The Shadow Sisters

[E1] Chapter 6 - Marie Shadow

Marie waited under the bus shelter, swaddled in her puffy raincoat like an overstuffed burrito. It kept her warm but did an otherwise poor job of doing what it was designed for, keeping her dry.

Hannah lurked next to her. Her hands were stuffed into the depths of her blazer and her head was almost lost beneath that huge Slowdive beanie she'd been wearing regularly for years.

The bus arrived ten minutes late, finally granting some reprieve from the brisk autumn winds.

Hannah flashed her pass first and Marie followed her lead. The driver, a slim man with a dark coating of stubble and heavy eyelids offered a flicker of his attention to the passes before motioning for the pair to take their seats.

As Marie faced the aisle, she saw several dozen sets of student eyes affixed to her and her sister.

In a bid to swiftly escape the unwanted attention, Hannah slumped into the seat near the front. Marie, however, simply glared, challenging those who stared at her. As most averted their gazes, she searched for a seat. The back of the bus was densest, full of rowdy pupils who were presumably all friends. She opted for the safest route and sat near the middle.

When the bus started again, Marie's attention fell to her phone screen.

"Excuse me, are you new?" someone asked.

Marie glanced up and saw, to her surprise, that the girl seated in front was speaking to her. So much for sitting alone. "I am."

"I'm Riley Jackson." She offered a hand.

Riley, in addition to being very formal, was astoundingly pretty, but in a rather unconventional way. She had curly brown hair that fell in ringlets, piercing green eyes, and tan skin. Her cheekbones were so high that they gave her face a sort of feline quality.

Upon accepting the proffered hand, Marie shook it firmly. "I'm Marie, Marie Shadow."

Riley's eyes widened. "Is that your real name?"

"Uh, yes?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I just think it's cool."

"Thanks."

Marie's attention drifted to her window. The bus route brought them through a variety of areas, including suburban estates, long boulevards, and terraced streets lined by council houses.

As she watched a drunk man limp between vehicles, she wondered why the university couldn't set them up with something like that. Then at least they'd be normal instead of dwelling in the old dust heap they had ended up in.

The city centre hung off in the distance. They had still yet to properly explore that yet, even after a full week of living in Willow Town, but Mum assured them that they'd all go out for coffee or dinner soon when everything was settled. Whatever that meant.

"You'll love it in Willow Wood," Riley said. "Everyone's so friendly."

"That's good."

There was silence for a while.

Marie's attention returned to her phone.

"So what year are you in?" Riley asked.

"Sixteen," Marie replied.

"Oh, me too!" Riley exclaimed in her excitement, drawing glances from everyone else on the bus. Then, as if to compensate for this outburst, she whispered, "That's what I thought. You looked about my age. I can show you around if you like. Obviously, we won't have every class together, but we might have some in common."

"That'd be great."

As they made a few more stops, dozens of pupils continued to file onto the bus until only a few seats remained. Marie noticed that one of those was the seat next to Hannah.

She felt a small twinge of guilt at that. Ever since primary school, the pair had made a point of avoiding running in the same circles, but perhaps, on their first day in a new city, Marie should have made an exception and stuck with her sister.

But then she remembered who her sister was.

Hannah Shadow could befriend a hungry lion. Heck, she could probably take it out and bond over a plate of scrambled tofu and sliced avocado. She was always the charming sister, the one who effortlessly attained good grades and floated through life whilst being nothing but her wonderful self.

She would be fine.