St. Văduva's School for Prestigious Girls

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖞-𝕿𝖜𝖔

"Door's locked," Temperance deadpanned as she watched Kanani attempt to wiggle the handle.

"I see that, smartass. Just testing to see if she's in there."

Temperance peeked through the frosted glass but saw no shadows or outlines of a resident. "I don't see anyone."

"Great, you have eyes. Then use those eyes and keep a look out while I unlock it."

Temperance scoffed and shielded Kanani from any suspecting gazes. The hallway was very narrow, and she was more worried about someone from Student Resources across the hall seeing the active B-and-E than someone entering from the main door.

Kanani fiddled with the lock for a moment before the door swung open. She slid the bobby pin back into her bubblegum-pink satchel. "And we're in."

She marched in like she owned the place. Temperance slinked into the room a little more furtively, immediately peeking around the hallway one last time, satisfied with no sight of prying eyes, and gently shut the door behind the both of them, the lock clasping with a soft click. She drew the shades over the frosted glass to ensure no one could look in and see their silhouettes and started doing the same with the large windows toward the southern wall. She marched across the tile, pulling at the yellow curtains and blocking out the majority of the light.

The nurse's office was disturbingly quiet as darkness descended upon the room. The shadows lengthened considerably, and the sunny yellows and salmon colors darkened into a muddled mess. Temperance, satisfied that everything the light could touch was hidden, rounded the room. She picked up a stethoscope and turned it over in her hands, not actually looking at it but more taking everything in with bored eyes. Kanani stood beside the desk, combing through her purse for another inconspicuous vandalism tool.

"What are we looking for exactly?" Temperance asked after a long bout of silence. "In the office, I mean."

Kanani shushed her. "Quiet! If we get caught, Ottilie will lose her shit again." Then she cussed to herself briefly before her eyes brightened as she pulled a nail clipper out of the bag with a triumphant grin. "And to answer your question, we're looking for evidence that JJ was here. Sophia stores all her files on her desk and writes down patient notes after every visit."

"Wow, you know this place pretty well, don't you?" she remarked. Kanani muttered something in reply while Temperance sat on the stool on wheels and rolled herself back and forth while Kanani fiddled with the nail clipper. "Should I be concerned that you can break into places this easily?"

"No, because this place has shit locks — they're just begging for someone to break into their files. Now, come over here, I need help."

Temperance groaned as she stood, the pain in her brain simmering on low heat but her nausea on full flame. But regardless, she crossed the room, standing next to the felon. "What do you need?"

"My nails are getting in the way. I need you to do it for me."

Temperance's face wrinkled, taken aback. "What? Why me? You're the robber here, not me."

"Relax, goody-two-shoes, I'll walk you through it. You're fine with being an accomplice but not okay with actually doing shit yourself? That's fucking weak." Kanani smirked as she held the nail clippers out to Temperance.

The sickly woman nervously peeked at the door, before inhaling deeply and snatching the nail clippers. "Fine. Why is it that you can somehow maneuver a tiny bobby pin in a microscopic lock, but you can't wrap your fuckin' bird talons around a nail clipper?"

"Guess that's the way the cookie crumbles," Kanani shrugged before grinning like the Joker, "Get to it, sweetheart."

"Some instruction would be nice, sweetheart," Temperance shot back as she crouched down before the filing cabinet.

Under Kanani's command, Temperance took the top of the nail clippers and swiveled it around until the built-in nail file stuck out. She placed it in the ancient lock and started twisting it until Kanani stopped her.

"God, calm down. Gently, gently. Not like you're trying to fucking murder it. If we scratch it, she'll know someone peeked and it won't be long before someone realizes that we were last seen together headed towards her office."

"Sorry," Temperance spat under her breath, "It's not like I've done this before."

Temperance heeded the advice, softly wiggling the nail file into the lock. She held her breath, as though a single exhale could affect the lock's willingness to open. A click that reverberated in the room sounded their success. Temperance grinned, victorious as she handed Kanani the clippers and slid the drawer open.

"For the record, my nails were fine — I just wanted to get your hands dirty, too," Kanani snickered.

Temperance's eyes rolled toward the heavens. "I figured. At least I can add this life skill to my list of things I never thought I'd know."

"Always keep a bobby pin and nail clippers on hand in the future, Miss Felon," Kanani cooed.

Temperance ignored her and skimmed through the files, plucking through the "A" last names until she found ANDREWS, J.J. DEVIA. She pulled it from the rest of the manila folders and placed it on the desk. Kanani cracked it open and started leafing through the charts and notes.

"Anything?" Temperance asked, still crouched.

"Bloody nose, curling iron burn — a-ha, here it is! Hearing aid migraine, dated the night of the movie." Kanani read through the report, before frowning slightly.

"What? What is it — what does it say?" Temperance urged a little more loudly than she intended.

Kanani shushed her harshly, eyes raking over the words until she groaned in defeat. "She woke at 2:45 AM and was given some snacks before being taken back to her room at 3:10. Zhanna slept in the bay next to her."

Temperance groaned, throwing her head back. "Fuck. They were our only lead."

Kanani said nothing, gathering up the papers and handing Temperance the folder. She quickly went to work placing the document back where it belonged, sliding the drawer closed, and standing once more, joints creaking.

"That just means we need to look at anyone and everyone as a suspect," Temperance offered as she leaned against the desk.

Kanani curled her lip. "Back to the drawing board, we go."