Saving My Broken Ice Princess

Chapter Six

Báine looked about the room, as expected of a wealthy boarding school. It has spacious rooms. Wide windows allowed for good natural lighting, its bare white walls waiting to be plastered with posters and schedules. The glossy, dark oak floor and without covering. Pressed against the wall on the opposite ends of the room are loft beds. The frame and the work desk underneath are metal. Báine pulled her suitcases to her side of the room. She dropped the carry-on onto the vacant work desk. The room had two in-wall closets. Báine busied herself with filling the closet first, then climbing up to spread her bed.

“Ah don’t think I’ve seen ye aroond the academy,” Kalis called. “ye new to Dewhirst?”

“Oh, she’s a returning student,” Báine glanced at Kalis. “I only went to Dewhirst Elementary. I moved to London shortly after.”

“Aye, I ken yer were no tourist sassenach!” Kalis nodded happily. From the way Báine spoke, she never pegged her for a foreigner. She watched her roommate, feeling as though something was off. “Ah clocked ye in orientation wi' a tam”, Kalis sat at her work desk watching Báine. “Ye take it off?” Báine’s hand fly up to her head, indeed the beret wasn’t covering her. She shifted her hand to hide as much of her white hair as she could. Kalis watched her unblinking but chose not to say anything about her roommate’s strange hair. Báine seemed sensitive about it. “Whit ye lost it? Want to go soucht it?” she asked instead.

Báine sighed, “no its fine.” It wasn’t as if she had it for a long time.

“See it a tour as weel”, Kalis leapt over to Báine’s bed. In a single motion, she had planted the ruddy teen on her feet. Kalis fixed Báine’s top after setting her on her feet. Still dazed, so Kalis tugged Báine forward, “Don’t worry about it!”

“Okay”, she’s resigned herself to her energetic, and strangely strong, roommate. “But we should finish unpacking and lock up first”, Báine suggested.

Kalis looked at her for a moment then smiled, “yer right.”

After unpacking what they could and tidying the rest, the girls locked the room door and started down the hall, empty carry on and suitcases in hand. They returned to the common area. Kalis gave Báine a rundown of what the school and teachers were actually like. Báine could sense bias from a few words, but overall Dewhirst promised a pleasant experience. Kalis was about to express how she would like physical education to be a part of all aspects of secondary education when her nose twitched. Báine watched with interest as her dog-like roommate sniffed the air then continued talking as if nothing happened.

Báine wasn’t about to ignore it a second time, “um.”

Before she could get a word out, Kalis dashed ahead and rounded a corner. She reappeared in a second with beret in hand. “This it yea?” Kalis asked.

“Aye”, Báine was slow to the take.

Kalis smiled at her, “They hung it oan th' coats rack, considerate bunch.” The ginger set it on Báine’s head, being sure to cover the white patch of hair. “Now for the tour like I promised,” she patted Báine’s shoulder. “Damn, ah kin cop it through yer clothes. Ye mist be a sickly one.” 

“Yea, it happened a lot when I was younger.”.

The ginger merely grinned, “Weel it's a guid thing ye don’t git sae peely-wally anymair.” Báine mimicked Yule’s signature hum. Kalis gave a brief tour of the dorm, her excuse being Báine would spend most of her time here and could explore on her own. “Fancy a brew?” the ginger turned to her ruddy roommate.

“Aye,” Báine nodded, “I’m just a wee bit peckish.”

“We kin grab something at the cafeteria. C'moan,” Kalis tugged the girl along.

The promise to call Yule popped up in her head. “Wait”, she was quick to dail him. “Meet me at the cafeteria in…” Báine looked to Kalis.

“Twenty”, Kalis mouthed.

“Twenty minutes. That good for you?” Kalis watched Báine freeze then nod. “Oh... yep that works. Okay bye-bye.”

“Whit changed?”

“Mam’s on the way. We’ll meet in the car park in twenty minutes.”

Kalis hummed and locked her arms with Báine, “Let’s git gaun then.” They quickly the dorms and entered the school.

Báine stepped into the cafeteria and twirled slowly. “Blimey”, her lips parted in awe.

She figured the place would be lavish, but she wasn’t expecting this level of grandiose. The dining hall was ripped from the pages of “Harry Potter”, only the tone of the room differing. The basalt stacked walls reach high, in tandem with the wooden arching ceiling, giving the room a spacious feeling. Large skylights of golden stain glass told a story like no other. The golden glow gave an ethereal atmosphere in the hall. Besides the skylights, the hall was well lit from the arched windows lining the walls. Semi flushed chandlers and renaissance sconces embellished with jewels reflected the golden rays unto the marble floors. Six long Beechwood dining tables occupied the cafeteria, the tabletops glossy from their varnish finish, the matching dining chairs padded with white leather.

Again, Báine felt as though someone had thrust her back in time. Her feet carried her to the middle of the hall. She spun, trying to make sense of the story the glasses portrayed. “Kalis?”

The ginger had long moved past her friend to the end of the hall where the buffet was located. Thanks to the room being virtually empty, Báine’s call echoed in her ears. Although Kalis was confident, she would hear Báine fine if a hundred voices were speaking over her roommate. “Aye?”

“What does that mean?” Báine pointed to the stained glass as she moved towards the ginger.

“Och, it's the story o' a treaty.”  She clicked the tongs together, “Fudge or Flapjacks? We’ve got variety.”

“Take two of everything”, Báine shrugged. She moved to the vending machine, “coffee or tea?”

“Iced green tea.”

“Atta girl”, Báine punched in the orders.

Soon both sat at the table dead centre of the room. Two forks and a dish stacked by with sugary treats and iced tea to wash it down. Kalis popped her can, green tea scent wafting to Báine’s nose. After her first sip, the ginger pointed to the first of the three frames.

