible to come in after dinner?”

She gave me a hard stare and told me that they close in five minutes. Guess who’s missing supper?

Mrs Everhardt knew about the position I had been pushed in and helped me on how to choose my courses to fit in with the Spy Master’s course.

“You’ll be taking Botany as your alias and although the mark will not come up in your report you will be required to do all the tasks and tests in order to make the other pupils believe you. You’ll also be Linguistics Studies, Eastern Culture Studies, Hero Studies, normal Physical Training like everyone else, and finally Espionage as your major after hours.” Her eyes widened and she sighed, handing me a schedule. Dinner had already started and I felt horrible for making her help me past working hours. “At least you won’t be required to take an extracurricular activity like everyone else; all espionage pupils are pardoned.”

“Wonder why.” I laughed uncomfortably and after thanking her and taking my leave I began to search for the Lavender dorm. I will NOT try and comment on that name.

It was already dark outside but there were garden lights along the pathways but seeing as it was still dinner time it was eerily quiet.

“Ha! Caught you wandering the grounds!” someone shouted and a shadow pounced on me.

“Help help! I’m being attacked!” I shouted as I was tackled to the ground.

“You’re supposed to be either in the dorm, in the hall eating, or in the sick room and since you’re not…Oh,” my assailant noticed my lavender card around my neck and scrabbled off of me. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea you were a senior ma’am…” her speech was hurried and as I climbed to my feet she backed away. She was a slim girl with Chinese features and a bob haircut and her clothing was black. Figures I hadn’t spotted her… still it troubled me that as a future espionage trainee I hadn’t sensed her till it was too late.

Was she a prefect or something?

“No no, it’s cool. I’m new here and I had no idea I wasn’t allowed around at this time.” I gestured over my shoulder. “I was just back from organising my schedule, you can ask Mrs Everhardt if you don’t believe me. I’m also kind of lost and I’m looking for the Lavender dorm…?”

The girl was laughing and I gave her a puzzled and annoyed look. “You’re definitely new; most people just lie,” she said giggling. She stuck out her hand. “I know this is forward coming from a junior but I’m the grounds prefect on every second weekday and if you want to I can show you around at any time. I’m Yuan Chan.”

I shook her proffered hand and gave a lopsided smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Tania Davids. I thought you were a ninja or something trying to test your skills on the newbie. Would you mind showing me around now while everyone’s inside?”

She grinned. “Lavender dorm first I take it?” I nodded and raised my brows. “It’s named after the academy’s first head girl. She didn’t like her name either.”

I laughed and followed her, feeling relieved to have found someone who could show me around. Even if she was a weird junior who tackled people just because they were breaking what might be a small rule.

We walked down the path and came to stop before a sign that read Lavender House. It seemed all the dorms and maybe even classrooms encircled the courtyard and there was no breakage between the houses to make them look separate. I smacked my forehead. “I was so close but thanks anyway…Yuan right?”

She nodded brightly. “Sorry for the earlier misunderstanding, I hope to see you around later when you’ve settled in. I’m afraid I can’t go in, regulations and such you know.”

I didn’t know but smiled like I understood. “Well, goodnight!” I said cheerfully and went inside into a small reception area. I was surprisingly tastefully decorated but still typical dorm style like where my brothers stayed. A tall big boned girl, sitting on a chair reading a book, yawned when she saw me. She was behind a metal gate that blocked entry and a small electronic tablet which read, “Scan card please. One person at a time.”

I smiled at her timidly. She did not smile back. “Are you a prefect?”

“No, I sit here to amuse myself,” she replied in a light voice scoffing. She rolled her eyes. “You’re the new senior who just transferred ain’t you?” she had an overbearing twanging accent that grated on my nerves.

“I think that’s obvious,” I snarled a bit. “Do I just swipe my card and go in?”

The girl rolled her eyes again. “And when you’re inside what then? Do you even have any idea where your room is?”

“No,” I said, clenching my jaw. “Do you?”

“Name?” she intoned in a dead pan voice and held up a clipboard that had been resting on
her lap.

“Tania Davids,” I said tiredly. My stomach rumbled.

“Room eleven, you’re with Symphony and Lena.” She smirked. “Good luck.”

I mentally shrugged my shoulders and swiping my card on the tablet went through the gate when it beeped open. The girl went back to her reading and I was left to struggle through a maze of hallways. I found my room eleven by some miracle and collapsed on the one bed that wasn’t occupied by bags and clothes and magazines. Without bothering to take a further look at the room or undressing I fell asleep.