K-Hoes

Crossing Paths

The morning sun hit the courtyard just as Jude spotted a familiar head of hair moving through the crowd.

"Greer!" he shouted over the noise of students rushing to their morning lectures.

Greer stopped, turning around as Jude jogged up to her with a wry grin. "Are you actually planning on gracing us with your presence in class today?" he asked wittily.

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "Yeah, actually. I was on my way there right now."

"Right, right," Jude laughed, falling into step beside her. "I'll believe it when we sit down."

Meanwhile, across campus in Arlo’s classroom, Arlo was scanning the rows of desks. He frowned slightly. The trio of girls who had helped him out the other day were nowhere to be seen. That's weird, he thought to himself. I could have sworn we were in the same class.

While the others were heading to their lectures, Bobby was walking alone down a quieter corridor. A memory randomly popped into her head—something she had been explicitly told before she even enrolled in this school. They were supposed to teach necromancy here. Yet, ever since she arrived, she hadn't seen a single mention of it on any syllabus.

Driven by sudden curiosity, she took a detour and headed straight for the library.

She spent fifteen minutes scanning the dusty shelves, looking under every dark arts and history section she could find. Nothing. Zero books on necromancy. Frustrated, she marched up to the front desk.

"Excuse me," Bobby said to the librarian. "Could you tell me where I can find the books on necromancy?Or if you have any hidden in the back?

"The librarian froze, looking at Bobby over her spectacles with a deeply weird, unsettled expression. "No," the librarian said, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "We do not teach evil in this institution.

"Bobby blinked, taken aback. She slowly backed away from the desk. As she hurried out of the library, the word echoed in her mind. Evil? Necromancy isn't evil... is it?

By the time she reached her actual classroom—Fine Arts—the lecture was already underway. She quietly slipped through the door, but she wasn't fast enough. For the very first time, the professor stopped talking and locked eyes with her.

"Ah, the late arrival," Professor Charles said, adjusting his glasses. "Miss with the blue hair. Please, come sit right at the front where I can keep an eye on you."

Bobby sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. Oh, man, she thought, dragging her feet to the front row.

Over in the Culinary Arts building, the atmosphere was much louder. Students were busy chopping, mixing, and working on their individual practical projects. Jude kept glancing over at Greer's station. Despite the fact that Greer barely ever showed up to class, her plating was flawless, and her techniques were perfect.

"Whoa," Jude said, leaning over. "I haven't seen you in class in years. How do you even know how to do all this?"

Greer didn't even look up from her dish. "Don't act like you don't know who my dad is, Jude."

Jude struck his own forehead. "Right. Mr. Agreste. I forgot about that minor detail," he laughed.

Three hours flew by, and the heavy ringing of the campus bells signaled the end of the morning block. The hallways flooded with students either heading to the cafeteria for lunch or retreating back to their dorms.

As the Fine Arts class packed up, Bobby tried to blend into the crowd escaping the room."Miss with the blue hair, follow me," Dr. Charles’s sharp voice cut through the rustle of turning pages.

Bobby paused, closing her eyes for a brief second. Oh, man...

At the crowded cafeteria, Greer and Cleo slid into a booth together. Within five minutes, they both kept looking toward the entrance.

"Where is Bobby?" Greer muttered.

Jude walked up, carrying his tray, and slid into the seat across from them. "I haven't eaten lunch with you in a long time, Greer," he teased, leaning back. "Ever since you met that girl with the paint all over her fingers." He shifted his gaze to Cleo, who was quietly picking at her food. "And where exactly did you find her anyway?"

Cleo paused, looking up at Jude for the very first time. She gave him a silent stare, said nothing, and simply went back to eating.

From a few tables away, Arlo spotted Jude sitting with the two girls. They're friends? Arlo whispered to himself, completely surprised.

Greer caught Arlo staring and raised a hand, waving him over warmly. "Arlo! Come join us!"

Jude looked up, following her gaze, and realized she was waving at his new roommate. "Wait, you know him?"

"Yeah, we helped him out once," Greer explained as Arlo walked over.

"Hey, Jude," Arlo said, nervously sliding into the seat next to him.

"Wait, you know him too?" Greer asked, her eyes widening in shock.

Jude grinned widely, throwing a heavy arm around Arlo’s shoulders. "We’re roommates!"

"Well... that's nice, I guess," Greer smiled.

Cleo was the first to finish her food. Without a word, she pulled out a worn notebook and immediately began scribbling intently in it. The other three lost track of time chatting. As they ate, Arlo finally started to relax, warming up to the group and feeling a bit more comfortable in the loud environment.

When lunch ended, they all packed up their trays to leave. Cleo stood up first, her eyes scanning the entire cafeteria as if searching the crowd for a specific face, before she kept walking.

"See you tomorrow in class, Jude. If you show up," Greer teased as they reached the campus crossroads.

"Are you sure about that?" Jude laughed.

As they walked away, Greer turned to Cleo. "Did you see Bobby at all today?"

"No," Cleo replied shortly.

"Oh, man, where is she?" Greer muttered, checking her phone.

Walking back toward the residential quad, Jude turned to Arlo. "Seriously, how do you know them?"

"They helped me find my way to the boys' dormitory when I got lost," Arlo replied.

Jude shrugged, laughing. "They really came all the way into the boys' dormitory? Those girls are something else. Oh right, you're a freshman. What are you studying anyway?"

"Veterinary medicine," Arlo said.

Jude winced playfully. "Yikes! An animal doctor. Good luck with that."

Their voices faded into the background noise of the campus as they disappeared into the distance.

Meanwhile, inside the quiet, shadow-filled office of the Fine Arts building, the door clicked shut.

Dr. Charles sat behind his heavy mahogany desk, looking straight at Bobby over the rim of his glasses. The silence stretched between them for a long moment.

"What's your name, little miss?" Professor Charles asked, his voice calm but unyielding. He extended a hand across the desk. "Let me see your sketchbooks."