Mystic High ✓

MH │14

In the previous chapter: Charlotte and Oriane reached the infirmary, after having been given a detention. Doctor Finnell fed Jessica a potion and diagnosed her with light poisoning.

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

At eight thirty in the morning, Oriane woke up to Toffee crawling elegantly over her chest restlessly. Her cat's soft mewls brought her back to reality from the haze that invaded her dreams: a permanent black fogginess and then flashes of light. It was confusing and, to say the least, she didn't have the best night of sleep that Saturday morning.

Toffee's dark orange fur brushed her face, teasing her nose into a sneeze. It jolted her up from the bed. The thick curtains in her room were drawn, but light streamed from the gaps between the fabrics. As birds flitted about outside her fourth-storey window, the lights danced on the roof of her room, conducting an auroric symphony to the chirping outdoors.

It was good that Toffee had decided to wake her. Not only had it pushed her out of her uncomfortable sleep that bordered on nightmarish, but she also had to get ready for detention at nine o'clock with Uilliam. She sighed heavily.

Charlotte hadn't spoken with her when they decided to retire for the night yesterday. Which wasn't anything particular since it was Marian who suddenly decided it was getting late, at ten o'clock that evening after Doctor Finnell was done treating Jessica, and who dragged a protesting Charlotte out the door. That, and Oriane supposed it wasn't appropriate to mention anything while Jessica was sick in bed and Doctor Finnell still hovering about in the small, cramped space.

Regardless, Oriane simply hoped Charlotte wasn't spiffed about her landing them both in detention. Was it as big a deal here in this college as it was back at the Catholic high school in London? She hoped not. Especially with the amount of trouble that brewed here. The fact that there were magical scares like the 'Watchers' that prowled restricted areas, but apparently, students were prone to disappearances. These were enough to prove her point.

Which brought her back to the conversation her professors were having at the staff area. She couldn't seem to get it out of her head and leave it alone. Oriane rubbed her face with the sleeve of her pyjama. She was wearing a white long-sleeve with patterns of small ice-creams over it and matching pink pyjama pants. They were one of her favourites pairs.

She really ought to get out of bed. She didn't have very much time, given that it would likely take her another five to ten minutes to walk to the staff area at her rather slow pace. Unless, she wanted to rush and run there. Oriane wondered if she should knock on Charlotte and Marian's shared dormitory to see if Charlotte wanted to walk there together.

Oriane got up, tucking Toffee into her arms. Her cat purred when Oriane petted her head, smoothing the soft silky strands through her fingertips. Her kitchen cabinets were always well stocked with cat food and breakfast cereals, her favourite brands too. It was as if someone knew her well and came into the room refilling her favourite selections every night.

She grabbed Toffee's bowl, a chicken cat food tin, and a fork; then began forking the meats out of the tin and into the bowl with one hand. Doing her best to separate the meat evenly over the container so it wouldn't stick together, all the while, with Toffee, mewling and licking her tongue out the entire time, spooned on her left. Just as she placed the bowl on the floor, Toffee leapt out of her hand and almost hit face first into the food.

Oriane let out an amused humph and said, "Why are you always in such a hurry to eat, greedy thing."

As soon as Toffee was settled, she took a quick shower and hurriedly dressed; in jeans, as usual, and a baby blue singlet, which brought out the blue of her eyes. But she wasn't too concerned about that. She combed her bed-ridden hair, grabbed a jacket, her bag, and headed out. It all took under fifteen minutes for her, so she had time to go see if Charlotte was ready.