The Aether Effect (NaNoWriMo 13)

Chapter 2: In Which the Protagonists Prepare For Graduation And Other Events

"We're home too early." Melody complained as Erin applied a a second coat of bright blue polish to her toes. The girls had retreated to their dorm after returning from Waverly Tavern. The weren't the least bit sleepy; too excited for the testing and the graduation dinner that was happening tomorrow, not to mention official graduation the next day.

"It's half after eleven." Erin reminded her, not looking up from the other girl's tan feet. It was weeks after the last day of tanning sunlight, but Melody held the color of sun kissed skin year round. Erin was only slightly jealous, knowing it was her own fault she wasn't as tanned and if it wasn't then she could certainly blame genetics as her father's skin was the approximate color of skin after it's been pack in ice a bit too long.

" I know, I'm just not tired though...You missed the little toe."

"I didn't miss it, I just haven't gotten there yet." She'd missed it.

Melody laughed then fell silent. Erin finished painting. They stared at each other, Erin kneeling on the plush carpet beside Melody's feet, Melody stretched out on the Divan couch that was pushed against wall. Green eyes searched brown. No longer in the dim lighting of the tavern or lamp light of the city streets, Erin could see clearly the dark smudges under Melody's sad eyes. She looked like she had gone days without sleep. Had she? 

"Mel," Erin hesitated, putting her hand on the couch next to the Melody's, the tips of their fingers just touching. " You can tell me if...if there's something wrong. Is it more than the tests? Is there something wrong with you and Jason?"

Melody shook her head and pulled her knees up to her chest; partly for comfort but also so Erin could climb up on the couch

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Erin." She took a shuddering breath and let it out slowly. "I- I need to tell you something."

"Anything." Erin told her, her face the portrait of seriousness, though that wasn't unusual, and Melody knew it was true. It always had been, for everyone. Every student in Hendrick knew who gave the best advice, kept the darkest secrets, and never passed judgment. Erin Slates had stoicism instilled in her body like blood. When Marcia Grey was pregnant with Mr. Hindfeld's baby? She had sought out Erin for advice and Erin hadn't even blinked in surprise, just given her the number of her family's cleric. The baby was two now and the couple happily married.  When a First Year had sent a baseball through their Chemistry class in the spring, Erin had taken the blame with the excuse of an exploding beaker. No one had said differently and she had given the ball back to the kid just after class. "It was an accident, accidents don't bare punishment." She had told Melody. Melody asked her if she still believed that.

"Of course," Erin said without hesitation. "I've always believed that, it'd be stupid not to." The look in her eyes said she had steeled herself for something bad. Melody took a deep breath.

"You know my uncle John?"

A stupid question,Erin thought. Everyone knew Melody's uncle. He was the librarian's assistant at Hendrick Academy, he was friendly, polite, efficient in his work, he also made a wicked cup of hot chocolate. He was also one of the Collared. Erin nodded to Melody's question, hoping she'd continue.

"Do you know why he's Collared?"

"For testing as a Shadow."

"Do you think that kind of thing is right?" Silence. They took up their stare again. Erin's eyes searching now, probing for an answer to a question that made no sense. Was it right? Of course. Lormandi was preventing citizens from becoming assassins, thieves. It kept them from committing acts of violence they might later regret, it kept people safe. Maybe they couldn't do anything about it in East Lormandi, but here in the West there was no real crime and that was thanks to the Collaring of Shadows and the like, people slept with their windows open in the summer, children didn't go missing, neither did jewelry for that matter.