Mount Asteria

Chapter Thirty-Five

"Alright, Bláth?" Hestia asked as the girls began to assemble outside the main doors, waiting to be collected.

Bláth tried to fix a more pleasant expression to her sour face. "Yeah, just my term report. You know." She let her bag fall to the ground with a loud thud and sat down on top of it. She adopted a sulky sort of posture, head leaning on her hand and breathing heavily.

"Aw. Not what you wanted?" Hestia sat down on the steps beside her.

"No." Bláth looked away, still seething. "Oh great," she said, seeing Thea come out beside them, grinning from ear to ear.

"Have a nice midterm, Bláthy. Enjoy the Irish weather!" she laughed, slipping into the waiting airport shuttlebus provided by the school.

"Bye," Bláth muttered.

"I hear Thea's now first in fourth year field ops," a cool, toneless voice said behind.

"Don't want to talk about it, Ebony," she said softly.

"How did that happen?"

Bláth rolled her eyes, knowing Ebony didn't understand – or didn't care – about the concept of leaving someone alone. "I don't know."

"You're the best. You know you are," Hestia added.

"Thea's pretty good."

"Not as good as you," Ebony said with calm certainty.

"Clearly that is no longer the case."

"You can get your ranking back. You just need to focus next term."

"Your confidence in my abilities is admirable, Ebony."

"Do you think I'd say it if it weren't true?"

Bláth bit her lip. "No," she conceded. She spotted her mother's car pulling up the drive and hopped up. "But even the truth depends on what way you look at it. See you after midterm." She hurried down the stone steps before anyone could reply.

"That doesn't even make sense," Ebony said, running a hand through her hair.

Hestia shrugged, more concerned with her phone with which she was attempting to contact her driver.

"What are you going to do over midterm, Ebony?" Alexandra asked to break the silence.

"Fishing."

"Fishing," she repeated, bewildered.

"Yes, I thought I might take up fishing," Ebony said, looking thoughtfully across at the small part of the lake visible from behind the building.

Alexandra had to check again. "Really?"

"Of course not." Ebony threw her eyes up to heaven.

"Oh. Was that... a joke?"

She considered. "Yes. Yes, I suppose it was."

"Right," Alexandra said, wondering what on earth Ebony would come out with next.

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, Alexandra. You. What are you doing over midterm?"

"Oh." Genuinely taken aback by the question, Alexandra took a moment before answering. "Brushing up on my Northern Irish history for the trip when we get back. My parents have to go to Scotland on Thursday so I'll be spending a few days with Hestia." Ebony nodded and Alexandra wondered if the conversation would – or could possibly – go any further. She was spared any uncomfortable silence by the arrival of the car that would take her and Hestia to the airfield.

*

Author's Note:

Apologies for hiatus, but I've got a good few chapters written now so you can expect regular updates!:)