Diaper U

Chapter 5

"Welcome to Alphabeta," Rachel declared, looming over Daniel with a downright chesherian grin. "I give you a week before you drop out."

Staring back up to her, Daniel tried to forget that she'd seen him naked. He'd had most of a month to put those events behind him before the school year started, but now, with her right in front of him, the memories popped right back.

He rallied the courage he had on hand, standing up to Rachel. "Trust me–as soon as I can, I'm out of here. This is just a stepping stone to get me where I actually want to be."

That turned Rachel's expression sour, malicious glee twisting into anger.

"You don't belong here, spark," she sneered. "But you're assigned to my wing, so you do what I say, and if you step out of line, I'll be there to make sure you regret even daring to breathe in this space."

Daniel doubted she could do that, but he didn't doubt her intent. He just had to hope she was all talk.

The dormitory halls weren't quite as grand as the entrance, but the floor was still polished marble and the walls were old hardwood stained a deep, rich brown. The design made him think of wisdom, patience, and virtue, concepts at odds with Rachel's plain malice.

He'd planned on showing up, finding his dorm room, and unwinding a bit before opening ceremonies, but Rachel had other plans. She clearly intended to harass him all year, and didn't want to waste her first opportunity to do so.

For now, she spun on her heels, motioning with her hand for him to follow. He scurried after her, just in case she accidentally shared information worth knowing.

Glancing over her shoulder, she looked down on him. "Is there a reason you didn't bother wearing your uniform?"

"Well, yeah," Daniel pressed his lips into a line, looking down at his plain pants and T-shirt. He'd ditched the girly clothes he'd bought–no need to keep up the charade any longer, even if it meant the other new students were all sending curious looks his way. "The welcome letter said I wouldn't need to purchase anything, so I didn't get any–was there some secret girls-only meeting where they were passed out?"

Rachel snorted with amusement, drawing the attention of a few girls walking the other way. "They're not given out, they're conjured. You can do a basic conjuring, right?"

Daniel hesitated.

"Well?" Rachel asked. "What is it, Mr. Hotshot?"

Rubbing at the back of his neck, Daniel avoided her glare as they turned down a hall, down a narrower corridor away from the bulk of the sleeping quarters. "I'm...not so good at conjuring. I'm still getting there."

Rachel barked out a laugh, cynical and bubbling with condescension. Daniel told himself she was playing up her reaction for the crowd, but...this part of the hallway was mostly empty.

Leaning against a wall for support, Rachel wheezed. "The would-be warlock can't even do conjurations? That's pre-year stuff."

"But–" Daniel started.

"Hell, I was conjuring clothes I'd copied out of magazines when I was in junior high," Rachel continued. "This is like, kiddie stuff."

"I'm here to learn," Daniel growled, trying to sound fierce. "That's the point of education, isn't it?"

Rachel's laugh was punctuated by a slight squeak, a reaction to his attempt at intimidation. "That's your best macho defense for being incompetent?" she asked. "Puh-lease."