Daniel hurried after him, trying to keep up with Reuben’s strides and whacks at the steps with his staff. He kept quiet, even though his heart was now lodged in his throat and aching at his forming Adam’s apple.
Reuben stood in front of a door; it was a large black wooden door with his name scrawled in brass letters. “Don’t worry.” He grinned as Daniel forced himself to smile. Reuben pushed the door open to his office.
An icy draft came rolling out of the dark room. Daniel turned to look at Reuben whose hands were mid-motion, flicking at his wrists. Several snapping sounds collected from all over the room. Thick pieces of rope tied the drapes back and light flooded it, revealing a large dark pine desk with a black leather chair and two leather settees in front of the desk. The walls were white-washed and the floor was black stone, Daniel could feel how cool it was on his feet from beneath his worn down shoes.
“It’s a nice office, when I’m being nice,” Reuben said grinning. He had a waddle as though he was trying not to put pressure on his other leg.
“You can take a seat if you like,” Reuben said swivelling his chair and falling back into it, oohing and aahing.
Daniel shook his head. “I’m okay.”
Reuben raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. “I have some things for you, because you’re less fortune in the finance are, and with all those
competitive
kids downstairs.”
Daniel grinned as if ‘competitive’ was emphasised to mean arrogant. “Well, they’ll mature into power though. Won’t they?”
“Of course, just like you’ll mature further. That’s why I brought you here, because there’s something about you that has promise. That, and you won’t take this school for granted or treat it like a summer vacation,” Reuben said opening one of his desk drawers. “I have a top of the range mobile phone and a laptop computer.”
Daniel’s brow creased in confusion.
“Technology,” Reuben continued, “it’s all fine, they are easy to use, and they are already set up to the server, and in your phone I’ve listed all the staff, but once you make friends your contact list will build itself,” he explained. “But not literally.” He chimed a short laugh.
“Oh,” Daniel replied.
“You’ll get used to it. So here.” Reuben held them out as Daniel squeezed between the two soft leather settees.
“Thanks,” he said, taking them, almost dropping them like dead weight immediately. “They weigh a lot,” he said smiling.
“That’s technology for you, and you’re welcome. I’m sure I don’t have to say this, but don’t make friend with the wrong sort. Off you go, your room key will be downstairs.”
As soon as Daniel got his key he didn’t know what to do next. He found a small map in a frame against the wall in the foyer. There were three buildings hand drawn on the map, also the routes which you had to take to get there. Two of the buildings were dorm rooms, one for boys and the other for girls.
Daniel set off on the path to the boys’ dorm rooms, and found a path which he didn’t quite recall seeing on the map. He turned, clutching the laptop and phone anxiously against his chest. He set off to see where it led, getting a few steps before a large barn was in view.
“You lost?” a familiar voice asked.
Daniel clenched a tighter hold and turned to see the boy from the carriage standing steps away from him. “Which way are the dorms?” he asked casually.
“Big buildin’, back there?” he replied signalling with his thumb over his shoulder.
“Oh,” he said, realising just how obvious it had been.
“That’s a nice laptop,” the boy said, his eyes gleaming.
“Thanks.” Daniel started walking off to the dorm rooms.
“My name’s Taner by the way,” he said walking after Daniel.
“I’m Daniel.”
“Yeah, I think you said. So, what room number do you have?” he asked.
Daniel started to rush. “Not sure, it’s in my pocket, but it’s on the third floor.”
“I’m on the third floor as well! So, how come you didn’t say your family comes from money?” Taner asked trying to keep up.
Daniel started to stutter. “Didn’t know I had to,” he said in defence.
“Well, you must have some
serious
money, like I said, this is my third try, and Reuben said I was lucky to get in.”
Daniel stopped frozen outside the dorm building. Two large life-size panthers carved out of white marble with life-like polished turquoise gems for eyes. Daniel knew one thing about panthers, how they really looked; he knew that all too well after being attacked by one.
“Apparently, Reuben hand carved them himself, without using any power. All of them,” Taner said.
“All?”
