Strains

Chapter 18

When I show up for dinner, it's actually dessert.

I enter through the same double doors of the dining hall as every night. No one seems to notice me, for the first time ever. Maybe everyone is too excited for the weekend to care about me. So maybe beating me up isn't everyone's favorite pastime.

I stall looking up at the faculty table until I can no longer avoid it. Matthew is going to be so upset with me. And I don't know if I can handle that and not getting anything for dinner.

When I hit the first stair up to the stage, I look at the empty seat next to Hercules. It's bigger than it should be.

Matthew isn't here either.

My blood goes cold.

Where is he? Why would he skip dinner? Is he looking for me?

I wind around the table and take my seat. There isn't a place setting made for him. Not even a napkin or glass.

"Ah, there she is!" Hercules says and moves over slightly.

"We thought Matthew might've taken you with him to the council dinner tonight," Tiffany says.

So that's where he is.

Thank goodness. According to the handbook, I was off Scot-free.

"No, I..."

Do I really want to tell them some dumb Meats locked me up in a building?

"Just lost track of time. Sorry, everyone."

The dean puts up his hand. "I'm sure we're all just glad to see you're okay."

"You're glad? I thought I was getting extra dinner." Hercules carefully pulls out a plate from his wine crate and sets it in front of me.

It's the dinner that was meant for me.

"Thank you, Hercules."

"Don't mention it, want a drink to go with it? That prude Matthew isn't around."

It's a tempting offer, but I don't want to be greedy. Luck had already smiled on me by giving me dinner and Matthew being away at a meeting. It probably wouldn't look good to disrespect my facilitator in front of his colleagues either.

"No thanks, I'm fine with water."

He deflates slightly and offers me a spoonful of his dessert. Looks like some kind of cobbler with a scoop of ice cream on top. It looks delicious.

"I'm fine, Hercules, but thank you, really."

That one was a lot harder to say no to.

"We won't tattle to Matthew about it Elizabeth, really the diet he has you on is ridiculous," Tiffany says.

"No, it's okay. I'm just grateful to have this," I say, motioning to my plate.

"Now then, are we through tempting the girl? She obviously is very devoted and respects her facilitator, nothing wrong with that," the dean interjects. Then he says quieter, "as long as she adheres to rule 127."

"Always, sir," I say.

The dean nods and digs into his dessert.

"Gosh, Elizabeth. Were you living through a famine when you died?" Ynez, the director of the math department, asks.

The professor next to him elbows him in the side.

"What? Matthew skipped the welcome ceremony, we don't even know what Topside is like anymore," he looks around the table. "I can't be the only one who's curious."