Simmer

Chapter 3: Idolatry

Nicholas was polite if not indifferent as he gave her a tour around the school. He gave her the basics, which were the important places she needed to know – the Dining Hall, the classrooms, the dorms, and the greenhouses. He was as impersonal as a leaflet without the enticement to make parents spend money to send their children there. The school was small enough she couldn't really get lost unless she was an i***t and they both knew it.

He brought her to the Third Year dormitories and stopping outside her assigned room. She would be sharing it with another girl in her year.

"Breakfast is at seven sharp. Don't be late or you won't be able to eat till lunch," he reminded her. "Do you have any more questions?"

"Could I sit with you?" she asked, hoping to sound flirtatious instead of insecure. She needed him to like her. "I don't know anybody here and you know your way around."

His mouth opened a little in surprise, hazel eyes widened just a fraction, before he schooled his expression back to that impersonal and polite smile. "You'd be better off dining with other people in your year. It'll help you get settled."

She smiled, looking at him beneath her eyelashes. "You can help me get settled."

He coughed, trying to hide a laugh. "I could but I don't think my girlfriend would like that."

She had to bite back a scream of frustration. She hadn't counted on the possibility of a girlfriend. This was a problem she needed to fix quickly. If she didn't all her plans would come to nothing.

"There's nothing wrong with being friends." She smiled coyly. "Just friends."

"I'll keep that in mind, trouble." He moved closer and she felt her heart fluttering in her chest like a hummingbird. Instead, he and knocked on the door of her dorm room. "Goodnight, Callie. I'll see you around."

The door opened and revealed a sleepy girl of Asian descent with lilac hair and wearing a cat onesie. She shrieked at the sight of Nicholas and closed the door until there was only a gap for her face to peak through, she asked, "Why are you here, Nick?"

"Hi, Aubrey." He gave her that polite smile. "This is Callie. She's your new roommate. Be nice to her and show her around, would you?"

Before Aubrey could reply, he walked away, not looking back as the two girls watched him disappear down the hall. Callie glared at his back and tried to figure him out, the sting of rejection still fresh. She turned back to her new roommate who smiled at her awkwardly. Aubrey stepped aside to let Callie in as she dragged her luggage behind her.

Everybody knew Nicholas Castillo. He was the school's golden boy, good at everything whether it was sports, academics, or girls. He was expected to go into politics like his father or go into academia like his mother. The world was expecting a lot from him and he had never failed at anything.

Her roommate, Aubrey Park, explained all this to Callie as they watched Nicholas and his group of friends at their table. They were all Fourth Years and some of them were his teammates in lacrosse. One of the girls was Nicholas's girlfriend Trish. They were a stunning couple as they were both dark-haired and attractive.

"How long have they been together?" Callie asked between bites of sugary cereal.

She loved food and sweets. She would eat all the time if it was allowed.

"About a year," Aubrey answered. "Trish pursued him since their First Year and he finally gave in."

Callie could almost admire Trish's tenacity if it wasn't in the way of her plans. She didn't want to resort to murdering anybody again. She already had one mess she was dealing with. She didn't need to worry about alibis and hiding a body.

"What's Trish like?"

"She's really nice and funny. She's the captain of the volleyball team."

"The female equivalent of Nicholas then?"

"Pretty much." Audrey gave her a considering look. "You're not crushing on Nick too, are you? Cause all the girls do."

"Even you?"

Her roommate scrunched up her nose in disgust and shook her head. "I've known Nick since we were kids. Our parents are friends. He's like a big brother to me."

She didn't know that. How useful.

"Are the two of you close?"

"Not as much as we used to be." Aubrey took a sip of her cocoa as she explained, "Trish gets jealous of any girl that comes near her boyfriend."

Callie bit back a pleased smile at finding a weak spot in this seemingly perfect relationship. "You said she was really nice."

"To a certain degree. I mean, wouldn't you be a little bit territorial too if every girl in school wanted to steal your boyfriend?"

"But you don't want him."

"Exactly, but Trish thinks I might change my mind and I'll realize I've been in love with Nick all along." The other girl frowned. "It's kind of sad if you think about it. We're conditioned to always see other women as competition for a man as if men are the only thing worth fighting for."

She didn't really want Nicholas. If he wasn't her ticket to getting closer to her actual goal she wouldn't have even bothered and Trish could marry him for all she cared. Unfortunately for Trish, she needed Nicholas. She needed to take Trish's place by his side and if she had to be a homewrecker then so be it.

She met Nicholas' gaze as he looked up from his meal. She smiled and waved at him. He gave her a patient smile and shook his head. Trish noticed the exchange and gave her a look before moving closer to Nicholas and resting her head on his shoulder. Nicholas gave his girlfriend a warm smile and whispered something in her ear.

Sickened and annoyed with their display she seethed at the unfairness of it all. Why couldn't Nicholas have been some lonely outcast she could've easily snared? He had to be the golden boy with a possessive girlfriend. Everything had to be harder than it needed to be.

It didn't matter. She would get this done. If Aubrey thought Trish was tenacious than she had no idea about Callie. None of them stood a chance against her.

Callie didn't really want Aubrey to know what her plans were or make her think she had a crush on Nicholas. She needed to foster a friendship with her roommate as it could be beneficial on getting closer to her goals. She had to lie or deflect questions about her childhood and family. Aubrey was genuinely interested in getting to know her and Callie did like her in spite of herself.

Aubrey had a few friends in school. They weren't popular nor outcasts. They blended into the sea of faces and were content with each other. Aubrey introduced her to her best friend, Nadia, who had a cloud of curly hair. She was friendly enough and easily accepted her story about being homeschooled in England.

"Were the boys there cute?" Aubrey asked. "I always liked the accents."

"Not really." The lie slipped off easily. "Not much different from here."

Nadia quipped, "Still oblivious jerks then that won't give us the time of day?"

This caused Aubrey to roll her eyes. "Yes, but jerks with nice accents."

"And that makes it better?"

"Yes. Definitely."

"Why don't you have an accent, Callie?" Nadia asked. "How long were you there?"

"I was only there for a few years and I was homeschooled before that. Never developed an accent unfortunately."

Aubrey made a face. "I'm jealous. I want to go to London and have tea and crumpets."

"Now you're just stereotyping."

Aubrey waved as she saw Nicholas walking the other way to the greenhouses. Nicholas waved back before turning back to Trish who was telling some story that had their whole group invested. There was a small white ball of fur on her shoulder. Callie squinted as she tried to make out what it was.

"Is that (…) a rat?"

"Glenda," her roommate supplied. "Trish's familiar. It doesn't really like anybody but her. Trish is still angry about the time Nettie chased Glenda around."

Aubrey's familiar was a black cat named Nettie. Cats were a popular familiar for witches and warlocks. Familiars were shape-shifters, the spirits of witches and warlocks unable to crossover to the Other Side, and had to live in servitude until their debt was repaid. She read about it when she was looking into attending Shipton.

"Nettie can't help herself. She's still a cat," Aubrey continued to ramble on. "It's not like Glenda was in any actual danger. Nettie would've never eaten her."

A familiar protected its master at all costs. It would make getting to Trish more difficult. She might have to get rid of the rat. And funnily enough, she actually felt bad about it.