Tawny found herself back at the McCurdy residence.

Contrary to what she had assumed, they did not travel back by air on the gossamer wings of Mrs. McCurdy. Rather, they took Rebecca's sleek black sportscar to travel.

Tawny was struck by how diametrically opposite Rebecca's vehicle was to her husband's. While Professor McCurdy's ride was humble, Rebecca's rocked the same sort of interior panache of that of Dylan's Porsche.

When they arrived, they set up in the same space that Tawny had occupied when she had last been at their house, when Professor McCurdy had scooped her up from the rain, like some lost puppy.

They didn't sit in the living room, however. This time they sat in the dining room, closer to the vast, floor-to-ceiling windows that Tawny had noticed from before.

Tawny marveled at the spectacular view they were afforded. She hadn't realized previously, but the McCurdy home was situated next to the water. In fact, it was built on a cliff, overlooking a vast sea. Tawny watched, mesmerized, as great waves rolled in, their white caps cresting, then crashing into the rocky cliffside below. And all this over a dull, muted sky, accented with splashes of amber from a late-season sunset.

She was so engrossed in the view, she was nearly startled when Rebecca set a mug and saucer of piping hot tea in front of her.

Tawny snapped back to reality and graciously took the tea. "Thank you," she said.

Rebecca sat beside her and the two women just talked. Actually, it was Tawny that did most of the talking. Rebecca seemed genuinely interested in Tawny, asking a lot about her and her history before coming to Ivoree Gates. 

Eventually, the topic of school did come up, so Tawny regaled her with her insane first semester, culminating with the Autumnal Social (she purposefully omitted the trauma of the acrostic poem incident). 

"...and so now I find out that my roommate Maddie might be no better than some of the other monstrous girls that attend this school," said Tawny. "I can't believe she would attack my best friend...I'm so confused."

"Might I offer some advice?" asked Rebecca.  "I don't think Maddie did what she did to be malicious."

Tawny raised an eyebrow, but Rebecca continued. "I suspect Maddie did what she did as a means to keep you close. It sounds like she truly valued you as your best friend here at Ivoree Gates. When your actual best friend arrived, she probably felt jealous. Possessive even. She wanted to protect you, even at the cost of your other friend's health."

Tawny looked down at the dark liquid in her cup. "I hadn't thought about it like that. It still doesn't mean what she did was right."

"No," said Rebecca. "Still...I think it would be in your best interest to get Maddie's side of the story. You might be surprised."

Rebecca footnoted her comments by taking a long, measured sip of her tea. 

The sun had set to the point where Tawny could no longer see the waves outside, so she turned her attention inward, back to the living room. There, above the fireplace, was that same portrait she had admired upon her first visit. Not only did she know who the person was, she was having chamomile tea with them in their house. Funny how things worked out...

"Things aren't always so black and white, Tawny," Rebecca said. "I know from experience, with my husband, Eugene,"

Tawny snapped back to reality, looking at Rebecca, intrigued. "What do you mean?" It seemed like she was about to get some tea that she hadn't anticipated...

"When I met Eugene, he was a rebel. He was a smart man, but he had dropped out of school and was living a wayward, reckless life. I swear, he was so intent on sowing his wild oats, he once mused they would make an orchard in his honour. He was truly something else."

Tawny's eyes widened at the revelation. Professor McCurdy was a bad boy? She tried to imagine him fresh out of college, sporting a slick pompadour and leather jacket, leaning against Greased Lightning and waiting to sweep a young Rebecca off her feet. A smile crept to her lips at the image.

"So what happened?" Tawny asked.

"I straightened him out," Rebecca said. "In the end, all he needed was some guidance. I got Eugene back on his feet and in no time he graduated summa cum laude and had a brief teaching stint at Oxford University. The point is, Tawny, that people aren't just all good or all bad. People are complex. They come with layers."

"I see," Tawny mulled over Rebecca's words. As mad as she still was at Maddie's actions, she had to admit that without her help, she never would have gotten through the first few months alive. It was Maddie, after all, that had convinced her to stay after the Evil Elite tried to poison her on her very first day.

Perhaps Tawny had been holding Maddie to too high a standard. She may have been her saviour, but she was no saint. She was just as human and fallible as everyone else. She needed to recognize that.

There was the sound of footsteps. Tawny turned her attention to Professor McCurdy, who had entered the living room from the side. His face registered slight surprise when he saw the occupants of his dining room table.

"Becca, you're home early..." he said. His eyes then went to Tawny. "Miss Matthews..."

"Welcome home, Eugene," Rebecca said. She rose from the dining room table to greet her husband. They embraced and briefly shared a kiss.

Tawny had to look away. She suddenly felt self-conscious again, as though she were impeding upon a tender intimate moment among lovers.

"What have you two been up to?" asked Professor McCurdy when he finally pulled his lips away from Rebecca's.

"Tawny and I were just getting to know each other," Rebecca said. "I found her during my daily constitution, and I figured we'd gab over tea. Don't worry...it was only a little light gossip."

"I hope nothing too scathing about me," Professor McCurdy joked. Tawny looked at the floor, embarrassed, but Rebecca quickly diffused the situation with a lilting laugh mirroring her husband's mirth.

"Eugene, you are incorrigible!" she said. "Anyway, we were just finishing up now. I was going to take Tawny home..."

"Please, dear - allow me," Professor McCurdy said. "You stay here and relax, I can take Miss Matthews back to the campus."

"Actually, Professor..." Tawny chimed in. "Is it possible that we could make one quick stop somewhere else? There's something important I must do..."

Tawny looked at Rebecca, who nodded and smiled.

Professor McCurdy looked confused, but then Rebecca placed her index finger softly on his lips. "It's okay, dear....it's us girls grappling with the grey."

Tawny was perplexed by the comment, but in the moment she saw a flash of recognition in her teacher's eyes, and he too smiled. "Of course. Miss Matthews? Let us away then."