O'Malloy's School for the Horticulturally Advanced

Chapter 5 - Mimosa

Mimosa jogged to keep up with Ms. Voss. The hateful woman jerked her around uncomfortably. She could hear her saying words Mimosa was definitely not allowed to say under her breath. The thin woman pushed open the door. Mimosa scampered through, but not quickly enough. The door slammed painfully on her hand. (The one Ms. Voss wasn't dragging her along by) She gnawed on her lip, pushing back tears. 

Don't give her the satisfaction. Don't let her see you cry.     

Chilly night air went straight through her soaked clothes. She shivered in the cold, hoping wherever the mad woman was taking her was close by. At the brisk pace they were going, they got to a small brick building in a matter of minutes. Ms. Voss stormed in so fast Mimosa couldn't read the sign that hung over the door.

Dr. Sherman sat at a large desk piled with papers.

"This girl was found after curfew." Ms. Voss demanded.

Dr. Sherman looked up.

"Hmm?"

"This girl was found outside of her dorm after curfew. She knocked a candle over and lit the carpet on fire, endangering the school and students."   

Dr. Sherman looked more amused than anything else. "Well, let's hear what she has to say."

Ms. Voss glared at Mimosa, but stepped back a little bit and let go of her arm.

"Uh, well, I was going to get a candle for-" Mimosa trailed off. Did she really want to throw her roommate under the bus? Maybe they could still be friends.

"for me to read. But I couldn't find my keys and I for got my door number. So I knocked on the doors."

Dr Sherman chuckled.

"I knocked on the doors quietly. But then I accidentally knocked over the candle. And my stocking caught on fire. And then everyone heard me and come out and a girl splashed some wa..."

Mimosa trailed off. Her eyes had wandered over to the window, and she swore she had seen that kid from the forest, Ash. As soon as she looked, he was gone.

"Continue." Dr. Sherman said.

"Uh, she splashed some water on me to put out the fire. That's it. I'm really sorry."

"What was the damage to the flooring?" Dr. Sherman asked.

"There was a little black mark." Mimosa said, ashamed.

"Really, Ida? I would have thought you could handle this by yourself, or at least wait until morning to disturb me."

Ms. Voss turned red.

So her full name is Ida Voss. It just sounds awfully stern.

"But since you already took the liberty of disturbing me, I'll tell you what I think. A suspension would be-"

Dr. Sherman was cut off by a deafening crash. A large tree branch fell from a tree leaning over the building. It smashed through some of the roof tiles, so that branches were hanging down into the building. 

Mimosa heard D. Sherman cursing. 

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, but this student endangered the school and broke curfew." Ms. Voss said, desperately trying to get Mimosa suspended.

"I don't care about your student! A tree that's at least one hundred years old just dropped a branch on my office!"

I just got out of a suspension, Mimosa thought, dizzy with relief.

"Yes, but-" 

"I'm sorry I lost my temper, but I need you to go back to the dorm."

Hallelujah! Mimosa thought.

She and Ms. Voss headed back out into the frigid night. Mimosa turned back to see the sign, which read, "Headmaster's office".

Dr. Sherman is the Headmaster?

As they continued walking, Mimosa looked up at the tree that had just saved her.

Only, she saw a familiar face in it.

Ash waved at her from the tree.

Mimosa's eyes went wide with horror. 

He cut a branch off that tree?

As she and Ms. Voss walked back to the dorms, she couldn't make sense of what Ash had done. It didn't seem in his personality to cut a branch off a tree. He seemed so respectful of trees in the forest. But, then again, she had only known him for a few hours. Maybe she didn't know what he was capable of.

Before she knew it, Ms. Voss was opening the door to her dorm. 

Wait...

Mimosa stepped inside her dorm, which was now dark. The only light came from the hallway.

How does she have the key to my room?

Then something clicked.

She kept the key to my dorm! She knew I would go outside! She wants me gone!

But why?

Just then, the door closed, leaving Mimosa alone in the dark.

She began changing into a new nightdress, then climbed into bed.

"You should have seen yourself." a voice came from above her.

Primrose?

"What do you mean?" 

"When you lit yourself on fire. It was hilarious."

"What? Did you hear me knock on the door?"

"What do you mean?" Primrose said with mock innocence.

"You locked me out on purpose! Did Ms. Voss put you up to this?"

Primrose fell silent.

I can't tell if she's lying if she won't talk!

Mimosa spent the rest of the night in silence. One question surfaced over and over in her thoughts.

Why does Ms. Voss want me gone?