A Grey Tower

Ch 7

I sit patiently next to Taryn as the chauffeur takes us up through a wooded mountain. Aunt Marty sent us off with nothing but a glance. Over the day my breast had been bothering me. Since Alvar's brother had hit my left breast it had become sensitive-well more sensitive than usual. A text dings in the silent car and I check my phone
     - Senly: what took you so long? And why were you at Obsidian hotel? You know the rules about reporting your movements.
     Anxiety ripples through my gut at Senly's text. I knew he would want an explanation about my tardiness, I was hoping to debrief him in person. As I think of what to say, Taryn interrupts my thoughts.
     "Are you okay? You smell anxious," Taryn glanced at my phone then back at me. I stiffen and am about to snap at him before I remember my promise to myself.
"I'm just nervous about school, one of my friends from the academy is already there," I reply. He nods and continues by looking out the window. I type a quick text back to Senly.
     -got caught up in a family function I'll provide more details in person.
     I knew he would be upset with just that but I really didn't want to put what happened last night into writing. Senly was human from one of the northern districts on the human continent.
The car hits something or someone and I wince in pain my hand instinctively cupping my left breast as Taryn and I are jostled around. The car screeches to a stop as the person gets up. The person, a man-no a boy with chocolate brown hair slams his hand onto of the hood of the car. It leaves a dent and he starts yelling out in a foreign language. I can roughly translate it to him cursing every one in the cars blood line.
     "Roll down the window," Taryn says to the driver while he pulls himself off the floor of the car (neither of us were wearing seat belts). The driver does as he says and once the windows open we all scrunch our nose at the smell. The smell of alcohol and shit waft through the window.
     He sticks his head in the car and the smell intensifies. He starts rambling, speeding up then slurring his words. I only catch a few words of what he's saying, trying my best to translate. He starts arguing with the driver who is replying in his language. The man from, what I can tell, is now demanding a ride since the car broke his foot and now he can't run to school. It will take too long to heal he says.
"Just give him a ride and be done with it!" Taryn huffs. The boy hops in then turns fully around to look at us. He leers at us both, his eyes boldly gazing at our bodies.
"I feel lucky now to have been ran over," his accent is thick and his 'r's are rolled. His purple eyes fall onto my hand which is still holding my breast. He flicks his eyes up to mine before turning around and drunkenly singing in his native language.

The castle is huge and yes I use the word castle as this could not be a school. The long winding road up the mountain shows flashes of beautiful houses through the trees. While the castle was large it wasn't big enough to fit the entire student body population in residence. The campus was this entire mountain, buildings freckled the land to meet student and staff needs.
     "My dorm is right over there," Taryn reaches his slender hand in front of me pointing out my window to a beautiful off-white tower. It's three stories tall and circular with a small gazebo a few yards away. I mark the number hanging from a sign by the gate before trees start to block my view.
The car is finally pulling into the school court yard which is around fifteen acres of grass with a wall of trees surrounding it. A sprinkling of butterflies kicks up in my abdomen as the car gets closer to the gates until it pulls up and stops. Taryn is out of the car and opens my door while I get my leather book bag ready.
"Thanks Taryn," he helps me out of the car as we walk into the grand doors.
     The drunk boy walks too close behind us, looming over us with his tall stature. His hands find their way around our waists as he puts himself between us. I look at Taryn but his cheeks are red and he's staring straight ahead. The boys pulls us both into his sides laughing. I wrinkle my nose at the smell as we walk into the office.
     I push my arm against the boys side to try to get away from him so I can talk to the girl sitting behind a desk. She looks to be a troll with her short stature and green hues that stick out on her pale skin.
"Hello," I pause as I set my book bag down and start digging in it. "I'm sorry I'm late but I need to check in so I can get my id cards and the keys to me dorm and my-
"I know why you need to check in," she interrupts me seaming very annoyed but she snatches my paper that I pulled out of my bag.

Once Taryn, the boy, and I were all settled we were instructed to go to the castle's amphitheater for the 'First Day Assembly'. I still drug my luggage with me same with Taryn since we didn't have time to go to our assigned houses. My suit case, duffel bag and book bag got caught on every pebble on the stone road leading to another entrance to the castle. I pop through the heavy wooden door and into a beautiful hallway with magically floating balls of fire. I walked slower to observe the intricate wooden details on the walls before Taryn flat-tired me causing me to stumble. I glare back at him but he didn't even notice. He was too busy looking at the boy who was holding some of Taryn's bags. Envy cut through me, I wanted help with my bags.
A voice lit up at the end of the hallway and loud thunderous cheers erupted. Vibrating the floor. I hurried to catch the speech so I wouldn't miss a thing my luggage clattering behind me. I opened the door quietly and put my head in. The students were still cheering so I flinched when the sound got louder.
The theater was set up in a large circle the plush velvet seats rising high but higher still were lavish balconies that overlooked the center of the large room-no tower. The room was a tower with large stained glass windows at the top. My mouth dropped open in awe. In the center of the tower was a stage with a tall bearded man who held a golden horn speaker. Surprisingly it projected his voice all around the room.
"Should we leave our bags here?" I asked while still watching the man speak to the whole room. I didn't get an answer and turned to find the random boy hovering over Taryn who was leaned against the wall. The boys hand was slowly gripping onto Taryn's waist. I flushed red and shoved my duffel bag into the boys chest and protectively stepped in between the two. I turned towards Taryn and repeated my self.
"Should we leave are bags here ?" I raised my eyebrows at Taryn and he nodded, flushed. I put my arm around his and dragged him into the theater glaring at the boy behind us. He was glaring back.