“Yeah, there are two here, two outside the girls room and I heard that there are loads of smaller ones, just around the land.”
Taner followed Daniel the two flights of stairs to his room. He had been given a plastic card with a black lined code on the back, there was a space beside the handle, and although he wasn’t the most technological person, it was clear he had to put the card in there. This room was bigger than the room at home; there were sockets for electronics, which he had only seen once or twice at home, and the floor wasn’t stone.
“My dad has those card things to his study, and only he has a card,” Taner said, walking into Daniel’s room after him.
“Why doesn’t he just get a switch-lock?” Daniel asked piling his stuff on his bed, and walking towards the large pane glass window.
“Because they’re cheap and you can break into those,” he chortled.
“Oh, right. Is every room like this?”
Taner shrugged and looked around Daniel’s room. “Pretty much, but I best go, let you unpack and stuff. I still need to unpack.”
“Bye,” Daniel said ushering Taner out of the room.
Taner left. He closed the door behind him.
Daniel ran his hands up the back of his neck and blew up at the fringe of his hair.
He’s nicer than before. But I'm supposed to come from money now.
Chapter Six
That evening Daniel sat on his bed, looking around the room and playing with light switches. He had a fully functioning sink in the corner, a lamp on his bedside table and a light from his ceiling. It was too much and he hadn’t touched the gifts Reuben had given him. He skipped lunch and dinner on the off-chance he’d see Taner, instead he snacked on the sandwiches his mother had packed for him.
He woke to a loud banging against his door. “Mum,” he groaned, wrapping his head in his pillow. The banging didn’t stop. He checked the clock on his bedside table;
8:02
, and got out of bed to see what was so important. But there was nobody there. Daniel turned and closed his door.
I guess they know then
, he thought, throwing himself back on his bed, hoping to get some more sleep before the big assembly at nine.
There was another thud against the door. Daniel jumped up and ragged his door open. But the hall was still empty; he looked down both ends of the hall again, this time noticing a tall boy.
“Hey,” Daniel said, stepping out of his room.
The boy turned around with a scowl on his face. He stared into Daniel’s eyes. Daniel tried to figure him out, but the longer he stared in his eyes of black ink, all thought seemed to wash away.
“Yes?” he asked.
Daniel blinked as sounds knotted in his throat as he tried to voice them. The boy’s gaze fell, and Daniel brushed a hand through his hair, trying to figure out what was going on. “Nothing,” he said, stumbling back into his room.
A ringing bleep knocked Daniel from his alternate awareness. He reached out for the alarm, swiping his hand and knocking the clock to the floor. He sprung out of bed and a welt of pain opened up in his head, spinning him around. He swayed on the spot until composure set in. He picked the clock back up from the floor reading the red numbers,
08:47
.
Shit. Shit. I’m going to be late
, he told himself repeatedly, rushing around to get dressed. He almost forgot to put his shoes on; it hadn’t crossed his mind until his feet touched the cold hallway, after all he’d never had to wear shoes at home before, at least not every day.
On his way down the stairs he tried to put his jacket on and jump down a flight of steps, but he fell into the window at the bottom. “Ow,” he said, rubbing his head and putting the jacket on properly. He panted as he reached the doorway of the Boys’ Dormitory and found himself combing his hair and still rushing up the path to the main building. He reached an orderly queue walking towards into main entrance. Joining the end of it, it seemed that Taner also had the same idea of being
almost
late.
“Over slept?” Taner said, smiling to himself.
Daniel shook his head. “Ill,” he said quietly.
“Well I did, my stupid alarm clock doesn’t even work.”
“Mine did.”
“Lucky you. I thought this school was supposed to be
prestigious
, it seems like a lot of it is all about Reuben. I even heard his stuck up nephew comes here.”
Daniel grinned at Taner’s arrogant humour, that and when he first saw Reuben, he thought the same thing.
They reached the assembly hall; it was a lot bigger than he thought it would have been, sitting at the back they could see the front of the stage perfectly well over the 20 rows in front. At the front of the hall was a platform and a podium, both were empty. Behind the stage however, several teachers remained seated with hands in laps and smiles on their faces.
