Strains

After our war meeting at Matthew’s house, he took me back to the underground chamber for sparing practice. Which was as fun as it was yesterday. On the upside, I got back to my room early enough to soak in the tub to get rid of the ink marks that covered my body.

Putting Matthew in charge of finding a solution to our problem was our only option, and that fact made me uneasy. He hasn’t been forthcoming with information since I’ve known him. And he laughed a little too much during training today too. He must’ve already thought of a plan, but what could it be?

I look over to my watch on the counter. Dinner time. Alright. Let’s see what his plan is.

When I get to the hall, I’m one of the first. Do I really want to go in there? Ugh. I look to the path behind me. Students are beginning to show up. Damn. I head inside and take my seat at the staff table. The tide of students slowly flows into the building and begins to fill the seats.

“Early today?”

“Yes, good evening Dean. Can I get you a glass of water?” I walk over with the table’s pitcher and top off his glass.

“Evening,” Ynez says as he takes his seat. I go over and fill his glass as well. Two minutes before 6 and all the tables in the hall are filled, except for ours. Matthew still isn’t here. Did he go to the council or meet up with Hercules?

Hercules comes through one of the side doors and takes his seat next to me. He digs into the crate and pulls out a fresh bottle.

“Sorry about class today, sir.”

He grunts but doesn’t say anything more. Guess it could be worse.

“Where is your facilitator? The council again?” Tiffany asks.

I’m mid shrug when the Dean adds, “No, the next meeting should be tomorrow.”

“Well, where the hell-,”

The doors at the entrance of the hall open, and there he is. There he is with April hanging onto his arm.

“Is it that time of the decade again?” Tiffany sneers.

“Must be and it looks like April gets to be the lucky lady,” Ynez says.

I join the rest of the room in watching the two while they ascend the stairs to our table.

“Hey everyone,” April says in her overtly cheery tone.

“April is joining us for dinner as my guest,” Matthew explains.

“We can see that, but where do you plan to sit?” Tiffany says. The table is packed, and there’s only a single place setting left. Matthew ignores her and turns to me.

“Elizabeth,” he says.

“Yes sir?”

“You’ll be sitting with the lower staff tonight. Get going.”

I stand and haphazardly step over the bench. I can’t believe he’s giving away my seat and banishing me to the lower tables. I find the table at the base of the stairs. It’s longer than the one I just left and stuffed with professors. While the staff at my usual table are comprised of department heads, this table includes the rest of the staff. Some of which are not big fans of mine.

I scan the long table for an open seat. I find the only one available and, as fate would have it, it’s right next to Korma.

We exchange obligatory greetings as the first course is served. Even though I’m at a new table, my diet still stands and it’s painfully obvious how different my plate is. It must not be common knowledge on campus since the professors nearest to me are eying my plate. Especially Dr. Salinas, the folklore professor and only professor on campus to hold a living world doctorate, who was so puzzled by it she actually cleaned and adjusted the red frames on her face. Twice for each course.

“My facilitator believes restriction will make me a better hero,” I say to her, trying my best not to sound upset with the whole thing.

She adjusts her frames again.

“Ah. Makes sense.”

The professor next to her, Mr. Tanoka, from the biology department, nods. “I thought it may have been a food allergy.”

“I wouldn’t say it makes sense,” Korma says.

Leave it to her to be suspicious of me for no reason.

“What do you mean, Lil?” Dr. Salinas asks.

Is that really her first name?

“I’ve never heard of anyone benefiting from self-deprivation, especially at the direction of someone else. Leave it to Matthew to figure out new methods to torture the students.”

Wow. Two weeks in her three hour long class and this is the first sense she’s ever made.

“So, prodigy,” she continues. “Think you’re becoming a better hero? Or would you like to take my dessert?” She slides her plate in front of me.

It’s chocolate cake. Triple layered with a luscious and glossy coat of chocolate frosting. The devil’s food. And it looks so good.

It takes everything inside of me to slide the plate back to her.

“Thank you, but I’ll pass.”

She makes a guttural hmph sound.

Mr. Tanoka sits back and whistles.

“I guess Matthew is much more qualified than you gave him credit for, Lil. You show a lot of promise, Elizabeth,” he says.

Dr. Salinas finishes her cake in a single bite. “I concur. Even I can’t deny a good piece of cake. So, is yours still up for grabs Professor?”

Korma begins digging into the cake with more vigor than I thought possible for such ancient bones. When she finishes, she wipes away frosting from her wrinkled lips and cheeks. Dr. Salinas deflates in her seat.

That was…something.

“Elizabeth!”

Matthew’s shout takes me from the scene, and I instantly stand. He beckons me over with a finger.

I rejoin the table. That cake really must’ve been good. The whole table is absent of even the crumbs.

“I trust that you were gracious to your hosts?” Matthew asks, handing April a glass of wine.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good,” he takes his own glass and begins to swirl the liquid inside. “Now be a good guest and take care of their dishes.”

My jaw drops. That table has twice the number of dishes I’m used to. This is the Aqua’s job, not mine.

