Cursed to the Bone

48. In Good Company

Hours earlier than usual, I stood outside of the mailroom with bated breath. The door was closed and I feared what I would find inside. A mess, of course, but how big? I waved the door unlocked and pushed it open.

"Goddess, save me," I muttered. The boxes piled from wall to wall with hardly anywhere to organize anything. As I went to shut the door, someone stopped it. It was Lucien Lacroix. He gave a silent wave and entered, too.

"Morning. Something you need?" I asked, examining the first box. It was marked SC, which I took to mean student council. The easiest approach, I reasoned, would be to sort real mail from valentine boxes and go from there. Grabbing the box, I moved it to the far corner behind the table.

"The headmaster suggested you may need some company."

That came as no surprise. While help would be nice, I didn't want to do anything Valentine's Day related with Lucien. It wasn't his fault, but it was too awkward. I grabbed another box and set it atop the previous one. "You don't need to stay, it'll be an all-day thing."

"I am awake," Lucien said, lips quirking upward like he knew the truth and found it humorous. "And if I am to be truthful, I cannot be sure you are safe with no one about."

Great. This was going to turn into a small-talk nightmare. I nodded, casting my stare away. "Fine."

"May I assist you with the boxes?"

"Sure. I figured I'd put the ones marked for the student council over there," I said, pointing to the corner. "Then I can sort out the mail for delivery today. After delivering the mail, I can sort the, um, others."

"Of course."

We moved the boxes until only those for typical delivery remained by the shelves. They were few. This meant that the majority of the boxes in the room piled up along the opposite wall, stacked to the ceiling. Sorting through those was a nightmare I wanted to delay. I couldn't fathom how there might have been so many orders. How many friends did the average person have, anyway?

Cutting into the boxes, I sent a small prayer to the goddess that the mail had been checked for curses and the like. Goddess only knew I didn't need another curse.

Lucien waved at the door, locking it. "I will return. Do not open that door for anyone."

Ominous, but I'd take any reason I could to be anti-social. "Sure."

In his absence, I fell into my efficient routine of stamping and sorting. Most of the names I recognized from repetition; many of my peers received mail weekly. There were very rarely any packages, but this time I found a good number. It obviously had everything to do with the holiday.

I'd forgotten that Lucien was coming back until the sound of his feet hitting the floor filled the room. My breath hitched in my throat.

Lucien stood by the table, two cups in hand, and set them down. His eyes fell upon me, and he gestured to the seat. "Tea."

As much as I itched to complete my work, I figured the tea might provide a much-needed boost of energy.

Standing, I stepped over my piles and joined Lucien at the table. This tea looked different than the usual brew. It had a pink appearance and smelled of roses. I sunk into the seat, peering into the cup while trying to decode what was happening.

"Forgive the appearance. The pixies working the cafeteria are fond of the holiday. You will find that most items in the cafeteria, this weekend, will appear like so. It is green tea."

Oh, good. I couldn't help the amusement that lifted my lips to a smile as I brought the cup up. It smelled pleasant. A sip proved it tasted pleasant, too. I frowned at the liquid. "This is good."