The cafeteria dinning hall was filled with the hustle and bustle of morning activity. Girls of the Western Dorm gathered to eat while talking over everything from love to last night's homework. Jessica wove her way through the crowds with a tray of food held high over her head until she found her way out onto the patio doors. She stepped out into the sunlight and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the cool air upon her face. Even with it being so close to the end of October the weather was still nice and held an invigorating feeling to it. The scent of the leaves filled her nostril and made Jessica feel alive, the feelings from earlier finally back in their prison. She opened her eyes and spotted her friends sitting at one of the small round tables in the sun. She pulled a flannel shirt, which she had grabbed from her room, around her body, and then ventured to the group. She spotted Kris right away. Her roommate was listening intensely as her little sister relayed stories of home and life. Jessica stopped for a moment to watch the girl carefully, just taking in ever detail of the girl. When her mind was invaded by images of Kris lying nude in bed and she fought to push them out of her head. "Geez..." Jessica heard Jenn say as she let out a deep breath after hearing Kai's story, "You have been to hell and back, haven't you?" She inquired curiously, "Seems we have all been having adventures this week." "Kai usually got the more unusual jobs out of the rest of us." Kris explained uneasily as she took a spoon full of cereal then spotted Jessica. She swallowed her mouthful and waved to the girl, "Jessie over here." "Sorry I took so long to join you." Jessica apologized as she set a tray of eggs, toast and milk on the table and pulled out a chair, "Allowance day is the busiest. I had to break free just so I could eat. Oh, here." She drew a set of small brown envelopes from her back pocket, "These are for you." She glanced at the names on the envelopes and handed one to Natalie and another to Kris, whom both took the gifts gratefully, then Jessica turned to Jenn while holding a pink envelope still in hand, "There is more then the usual amount in here seeing as you have been away so long. You'll need to get you school supplies and other personal stuff. You will find a school schedule in here as well." She handed the envelope to Jenn. "They really pay us to stay here?" Jenn asked in amazement as she examined the envelope. "They pay for our room and board." Natalie explained, "As well as something additional for being good." Jenn causally opened the letter and looking inside. Her eyes widened as she pulled out a small number of hundred dollar bills, "You have to be kidding me!" She exclaimed taken back by the amount money. Natalie nearly chocked on her food, "How come I never got that amount?" She marvelled at the sight, "There must be five hundred there." Jessica blinked at the money and counted it as Jenn leafed through the bills, "Four... five... six hundred?!? That can't be right. Is there a letter in there explaining?" She was a tad disconcerted. Jenn pulled out a small set of papers from the envelope, unfolded them and stared at them in confusion, "What is this?" She inquired handing the papers over to Jessica. "Holy!!" Jessica exclaimed skimming over the papers. "What is it?" Kris inquired eager to know what had excited her friends. Kai observed the girls curiously, "What is going on?" She couldn't grasp what the fuss was about. "Jenn was a straight 'A' student here before vanishing." Jessica stated, stunned by what she read, "This is her bonus for passing every one of her classes. It has been awaiting her return." She explained still staring in disbelief at the numbers. Kris chuckled in amusement, "I am not surprised." She remarked with a proud grin, "Jenn was always good at her studies." Jenn scanned the page of her new classes, "Is there really such a thing as 'Dream Studies'?" She queried at the list of her classes. "Only for us West Wingers." Jessica explained dipping her toast in the yolk of her eggs, "Also there are studies of the Shadows, the Realms of Dream and Death; and other mythology. It can be interesting, but East wingers are not allowed. I don't know why." "Because Easter Wingers can't handle the idea of ghost and creatures in the night." Natalie stated indifferently. "Oh...I'll be giving you a tour of the school later in the week. Showing you were your classes are and the like." Jessica remarked and paused for a moment in thought with her toast in front of her mouth, then started as if she suddenly remembered something, "Oh, which reminds me. Your friends are transferring today." She said nonchalantly as she took a bite of the bread. "Tanya and Cherilyn?" Kris inquired in extreme interest. Jessica nodded as she took a bit of her eggs and swallowed, "They should have received their notices over night. I just found their transfer papers with the allowances." "Cherilyn will not be happy to hear that." Jenn stated only half paying attention as she still leafed through her school papers. "She will have to accept it." Natalie stated coldly, "It's not like we are a scary bunch." "Says the girl who keeps knives up her sleeves." Kris remarked with a chuckle. "It's only for protection." Natalie retorted. "And the sword blade on your right arm?" Jessica added eyeing Natalie's leather jacket. "You never know