Winter's Academy

Chapter Ten: 'I'm Not Touching That!' - In the view of Maxine

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friday morning. This was going to be fun. Alec and Jackson were waiting outside of the Chairman's office when Lucida, Eva and I came up the stairs. Angelo just then came running up the other side,

"What are you guys doing here?" Lucida asked,

"They're helping us, remember?" I whispered in her ear,

"Oh, right!" Eva walked to the door and knocked – not waiting for an answer she opened the door and went in, we followed, the Chairman was reading the newspaper.

"Well, what do we have here?" He looked confused, folding his paper back up he listed for our response.

"Just what we asked you last night, sir." Lucida replied,

"Oh, yes. I realise that. I truly meant, how is it that you all know each other?" All of us looked around, suddenly we noticed our mistake – we'd come in as both boys and girls.

"You screwed up the timetable." I mumbled,

"What?" his face showed nothing but shock. He typed in a few things on his computer and took a moment to read, "Ah, I see. I'll have to fix that right away."

"After we search the school. So can you make the announcement?"

"Very well. Who will be coming out with me?" Lucida and Jackson put their hands up, "Okay then." He pulled the microphone closer to him and turned it on, "Students of Winter Academy, I would like everyone – teachers and students – to move out onto the oval immediately, no exceptions. Leave all you have as is, you will return to your activities soon." He turned it off. Hopefully the Night Hunter wouldn't run off with his weapon.

"Max, Alec?" Eva began, "You two search the boys' side."

"What? Why can't Angelo and I do it?" Alec asked,

"Because women have wider eyesight and we don't try to get things done as quickly as possible. Angelo, you'll come to our side." The Chairman walked downstairs, followed by Jackson and Lucida. Alec led me to the other side of the school – I could smell the nastiest B.O by now.

"Don't boys wash?" I asked holding my nose.

"Course we do."

"Everyday?"

"Some of us."

"Estimate?"

"10?"

"Lovely."

"You'll get used to it. Besides – your side smells of nothing but perfume."

"I hate it."

"Really? That's odd for a girl."

"Why? Lucida, Eva and I never wear make-up or perfume. It smells and feels disgusting."

"Never thought I'd hear a girl say that."

"I would have thought someone like you would choke on a pea before even meeting a girl – you know, letting the world know it's a safer place without you!"

"Uh-huh." We were walking along the bottom corridor, why did he rattle my cage so much?!

"You go to the second floor and start looking." I told him,