Mount Asteria

Chapter Twenty Six

Alexandra came up to the notice board in the common room a week later to find she had been cast, to her great delight, as Cecily.

"Congratulations," Ebony said, coming up next to her.

"Thanks. I can't wait to start rehearsals now!"

"Ooh, is that the cast list?" Claire said, having just come in with Thea and Bláth looking wet and somehow a little muddy from the hockey pitch.

"Yep." Alexandra grinned and moved back to let them look.

"Well done, Thea! Gwendolyn!" Bláth said as she registered the names.

Thea was frowning. "Just a pity Louis' going to be playing Jack. Alexandra, you lucky thing!" she said, turning to the latter.

"Hm? What?"

"Didn't you see? Algernon is going to be played by Damien Dempsey!"

Alexandra's mouth opened slightly. That meant Damien Dempsey was to be her love interest!

"I'm so jealous," Thea grumbled, flopping down on the sofa in her damp hockey uniform and picking up the remote control.

Bláth's forehead scrunched up as she went to sit on the coffee table between Thea and the television. "Louis's a really nice guy. A lot nicer than Damien, in fact. And a lot more genuine."

Thea rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Bláth. I'll get over it. Now move over."

Bláth shook her head and walked out of the room.

"Ooof," Claire winced. "Do you think she's annoyed?"

Thea shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care. She always gets like that when Damien's involved."

"Maybe she secretly likes him and is jealous," Claire suggested, settling down next to her on the sofa.

Ebony glanced and Alexandra and threw her eyes up. Alexandra concealed a small smile. Ebony was growing on her. Slowly.

"Bláth actually hates Damien, Claire," Thea said drily. "She's not disguising her love for him in loathing or something. She just can't stand him. He's the only person I know who can really wind her up."

Claire nodded. "You're probably right. Oh, hey, Hestia, has Dr Finlayson finished testing those samples I gave her?"

Hestia had come in, smiling as usual but looking a little bewildered at Claire's question. "The samples - Oh, sugar! I completely forgot!"

Claire seemed to have anticipated this as she said quickly, "It's fine, but Mr Daly wants results before midterm so we can finish up our module on medical drug use."

"I'm so sorry, Claire. I'll get them to you as soon as I can." Hestia frowned at herself in annoyance for forgetting. "Oh, Alexandra," she called over a second later, brightening up. "We're flying to London on Friday evening and coming back on Sunday evening. Does that suit you?"

Alexandra looked up in surprise, taking a minute to remember what Hestia was talking about. "I - Oh, yeah, that would be great."

It was then that it it hit her: How strange was it that she was sitting in a room with four other girls talking about medical drugs and planning trips abroad on private planes?