Forgive Me

Chapter Five

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Tapping in the familiar code for her dormitory strangely calmed Jorrie, and she allowed herself a tiny smile to touch her face as she prepared for the next step of the password.

"Cookie." she breathed the word into the keypad that was fiercely clamping the strong oak door.

Think... happy!

Jorrie inhaled the homey smell of the hallway, threw open the door, and sashayed into the room.

"Hey, guys!" her cheery exclamation failed miserably at matching her somber mood.

Be nice to your friends.

Immediately, she was warmly greeted into the room by the popping fire cackling in the hearth.

"Brbrbrbrbrbrbrbbrbrrrr..."

Her mouth opened up in a genuine grin as she turned to look at the sound.

"Hello, Shadow." the guinea pig purred in response, and gave a tiny hop in the air (or pop as guinea pig owners call it) for his owner.

A laugh escaped her sorrowful heart as Jorrie took in Shadow's loveable features; crazy, peppered black and white hair springing every which way, a petite, little Mohawk fluffing up on his nose, and a loving gleam in his dark, brown eyes.

Yup, he's adorable.

Jorrie finally gave in to temptation and flopped down her case, flinging herself over to the mahogany cage.

"Umm, hey! Jorrie! Miss Pet Lover!" squealed a voice from the corner of the room.

"Yah, we actually exist over here!" protested another.

"Sorry, guys," Jorrie giggled as she apologized to her friends, turning from her view of the cage to face them. "He's just so sweet."

"Yah, we know," Kate teased. "We have them, too."

She gestured to the cages neighboring Shadow's. They were identical constructions, yet each housed a completely unique guinea pig.

The one to the left of Shadow's was Kate's. Rosemary was a sweet, nutmeg-colored rodent with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

To the right sat a hunched over, ever- munching pig belonging to Molly. Carmel was white, and you guessed it, carmel- dappled creature with a loving look in his face.

"Sometimes I wonder why we even have guinea pigs..." Kate muttered.

"Here we go again!" Molly comically slapped her forehead.

All three girls laughed.

"For the sake of Final Friday coming up tomorrow," Jorrie spoke dramatically amid the groans of her friends. "I will explain the purpose of these pigs."

"There you go, you just launched her into explanation-mode..." sighed Molly.

"Teaching moment, girls!" Scolded Jorrie while she mimicked the silly sayings of one VH teacher from a few years back.

"Ahem," she joked. "The cavia porcellus (guinea pig), will be the official animal for vampire hunters in this council. These rodents will be chosen by VH children at birth, and injected with a special serum, newly invented, to increase lifespan. Our pigs have been modified over several generations to portray the very best characteristics; sharpened teeth and claws for fighting, comforting personalities, and increased intelligence. To-"

"ENOUGH!" Shrieked Kate and Molly in unison, both tossing fluffy pillows at Jorrie.

"Fine, fine." She plucked the pillows off the softly carpeted floor and strode over to where her friends perched on their beds.

Three, plump canopy beds lined up hugging the back wall. A warm, rich shade of red symbolizing VH colors decorated their looming canopies and cozy sheets.

Though the room was relatively simple, consisting of only the beds, fireplace, rodent cages, a cozy window seat, and three corresponding pine desks, Jorrie loved it. This was home.

Snapping herself out of the rambling train of thought, Jorrie flung the pillows back to their original places, and floated down onto her bed. Her heavy eyes almost swung shut.

Not yet, still stuff left to do.

"You look exhausted, Jorrie." Kate commented in concern.

They had no idea, especially considering they didn't share Jorrie's fifth and sixth period (the classes she skipped).

"Yeah," she admitted. "But, hey! It's almost Friday!"

"And you know what that means," Molly finished for her. "Flowerbraids!"

The girls danced over childishly to the mirrors overhanging their desks.

Flowerbraids were one of Jorrie's favorite parts of the week.

When female hunters were young, their mothers would teach them this special braid. It consisted of weaving the pieces in complex variations to create flowers out of hair. The outcome was quite beautiful.

Every girl at VH prep. donned this adored hair style at the end of each school week whether their mothers or their friends did it.

Jorrie's dorm usually grew quite somber as they had all lost their dear parents as young girls. Tragic accidents.

Those two words hung in Jorrie's tangled mind as she clambered onto a seat.

Why couldn't she accept that her parents' deaths were an accident? Was it about what Tral had said? From the events of the day, couldn't Jorrie conclude that the woman was a little... out of it?

Sighing, she allowed Molly to free her hair of its knotted French braid, her pale hair cascading down to her waist.

AN: I changed Jorrie's hair color- it's now much paler than gold.

Jorrie smiled as she remembered how little tomboy Molly had refused to participate in this tradition. However, little by little she came to adore it. How could female hunters not when they were known for their flowing, long hair?

"Jorrie," Kate inquired as she calmly watched Molly brush and finally braid Jorrie's hair. "I saw you scrambling to get to our dormitory right after school finished. But when I got here, you had vanished..."

She let her words hang in the air.

"I was playing my violin at the park." Jorrie nervously tugged back an unruly sprig of her bangs.

She felt tempted to tell them about Green- and not just him. The events of the whole day!

But somehow, when she tried to force the words out, they wouldn't come free. Her thoughts stayed locked in her mind.

"Molly," Jorrie hastily changed the subject. "Please recite the VH code."

Molly grimaced, but complied. After all, they had tests the following day.

The three friends sleepily listened as Molly droned on, and they stared at the December clouds that managed to leak a few puffs of snow.

It was a beautiful sight.