CHAPTER 11

KATHERINE. “Why are you applying for these?” Priyanka asked, looking over the forms I got from Dean Bryman while I filled the library form at the help desk of the library. She had decided to follow me here because she didn’t have anything else to do and I was grateful for her companion. “The dean told me to. I’m on aided learning.” “Oh… Wait, she didn’t give you options?” she replied and I tugged my brows together. “Options?” I asked while she tipped her head to the side and I shook my head sideways. “There are options?” “Yeah. There are a lot of better jobs to apply for. These two are the least picked of them,” she replied and I clicked my tongue, wondering if the dean did this on purpose. I wouldn’t put it past her to do so on purpose because with what she told me about pack issues and whatnot, it was clear that she didn’t ‘like’ me. “She just told me the jobs I’ll be doing and gave me these forms.” “Ugh. She can be a bitch sometimes,” Priyanka muttered before giving me an apologetic look. “Sorry.” “It’s fine,” I shrugged. Besides, I didn’t think these jobs were awful. I just needed to find a nice lecturer to be a TA for. I resumed filling out the form and absent-mindedly filled the section that requested my pack’s details without thinking of the fact that Priyanka was watching me do so, and it was when she spoke again that what I’d just done dawned on me. “You’re from River Ash,” she said and I froze before glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. I hadn’t told her, Lenore and Josie the pack I was from because most of the packs I knew supported Silver Bow in pushing for the dissolution of my pack and I guess I didn’t want to know if the first friends I made in Blackwood also supported them. I cleared my throat and continued filling out the form while still subtly watching her reaction. “Uh, yeah?” “Wow,” she said, a blank expression on her face before her eyes rounded. “Oh- I mean, I’m sorry for your loss. The wow was because you'll be taking over your pack and I–” she abruptly paused and waved her hand dismissively like she wanted me to forget everything she just said. “I'm sorry for your loss.” Grateful for her words and for her not reacting negatively upon learning the pack I was from, a small smile crept onto my face. “Thank you… What pack are you from?” “Lenore’s pack. Dark Moon,” she replied and I nodded. Dark Moon was one of the biggest and most powerful packs and as far as I knew, they had no stance regarding the issue between my pack and Silver Bow. “What about Josie?” “She’s from Blue Blood. Blake’s pack.” Ah… they were just like Dark Moon but they were one of Silver Bow's allies. I nodded again but the fact that Josie and Blake were from a pack that was friendly with Silver Bow dampened my mood and I wondered if they also supported Silver Bow. The fact that I couldn't know the answer to that without asking and I didn't want to do that so wondering was all I could do dampened my mood even further. “If you're going to be a TA. Apply to be Professor Helton’s,” Priyanka changed the topic. “Professor Helton?” He was the one who ended my and Poppy's ‘conversation’ earlier. “Does he need a TA?” “I don't know, but you can check the TA application section on the school's website. There'll be a list of lecturers who need a TA there.” “Oh, okay.” Minutes later, I was done filling out both forms and submitted the library form to one of the librarians. According to the school's website, Professor Helton needed a TA and due to Priyanka's advice and him being nice to me earlier, I applied to be his, so now Priyanka and I were making our way to his office with the TA form. “Priyanka,” a voice called out just as we got to our faculty and her face lit up before we glanced in the direction it came from to see Dave, her mate, walking toward us. It was clear that she had his full attention because he didn’t even notice me standing next to her till he got to us. “Oh, hey…” he trailed off, a line appearing between his brows as he stared at me. “Katherine,” Priyanka and I reminded him in unison. “Katherine, yeah… Sorry,” he said, actually looking apologetic. “It’s fine,” I replied with a shrug since he had only met me once and he returned his attention to Priyanka before his bright smile returned. “I thought you could use a break so I set something up for us,” he told her and excitement washed over her face. “Really?” “Yeah.” With the way they were staring at each other, it seemed like both of them had forgotten I was here and were in their little world. Now, I understood why Josie said she always felt like a third wheel when she was with them. “I’ll uh, go,” I stated, gesturing at the faculty building, and Priyanka’s eyes darted to me before she shot me an apologetic look. “Sorry.” I shook my head and gave her a dismissive wave. “Get out of here you two.” “See you later,” she called out as Dave began to pull her away while yelling out a “Bye!” to me. Watching them run off happily made a little bit of jealousy stir within me and I heaved a sigh before heading into the faculty to submit the TA form to Professor Helton. When I got back out, I texted Lenore to know where she was because I didn’t want to go to the dining hall alone and I didn’t have Josie’s number, and a moment later, she replied, telling me she was at the Art Faculty. I texted her back to let her know I was coming to meet her and when she replied with where she was in the faculty, I made my way over to it. After spending over five minutes trying to find the room Lenore had said she was in, I admitted that I was lost and stopped next to an open door. I then pulled my phone out of my pocket but before I could text her, I glanced into the room the door led to and saw that it was an art classroom. There were no students in it and the chairs in the room had been pushed to the edge of it, leaving just one chair and a half-painted canvas in the middle of the room. From where I stood, I couldn't figure out what the artist was trying to paint and letting curiosity get the best of me, I walked into the room. With only a couple of steps between me and the canvas, I saw that it was the painting of the sun setting over a lake. To say that it was pretty would be an understatement and as I leaned forward to get a closer look at it, someone cleared their throat behind me.