2
1461 Words
The week continued to get crazy busy.
Tarja and I had lots of classes, and it was hard to spend even ten minutes doing anything other than running around. The only real breaks we had were at noon. Twenty minutes, during which we barely took the time to swallow a sandwich. In the evening, we fell like flies on our bed, worn out.
It scared me. It had only been three days and the overdose of readings, essays and lectures were showing. But it was Friday, the weekend was very close. My mind was already flying out of these walls; tonight, I’ll finally see Elgin.
A little before three o’clock we were walking quickly in the corridors. We had class in one of the newer buildings and we had no idea where it was. We only had ten minutes before we were officially late.
“Scarlett?”
I turned around and immediately recognized the tall, blond Australian calling me. Uncomfortable, I realized that I hadn’t even bothered to get her phone number out of my jeans. I still didn’t know her first name.
“Hi,” I replied simply.
Tarja didn’t stop. She motioned to me that she’d continue without me.
“Are you in a hurry?” asked the Australian.
“Uh, yes. I have class in ten minutes.”
“We’re going to have a drink with some friends next door, at five o’clock. Would you like to come with us?”
“I’m not sure,” I said, surprised, “I have a lot of work and...”
“Up to you,” she cut me off, smiling. “But it would be an opportunity to introduce you to a circle of students. If you change your mind, we’ll meet in front of the clock tower after class.”
“Okay. I’ll see.”
“Bye!” she said, walking away.
Baffled, I couldn’t tell myself that this girl just found me likeable. You can’t say that I have been very nice to her until now. Without wanting to be paranoid, I was sure that she expected something from me. But what? I had absolutely nothing to give her.
When I entered the classroom, I found Tarja sitting at the back. The teacher was about to present his lesson—England and France at war in the 14th century. As she didn’t remark on my lateness, I settled down as discreetly as possible near Tarja.
“What did she want from you?” she whispered.
“She invited me for a drink with her friends.”
“Are you going?”
“I don’t know. Would you come with me?”
“No, I have lots of things to do.”
The teacher silently summoned us to shut up. I made myself very small and didn’t say a word until the end of the two hours.
We went out relieved a little before five o’clock. For the first time since the start of the school year, we would have no work to hand in for the next class.
“I’ll meet them,” I informed Tarja. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
“Certainly. See you later.”
With that, she scampered off down the hall.
When I got to the clock tower, a small crowd of people was already waiting. The Australian greeted me with a dazzling smile.
“Hey, Scarlett! It’s great that you came.”
I gave her a shy smile and walked over to those I didn’t know yet.
Something immediately caught my attention, looking at them a little better. They all had fair hair, ranging from blond to red, and eyes that were more or less blue. For some reason that I cannot explain, it struck me as suspicious.
A tall blond boy turned to me with a smile.
“Scarlett. I’m Rucker,” he introduced himself, smiling even more, revealing perfect teeth.
“Minah, are we still waiting for anyone?”
So, the Australian was named Minah...
“No, we can go.”
Ten minutes later, we entered a pub, The Red Lion. The atmosphere was cosy, there was almost no noise. I felt a certain uneasiness.
As I walked around the customers already there, I had the vague impression that they all looked alike as well. Not really physically, but they were all the same gender with pale eyes and light hair. Again...
The nine of us sat down in perfect silence, Rucker at the end of the table. What a smug look he gave himself!
“What would you like to drink?” he finally asked cheerfully. “Hot wine?”
Yuck! But to my misfortune, the mulled wine was popular. I saw myself forced to follow everyone, so as not to stand out too much.
I was probably the youngest of all, but not by much. Most must have been barely two years older, except Rucker. I put him at twenty-two or twenty-three.
“So, Scarlett,” said Rucker, “tell us what you chose to study.”
“Medieval history.”
“Jefferson, Harod... wonderful people among the teachers... Have you ever met them?”
“Yes, for the most part. What are you doing?”
He raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t expect me to ask him.
“Third year of medieval history.”
“Ah,” I muttered as if to myself. “I was thinking... You look much older!”
His eyes widened.
Red with shame, I didn’t remember ever having been so lacking in tact.
Rucker leaned forward with a mocking smile.
“You can’t imagine how much!”
“Well, you’re what? Twenty-one, twenty-two?”
“Come on, let’s say you’re almost there!”
And they all burst out laughing without my frankly understanding why.
“Why did you choose St Andrews?” he asked.
As I had done with Tarja, I skimmed over the little story of my coming to Scotland. Rucker seemed very interested in my story, he asked me a multitude of other questions which I answered fairly.
Tired of this interrogation, I checked the time. Elgin was going to finish class in five minutes.
“Minah, could you tell me how we get to the Art History building? It can’t be very far, right?”
Her right eyebrow rose, displaying all her curiosity.
I wasn’t going to have to explain myself, was I?
“You take the main street in the direction of the university. It is a hundred yards on the left.”
I put a two-pound coin in front of me, emptied my glass in one go, suppressing a shudder of disgust, and stood up.
I noticed that my friends didn’t bother to touch theirs. Not surprisingly, it was repulsive.
“We’d love to have you join us again, Scarlett,” Rucker said seriously as I pulled on my parka.
“Uh... yes, on occasion, perhaps,” I replied without much conviction.
“The Circle will welcome you with open arms.”
With a tight smile, I turned around.
The Circle, what was that? I had a distinct impression that this evening had been an audition. Come to think of it, I had only been introduced to Rucker, and none of his friends except Minah had spoken to me. Had they only talked to each other? I don’t remember. Anyway, I was hoping I had failed the audition.
When I arrived in front of the Art History department, the students were just coming out.
“Elgin!” I called out when I saw him.
He turned to me with a smile before stepping forward to hug me. He kissed me tenderly on the forehead and stroked my hair.
“This is a wonderful surprise! Have you been waiting for me since the end of your classes?”
“No, I went for a drink with some students.”
“Good people, I hope?”
He hardly seemed to be joking.
“Not sure...”
“Ah?” he wondered, wrapping his arm around my neck.
“Have you ever heard of the Circle?”
His hand tightened on my shoulder.
“You were with them!” he choked.
“Yes, I was invited for a drink.”
“Well, I see things are going fast!” he roared. “I’ll kill them!”
“But... what are you talking about?”
He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to look me straight in the face, his eyes dark and searing.
“Do you want some advice, Scarlett? You don’t approach them anymore. Actually, no, that’s not advice. I don’t want you to approach them anymore! Ever.”
“Uh... okay, but...”
“I’ll take you home.”
- Writer
