It was time for my first class, English with Mr John S. Healey. I got there early, and by myself due to Erina excusing herself after I was done eating, and walked in on an older looking gentleman who broke out into a coughing fit when he caught sight of me.

“Are you the new student, Sylvie right?”

“Yes Sir, Sylvie Wade. You’re Mr Healey right?”

“Yes” he reaches out for a handshake with a wrinkled hand. “I’ve never met a zombie before, I apologise. I have a bit of a smoking habit you see?” A packet sits in the breast pocket of his blazer, he has the stereotypical brown blazer with elbow patches. He looks like the sort of guy who spends his weekends reading books with leather cases and smoking a pipe. I reciprocate his handshake. “You’re early, theres usually a free seat on the back left corner near the window” He points to a small table that could seat about 4 maybe 5 people and I take one of the seats closest to the window.

I spend the time waiting for the other students to arrive rifling through a handout Mr Healey gives me, something about him bugs me. His smile seems a little wooden, his politeness seeming insincere. Soon people start to filter in, most sit at other tables but three end up at mine. One is a small girl, even shorter than me, with short brown hair. She doesn’t even look at me, the other two consist of a pretty tall guy, clean shaven with limping gait. And the final person was Erina, who waved when she entered and immediately came over to sit at the same table.
“Found your way here ok?” She asks, giggling. “This is Leopold-” The tall guy interrupts her

“Just call me Leo” He says, staring daggers at Erina.

“Hi Leo”

“And this is Cadence” The small girl glances at me, nods and says nothing before diverting her attention back towards the front of the class where Mr Healey has just turned on a screen.

“Er-hem, class before we begin today we have a new student among us, would you please stand Sylvie?” I take a gulp and do so. “This is Sylvie Wade, she shall be joining us from now onwards, please give her your warmest welcome” he talks in a monotone voice, giving no indication that he really thinks anything other than this being an unwanted obligation.

“Hi everyone, I look forward to meeting you all in turn. Don’t worry I don’t bite. I cannot speak currently so please put up with my artificial voice for now” There were one or two frosty looks but most people seemed to accept that and be happy with that. It was slightly worrying that one of those glares came from Cadence.

“Right, everyone, this week we begin to look at A Streetcar Named Desire…”

***

I left the class with Erina and Leo in tow. “You live on campus Sylvie?” I nod and point towards the dorm building. “Ah, thats cool. I’ve never been in there”

“You can always come visit” I smile.

“I might just do that, thanks. Right now I'm off then. See you whenever our next lesson is together Sylvie” she jogs away leaving me and Leo alone together.

“I’ll be off as well, have a good evening Sylvie”

“You too” I waved goodbye and walked towards the dorms, following a relatively large group of students. A bird flies overhead and lands on the balcony at the top near my room. It sits and watches the group enter the building. I wait for them to all go in before pushing through the door myself. We’d entered through the back previously so I never got to see the main entrance. Theres an aquarium embedded into one of the walls with a group of I think Discus fish swimming about in it. Scaly creatures has always been a fascination of mine so this was quite a lovely sight.

I sat for a while on one of the seats that lined the entryway watching the tank, waiting for everyone to disperse and for the lift to be clear. I notice Cadence loitering about, seeming to be watching me. I gave her a little wave and gestured for her to sit next to me, this did not have the intended effect as she quickly vanished. I don’t think she likes me, probably thinks I’m a freak. I sigh, which startles a few people around me.

It took a couple of minutes before I gave up and went to find the stairs.

I was exhausted by the time I reached the top, and more than ready to just lie on my bed and snooze for a couple of hours, but I promised Colin I’d give him a walk around the Balcony. I tightened my scarf and popped my head out of the sliding glass doors, checking to see if there were any gaps through which he could escape. There wasn’t, so I lifted him out of his enclosure and placed him outside in the sunshine, where after a few moments he found his footing and trots off, as fast as a tortoise can. I follow, making sure he doesn’t veer too close to the edge regardless.

A few people came over to see him and petted his carapace which I’m sure he enjoyed. Someone even found a bit of cucumber for him to monch away on, to which I was super thankful for. I have a feeling Colin gave some people an excuse to come up and chat, which was nice. I learned that the boys and the girls had different floors, and the boys had a balcony on the other side, they could only come over to this side with a special pass, which was fine by me. Who knows what pervs could be here.

The walk was interrupted by a ding from the tablet, I had a message from the Principal.

‘Sylvie.

Mayoress Manfield is here to see you. I’m sending her up with a staff member to your room.

Principal Rockford’

I quickly bid farewell to everyone and scooped up Colin and walked back to my room, closing the glass door behind me and sliding the cover over them. I switched on an old console and whiled away some time playing an old game, I had just reached the next town over in the game when I hear a knock at the door. I pause the game and let Chloe and Mrs Murray in.

“Evening Sylvie” Chloe smiles. “I haven’t been to this college in years, although I did help approve the renovation plans” her single eye blinks.

“Make yourself at home” There was a minifridge in the corner with some fairly generic drinks in it. I pick out one I remember her liking and offer it to her. She shakes her head.

“I’m not staying long. I want to just check on you and give you a few warnings” Warnings? Uh-oh… “First though, how’re you feeling?”

“Pretty good, I met a friend and a guy who I think I might be able to be friends with. There are still a few people who seem quite frosty towards me though. Although its sort of understandable” Sort of indeed, I get most people’s reaction but that one girl...Cadence. Something about her behaviour strikes me as incredibly odd.

“Thats good to hear. I know you can bring them around, you’re still you and the Sylvie I know has boatloads of charisma” she gives me a headpat like I used to do to her when she was feeling down. “Now I do have to warn you, I’ve had to fend away a few journalists already about that ordeal when you came back to us. For the moment they’ve been distracted by my excuses but they might find you, and I doubt you want to be a celebrity for just existing so just be careful okay, stay away from the main gates” I nod, I’d rather not have my face on the front page of whatever people get their news from nowadays. “Right. I’ll be off now, be careful Sylvie” She pulls me in for a tight hug, she was always the caring sort and used to hug me a lot after I did something dangerous an inevitably hurt something, not that I minded so much.

After a moment she let go and left the room, Mrs Murray also said goodbye and left me to it. Right, back on my quest to Sandpolis City….

***

Elsewhere in the building, Cadence had her nose in a book, trying her damndest to forget about that new creature, Sylvie she called herself. What a hideous creature, her presence offended her to no end, she shook away darkening thoughts and tapped a finger on the rim of the leather strapped book. She knew she couldn’t have this continue much longer.

“Just think of something else, forget her” she whispered to herself, but she knows she won’t. A chunky necklace hangs from her neck, settling on top of her chest between the ruffles of her pyjamas. All of a sudden they came, tears flowing down her cheeks like the crumbling of weakened stalactites. Her father’s voice seemed to echo around her head.

“Don’t worry dear. I’ll be back in no time at all my sweet, just off on one last job…”