Two is Company (House of Anubis)

Chapter 90: The Nature of a Snake to Bite

It was hard to find morning classes engaging given the circumstances. Kira couldn't get out of her own head, not just about the phonograph, but about what Joy had said.

Mara. Seriously, what was she supposed to do about that? Kira thought she'd been a pretty attentive friend the past few months, all things considered. Sure, they weren't going out to town, or eating lunch together, or spending every free moment in each other's presence as much anymore, but that wasn't a crime. Kira had beat up her cheating boyfriend, helped her get back at him, and stole her dog back from Victor. That had to count for something, right?

They were sitting next to each other, like they so often did, and they'd talked all the way up until Denby had started class, also like they so often did. Normal stuff! It wasn't like Kira didn't want things to be the way they were before she got embroiled in the thick of an ancient quest, but that just wasn't reality. She couldn't just walk away from this, not with both her brother and her girlfriend needing all the support they could get.

No, Mara would just have to continue to deal with a little less BFF bonding time. She'd be grateful if she knew the truth.

While Ms. Denby droned on about something to do with the Bolshevik Revolution, Mara leaned over and whispered, "Hey, have you heard back from Yale yet?"

That was another thing: university anxiety. Amid all the other more immediate and dangerous anxieties, that one seemed somewhat trivial, and yet Kira couldn't quite shake it. She'd gone early decision to Yale, and the decision date was creeping steadily closer— at most a week away.

"Not yet," she whispered, keeping an eye on the board. The last thing she needed was to land herself in any trouble with Denby. "Supposedly they'll start rolling out the ED decisions by the 14th. Anything on your end?"

"Nothing," Mara groaned. "I wish we could just know by now."

"Well, you know what they say," she said, lowering her voice when their teacher looked their way, "good things come to those who wait."

A knock on the classroom door disrupted both the lesson and the cliche, and Mr. Sweet popped his head into the room with a small "Hello!"

"Sorry to interrupt, Ms. Denby," he apologized.

She waved her hand, dismissing it. "No trouble at all, I was just about finished up anyway."

He nodded in a perfunctory manner. "Yes, yes, well, Ms. Valentine has asked me to check in with students about the progress of the upcoming drama module! Have you given any thought to what your final piece might be?"

Students from all houses glanced around the room at each other wearily. Obviously no one really had, but that wasn't entirely surprising. Drama was always a touch-and-go subject.

"Perhaps a school play?" Denby suggested, which honestly sounded like as good an idea as any. "I'd be happy, of course, to assist in any individual, one-on-one coaching, if that would lighten Ms. Valentine's load."

"Any objections?" Mr. Sweet prompted, sweeping the room. His gaze lingered on Kira for a moment and she shrugged. The coaching bit sounded nightmarish given the unsubtle motive behind it, but a play would be fine. "School play it is, then!"

"Awesome!" Alfie cheered from the back, ever a creative.

"Remember," the headmaster warned them pointedly, "this will count toward your final grades."

"Not awesome," he amended, slumping back into his seat; Willow patted his arm comfortingly.

Beside Kira, Mara suddenly perked up in her seat. "Can I write it, sir?" she requested, hand shot straight up in the air.