“Ok, class – time’s almost up but remember to pick your new book to read.” Miss Coats had started to erase the notes from her whiteboard already as she turned back to talk to the class and Keira jotted down the things she had missed while doodling quick as she could. “I will want those book reports first thing tuesday morning.” The teacher afforded herself a short breath before nodding towards the class. “Yes, Keira?”
“Are we allowed to pick any book or does it have to be one from the list?” She really didn’t feel like reading Wuthering heights and Robinson Crusoe sounded cool but it was like a decimeter thick.
“Other books might be ok, but you’d have to get my explicit approval first. And I warn you guys, I will not consider neither Cosmo nor Sports Illustrated literature. The idea is for you to read a classic and get a feel for an historical period, not get away as easy as possible.” The school bell rang and the most eager pupils started to gather up their stuff. “Ok, see you all tomorrow” miss Coats finished off. “Hand in a note with books you people want me to consider for approval outside of the list if you have any.”
Keira got up and thought for a moment before she grabbed a piece of paper to scribble on. Behind her Liz, who had been her best friend for years, had already started to talk to her through the noise of everyone getting up. “What was that? Have you found some cool short book or something?”
Keira shook her head. “Nah, it’s just something I’ve already been reading...” She quickly hid the text by folding the note. “You want to watch a movie or something after school?”
Liz looked slightly annoyed that she didn’t get to see what was on the note but she didn’t say anything but only shrugged. “I dunno. Joshua said we might, you know, hang out or something.”
Joshua Riddick. He was the biggest thing to ever have come between Liz and Keira since the incident of the failed birthday party invite in first grade where Keira’s invitation card had gotten lost in the mail. Keira had held a crush on Joshua since they first met a little more than two years ago as the boy’s family had moved in as neighbours to the Connor family. He was two years older than her, handsome and he had hung out with her despite her being younger. For almost two years he had been part of every dream she had about her future husband.
That was until about two months ago when somehow at some point Liz and Josh had been talking for hours, and apparently had found some deep connection according to Liz. They had been boyfriend/girlfriend since and it had not been very good for the girls’ friendship.
“Oh” was Keira’s only response as she had finished packing her bag and started to walk out from the classroom with Liz by her side. She handed her scribbled note to miss Coats on the way and the teacher took it with a warm smile.
“...Maybe we could hang out this weekend?” Liz tried in an attempt to make it better.
“You know I have to work during the weekend...”
“Right... That thing over at the haunted house...”
Behind them, Samantha Coats looked at Keira and her friend back to the note in her hand and up again with an amused smile. The note said ‘I would like to read Philosophy in the bedroom by the Marquis de Sade. - Keira Connor’.
Outside the girls were continuing their conversation while walking over to their bikes. “What is it that you do at that scary place anyway?” Liz asked. “You’ve been sort of weird since you came back from there Monday.”
“It’s not scary.” Keira muttered as she unlocked her bike. “And you know I’m not allowed to talk about the job. I signed a contract and all.” Not to mention that her friend would likely not believe her if she did tell and if she did believe it Keira would probably end up in a mental institution and her Master thrown in prison. She focused on her lock in order to not blush.
“Come on!” Liz tried. “We’re best friends! You can tell me...”
Keira looked her friend in the eyes. She really wanted to say something. In fact, she was desperate to tell someone, anyone... But, she couldn’t. “It’s just, you know, work. Cleaning and reading some stuff for lord Harker and such.”
Liz seemed more than sceptical but before she could answer she was interrupted by the presence of her boyfriend.
“Hello there, girls!” Joshua said with a grin on his face as he walked over and gave Liz a kiss. Keira could almost swear the two of them did stuff like that only to annoy her.
“Hi there, honey” Liz said in her best attempt to sound sexy.
That was it. “Hi, Joshua... You two have fun. I need to get home...” Keira got on her bit before either one of them could say much more and goodbyes were said as she had already started to roll away.
It felt insane. She had spent an entire weekend being progressively used and abused and right now she longed to get back there. Worst of all was that there was no one out there that she could talk to about it because they wouldn’t understand. A couple of times she had talked to her brother Archie who could at least relate to the building and its surroundings. But this night he didn’t return from his work at Harker Manor until around midnight, long after Keira had been forced to go to bed.
She laid in her bed staring at her ceiling and felt like there was something missing in her life. And she realized that she didn’t feel cared for because there were no chains holding her in bed and there were no paintings on the wall to remind her that fears could be the sweetest thing. And when she did fall asleep she dreamt of the most horrible time in her life and while she remembered none of it the day after, it was terrifying delight.