The Cursed Academy

A hug is shared energy

"Your room is just down this way" Andrea said as we continued down the long hallway.  I could hear the music from a few doors away as we approached the last room on the left.  She let go of my arm and turned to face me and said "Room 128.  This is your room.  I had Robin put your bags by your bed.  This may sound like an odd request but, before we go in and I introduce you to your roommate, may I give you a hug? It will make you feel better." Andrea asked with a smile.

"Sure.  Why not?" I said and she walked toward me with her thin, pale arms and her sparkling icy blue eyes and I could feel a charge of electricity in the air.  She hugged me around the shoulders, pinning my arms to my side.  Suddenly I felt an odd sensation.  It was so strange.  It was like I was getting recharged.  My jet lag was disappearing, I had an appetite, I don't feel sad anymore and I felt rejuvenated and almost..... powerful.  

Andrea released me from her hug and stepped back.  "Better?" she asked.

"Oddly enough....yeah.  I DO feel better.  What did you do to me?  That was amazing!" I ran my hands over my upper arms that were still tingling from the energy transference.

"A hug is shared energy.  I just let you borrow some of mine to help you clear your mind and make you feel better." she replied. "It was one of my gifts from the Moon Goddess. Healing energy.  I hope to get to help out in the aviary with the injured birds next year.  Headmaster Hallewell said she would work with me and train me so that I do not have to wait until my third year here to treat them." she added excitedly.

"Well this is the absolute best welcome gift anyone could have given me!  Thank you so much!!  After a day like today...I really guess I DID need a hug after all." 

Andrea laughed. "I have to be honest.  I could have done the same thing with a handshake but I think a hug just gives it that little extra something, don't you?" 

'I think Andrea and I are going to be great friends.'

She knocked on the door of room 128 and we could hear the volume of the music significantly decrease and a muffled voice yelling "COME IN!! IT'S OPEN!!" 

As we stepped through the door the first thing we saw was a pair of legs and a hand holding a remote control sticking out from underneath the bed. I could see her black and white checkered Vans and black distressed skinny jeans that were rolled up to just above the ankle. Her nails were painted black and she had a lot of bangle bracelets.  "Hold on, I am trying to turn this thing off." the muffled voice from under the bed said as she blindly pressed the buttons while aiming the remote control in the general direction of her desk.  The music finally stopped and she tossed the remote up and over onto the top of the bed.  Her hand retreated beneath the bed "I'll be right out.  I am almost done.  The frame was loose and squeaking so I am fixing it."

The feet with the Vans and  legs with the jeans appeared to be levitating just above the floor.  Slowly my yet-to-be-seen roommate emerged from beneath the bed.  As she glided across the floor I could see ripped jeans and then a black hoodie with the logo of a popular skating magazine on the front and a thick silver chain with a heart charm around her neck and finally her face.  Her short and soft dark brown curls were cut into a chin-length bob hairstyle that framed her petite heart shaped face.  Her skin was beautifully similar to the color of wheat with soft gold and yellow undertones.  She had a gold hoops in both ears and one in her right nostril and she wore minimal makeup  on her dark brown almond-shaped eyes.

She sat straight up and revealed she had been lying on a skateboard under the bed just like a mechanic would use a creeper to work on a car. After she stood up she stomped on one end of the board causing the other end to flip up and land perfectly in her hand.

She had a crescent wrench in the other hand, which was scraped up along the knuckles and palms.  She must have seen me staring because she tossed the wrench onto her bed and extended her outstretched palm and said             "Road rash.  Hi.  I am Mohini Ayyar.  Nice to finally meet you." she wiped her hand on her black jeans and held it out again, this time for a handshake. "But, my friends call me Mo."  

"Hi Mo.  I am Sophia Lilylight. I guess I am your new roommate. Just call me Sophia!" I replied with a laugh as I shook her hand.  

"All of your junk is over there." Mo said as she pointed over her shoulder with her thumb.  Why don't you take a few minutes to go get settled in while I finish fixing this old heap?" She said as she kicked the bed frame with her sneaker. Mo laid the skateboard across her desk that was filled with computer monitors, laptops, phones in various states of repair and tools everywhere.  "When I finish here I am going to grab something from the campus cafeteria.  Are you hungry?"

Andrea interjected,  "Well, you both have things to do and so do I.   I am going to leave you two to get acquainted with each other.  Sophia, tomorrow I can take you on a tour of the campus if you would like?"  

"That would be amazing!  Thank you so much." I excitedly replied. 

"OK Great! I will see you tomorrow.  Later Mo." she said as she turned and left the room.

"Later, 'Drea!" she replied.

Mo had returned underneath the bed to continue her repairs and I walked to my side of the room and sat down on the edge of the the bed and looked around.  

'Not too bad.  Not the glass mansion.  But it's not bad.' 

We each had a twin bed with a dark blue comforter and two pillows with white covers.  White cotton sheets peeked out from underneath the thick blankets.  I had a small white nightstand with a drawer and a place for a cube storage container underneath.  Mo had a green leather trunk with brass hardware and locks .  Written on the outside in black permanent marker were the words "KEEP OUT" and it was covered with stickers of famous rock groups .  There were two closets, side by side, a desk and a bed on each side of the room and a small area rug separating the two.

'I think it is safe to assume the closet with the skull stickers on the door belongs to Mo.'

I laid back across the bed finally relaxing for the first time in a few days.  I closed my eyes and twirled the small gold ring that Grandmother had given me earlier on my finger in a circle while thinking back over the events of the morning. Electric shocks, weird disappearing memorygraphs, this old building and Robin.

'So many odd things here.  I am going to need some time to think about all of this and try to make some sense of it all.'

Right about then my stomach decided to make it's presence known. 

***Gr-r-r-rumble***

Mo rolled out from under the bed and got back to her feet.  "Finished...and from the sounds of it, I am just in time!" She laughed. "Grab your stuff, let's go see what we can find to eat." 

"I am so hungry I could eat your skateboard." I joked

Mo turned around , scowling and frowning, her eyes dark and brooding and said "Don't you EVER touch my skateboard." 

My eyes flew open wide in shock.  "Oh! Mo!!  I am so sorry. I was just kidding, I would never, I mean ever!  Oh dear!" I rambled on not noticing that Mo had begun to laugh.

"Gotcha!" she said laughing hysterically

"They have great Mac and Cheese here.  Let's go."  She said as she opened the door to our room to leave.  

"I promise it tastes better than skateboard" 

'