White Thorn | On Hold

The North Library

Arya slouched in her seat, bored out of her mind as the teacher in front of her droned on and on about some irrelevant useless information. Ever since she'd been transferred onto the 'Fast Track Course' she'd been moved from her nice large class into a far smaller one—where she couldn't sleep and get away with it. That was only to be expected though, since there were only five of them in total.

Though there were two more unwelcome additions that day.

"Pay attention, Arya." Blaine scowled, staring at her empty notebook from her right. "You're tests will be coming up soon—we're over halfway through the year, you know."

"How time's flown..." She rolled her eyes. They'd been stuck to her like glue for the last week, keeping her 'protected' from harm—which apparently included keeping her well away from Jake and Lydia, much to their disappointment.

Flynn poked her cheek. "We can study in the library later."

"Ugh."

"Don't sound so annoyed. You should be happy we're even bothering to help with your studies..." Blaine grumbled, glaring at his partner. "We do have other work to be doing, you know."

"So go and do it."

"Cut the sass, would you?"

"Hmmm... How about no?" She returned his glare full force, scowling as Flynn prodded her cheek yet again. "What?"

"Sorry to interrupt your riveting conversation, but you might wanna take a look around..." He said, glancing around the empty classroom with them. "Class is over."

"Oh."

"You know what that means, don't you?"

"Library?" Her shoulders sunk.

"Well, actually, it's dinner and then library." Flynn smiled brightly dragging her out of the room as he hurried off to the hall they always ate in. "It's not good to revise on an empty stomach."

"I'm so going to remember this, Flynnie."

***

Dinner was an oddly quiet affair for the most part, aside from Lexie's visit. Her fellow First Year had approached her, despite the two Disciplinary Committee Commanders flanking her, for reasons which soon became obvious as the cool scrap of paper was pressed into her palm.

A note.

And Arya didn't need three guesses to figure out who it was from.

Carefully, she tucked the slip into her pocket, continuing on with her dinner and her polite conversation with Lexie.

"How's life in the slow lane?" She asked, sipping the healthy soup Flynn had decided to grab for her instead of the burger and chips she'd been staring longingly at.

"Same old... same old..." Lexie shrugged. "Nobody really talks to me nowadays. I'm too weird, apparently... but that's a good thing." She smiled airily. "I wouldn't want to be like them, anyway."

Blaine interrupted them, staring at her empty plate. "Aren't you gonna eat anything, kid?"

Lexie nodded. "I like pudding."

"But you need to have dinner—."

"I like pudding."

"That's hardly health—"

"I like pudding."

"You need to eat a—"

"I like pudding."

Blaine blinked. "OK..."

Flynn chuckled, dragging Arya from the table as soon after, pulling her towards the library until she finally spoke up. Blaine had vanished from sight, so she figured she might as well try and ditch the other Commander while she was at it—if only so she could read the note Lexie had passed onto her.

"I need to go to the toilet." She scowled, having spied the restrooms up ahead.

"Sure thing."

"You're waiting outside."

"The cubicle?"

"Flynn!"

"I'm only kidding." He smiled, ruffling her hair gently, laughing at the glare she gave him. "I'll wait out here for you."

Arya wandered in, sighing in relief as the door shut behind her. She finally had privacy, and a conveniently placed window to escape via. She stared at the note, unfolding it as she cranked open the window.

East Library 18:30.

She glanced at the clock, spying it five minutes till she was supposed to meet with what Flynn had dubbed 'The Troublesome Two'. "Dammit... I'm going to be late..." She muttered.

"Yes, you are."

Arya froze, head cranking around to meet Blaine's glare. "You've got to be kidding..."

"Nope." His smile was strained, his fingers snatching the note from her hands, shaking his head slightly as he read the words. "I guess we'll be studying in the North Library instead..."

"Dammit!"

Blaine merely smirked, dragging her off to the dreaded library, keeping a watchful eye on her as he waited for Flynn to join them.

The blonde didn't take long, his Arya-Radar having already kicked in, and all too soon he was setting a nice thick textbook down in front of her, much to her annoyance... and thirty minutes later her mind was completely blank.

"Flynn." Blaine's voice made her perk up. "There's been a situation..."

Green eyes narrowed.

"Arya. Go and grab the next textbook, would you?"

She stood, nodding, frozen in place until Flynn pushed her deep into the maze of books, leaving her there. He was oddly sharp. She'd been planning on eavesdropping, but he'd gone and ensured she couldn't... not without informing the pair she was there... which meant there was only one thing it could be about, she mused as she strolled further into the confusing layout of bookshelves.

Velvet.

Sighing loudly, she peered at the numerous tomes, a sudden creak cutting off her train of thought. Silver eyes smirked at her from beyond the odd wooden fence cutting off one section of the library from the other—a section she soon found out to be called 'The Restricted Section'.

And the gate leading to it was wide open.