Helping her on her feet. Once she was up he didn't let go, and Rae didn't want him to. "Molly, think you could grab Rae a bottle of water or something?" He smiled, and the cute dimple appeared again.
"Sure. I'll meet you guys on the front steps of Aumbry Hall."
Rae enjoyed the thrill from Devon's warm, strong hand in hers. She followed him down the sidewalk, concentrating on slowly breathing in and out. The dizziness began to disappear, but the dull pain of a headache beat at the back of her skull.
They passed a building marked Joist Hall. "I'm sorry Molly threw all of this on you. For the record, we aren't crazy. Headmaster Lanford told me you probably didn't know anything about our ink-art." He stared straight ahead.
"The school isn't sure how much your uncle or father might've told you." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Did you know they both attended Guilder?"
What? She planned to kill her uncle next time she saw him. She had obviously been owed a long conversation, stuffed with pertinent information, before he put her on the plane. But all I got was a stupid proverb. She shook her head. "Why do you know so much about me?"
Devon laughed, then patted her shoulder. "You're quite the talk of Guilder at the moment-the English-American who convinced the headmaster and dean to open the college to girls." He coughed, as if trying to cover his words. "Or, uh...you know, open another college for females only...technically speaking, that is..."
Wait a sec. Rae stopped in her tracks. "I didn't convince anyone! I haven't even spoken to the headmaster or the dean. One day I got a letter telling me I'd been accepted. I just assumed my uncle applied without asking me. He's originally from Scotland, so I thought maybe he knew about this place."
Devon waited a few paces ahead. "Weird." The puzzled look on his face turned to teasing. "Well, the faculty's pretty excited you came. You might not know them, but trust me, they know all about you."
"What're you talking about?" She crossed her arms and felt the beginnings of annoyance emerge from her inner turmoil.
"You're special."
Rae's face burned. Giddy from his comment, she couldn't help but laugh. "No, I'm not. I'm just one of the average, quiet, sorta-smart girls. Though, at this moment, I feel pretty dumb." She tapped the toe of one sandal against the heel of the other. "Why in the world would the dean, headmaster, or anyone else think I'm special?"
'Because of who you are."
That didn't make sense. "Cause I'm Rae Kerrigan?"
"Yes, silly, and because of your parents."
"What about my parents?" Rae could hardly remember anything about them. She'd been so little when they died.
"I don't think it's my place to explain." Devon nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Maybe you should talk to Headmaster Lanford."
"I plan to." She chewed on her nail, imagining some scary, crazy principal dressed in long, dirty robes who spoke in proverbs of truth like her uncle. "What's he, uh, like?"
"He's good. Big guy. Bad hair. You'll like him, and he'll answer all your questions." Devon absentmindedly traced his tattoo with his fingers. "Don't pack your bags and jump on the first plane back to New York. Give Guilder a chance. It's even better than the brochures say." He grinned, showing his adorable dimple.
"We'll grow on you. And trust me, when you get inked you'll be glad you're here."
"On my sixteenth birthday, like Molly said? I'll get a tattoo on my arm?"
"Nah, yours is on your lower back." Devon's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "It's way cooler on girls than guys."
Sexier was the word he didn't say, but Rae could read it on his face. She'd seen tattoos on girls' backs, but never thought of them as anything more than ink. A tramp stamp. She needed to start taking notes if she planned to fit in at this school. "I guess I'll just have to wait three days and see Molly's."
She had so many questions bubbling inside her. She wanted to ask if they got to choose their tattoo or if they were pre-selected for them. Maybe they had some kind of list. If there was, when did she get on it? She pressed her lips together, not wanting to appear denser than she was sure she already looked.
"Sure, or some of the older girls will show you." He pointed toward Aumbry Hall. "Molly's talking to Haley and Maria. They're both sixteen. Want to go meet them?"
Butterflies bashed around inside Rae's gut. What if everyone knew about her like Devon did? What did that mean anyway? She let out a slow breath. "Sure." No sense in being shy in front of the hot, and probably senior, boy. For some reason she wanted to impress him, and being a recluse wouldn't accomplish that.
As they walked back to Aumbry Hall, Molly ran over to greet them. The other two girls followed at a slower pace.
"Rae, meet Haley and Maria!" Molly gushed the introduction in what Rae was beginning to see was her typical fashion.
"Hi," said the blonde-haired, brown-eyed girl. "I'm Haley."
A tiny, dark-haired girl peeked around Haley's shoulder. "Hello."
Rae blinked. She could've sworn Maria had just said "hi" but she hadn't seen the girl's lips move. She glanced at the others to see if they'd heard it as well, but she couldn't quite tell. Maybe it's the jetlag in my brain playing tricks on me.
Devon checked his watch. "Ladies, I'd love to stay and chat but I've a football match. My housemates will be ticked if I don't show. I'm already late." He patted Rae on the shoulder.
As he jogged away, Rae noticed the others staring at his retreating figure. No surprise there. He's part superhero.
"He's so hot," Molly murmured.
"And sexy. Definitely worth watching," Haley said. "And chasing."
"No dating, remember?" Molly half-heartedly chided.
"Guilder highly discourages that. It's taboo-not that I plan on paying attention to that rule." Molly walked behind Haley and reached for the back of her shirt. Haley deftly stepped just out of reach.
Molly didn't even acknowledge the dodge. She just powered straight on into conversation. "Can we see your ink?
"Have you figured out how to use it?" Molly's definitely not the shy type.
Haley laughed. "By no means have I mastered my gift. But I'm sure I've figured out what I can do. Coming here is only going to make me stronger and better." She pulled her shirt up and turned around to show her back to both of them. Above her jeans was a stunning tattoo of a whirlwind or tornado.
"So, what all can you do?" Molly asked as she impatiently tapped her foot.
"I can make wind."
Molly snorted.
Haley shot her an annoyed look. "No, silly, not that kind of wind. I create wind. Big wind, or even just little gusts." Haley twittered a high- pitched laugh, which Rae found annoying. "At my old school I used to send small gusts to mess up my teacher's piles of papers, other stuff like that. Right now, though, if I try anything stronger I end up flying backward."
Molly skipped ahead to the next subject, seemingly unimpressed with Haley's power. "What about yours, Maria? What's your ink?"
Rae felt sorry for the tiny girl.
...----------------...
I'm so bored,
and u guys r so bad
no one is supporting me, hump 😤
if this goes on I will not write it anymore
Of course its not my Story
But writing it takes time, and adding pic take my brain and more time here
hope u can be honest with me
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