The common room was quite a large room, it took up the space of about four bedrooms plus the hallway. There was a giant TV that was used for movie nights and usually quite a few beanbags and sofas, along with a small kitchenette unit that could be used by anyone. For the party though the doors to the balcony were wedged open, and protruding from the kitchenette were a few rows of plastic tables with a bunch of snacks laid out on them in bowls.

It made me a little sad inside that I would probably just upchuck them if I tried.

The TV was set to a music channel and was playing at a reasonable level, good enough to dance to if you wanted. But I don’t think anyone was going to do that unless there was alcohol involved. There were a few people I recognised amongst the crowd, but a good percentage of them I hadn’t met yet. Birdbrain was trying to smultz with a girl with furry cat ears and a tail. I couldn’t see her face but I did wonder if she had whiskers too. There was the huge guy who attended my performance at the autumn festival. I’d never chatted to him before. I hope he is nice.

“Its been awhile since lunch. I’m going to grab some snacks!” Erina says, eyeing up the bowls on the table.
“I’ll go check what's going on out on the balcony, You coming Maeve?”

“Yeah sure” she nods and Erina darts to grab a plate from the table. Me and Maeve pass through the open door onto the balcony where my nose picked up the scent of meat. Erina wasn’t wrong. I was hungry again. There were less people outside, with pretty much all of them lined up at Mr Lawrence’s Barbecue and grille. He waves at me with his free hand whilst he flips sausages and other things on the grille.

“Food is on the house girls!” he shouts to us heartily. I grab a plate from the stack by the grille and line up at the end of the small queue that had formed. Maeve joins me there. I remember stuff like this, late nights just chatting to your friends to music, eating junk food and just enjoying yourself. It made me feel slightly wistful too, that I had been given a chance to continue and enjoy more of these moments.

After fetching some food from Mr Lawrence’s grille. (Some sizzlingly hot sausages that looked utterly scrumptious) We headed back inside to find Erina. A few more people had arrived then and Erina was talking to the cat-girl who had previously been talking to the birdbrain. Speaking of him, he was nowhere to be found. We walked over to where they were sitting on a sofa facing the TV.

“Ah! Got some food Sylvie?” Erina asks, shifting away from the cat girl to allow space for me to sit next to her. I eyed the other girl cautiously, I trusted Erina not to do anything but I wasn’t sure about the newcomer. I nod at her and place my plate down on the shin high table in front of the sofa. “This is Annette. I had to rescue her from the feathered fiend, I know her from another unit” Erina gestured to the cat girl next to me.

“Hello Annette, I’m Sylvie”

“Oh yes! Erina was telling me more about you. I saw your performance on stage in the autumn festival. I’m not new to the school but I am new to the dorms” she gave me a gentle smile. “I do French, Biology and Athletics. Erina helps the teacher a lot with equipment in her spare time”

“I do what I can…” Erina turns bashful and one of Annette’s ears twitch with amusement.

“So you two know each other well then? Maeve asks from where she’s sat on the sofa to the left of us. “I’m Maeve by the way”

“Nice to meet you Maeve. Thats a cool choker you have there” Annette peers over from beside me to look at Maeve/

“That holds me together” she chuckles “Its not a choker” Maeve taps a couple of fingers on the metal tab around her neck, which clinks like the sound of a fingernail on a steel railing. “Its really hard to put my head back on when I take it off so I don’t really want to display it”

“Oh I’m sorry!” Annette’s ears flop down and she ducks her head apologetically.

“Nah its cool” Maeve brushes it off. “I am what I am, being a dullahan comes with that sort of territory”

“So what happened to the whatshisname that was talking to you Annette?”

“When I told him I wasn’t interested he started moaning about not having a girlfriend and I gave him some harsh words. He’s probably off licking his wounds somewhere. Whats with the tablet if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I can’t speak. Not yet anyway” I place the tablet down and pick up my plate, hoping the sausages had cooled off by now.