Reuben took to the sea of pale faces with blank expressions. “Good morning,” he said, his voice echoing around the hall. “This term we welcome fifty
new
students, and welcome the hundred joining us from vacation.”
“A hundred and
fifty
people in here?” Taner whispered to Daniel, who nodded and continued to stare up at the stage.
“I would also like to welcome a new teacher, she’s been my aide for many years but I’ve offered her a permanent teaching role.” Reuben turned to the teachers facing the crowd. “I would like you all to give a warm welcome, to Chey Coran, the new Life Energy and Skills teacher.”
Everyone clapped as Chey stood, a woman with dark blonde hair, all scooped back into one long wispy ponytail. She smiled and gave a weak wave before sitting back down.
Reuben coughed his throat clear before starting to speak again. Daniel watched, while something else vied for his attention; at first he thought it was Taner tugging at his jacket, but it wasn’t physical. He cocked his head to the right, seeing the boy from the hallway, although he wasn’t staring back, he was chuckling away to the person beside him.
“All new students must stay seated to collect their schedules. The rest of you may now go for breakfast,” Reuben said, turning away from the podium to the seated teachers.
Daniel’s schedule said that his first class was straight after breakfast, Life Energy and Skills with the new teacher. He had nothing on Tuesdays, and on Wednesdays he had Mythical Energies, and on Thursday he had Offensive and Defensive Energies. That was the only class he had with Taner. Daniel grinned at the thought of perhaps jumping into practicing straight away, fighting with each other, as he still held the image of Taner’s smug face in his head from the first time he saw him.
“Are you coming for breakfast?” Taner asked, pulling Daniel from his thoughts.
“Yeah,” Daniel said, nodding and blinking.
The cafeteria area was a large L-shaped room with counters connecting to a kitchen along the far wall. It had reminded Daniel of the time when he’d snuck into an old factory with Jac, the large metal tables and adjoining chairs, the huge conveyor belt like counter where parts of metal and rock were fed through from different rooms.
“So what are you getting?” Taner asked, handing Daniel a tray.
“Not that hungry,” he said, glancing down the aisle full of food, “probably some, toast, beans.”
“For a rich kid you sure don’t have a rich appetite,” Taner said, snorting back laughter.
Daniel raised his eyebrows and handed Taner the wry smile of all-knowing;
only hanging around with me because I have money, or fortunes, when I’m actually the poorest person here.
They plated their breakfasts and sat at an empty table. Daniel was all too quick to notice the boy from the hallway seated across from them. He stared at them; a girl with blonde hair and her arms wrapped around a boy with a small afro of curls. The girl was the first to notice Daniel; she looked at him like she’d known he was staring, and then winked. Daniel’s gaze dropped, grinning to himself. He looked back up, and the two guys were glaring at him with their bewitched black eyes.
“I got Mythics today,” Taner said.
“I have that new teacher.”
“I have her tomorrow. Thursday should be good though, get to learn some
tricks
,” he said with a large smirk painted across his face. “I got told they make you fight first day. You know learn as you do kinda thing.”
Daniel glanced back up at the table and the people were gone. He butted his lips together as he replayed the image of the girl winking at him, sending little electric charges through his stomach.
“The blonde?” Taner asked.
“Huh?”
“Well you’re not exactly subtle,” he said, spooning beans into his mouth.
Daniel gulped. “Oh. Why? What do you know about her?”
“Same thing everyone else knows, she’s a tease, and a bit of a leech.”
“How do you know?”
“If you’d have been here yesterday, then you would have been able to talk to people, nobody likes her that much, and they had some pretty harsh words to say about her.”
Daniel looked down at his untouched food, pushing his tray aside. He necked back the cup of water, which tasted slightly stale, and looked back at Taner’s face.
“You gotta eat,” he said.
“Why?” Daniel asked.
“’Cause you have to have strength, power, will, y’know the sorta stuff that gets you ahead in a place like this,” he replied in a matter-of-fact tone.