Status: Completely Rewritten!
All the Marks
Collin Stroud
After potions class let out, Emily began her walk to a classroom on the west side of the castle, which was always deserted around this time, so she could meet Collin Stroud in another empty room. It had become routine for Emily, and she did it almost without thinking. Her shoes tapped along the stone floor as she walked down the hallway.
“Em, wait up!”
Emily turned, looking behind her and slowed down, “Hello Ronald. What are you doing over this way?”
Ron approached her, slowing his steps so they were in time with hers.
“I could ask you the same thing, Emily,” Ron smiled as Emily glared at him, “But, since I’m already over this way, I could just walk you to wherever you’re headed. Which is?”
Emily paused for a moment, as the lie formed in her head, “Um- I’m just going over to the west wing to study. It’s the only place quiet enough for me to think.”
“You sure about that?” Ron asked, a small laugh in the back of his throat, “I’ve always found the library to be the perfect place to study, not that I necessarily do much of it.”
“I’m sick of the library,” Emily said, pushing a free strand of her blonde hair behind her ear as they turned the final corner.
“Whatever you say, Em.” Ron winked at her, a small smile on his face.
Emily moved towards the door, turning her back to Ron, “Well, here it is.”
“You’re going to study in an old deserted classroom? You are one strange girl.”
Emily turned back to face him, catching a glimpse of the clock behind him. Only two minutes until Collin was set to arrive.
Air settled in Emily’s lungs as she took a deep breath. She looked at Ron, admiring his bright eyes as he smiled at her.
She smiled back at him, sighing softly, “Off you go, then.”
“Wouldn’t you like some company?” Ron asked, a huge grin plastered on his face.
Emily looked back at the clock as the minutes counted down. She paused, collecting her words before she spoke, “Oh, no. I’ll be fine.”
The smile faded from his lips and he spoke again, “Are we still on for tonight?”
Emily nodded, hoping to push the smile back onto his face, “Of course. I’m looking forward to it.”
He smiled back, turning away from her and towards the end of the hallway.
Emily took a deep breath, pulling air deep into her lungs. She sighed, placing her hand on the doorknob. Her hand stood still, as she grew more and more tempted to not turn the knob and walk away from the vacant room.
She gripped the chrome tightly, her knuckles turning white, and turned. The door opened and Emily stepped forward, telling herself she would stop as soon as she could.
Emily sat down at a desk in the empty room and waited for Collin to arrive.
“Em, wait up!”
Emily turned, looking behind her and slowed down, “Hello Ronald. What are you doing over this way?”
Ron approached her, slowing his steps so they were in time with hers.
“I could ask you the same thing, Emily,” Ron smiled as Emily glared at him, “But, since I’m already over this way, I could just walk you to wherever you’re headed. Which is?”
Emily paused for a moment, as the lie formed in her head, “Um- I’m just going over to the west wing to study. It’s the only place quiet enough for me to think.”
“You sure about that?” Ron asked, a small laugh in the back of his throat, “I’ve always found the library to be the perfect place to study, not that I necessarily do much of it.”
“I’m sick of the library,” Emily said, pushing a free strand of her blonde hair behind her ear as they turned the final corner.
“Whatever you say, Em.” Ron winked at her, a small smile on his face.
Emily moved towards the door, turning her back to Ron, “Well, here it is.”
“You’re going to study in an old deserted classroom? You are one strange girl.”
Emily turned back to face him, catching a glimpse of the clock behind him. Only two minutes until Collin was set to arrive.
Air settled in Emily’s lungs as she took a deep breath. She looked at Ron, admiring his bright eyes as he smiled at her.
She smiled back at him, sighing softly, “Off you go, then.”
“Wouldn’t you like some company?” Ron asked, a huge grin plastered on his face.
Emily looked back at the clock as the minutes counted down. She paused, collecting her words before she spoke, “Oh, no. I’ll be fine.”
The smile faded from his lips and he spoke again, “Are we still on for tonight?”
Emily nodded, hoping to push the smile back onto his face, “Of course. I’m looking forward to it.”
He smiled back, turning away from her and towards the end of the hallway.
Emily took a deep breath, pulling air deep into her lungs. She sighed, placing her hand on the doorknob. Her hand stood still, as she grew more and more tempted to not turn the knob and walk away from the vacant room.
She gripped the chrome tightly, her knuckles turning white, and turned. The door opened and Emily stepped forward, telling herself she would stop as soon as she could.
Emily sat down at a desk in the empty room and waited for Collin to arrive.