Wands and Fireguns

11. Jaundiced Questioning

'Plate.'

My hands found their way around the metallic bowl in an automatic fashion. As I turned to receive my breakfast, I noticed Martha's hands were shaking in such a manner it made me want to put the porridge in the bowl myself. Poor soul. She must've suffered from lack of sleep last night judging from the dark bags underneath her usually bright, blue eyes. Though I couldn't fathom what she had gone through... That bastard. I would never have guessed Dick Callister to be a creature of the night- as poetically as that sounds, it wasn't a poem. No, this was reality.

'Is anythin' th' matter?' Martha spoke slightly nervous, bringing me back to the present.

I blinked. 'No,' I lied. 'Nothing.'

With a suspicious frown, she continued her way across the breakfast hall to serve some more sewer stew. I did feel like starting a riot against the poor foods we're being served, however that would put me in a dangerous situation with Mrs Cole and I had just miraciously earned her trust. I wasn't planning on killing that special favour in such a short notice.

From across the table, Rikkard caught my eye as he seemed to have been studying me for quite some time. What was he on about? Not even averting his gaze, he actually leaned in closer to signal he was to speak about something private. What if he- No that wasn't possible. He couldn't know. I made several precautions to prevent anyone from finding out about... though there was a slight, say one-in-a-million shot, that Rikkard found out about the scottisch school boarding something that would make a man shout 'murder!' three times in a row.

'Look- I'm not from yesterday.' He started. I knew perfectly well he wasn't from yesterday, he made that very clear everytime he boasted about being older than me. Though, should that mean he could figure out such a secret like mine? A fat chance.

'I don't doubt it- What's your story, morning glory?' I chirped and decided to follow his lead, leaning closer onto the table, carefully trying not to smudge my sleeves with the porridge.

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly; though it was rather a surpressed grin. 'Okay, let's review. The other day, you found out Tom is going to a boarding school in the country. You seemed rather... pleased about it, to say the least.'

'Ehm- yes?'

'But all of the sudden you were enrolled there as well...' his voice lingered slightly. 'Doesn't that seem a bit too much of a coincidence?'

Deny! Deny! Deny all of it! My insides were panicking as I felt my stomach twirl. I licked my lips, looking down at my hands I noticed the lines were beginning to ...move! My eyes grew as I tucked my hands away as fast as you could say: flibberty gibbit. Was it hot in here? It sure felt like the sahara desert, though as dry as my throat was, I had to say something. Say something, Patsy, you're beginning to look suspicious. Anything!

'...You don't believe I have the academic records to be enrolled there?'

Shifting uneasily, I watched as Rikkard seemed to have been battling a turmoil inside of himself. Muttering something I couldn't catch, I arched an eyebrow. 'Sorry, what?'

Looking up, he sighed audibly. '-No.' he responded bluntly. 'I do not believe you have the academic records to even get into a scholar for this superficial school.'

I quirked an eyebrow at him.

'Are you jealous?'

There was a pause. Then: 'No, of course not! Why would I? God Forbid, It's not like my grades always have been better than yours.'

I gasped audibly. 'Are you serious? You are jealous.'

By now, we caught the attention of several children that were muching on their sewer delights. I brushed off an evil stink-eye from Emilie who looked like she was going to tell on us 'communicating' during breakfast. She seemed to have a look of victory on her face, but in truth she was covering up for her defeat in tag that we were playing in the courtyard the other day. Some people can't handle losing.