Inhale

5.

"The lesson of history is that no one learns."

-Steven Erikson

Evette was perhaps more floored than Josiah and I.

"Remus? Really? They don't really-"

I raised a hand to stop her. "Look alike, we all said the same thing. She's in the year below."

Evette poked at her lunch, staring thoughtfully at my shoulder. Lunch was not the most exciting affair at school. The food was less than great, unless it was the holidays. You would think for a school with a price tag that we'd be eating full, nutritional meals. Nope. Today was some kind of soup, which was orange and didn't taste all that bad but had the texture of hot water with a pile of stock cubes in it. Not exactly the most memorable meal.

"Where did she come from?" Evette pushed her bowl away from herself. It made a suspicious bubbling sound as it moved across the table. Ezekiel looked up from a scraggly looking piece of paper.

"Isn't that some kind of...racism?" he asked. Evette looked at him sideways.

"Are you stupid?"

"New Zealand," I said to her.

"No shit, so did Remus. I meant what school," she muttered. Ezekiel raised his hands defensively. "Did she say anything?"

"She didn't mention anything about school," I told her. "Nothing about why she randomly joined either."

"She introduced herself then immediately resorted to slandering Jo," Ezekiel said. He was still staring at the disheveled paper.

"Jesus Ezekiel," Evette muttered. "She doesn't want you, get the fuck over it."

Diana, of course. Diana sort of popped up out of nowhere one day, like some kind of weed. She was no one and then someone in the space of five days. She had charged up to our corner in the lounge one Monday last year, somehow dressed up while still in her uniform. We hadn't really paid her any mind, she talked a bit with Evette about nothing in particular before leaving. It was nothing special. Then, as weeks went by, she was appearing more and more. And she was no longer there for Evette too, but for others. Friendliness was turning into something more, and it didn't extend to one single person. We didn't really know what she wanted from us, but it wasn't doing any harm.

One day, Ezekiel walked into the lounge holding hands with her. He was beaming with pride and promptly sat himself down with Diana in his lap. They had chatted and giggled and done all their ridiculous couple stuff before she finally left after a very, very long half hour.

"So," he had said to us. "No congratulations?"

"For what," Josiah murmured from behind his sketchbook. "for finally reserving a piece of the academy's free relationship simulation service?"

Ezekiel wasn't too thrilled by this. He had expected us to support him, applaud him. Evette and Ellie didn't find it very amusing either - 'you can't talk about women that way, Josiah' - but they also couldn't bring themselves to welcome her.The reality was that Diana had dated plenty at her time at the academy, but never settled for more than two weeks. Diana quickly lost interest in the relationship, it was evident. She was looking for a new group setting, not romance. Ezekiel simply secured that for her. She spoke less and less to Ezekiel at breaks, and they never spent time alone. If Ezekiel made plans for that, she would rain-check with a cold, homework, cleaning, or invite someone to come along. We felt bad for him, and mildly for Diana's unrelenting desire to be part of the group. Sensing this, Ezekiel refused to end things with her, remaining in the 'relationship' for a few months.