Bleed Black: An Academy Novel

Chapter Twenty-Two

     Katie woke up not from a knock at the door or a voice but from habit. Sitting up Katie stretched and rubbed her eyes. Standing up and doing a full body stretch Katie walked to the bathroom and turned her shower on. While the water warmed up Katie undressed and brushed her hair. Standing under the water and washing herself Katie watched the water hit the floor, watched the water turn from clear to black from the charcoal on her palm. Turning the water off once she was certain all of the charcoal and memories of yesterday were off Katie wrapped a towel around her and dried off. Brushing her teeth and hair Katie walked into her room and opened her closet. Grabbing a sunset themed dress Katie put a black strapless bra on and black underwear and put the dress on. Pulling the chair out from the door Katie sat at her vanity and started putting her makeup on. Once Katie was down she stood up and grabbed a pair of knee high black boots and put them on over her white ankle socks. 

      Opening her door Katie walked down to the dining hall and stood in line. Katie ordered a bagel smothered in cream cheese. Once she got her food Katie sat down at the table and started eating waiting for Nick and Black. When neither of them showed up Katie sighed and stood up, only to see Julian walking over to the table with his tray. Giving him a glare Katie dumped her tray and walked out of the dining hall to the infirmary. When she walked into the room she saw her friends and walked over to them grabbing a chair on the way. Sitting down everyone greeted her and the conversation started again.

     "Katie you okay?" Hero asked turning everyone's focus onto her. Katie nodded, not wanting to make her friends worry more than they already were.

      "Yeah, I'm fine it's family day isn't it?" Katie asked looking at everyone. They all nodded and she smiled. Her family would be there soon and could be normal for a few hours. 

      "It goes on till midnight. It's a formal things, we worship our family's since they gave us our blood and powers." Hero said as she stretched her arms. Katie nodded, a formal event meant she would have to dress up again. "Don't worry you can borrow something from us." Hero said as she slowly turned herself so her legs dangled off the side of the bed. Katie bit her lip as Hero's feet touched the floor and she grabbed her crutches, beginning to stand up. None of her friends moved to help her or gave her encouragement. Hero stood, her posture poor and her legs shaking, but her slowly walked around the room and smirked to herself. Katie smiled and watched as Hero gained her strength at a remarkable speed and was soon walking on the crutches like she had been for days. A rustle of sheets and Sam was now also standing and stretching, the three whip lashes showing though her white tank top, her leg scared and covered in dried blood. 

      "We need to go get ready." Sam said as everyone stood, not mentioning her leg or Hero's walking. Everyone nodded and started off into the morning light. "So parents will be here at noon, we have around an hour and a half to get ready and then we just wait until noon to see everyone." Sam said as they all walked together. 

     "Whose parents am I gonna meet?" Katie asked hoping it would be all of theirs, even though she remembered Sam had a bad time during these days. 

      "Blake's and his little sister, Nick's parents are no longer with us, Hero's and that's it." Sam said with no hint of anger or happiness in her tone just a neutral sorrow. 

      "What about Julian and Lilith?" Katie asked softly, wondering if the three had talked since the fight.

      "Lilith's parents are in jail for child neglect and Julian told his parents never to visit him when he was taken." Sam said bluntly causing the others to all cringe at their names. Katie nodded slowly as they neared the spilt from boys room to girls. "No we haven't talked, I don't think we're going to. She's in our group unless she asked Athena to remove her from it. That will be discussed Monday after class and lunch." Sam said as Nick and Blake walked to their rooms having mindless chatter. Katie, Hero, and Sam walked to Hero's room to help pick a dress for her. Hero picked up a dark green dress that came down to her knees with one full long sleeve. Katie and Sam left her to get ready and walked to Sam's room.