Page 75 of The Holy Academy of Witches

“Umm, no.” I drank deeply and gave Sage what I hoped was a well done for speaking smile, if those existed. They do, I just did it.

“Were there boys there?!” Lillian asked, leaning so far forward she could have climbed into Sage’s mouth.

“Ye… yes? I just went to public school where everything is… mixed?”

“Did you hear that Adeline! Mixed!… I so wish our school was mixed.”

“Yeah, so you could get sex with Marcus on tap.” Dorcas laughed.

“Please stop, I don’t fancy vomiting on myself tonight.” I said.

“Psh! Give it a couple of hours!” Dorcas said at the same time as Lillian muttered, “he’s not that bad.”

“Yes he is,” we all said in chorus before falling about laughing.

“Who?” Sage asked.

“Eurgh! You don’t wanna know!” Dorcas replied.

“He’s one of Cillian’s room mates,” I explained, “and an utter utter prick.” I declared. Sage’s eyes widened.

Lillian sighed dreamily again, “Cillian… wait, you know of Cillian?” She asked, looking at Sage. Sage looked alarmed, a deer in the headlights.

“Of course she has, she rooms with Marsha. I bet there’s a statue in his honour in the middle of her dormitory.” Sage laughed at this and spat out some of her drink which made Gemma laugh. She poured everyone another drink. “Sage?” She asked, holding out the vodka and shaking it at her.

“Oh! Umm, I don’t actually drink that much…”

Dorcas rolled her eyes and reached for the bottle, “Give me it! Goody two shoes isn’t interested in having any fun.”

“Shut your mouth, Dorcas. Ignore her Sage, she’s a horrible person.”

“- Hey!”

“What? Am I wrong?!”

“…Well no, but at least pretend.” She cackled once more and swigged the vodka straight from the bottle. Classy.

“It’s okay Sage,” I said quietly, for only her to hear, as the other girls went into another ghost story and fell about laughing at Lillian’s expression. “If you don’t normally drink because you don’t trust your surroundings, I understand… believe me.” I said, regarding her seriously… or as seriously as I could after four whiskey and cokes and some of Gemma’s fruity vodka. “But you’ll be okay. I’ve got you.” Sage relaxed at my words and nodded to herself, and me.

“Thanks, Adeline.” She whispered. I gave her a friendly nudge. A little bit hard actually, whoops.

“Did you tell any spooky mythology like Lady Gwyn or the Sluagh in America, Sage?” Gemma asked. I smiled at her and she tipped her glass in response.

“Oh yes, the adventures of Nera was my Father’s usual go to though.” We all nodded at that, Sage took a big sip of her drink and animatedly told a tale she said was her and her brother’s favourite. She told it so well even Dorcas looked unsettled, which was quite the feat. She bristled and declared she was going to the bathroom, to which Lillian said she was also coming. They staggered off in the direction of the Academy and I settled back in my beanbag.

I had a nice warmth running through me from the alcohol, my mood was the lightest it had been in… Gods, I couldn’t even remember. Gemma and Sage settled into a conversation about something to do with the ball at her old school and I tuned them out. I missed Teddy. Was that weird? To miss someone you’d never properly met? I decided not.

I got out my phone, immediately turning down the screen brightness, because ouch, and took a selfie of myself, angling it so the roaring fire was my backdrop, and sent it to him along with a fire emoji.

Teddy:Wow! Warn a guy first!

See, he always knew what to say. He was like a poet.

Adeline:I know xx

Teddy:LOL! Modest much? x

Adeline:Mucho xx

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