SOUL DORM

29

Let's rock!

Everybody, let's rock!

***

CHAPTER 29:

DOMED BALLROOM 

I woke up to a furry butt right in my face. The butt belonged to Trouble, his slitted eyes and whiskers completing the scene. As he had gotten into the habit of doing over the past few nights, he'd chosen to sleep attached to me again. When I finally managed to free my hair from under him, he grumbled and curled back up into a ball.

I forced myself up. You'd think a dead body wouldn't have to deal with physical fatigue, right? But things didn't work that way in the Dorm. Our week had started with working in the fields, continued with a full day of cooking in the kitchen, and by the third lesson, we were cleaning out, decluttering, and repainting an old room. Not a single muscle in my body wasn't aching. I felt like I was slowly dying all over again.

A voice inside me kept saying that all these lessons were just an excuse to make students do the Dorm's chores. I had no idea what purpose they served or how they were supposed to help me get back home. Maybe this whole setup was a test to see who would give up first. Sorry Dorm, I wasn't going to be that person. I was determined, I had faith, and I still wanted to go home.

Even so...

Clinging to the light at the end of the tunnel was tough this morning. With forced motivation, I headed to the bathroom for a shower, trying to find comfort in nice-smelling lotions. When I got back to my room, my mailbox was full. My class schedule had arrived. My stomach instantly twisted. Praying for a sit-down class, I dragged myself over to the mailbox. As I opened the envelope, my legs started tingling, like they knew what was coming. And then, all my hopes dissolved with two simple words.

Couple Dancing.

That was today's lesson. It couldn't be worse. As if physical torture wasn't enough, now they wanted me to dance. Me! Clearly, none of the Dorm officials knew I'd proven my lack of talent back in preschool. Otherwise, they wouldn't subject the others—and me—to this torment.

"No way!" I yelled to no one in particular. "Schedule a different class! Anything else!"

I waited for the mailbox to revive, to give me another envelope, or for the writing on the paper to change. None of that happened. After a mini tantrum, stomping my feet a few times, and a few small screams, I accepted my fate. My wardrobe, in sync with my bad luck, offered a selection of unbearable outfits today. From flamenco skirts to neon aerobics leotards, my choices were so atrocious that finding something remotely wearable took three times longer than usual.

In the end, I settled on an open-back, dusty pink leotard, paired with plain purple leggings and ballet flats. The only good thing about dancing was that when I tried to put my hair up, I didn't have to fight the Dorm. The bun I made at the nape of my neck came together effortlessly, as if I hadn't been struggling with it for days. In shock, I stared at my reflection and grumbled a bit more at the Dorm for all the grief it had given me.

And so, it was time to face my fate. I practically slithered down to breakfast like a wallflower. Thanks to Mars, most of the souls in the Dorm already knew who I was. The fact that he was attending classes with me had piqued everyone's interest even more than my previous scandals. I was no longer someone to be mocked or feared. Now, they were insanely curious about me and didn't even try to hide it.

This morning, I made it to the cafeteria with greetings from souls who usually wouldn't even look my way. I quickly grabbed some food and made my way to our usual table, trying not to attract more attention. Ursa's overfilled plates were more than enough for all of us.