I meet back up with the carriage driver and we go back to the school. The door stopper hurries down the stairs to help me out.
"I got lots of small things, I need help taking them to my room. If I could get some help?"
"Of course."
"I'm so sorry to bother you." I say apologetically and he smiles.
"I'd love to help you. You're the only one this year to be so kind to us workers." I smile.
"Well you are all working hard. So you should always be thanked. You aren't servants." I say. He nods as I take my painting out.
"By the way, you can just call me Cerine."
"Oh no. That's not proper." he says.
"We don't always have to be proper do we. How about this then? When there's no other students around, you can call me Cerine. This applies to all the workers." I say and he nods.
"I'll let them know." he says. After we set everything down in my room he smiles.
"You really are a good girl Cerine." he says then leaves. I laugh. I settle in my bed and read when there's a tentative knock on my door.
"Come in Cassie." I say and she opens the door.
"How'd you know it was me?"
"Just that you hovered outside my door for a minute. Also the way you knocked so tentatively." I say closing my book and she blushes. I smile.
"Wanna sit and read with me?" I say gesturing to my book she's holding. She nods and sits next to me. That's how Alyssa finds us a couple hours later.
"Oh so you've been here the whole time?" Alyssa says and Cassie smiles shyly. We put our books down and head to the dining room. Cassie sits next to me and the other 3 sit on the opposite side. When we get served there's a small bundle on it. I open it and there's a couple fresh cookies and a note. I read it and smile.
"What is that?" Alyssa says and I smile sliding the note into my dress.
"Just a thank you from the doorman, Mr. Sydney." I say tying up the cookies again. She looks like she's on the verge of being disgusted and disgruntled. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and focus on my food.
"You're really good at stirring people up huh?" Olive says.
"I don't mean to, some of the time. I'm just living how I want to." I say and quickly finish my food.
"I'll be leaving now." I say and almost turn into that boy. My quick reflexes though prevent that.
"Excuse me, so sorry." I say nodding at him and leave. I get to my room and strip off my dress quickly changing into my pajamas resisting the urge to rip it apart. I really want to tear or hit something. I rub my temples then sigh breathing in and out a couple times willing myself to calm down and sit to read again. A little while later Maria and Cassie come. I stop them at the door and hand Cassie the book back. I smile.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow OK?" I say and close my door. I walk over to the window and lean out. The wind is nice, not so cold. I look up. "I could climb to the roof." I say to myself and quickly do so. I sit there for an hour just looking out and then go back down to turn my lights off. I eat the cookies before going to sleep.
