Touch of Hellfire

☕️72☕️

Once Tessa learned that I didn't send that email, she hit me on the back of the head. Where she hits me each has a different meaning.

When it's the back of the head, she's calling me stupid.

I was in my meditative position once my phone started ringing. "Hello?" I asked the unknown person.

"Heather, this is Headmaster Charleston."

I tried to sit up but again, backflipped onto the floor. "Yeah," I mumbled, in pain. "How is Columbia, is it everything you thought it would be?"

"It's actually better than what I thought to be honest," I told him. "I'm calling because we usually ask a former Chilton student to host a prospective Columbia student for a couple of days. Show them around, let them observe classes, campus life. I was wondering if you'd be interested?"

"Me?" I clarified, confused. "Yes," he told me. "This is a special young lady. She's bright, focused and quite determined. Reminds me of you and your sister. I was hoping that you'd accept, I'm aware that the workload must be substantial."

"Uh..I can handle it," I murmured. "Her name is Lucy Fairchild, her twin is getting shown around Yale by Rory, she will arrive at nine on Monday, my office will contact you with the details, I hope you have a wonderful time."

"Thank you," I said before the call disconnected.

Okay...why did I agree to this?

***

"Well Rory, Heather, this is a big honour," Grandpa told us. "Out of all the alumni at Chilton, they're asking you two."

"We know!" Rory squealed. "Well Anna is going to all my classes with me and then I'd show her the paper and the library."

"And you Heather?" Grandpa asked me. "Uh..bring her to my class, let her try out some of the others at Columbia, give her a tour but I don't want her just to see the classes, I'll show her the accommodation, everything," I answered him.

"Now..how is Mr Huntzberger?" Grandpa looked at Rory. "Who's that?" Mom asked Rory.

"Logan, I go to school with him," Rory told her. "He's a fine boy from a fine family," Grandpa stated. "You looked to be a very handsome couple."

I got up very early on Monday morning to wait for Lucy to come up. The buzzer went off at nine and I pressed the button. "Hello?"

"Is this Heather Gilmore?"

"Yeah, come on in."

I pressed the button and I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "You must be Lucy," I said. "Yes," she nodded.

"Alright, I'll show you around the apartment," I murmured. "Kitchen is through there, on the left is my roommate's room but she's out of town for a couple of days and the room is spotless so you can sleep there, then there's the bathroom and my room and on my roommate's bed is a lot of Columbia merchandise."

"Cool," she smiled. "So, you ready?" I wondered.

***

"Now, that Starbucks is important," I told Lucy. "They do not let any freshmen in there."

"None?" she was gobsmacked. "I was stuck with the kiosk by the library," I told her. "So what course do you do?" Lucy asked me. "I do Film and Media but our debates won't be starting until eleven," I explained. "That's my major, I'm also studying history and Greek and Roman mythology."

I walked into the building. "There is a deep feud between the Theatre and Film department, because we are putting them out of business, apparently. I forgot to ask, are you considering doing Film?"