Page 16 of Disobedient Pawn

“Hey there.” I sat. “Hi, Chantry,” I said, and a tiny squeak of a hello could be heard.

“Don’t mind, Chantry. She always gets nervous around new people. So how are you finding your first day? I mean, aside from Willis’s class this morning?”

I lifted a shoulder and let it drop as I opened my yogurt and then groaned, realizing I hadn’t picked up a spoon. Damn, Myles and Blake.

“You need a spoon? Here.” Ivy held out the one on her tray. “I don’t want my pudding right now and was going to save it til later. You can have mine.”

“Thanks.” I took the offering and a mouthful of the raspberry yogurt before continuing. “It’s going fine. From what I can tell from the binder you gave me, I’m ahead in all my classes except Spanish. I’ve never taken it before, so I need to start from the beginning and try and get myself caught up.”

“How have you never taken Spanish,” Ivy asked.

I watched Chantry as she nibbled on a bun like a little mouse. It seemed fitting with her personality.

“I’m from Canada. We take French as our second language.”

“Really, that’s where you’re from? That’s cool, no pun intended. My Dad’s brother and family live in Toronto, and we visit once a year. Last time we stayed longer and drove north and stayed in this stunning home on the water. The place started with an M, but I can’t remember the rest of the name.”

I ran through the map of Ontario in my mind and the cities and towns I had memorized. It was a strange habit I had, which was partially why I was so annoyed with this school. I couldn’t map it in my head. I still didn’t know exactly where we were, but I planned on finding out.

“I think you mean Muskoka,” I said.

Ivy’s eyes lit up. “Yes, that’s it. I loved it there.” She took a bite of her chocolate cookie as I ate another mouthful of yogurt. I’d be starving by dinner and was dreading another round of ‘Steal my food’ with Myles and Blake. They definitely seemed like the type that would keep on poking until I had a meltdown everyone could record. I knew the game, even fell for it a time or two. The last time it happened I promised myself that I wouldn’t fall for it again.

“So, what can you tell me about everyone?”

I looked around at the clusters of people, trying to gauge the social groups. No matter how hard schools tried, people with similar interests became units separating from everyone else. I wasn’t social, but that was only because I studied during lunch and went home right after school to help look after my mum.

“Well, that far table over there,” Ivy nodded in the direction of the long table so loud that I heard them before I stepped into the cafeteria.

I nodded.

“That is the football team and the girls beside them…the cheerleaders,” Ivy said, her voice dramatic as she flicked her dark hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes.

I snickered at the act and looked closer at the group. The one that had practically run me over yesterday, Axel was busy sucking face with a pretty blonde.

“Then the table in the middle of the room, that is the music group.”

“Like a choir?”

Ivy smiled. “No, like they all play instruments. The music classes here are really good. They managed to steal teachers from the best schools worldwide for the arts programs.”

My ears perked up at that. “All the fine arts classes? I like to paint, but my mum was a sculptor,” I said, and there it was, the tug in my heart that I’d managed to go a few hours without. The shadow of sadness washed over me, but I finished my yogurt and licked the spoon.

Ivy nodded. “Yup. Lina Frey is amazing. She came here from France, but she’s toured the world teaching.”

“Wow, that is impressive.”

“I like her,” Chantry said, her voice hardly audible with all the other noise. Her hair was like a curtain covering the side of her face, but she didn’t say anything more.

Ivy nodded to the table not far away and then leaned forward. “Those are the gamers and hackers, be nice to them, or they will mess with all your devices forever. They are super vindictive.” Ivy looked at the table she mentioned and then quickly looked away, her face going bright red.

“Which one do you like?” I whispered, and her cheeks flamed even more.

“The guy with the black hair to his shoulders. His name is Michael, but he goes by Zigzag,” she said in a dreamy voice. Ivy’s face fell as she looked behind me. “Oh no, Myles is coming this way,” she whispered.

I felt his presence before he stepped up to the table, blocking out the overhead light. Chantry slid further away, making sure not to get in the line of fire by accident.

I quickly snatched my water and apple, holding them in my lap. Myles chuckled as he leaned over and trapped me with his arms. His hands were on either side of me, so my only escape was to go under the table. Even I had limits unless it was dire.