The frame on the right and left had a ruler overlooking the land. The frame in the middle was Bridnorthmid. “Word has it the vampires of London and the wolves of Scotland sought to expand territory.”

The ruddy teen almost spilt her iced berry tea on herself. “Wait”, Báine couldn’t believe her ears.

“Haud yer wheesht and listen. You asked”, Kalis took a bite out of her peanut chocolate fudge.

“Alright fair”, Báine said.

“Aye”, Kalis answered after she swallowed. She pointed to the next frame of two men leading armies towards the middle frame. “The North and the South went to war for this place, bit thare wis a third daursayd pairtie.” In the next frame, a group of people that dress differently from the North and the South came between the armies. “A nomadic tribe had the power to subdue both sides, but wished to live peacefully in the land. It’s said for them a peace treaty was signed.”

Báine felt an explicable sense of betrayal as she followed the story. “Then what happened?”

Kalis snorted, “What do you think happened. Vampires are blood suckers and can't be trusted, do auld yer dinger.” She leaned to Báine, still looking up. “Well” she tacked on quickly, “I guess that’s not wholly true.”

“Is that so?” Báine tilted her head slightly. Her eyes were still glued to the skylights.

“Aye,” Kalis continued, “The Vampires provoked the nomads and caused them to retaliate with violence. O' coorse, this is whit thay wanted tae annul th' treaty. After that bloodbath, Bridnorthmid belonged to the South.” Kalis looked back at her roommate. Báine's expression darkened. “Keep the heid, lass, it’s just a tale,” Kalis gently patted Báine's arm. Báine quietly looked at her drink. The drag of ceramic caught her attention. “Hurry up we don’t have all day”, Kalis joked.

Báine wolfed down her treats and downed the tea before bidding the stained glass windows goodbye. She saw Kalis smile at the skylights before following her out. As they walked towards the carpark Báine’s eyes darted between the identical but rustic walls. “Any weird tale about this place too?” Báine asked.

“Are you being sarcastic?” Kalis faced her roommate. In the afternoon sun, Kalis thought she peeked blue behind Báine’s glasses, but the ruddy teen lifted her head too quickly for her to be sure.

“I mean it,” Báine nodded.

Kalis hummed. “Well it was a royal academy back in the day, but!” The ginger made an extravagant motion, “rumours is that it educated magic users and creatures of the dark. One of our upper-class men claim they saw Bean-nighe one night!”

“But Bean-nighe is Gaelic.”

“Mony things donder oan this borderland,” Kalis turned to Báine seriously, “i think she haunts a' open water, especially o' Bridnorthmid.” Kalis looked to the lake on the school property

An ominous feeling came over her. “How many people have drowned there?” Báine’s voice sounded shaky to her own ears.

“Who knows”, Kalis shrugged. Báine glanced at the lake and fell deep in thought. They continued down the hall in silence, but it startled Báine out of her thoughts when Kalis bumped her shoulder. “Tag your it!” Kalis jumped away. It stunned Báine for a moment before reaching out and tapping her roommate’s shoulder. This dumbfounded Kalis, who didn’t hear Báine move, even with her luggage. Kalis tapped Báine again. Báine grinned and sped forward. Kalis squealed, jumping to avoid Báine’s grasp. “Oh, you’re actually fast”, Kalis' eyes widened in surprise.

They threw caution to the wind and played to their hearts’ content, chasing each other to their destination. Báine thought she had made time, but Yule begged to differ.

“She’s taking her time”, his thumb tapped the call button for the nth time, “not answering her phone either.” He sighed and pocketed his phone. He called to Melonie, “I’ll go look for her.” Yule hopped off the truck of the trunk of their Mercedes. An orange blur passed him. Yule looked up only for something to collide in his back.

“Ow”, a soft hiss sounded.

“Are you okay?” Yule now realised the orange blur was a person. Kalis crouched in front of Báine. The thick-framed transitional spectacles hang haphazardly on its owner’s nose. “Oh, your eyes are pretty”, Kalis whispered.

In a second, the blue crystals were hidden and a harsh tap came down on her shoulder. “You’re it”, Báine jumped away smiling.

“No way!” the ginger protested. “That doesn’t count!”

Báine sighted Kalis and prepared to sprint away when a hand-rooted her. Both girls froze. “Did you forget you had a phone again?” Yule arched a brow. Kalis and Báine shared a look, then looked back to the boy. “What’s that face for?” he narrowed his eyes.

She gave him an awkward smile, “you called me?”

“If you don’t call the right thing to do is call you,” disbelief rose in his eyes, “you didn’t even hear it, did you.”

“We were playing tag”, Báine became sheepish.

“Massive God”, Yule covered his face.

“Oh, there you are”, all eyes moved to Melonie.

“Awright aunty!” Kalis waved.

“Hello”, Melonie grinned motherly, “and who are you?”

“Kalis Macleod. Bonnie’s roommate.”

“Be kind to Báine for me”, Melonie ruffled Kalis’ hair.

The ginger tilted her head, “Okay! ye kin count oan me!”

“Well Kalis we have to be going now, alright?”

“Aye, Lang mae yer lum reek”, she turned to Báine, “haste ye back.”

Báine wasn’t sure what she said but she knew it wasn’t a bad thing, “aye.”

The family of three climbed into their car. The roommates waved at each other until Kalis was out of sight. Melonie watched with a smile. She turned to her daughter and asked, “What do you think of school?”

Báine hummed. “It’s enormous as expected from an academy for the rich”, she looked out the window a soft smile touched her lips, “but it’s okay.”