Cold Tomorrow

[12]

CHAPTER TWELVE

There's only one spot left in class when I finally arrive, having gotten lost amongst the rush of students. Not wanting to make a scene, I edge down the side of the room and take a seat at the empty desk, thankful that the teacher isn't on time. I'm all too familiar with the new girl routine: stumbling into class late, having my presence announced by the teacher, and being forced to sit next to someone I don't know while every other student in my vicinity glares at my back. This time at least I don't have a disease to drag along behind me as extra baggage.

I dump my books on the table beside me and wait.

"Hey. Hey!" a voice says in my direction. That didn't take long. I turn my head to look at the owner of the voice – a girl with a thin face and long black hair. "You're new," she says as she steps towards me.

Obviously. I refrain from rolling my eyes. "Yeah," I say out loud, my thoughts failing to produce anything else. I can feel my mouth opening with the want to say something more but I have no words to join it. It's easy to tell I haven't socialised in a while.

She tilts her head slightly to one side and stares, a shadow of a frown on her forehead. "What school did you move from?"

I call upon the backstory I made up with Katherine. "None. I was, uh, home-schooled."

"You're joking." She says it as a statement rather than an exclamation.

"Roma!" another girl squeals, crashing into her side with a hug. The newcomer is short and sports a blonde bob, which she keeps pinned back on one side. When she looks at me, her blue eyes are like daggers.

"Oh. You're new," she says, as if that's a bad thing. Somehow she's morphed the phrase into an insult.

The raven-haired girl – Roma – laughs. "Play nice, Tori." Then she looks in my direction. "Don't mind her. She hates everyone."

At this, Tori settles a glare on her friend, one I'm thankful isn't fixed on me. Roma completely ignores it. "So what's your name?"

"Maya," I reply. For a moment, I get the funny feeling that she's seen through my lie, but then the teacher walks in and the moment passes.

"Everyone in their seats," the teacher commands as she places her things on the table.

"Watch out. This one's a viper," Roma whispers before sliding across into her seat one desk down.

"I trust you've all done your homework," the teacher says, even though it's obvious she knows they haven't. "Who'd like to put the answers up on the board?"

Everyone looks down at their desks. Roma raises her hand.

"Romania," the lady says, looking both surprised and suspicious. "Just come up here–"

"Actually, Ms Bevard, I just wanted to say we have a new student. Maya." Roma turns her head in my direction and the teachers gaze follows, along with the gaze of every person in my room. I squirm under the attention, wanting to sink down into the floor.

"Ah, I see," she says, but she doesn't seem pleased. "Welcome to Ashwell, Maya. Or should I say, Salve."

I look to Roma for help. "She's saying welcome," Roma whispers.

Ms Bevard's face, long and ovular with thin lips pressed in a firm line, is scowling when I look back at her. "Just how much Latin do you know, Maya?"

I swallow. "Uh, none."

She doesn't look happy. "I hope that changes," she says, though it sounds like a warning. Moving on to address the class, she declares, "I want to see everyone's homework by the end of the lesson. If it's not done by then, you'll be spending lunch in here with me. Remember, exams are in three weeks, and I won't accept anything lower than a pass in my class, understood?"