“Oh, I see”

“Don’t worry about Sylvie though, the Nurse is working on a solution. A more permanent one than speaking through an app on her tablet anyway” Erina picks up a miniature sausage roll and pops it into her mouth. “I can’t wait to hear you sing Sylvie” she says with her mouth full. I take a bite out of my own food, shuddering at the gorgeous taste. Mr Lawrence was such a good cook. Although I hadn’t really had many opportunities to try anything other than what he makes for me.

It was at this point I spotted Nurse Jousset entering from the hallway. She’d gotten changed slightly and was wearing jeans and a casual shirt underneath her normal white coat instead of her slacks and buttoned blouse. She puts her hands around her mouth and calls out.

“Everyone!” A bunch of heads rotate in her direction like Meerkats in the desert spotting movement in the distance. Maeve grabs the TV remote and turns down the music. “Everyone outside hearing me as well?” There was a chorus of responses from the balcony, enough to seemingly satisfy her.

“I have an announcement to make, after some cajoling and some discussion. I’ve secured one more new arrival to move in to the dorms as part of our program to allow for a safe, purposefully designed schooling location for monster-folk and mythical types. So, with that said. Come here Leonie” she gestures back down the hall. A familiar person steps out into the light of the room from the dim corridor. It was Leo, but their previously androgynous form has given away to a...slightly more feminine appearance.

“Hello everyone” Leonie looked embarrassed but not withdrawn, which is a huge improvement from the last time I saw them. “I’m...Leonie, and I’m a shapeshifter” There were a few gasps from around the room. I wave at Leonie.

“Now please everyone welcome Leonie nicely, and feel free to hang out and enjoy the food and the music. The party has to be over by half 9 at latest okay?” Nurse Jousset turns around only to pause. “Oh, and Sylvie and Erina? Could you come with me for a moment?” I looked at Erina who seemed as confused as I was. I took a final bite of my food and stood up to follow the Nurse, having to step over a few pairs of legs from people lounging about. I gave Leonie a smile and a thumbs up before moving down the corridor away from the noise.

The Nurse led us down to the elevator and pressed the call button.

“So what’d you need us for?” Erina asks, crumbs still lining her face. I pull a tissue out of my dab and wipe her face. “Thanks Sylvie” she grins widely, showing off her impressive set of gnashers.

“Theres someone else that wants to speak to you actually. They’re in my office” the lift dings and the doors slide open. “Lets not keep you away from the party for too long eh?” she says as she steps into the elevator. We follow her after a moment’s pause, us both wondering who was waiting for us down below.

***

20 Minutes Earlier…

Cadence’s knuckles rasp on the door to the nurse’s office nervously. If she couldn’t force herself to go and apologise in the open, then the next best thing she thought is to trap herself in an inevitable collision between the two of them.

The door creaks open. “Hello? Oh, Cadence. What is it?” Nurse Jousset opens the door wider.

“Uh…”

“...come on in” she steps back and gestures inside.

“..thank you..” Cadence steps inside and sits on the plastic chair whilst Nurse Jousset closes the door gently behind her.

“So what's the problem Cadence?” she asks as she moves back behind her desk and taps a key on her keyboard.

“I want to...apologise...but I can’t face her..”

“Sylvie huh” the nurse looks up from her computer. “I see. Would you like me to fetch her? Do you think you can manage seeing her right now?”

“I don’t know, but I want to-to try” Cadence’s voice wavers.

“Okay. I have some things to do first, you’re more than welcome to rest and gather your thoughts here. I’ll leave in about 10 minutes and I’ll be back with Sylvie in a while. I will bring Erina too. She’ll want to see and hear this too, for your safety as well”

“Um. Okay. I can...I can work with that. You’re...probably right” Cadence continues to stammer.

“In the meantime though, how about we work out some breathing exercises? To calm you down. Meditative stuff you know?” The nurse smiles at her. The first smile anyone had given her in a month.

“Yes...thank you…”