Home > The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane(5)

The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane(5)
Author: Julia Nobel

   “There’s a school handbook in your room,” Madam Boyd said. “You’ll find a map in there along with your timetable. Unfortunately, I have a meeting, so I can’t come in with you, but your roommate will help you get settled.”

   Madam Boyd shook Emmy’s hand. “I won’t wish you good luck, because with hard work and self-discipline, you won’t need it.”

   Emmy nodded weakly but wished she really did have a good luck charm. It sounded like she was going to need it.

   Madam Boyd disappeared into the trees, and Jonas came out of the house. “Everything all right?”

   Emmy shrugged. The stitches in her forehead still ached, she’d been traveling forever, and her housemistress didn’t think she could hack it.

   “If you don’t mind my saying, you do look a bit peaky, young miss. Should I fetch someone to come and—”

   “I’m fine,” Emmy said. She didn’t know what peaky meant, but it couldn’t be good.

   Jonas scratched his stubbly chin. “I know Wellsworth can be a bit daunting at first. I was a student here myself. Even though I graduated almost twenty years ago, I still remember that overwhelming feeling. It makes a lot of people wonder whether this is really the place for them.”

   Emmy’s eyes filled with tears. She’d only just gotten there, and she was already so far behind she might never catch up. Maybe she should just get back on the plane and not look back.

   “No one’s going to make you stay,” Jonas said. “Only you can decide if it’s worth it.”

   Emmy hiked her bag a little higher on her shoulder. She could feel the outline of the box inside it, like a talisman that held part of her father—part of herself—inside it. It felt heavy against her back, like it was trying to get her attention. I’m here, it was saying, I’m here. Don’t forget about me.

   “Well, you’d best be getting inside,” Jonas said. “If you need any help, I’ll be around.”

   “Thanks,” Emmy said, and Jonas disappeared into the trees.

   Emmy turned and stared at the thick wooden door. It was now or never. She clutched her bag tightly, pushed down on the iron handle, and heaved open the door.

 

 

CHAPTER 3


   Audrey House


   So far everything at Wellsworth had been so cold and quiet that the school seemed practically deserted—but not this room. It was crammed with people, all shouting over the music that blasted off every wall. Heat poured out of a massive double-sided fireplace that snapped and crackled in the middle of the room.

   “You can’t be serious,” someone said. “Another accident?”

   A boy shook his head. “This is the third time someone from Latin Society’s gotten hurt this year.”

   Latin Society. That was the club she was supposed to join.

   “Jumping off a roof isn’t an accident. It’s just stupid.”

   Emmy stopped walking. Somebody jumped off a roof? That wasn’t stupid; more like insane.

   “Maybe they’ll finally get in trouble.”

   The other boy rolled his eyes. “Not a chance. Those guys can weasel out of anything.”

   They started talking about rugby, which Emmy didn’t know a thing about. She looked around; where was she supposed to go? There were two staircases, one on each side of the room, and each of them had a giant banner hanging beside it. The one on the left was deep blue and had the name “Audrey” stitched in scrawling letters. Hopefully that meant she’d find the girls’ rooms over there.

   The third floor was dark and musty, like someone had spritzed old dust piles with hair spray. There were nameplates on every door: Natalie Walsh and Jeannette Beauguin. Lola Boyd and Arabella Gray. Fenella Greenborough and Jaya Singh. Victoria Stuart-Bevington and Emmeline Willick. Emmy wiped her sweaty palm on her jeans, turned the door handle, and walked into her room.

   She frowned. Was this her room? Every inch of it was covered in stuff. Picture frames, knickknacks, and heaps of clothes that had been drenched in overpowering perfume. There wasn’t even space to sit down on one of the beds. She opened the closets. Both were crammed full. Her suitcases were in front of one of the beds, but it looked like two girls already lived here. There must have been some kind of mistake, and she didn’t even know who to ask to fix it.

   The door burst open, and a girl stormed in, slamming the door behind her. She walked straight past Emmy, her blond ponytail bouncing behind her, and she pulled a large roll of yellow tape out of one of the desk drawers.

   Emmy twisted her fingers behind her back. She should introduce herself. Or at least say hi. Or just run out the door and never come back. “Uh, hi? I’m Emmy Wi—”

   “Don’t talk to me,” the girl snapped. She bent down and put a long line of tape on the floor. “I hear you’ve never been to a boarding school before. First rule: stay out of your roommate’s space. Since you’re new, I thought I would make that part easy for you.” She pointed a bony finger to one side of the room. “Everything on this side of the tape is mine. Everything else is your half.”

   Emmy frowned. Her “half” was about a quarter of the size of the other girl’s.

   “Second rule: stay out of your roommate’s stuff.” The girl threw the tape back in the drawer. “If I catch you looking inside my closets, I’ll get you expelled for stealing.”

   “But where—”

   “You’ve got suitcases. If they’re big enough to hold your rubbish now, they’ll be big enough all year.”

   “All right.” Emmy gritted her teeth. “I’m Emmy Willick.” She held out her hand, and the girl looked at it as if it were a dirty sock.

   “Let’s get one thing straight. When I started the year, that door only had one name on it: mine. Victoria Stuart-Bevington. I wasn’t supposed to have a roommate this year. As far as I’m concerned, I still don’t have a roommate this year.” She wrenched the door open and marched out, pulling off Emmy’s nameplate as she went.

   Emmy shoved a pile of clothes off the bed and threw herself down. Well, this was lovely.

   • • •

   Emmy heard lots of voices floating up and down the hallway, but she didn’t see anyone else that afternoon. By the time five thirty rolled around, she figured it must be dinnertime, even if her jet-lagged stomach didn’t agree. She flipped through the school handbook until she found a section called Dining. Apparently, everyone ate in a room called the Hall, which was actually an old cathedral that the school had renovated. That must be why the school reminded her of a church. It used to be one.

   The Hall was part of the main building, and Emmy didn’t need the handbook’s map to find it. As soon as she got close, she heard voices and cutlery echoing off every stone wall. She grabbed a few things off the food table and sat in the quietest corner.

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