Marilyn My Love

Journey To Jericho

"All this studying is driving me crazy" Yoko slumped onto the bench opposite me, a not so bubbly Enid followed
"It's been a week! A week and I'm already swamped" Yoko continued
"Tell me about it! I think the only teacher that hasn't given us any is Ms Thornhill" I added
"Oh yeah have you spoken to her one on one since..."
"Since she helped me with my art assignment? No, no she hasn't" I cut across Yoko before she could say anything stupid in front of Enid, especially because Xavier and Ajax were walking up to join us. Yoko understood and looked at me apologetically then greeted the boys.

"Has anyone heard anything about when the dance is?" Enid was being awfully quieter than usual which worried me a bit
"No no yet" Ajax replied
"Wait, what dance?" I enquired
"Oh! I forgot you're British. We have dances all the time and I can't wait, they're so fun and have a different theme each term!" Enid blurted all this information out without taking a breath and she was back to being her usual self.
"Hey I have a crazy idea, I know it's not allowed but we've been so busy this week we haven't had a proper get together!" Everyone turned to Enid with interest,
"What if we have a sleep over in one of our dorms make a giant bed on the floor, play board games, drink, eat, all the fun stuff!" Enid was grinning from ear to ear and everyone face lit up.
"I'm in" I had never had a sleepover at a boarding school nor been to a boarding school and wanted to have every experience possible before the year was over so was obviously the first to agree
"Heck yeah I'm in!" Ajax exclaimed with just as much enthusiasm
"Ok fine!" Yoko agreed
"I don't know, that's breaking a million and one rules" Xavier mumbled and everyone groaned
"Be real man" Ajax jokingly pushed Xavier and grinned at him
"I'm joking of course I'm in! Tonight?"
"Tonight" we all said in unison
We tried to ask Wednesday to join us but in her words "I would rather gouge my eyes out with a fork than giggle over hot girls or guys at a sweaty adolescent sleepover party. Thanks for your invitation but I will enjoy the silent company of house spiders and typewriter".

We all watched the time tick in anticipation, waiting for midnight to be able to wonder around free of interruption. As soon as it hit 00:00 me and Yoko snuck to the cafeteria to meet Enid and steal as much food and blood bags we could possibly carry, then head back to our dorm. Everywhere was pitch black, who knew the corridors of Nevermore became a walk in a nightmare at night. Every corner we turned my eyes caught shapes and figures that weren't there, I didn't want to confess my fear of the dark, so kept my head down and stared at the floor that seemed to have swallowed my feet in the dark.
When we made it to the cafeteria I went straight for the brownies, I know the cook had a stash of the best home baked brownies you will ever taste! And I wanted them. Enid, however, went straight for the meat, it must be the werewolf in her. And Yoko went straight to the blood freezer.
We met back in the middle our arms overflowing with snacks, giggling at how we could barely hold everything. We chuckled our way down the corridor to back to our dorm but Yoko stopped in her tracks and held out her arm
"Shh!" Yoko snapped and we all went silent. The sound of heals clicked their way down the corridor, the three of us hid in an empty, half-open classroom. Enid was the last in and the door let out a loud, echoing creak as she tried to close it, in panic, we all hurried to the back of the room and slid down the back wall behind a line of chairs, holding our breath as the clicking of the heals grew faster and louder, coming towards us. The door to the classroom flung open and Principle Wheems strode in her eyes were piercing, looking around for trouble, no longer the kind and welcoming eyes of the principle I met a week prior. My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to burst out my chest! Wheems walked up to a window that was open a smidge and closed it
"Hmm, must have been the wind" she shook her head and took one last glance across the room completely missing the three girls, pressed against the wall, hands full of snacks, and walked straight back out closing the door behind her. We all let out a massive sigh of relief and Yoko let out a quiet but hearty laugh
"You should have seen your faces" she grinned, Enid however was not laughing, she looked absolutely mortified.
When we got back Ajax and Xavier were waiting for us with drinks and a shiny silver flask in hand, the flask had a creepy, slightly faded, black skull imprinted onto it
"I'm assuming that's not water" I laughed as we closed the door and switched the fairy lights on, to make the room more relaxing and less clinical "Nope! Let's just hope it's not poison" Ajax smiled looking very proud of himself
"Where did you get it from?" Enid stared at the flask in shock
"Me and Ajax made a quick stop at that weird maths teachers classroom, forgot what his name is, but he always keeps a drink or two stashed in the bottom draw of his desk" Xavier giggled, they clearly had a few sips before sharing it.
We laid out all the food and drinks whilst Yoko pulled out a stack of board games from under her bed but only after playing a few games we all ended up fast asleep in a heap on the floor, flask empty, food gone.
We were abruptly awoken the next morning to a huge SLAM, me, Enid, Yoko, Ajax and Xavier all jumped up to see Ms Thornhill stood in front of the closed door looking furious! "What part of no boys, EVER, do you not understand" she looked at all of us in disappointment but looked at me the longest before continuing "Enid, Yoko, Boys I expected you to know this by now and Keira I get that you are new but this is not how things are run here at nevermore" she scowled and an awful pit of guilt flooded my body, but my feelings soon changed to embarrassment after realising I was wearing