who will jump out of the shadows." Natalie justified herself, "Headmistress Sophia approved of it. As long as I don't use it on any of the students here, it's alright." "Isn't that thing heavy?" Jenn inquired curiously. Natalie lifted her arm and pulled back the sleeve to reveal a long flat metal box that was attached to her arm by leather straps, "Not really and it is safe. Only springs out when I need it." To prove her point she twisted her wrist and a long double-edged blade sprung forth from a slit in the front of the housing and slammed into place. She shifted her arm to allow the sun's light to reflect of the steel of the blade, "Nothing to it really." "Just make sure you don't slice up any more of our pillows while you sleep, alright?" Jessica commented with a smile, "And put that thing away when you are at the table alright?" Kris raised an eyebrow at Natalie, "Do you really sleep with that thing on?" She inquired inquisitively. Natalie flushed with embarrassment, "Not all the time." She replied defensively as she placed the tip of the blade upon the pavement and pushed the blade back into place then pulled her sleeve back down. The truth was that she only took it off when Alyson was sleeping next to her, but she was not willing to admit that. Everyone broke into laughter as Natalie sunk in her seat. Kai watched her sister smile and beamed along with her, "I've never seen you smile so much, sis." She observed. Kris nervously tried to hide her mouth behind a napkin, "I smiled before." She replied skittishly. "Not when you lived at home." Kai stated with a shake of her head. "This is the first time I saw you really smile." She remarked. "Kai is right." Jenn added, "You usually are brooding. It's nice to see you smiling again." She gave Kris a warm smile that caused the girl to lower her head, "What? Did I say something wrong?" Jenn asked anxiously. Jessica watched Kris's emotions change and let out a sigh, "She just likes to torture herself." She remarked glancing over at Jenn then back to Kris and decided a change of subject was in need, "Oh, Jenn you need to see Amy today. She wants to look you over." She nodded at Jenn's bandaged wrists causing the girl to pull her jacket over her hands. "Again!?!" Jenn slouched in her seat, "I just went the other day." She protested. "You also slit your wrists pretty deeply and spent the past while locked within a dream." Jessica reminded the girl, "Don't make me have to carry you there." She added giving the girl an intense glare. "I'll go with you" Natalie finished the last mouthful of her eggs and dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, "I want to go for a walk anyways." "Would you?" Jenn beamed happily, "and would you talk me to a drug store or something too?" "Sure." Natalie nodded as she stood, "Come on." She motioned towards the door, "Finish up and we'll head right over. The quicker we get to Amy's the faster it will be over with." She picked up her own tray and awaited for Jenn to finish the last bits of her cereal, "Here, I'll take those." She offered, adding Jenn's bowl to her tray and placing the tray under the first one, Jenn wiped her mouth with a napkin and crumpled it into a ball; "I guess I'll see you all later." She got to her feet and started to follow Natalie. "Sure thing." Jessica said still munching on her food. "Later, Jenn." Kris said with a wave. "Thanks for keeping me company last night." Kai said with a smile. Jenn ruffled the girl's hair, "No problem. I hope we see more of you around here." She knelt down and kissed the girl on the cheek; "If you need anything you can come to me at anytime." Kai blushed and hugged Jenn, "Thanks." Natalie and Jenn waved to the girls as they left. "So what was that about?" Kris probed her sister. "They just listened to me when I got here." Kai admitted with a shrug, "She is your girlfriend, isn't she sis?" Kai asked with delight in her eyes. Kris's face grew long, "Not anymore." She mentioned sadly. "But you always talked about her before." Kai remarked with a frown, "What happened?" "Dad took her memories when I didn't give him her soul." She stated bluntly then grabbed her tray and started to leave, "I'm going to my room." "No - you - are - not!" Jessica said in a commanding voice. "Jessie, will you stay out of this?" Kris begged with a pained look in her eyes, "I want to be left alone." "No, I won't leave you alone." Jessica stated irritate by her roommate's attempts to always run and hide, "You are my helper today if you like it or not." She demanded with a sly grin, "And so are you, Kai." She nodded at the girl as she took another bite of food. Kris slumped back into her seat and dropped her tray to the table with a clatter, "Fine." She affirmed disheartened with her defeat. She knew when she was beat and Jessica was not one to argue with, "I think you enjoy being able to command people around at time." She remarked eyeing the girl as she finished off her breakfast. "More so when it is in bed." Jessica stated with a mischievous grin. Kai felt herself snort in laughter. Kris raised an eyebrow at her little sister, whom stifled her chuckles and continued to eat her breakfast. Kris set an elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand, "This is going to be another long day." She concluded with a dissatisfied sigh. ***** To be Continued . . .
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