DRAYA MATEI: AUTUMN, 1972
Draya woke up happy the next morning, with Suffragette City still stuck in her head. She hummed as she brushed her teeth and got dressed, which made Leonie groan and throw her pillow over her head.
Leonie abandoned Draya and Dazai almost as soon as they got into the corridor, which Draya didn't mind seeing as they immediately met up with Maeena and Carolina.
As they headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast, Draya teased, "Just you wait, Osorio! One of these days, I'll make you see the light—you can't live in ignorance forever!"
Carolina rolled her eyes, taking a seat at the long table. "Music's just music! S'not like this Bowie guy's doing anything that hasn't been done before."
"You wound me!" Draya slumped dramatically onto Dazai's shoulder, "At least I have you, Addams. Honestly, what are we going to do with these two?"
Dazai only smiled and shrugged in answer—her mouth was already full of food.
Carolina was about to offer a retort when the post arrived, owls swooping in to drop off their letters and packages. Draya tried not to look, but she couldn't help it—over Carolina's shoulder, a brand new eagle-owl was settling onto the table where the Judas Society kids always sat, right in front of Leonie.
Of all people, her best friend had chosen to sit next to Cresswell. The girl picked up the letter that the owl had dropped, unfolding it quickly over Leonie's protests. As she started to read, a delighted grin spread across her features, and she looked up at Draya with a mean glint in her eye.
"Wow, Leonie, your parents are really proud!" Cresswell drawled, speaking just loud enough to ensure that Draya and her friends could hear, "Listen to this: Our dearest daughter, we were so pleased to hear the results of your first day back. The entire family commends you on upholding our noble traditions, and congratulations are in order..."
Leonie was blushing, trying to snatch the letter away from Cresswell, but the second year kept stubbornly reading. It was clear that the owl was a reward for Leonie, since she had gotten into the right friend group. Every word that came out of Cresswell's mouth was a barb, a stinging reminder to Draya that, unlike her friend, she was still her family's disappointment.
Her face felt hot. She stared down at her porridge, not wanting to let the Judas Society kids see the effect that the Mallow's words had on her. I don't care, she reminded herself, furiously. But shame was a fist around her throat, making it impossible to eat.
"Didn't your parents confiscate your crow again?" Maeena asked, bluntly. Leonie had managed to snatch the letter back now, but Cresswell and her friends were still snickering, and the owl was still perched imperiously on the Judas Society table.
Draya gave a sharp nod and muttered, "Said I can have it back when I remember my duty to the family and started acting like a 'true Matei.' I don't care, I don't need a crow." She felt sick, angry. She wanted to get out of the hall, away from Cresswell and her stupid laughing friends.
"What exactly is your family duty, again?" Draya's body filled with shock. Caliban's voice was musing, loudly, making sure the Judas Society kids could hear him, "Go 'round with creeps like Cressie and Lafant? Marry your cousin?"
Despite her embarrassment, Draya smiled, eternally grateful for Caliban Leatherwood. "Oh, yeah," she replied, matching the boy's tone, "Inbreeding and creeping are key aspects of my noble heritage. And picking on kids smaller than me, of course; cheating, lying and cursing my way into power..."