“Of course that doesn’t absolve you of your regular duties to this table, so make sure to manage your time wisely.”

I want to scream at him, but I just bite the inside of my cheek.

“Isn’t that a bit much?” Tiffany asks at the same time Hercules says, “I don’t envy you, Squirt.”

Matthew darts his eyes back at her. I don’t have time for them to go back and forth. Everyone has finished their cake already. They might as well leave.

“I’ll make sure to finish before curfew, sir.”

Matthew nods and excuses me from the table.

When I go back, the table is empty. Well, better get to work. Who knows how long this is going to take. I begin stacking the dishes and make multiple trips from the hall to the kitchen. Over and over. All the while April and Matthew are giggling away over wine. Just the sound makes me nauseous.

Was this his grand plan? It isn’t a stone’s throw away from what his original was. Maybe it’d give his fan club someone else to torture, but April didn’t deserve that. And how was this supposed to improve the Hercules situation?

I’m not even halfway done with the lower staff dishes and my fingers are already so pruny they’re numb. But I finally have enough space to bring in the head staff table dishes. I leave the hustle and bustle of the kitchen to the silence of the dining hall. Matthew is still there, but alone.

“Is everything going well back there?” he asks.

“Yeah.” I begin stacking the plates. What is he still doing here? Did he really make April walk herself back to her room after using her for his big show?

He smirks as he hands me his empty wine glass. “She needed to prepare for a meeting in the morning. Not that it’s any of your business. Just watch your back tonight, alright?”

That sounds more ominous than I’d like it to. It’s already nine and keeping my back safe from the Cesar treatment is looking more and more impossible.

“Just do your best and stay safe.”

“Yes sir.”

He’s gone by the time I come back for another load of dishes. Good. I won’t have his eyes burning holes in the side of my head anymore.

Back in the kitchen, it’s just me and the Aquas left working. Not good. I have too many dishes left and they’re already working on the pots and pans. I don’t want to get left behind, so I dig my hands back into the suds and work like my life depends on it.

Because for me, it does.

The sound of the door creaking on its hinges for the last time is notification that I’ve run out of time. The Aquas have all left. There was a lot of hushed chatter about Matthew’s new relationship during cleaning. It was enough to slow everyone down, but not quite enough to give me a chance to stay on pace with everyone else. So here I am, alone, in the darker than I’d like it to be kitchen.

I glance up at the clock. I’ve got twenty minutes. Just a sink full left.

I take my worn out scrubber into my hands and fly through the dishes. Dunk, scrub, rinse, stack. Dunk, scrub, rinse, stack. Dunk, scrub, rinse, stack.

My arms burn as I reach further and further to stack the dishes.

Dunk, scrub, rinse, stack. Dunk, scrub, rinse, stack. Ignore the clock. Dunk, scrub, rinse, stack. Dunk, wait. What was that? I jump from my station and scan the dark corners of the kitchen. Must’ve been my imagination. I have only two more dishes left. I just have to get those done and run back to my room.

I throw my towel on the rack and head to the back door. Through the window, I see a dark blur dart into the bushes just outside the door. Are they enforcing the Cesar treatment already? Maybe they’re just getting into position. It isn’t something I feel like testing. I turn around and exit out the door into the dining hall.

It’s pitch black except for the moonlight streaming in through the glass panels in the ceiling. Are these doors even open this late? I hear a door shut behind me. Someone just went into the kitchen. Time to go. I move to the door closest to me, the one next to the head table. The knob turns, but the door doesn’t open.

The kitchen doors swing open and a small light floats into the hall. It’s a static flash, held in the wielder’s palm. They’re cloaked in shadow, and my heart drops into my stomach watching them as they slowly step forward.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” I squeak out as I sidestep over to the stage steps. How many were there again? Three? Six?

The Spark chuckles as he approaches, and I can hear the crack of the lightning in his hand. He reaches for me but gets nothing but air as I back down the stage steps. He wobbles as he descends the steps and darts towards me again. I step back and almost hit a table. I run alongside it, trying to get to the main aisle. That door has to be open. The Spark heads me off, but stumbles as he hits one of the tables. Don’t think, just go for it.

I barely pass him as he sends his hand forward. I kick a bench into his legs. That gives me the edge I need to get out the front door. The night air chills the sweat beaded on my forehead. A blur crosses in front of me.

No, no, no. I take off in the direction of my room when I hear the door behind me swing open. Whatever blur is in front of me is better than the one behind me. Instead of chasing me though, he takes off in a different direction.

I’m almost to the rose bushes when I’m tackled to the ground. A hand wraps around my mouth.

“Stay still, count to a hundred then go to your room, quietly.”

Matthew? I never thought I’d thankful for him to show up out of nowhere, but better him than that Spark in the dining hall. Matthew pushes me back onto the ground.

“They attacked you again?”

What else is new? Matthew leaps off of me and disappears. Geez, he’s almost as fast as a Sock. I stay in the dirt and begin counting. A still calmness flows over the campus, like maybe I’m finally alone.