Straight-Up Not Having A Good Time At Night Raven College: Chapter 1

Chapter 21: A Duel Ill-Advised

"Alright," Kat said when they returned to Ramshackle, walking towards the living room. "Everybody in here."

Ace and Deuce exchanged unsure glances.
"Uh... Okay," Deuce said, shrugging.

"...Why?" Ace asked suspiciously, crossing his arms.

"Just. COME." She said flatly, giving him a sharp look. "Sit down."

He winced.
"Geez-- okay, okay..."

They all went into the lounge, and Kat sat back down on the couch, crossing her legs and folding her arms.
Deuce sat on the chair. Ace, grumbling, sat on the cushions from the broken loveseat that Deuce had been using as a makeshift mattress.

Grim hopped up onto the couch next to her. She looked back and forth between the two human boys, screwing up her mouth into a sour wince.

"....This is a dumb fucking idea," she said flatly. "I hope you know that."

Deuce looked down, rubbing the back of his head, but Ace scoffed.
"Well, how the hell--"

"BUT," she interrupted him, holding up a hand. "...I recognize that this was pretty much one of the only options available to you. It's still a bad idea, though... But unfortunately, sometimes the only options available are the bad ones."

Closing her eyes, she rubbed her forehead for a second.
"....What's gonna happen wh-- IF you lose?" She asked, opening her eyes again. "What do you plan on doing next?"

They shifted uncomfortably, looking at each other out of the corners of their eyes.

".....Yeah, that's pretty much what I expected," she grumbled. "Look..."

Sighing again, she pushed her glasses up, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Look," she said again, more firmly. "If you lose tomorrow, I'm going to go to Riddle myself and talk to him about at least taking Grim's collar off."

"WHAT?!" Ace blustered, jumping up out of his seat and gesturing angrily.
"Why?! Traitor! Are you SERIOUSLY gonna--"

"SHUT UP," she snapped, standing up herself and moving towards him. "Shut. UP. Shut UP! Do I have to remind you of my situation here?! The only way I get to stay here is by working together with THIS little thing--"

She pointed behind her at Grim, still on the couch and looking at her in obvious shock.

"...And attend this school to study magic! Plus, I ALSO still want to find a way home AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. This place is my best shot at doing that. Okay?!"

Ace had shut his mouth, stepping back and going a little pale as she yelled.
"...O-Okay," he managed after a second. "Sorry."

Kat sighed, rubbing her face again and plopping tiredly back down on the couch.
"...Sorry, bud," she muttered after a moment, turning to Grim and stroking his head a few times. "Didn't mean to call you a 'little thing', I was just kinda worked up."

He nodded, relaxing a little but still staring at her in that distinctive, wide-eyed 'startled cat' way.

She turned back to the other two.
Ace sat back down gingerly, avoiding her gaze. Deuce looked almost as shocked as Grim, sitting statue-still like he was trying to camouflage himself.

"...I'm hoping, since I'm technically head of THIS dorm--" 
She waved her hand vaguely around the room.
"He'll listen to me... Plus, it's not like Grim's even under his jurisdiction, technically speaking. As for you two..."

There was a long pause as she thought.

".....Ugh," she grumbled after a second, bending over and bonking her forehead against her knees.
"I don't know.... I literally don't know. I guess you can stay here until you figure out what the hell you're gonna do..."