Work Text:
The floor was filthy.
That was what Mia focused on. The pattern sprawled across the floor and crawling up the walls of white, small, cracked tiles. She had chosen to think that the wet footprints with miscellaneous items lingering upon them—from toilet paper to cigarette butts that had been extinguished by the back of a heel—were due to the wet weather. The rain was atrocious that day, violently pouring down and thundering as if the weather too had conspired to mock her. A hostile reminder that summer had ended and autumn had well and truly arrived and that Mia’s time in Kurain village was well and truly over.
Her stall wasn’t too bad. It was why she’d chosen it. The toilet seat cover was clean enough for her to sit on and cry. As she mulled the events of this evening, Mia’s quiet sobs, the tears gently running down her cheeks dusted a soft red, turned into a loud, childish wail.
Her grip on her kimono tightened. How was she supposed to know that ‘black tie’ events meant she’d need a cocktail dress? Sure, she’d seen the outfits on American prom night films. But why was she supposed to think they were real? Nobody walks around looking like the Steel Samurai, do they? Although, she could pass as an extra in a Steel Samurai episode.
Oh no.
“How could I be so stupid?” Mia shouted, kicking the door of her stall. Her sandal made a loud clink upon meeting the cheap timber.
“Stupid enough to wander into the men’s restroom?” Small yet robust, a voice was heard from the other side of the door. “Pretty stupid.”
Mia jolted out of her seat, a small scream escaping her. She instantly raised her hands to her cheeks and shook her head. “What… no, it’s not!”
“Yes, it is…”
“Well, then what are you doing here?” she sniffled.
“I heard you crying from next door,” the voice scoffed. “The acoustics are rather awful in this place. In any case, why don’t you come out now? I’m not willing to get in trouble for your sake.”
Mia sniffled again, bringing her sleeves up to her glassy eyes, trying to make herself somewhat presentable. The stall door’s ageing hinges made a loud, creaking sound as Mia opened the door, her head lowered like an ostrich looking for a soft mound of sand.
The young woman’s eyes widened as she set her sights on the mysterious weeping girl. Her lips parted as she processed the sight before her—a girl, most likely her age, in a deep purple kimono. Her brown hair was held in an intricate top knot, held in place by a pin adorned with patterns of golden ginkgo leaves. Her hot, flustered cheeks were red beneath her makeup, and her eyeliner was smudged under her swollen, teary eyes.
“Oh wow…”
And with that and a soft whimper, Mia slammed the door closed again.
“Does everyone in this city suck?” Mia cried out, stomping her sandals on the floor.
Mia always thought first impressions were unreliable. Before she started living in it, it was easy to misunderstand this city as cold and hostile. Mia thought she was just homesick and would grow to love it and its people. But no. As it turns out, Mia’s gut feeling was right.
This place is awful.
She missed Kurain terribly right about now. She missed not needing to fit in. She did not need attend stupid classes led by unhelpful professors or those who spoke so monotonously that Mia had to make an active effort to remain awake—unlike many of her classmates who found it appropriate to sleep at the back of the auditorium. She missed not having to think about what she would wear for the day, what to prepare for her meals, not having to introduce herself to people she was likely never going to talk to again every single day…
Mia missed Maya. She missed Maya terribly.
‘You’re here for Maya’s sake…’ Mia closed her eyes, squeezing them shut. ‘For both your sakes. Because you love her…’
“For what it’s worth…” the girl on the other side muttered, breaking Mia’s reverie and dissipating the nostalgic image of her baby sister. “I think you look lovely.” The woman pursed her lips, looking away as if the tiles, stained and graffitied with permanent marker, were staring into her soul.
The crying stopped. The door slowly opened as Mia peeked past the gap.
“Thank you,” Mia whispered. Although she didn’t particularly take the words to heart, she still appreciated her efforts to make her feel better.
“There’s no need to thank me,” she said, looking away. “It’s not as if I said that out of charity. I mean it,” she stared down at her feet, scruffing the floor with the soles of her loafers. “I could never dress like that. You have some guts.”
“Believe me, my boldness was far from intentional…”
“I suppose it’s easier for somebody like yourself to be bold,” she scoffed. “Being the honour student means everybody has their eyes on me…”
“Sounds rough…” Mia muttered, pursing her lips. “Wait, you’re a student?”
“I am?” She tilts her head. “Why do you ask?”
Mia’s eyes widened, and suddenly, she felt comforted. The woman stood before her in what seemed like a work blazer, a plain button-down shirt, and form-fitting trousers.
“You don’t look like you’re dressed for the ball either. I thought you may have been one of the staff…”
The girl pursed her lips, crossed her arms, and turned her head away. Her blazer was making her feel increasingly warm. She decided that must be the cause behind her reddened cheeks and tightening throat.
“I didn’t mean it looks bad!” Mia swiftly corrected, waving her hands in front of her face. “It just looks… odd. But who am I to judge?”
“Perhaps. But at least you look very pretty…” She whispered.
Mia’s eyes widened. She shimmied, giggling as she repeated the compliment in her mind. “Well, I bet you’d look pretty in these too! They’re ceremonial clothes, so the kimono is extra pretty!”
“Ceremonial? Oh. So you’re the student from that self-proclaimed ‘spirit-medium’ village, I take it. Fey, is it?”
Mia’s lips parted. She blinked a couple of times, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I, yes… Mia Fey. I’ve come to study with a scholarship. I’m from Kurain village. How did you know?”
“I know everything.” She unfolded her arms. “Lana Skye,” she said, extending her hand to Mia. She thought it might be courteous to avoid speaking of the gossip going around campus about the cult-escapee country bumpkin who somehow nailed a scholarship.
“Nice to meet you, Lana!” Mia smiled, reaching out to shake her hand. “I’m Mia.”
“You just said tha- never mind…”
“Oh well!” Mia chuckled as she grabbed Lana’s other hand and swung her and Lana’s hands together.
Lana couldn’t help but blush, watching Mia’s toothy smile. It was pearly and bright. Cute and feminine.
“Lana?” Mia said, her tongue lingering on her lips as she formed the word, dragging out the ‘L’ sound, as if savouring its articulation.
“Hm?”
“What does being an honour student have to do with your attire?” Mia tilted her head, still rocking her and Lana’s hands.
“It’s…” Lana pursed her lips, a faint ‘hmph’ slipping past them. “People are always in your face about everything. How you look, what you say, did you put on weight? is that your boyfriend? her hair surely can’t be real… It’s exhausting to be the subject of constant scrutiny. It’s easier not to give them anything to comment upon…”
“Oh,” Mia frowned. I didn’t think about that, I suppose. It sounds unpleasant.”
“It’s pathetic, I know,” Lana crossed her arms.
Mia shook her head, looking up at her. “I don’t think so. It must be hard being so composed all the time. I couldn’t dream of it!” Mia frowned. Slowly, however, with raised eyebrows and an expression of glee, she chirped, “I know!” She rose her forefinger to the sky to indicate she’d had a brilliant idea—'How brilliant can it be?’ Lana thought.
“Let’s swap clothes for the night!” Mia giggled, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Lana’s mouth fell open as she raised her hands to her lips. “What? What, no!” Lana shook her head. “No, no, no way!”
"Come on," Mia urged, her tone tinged with anticipation, “It'll be fun!"
“Fun?” Lana gasped. “Sounds like a nightmare!”
“Don’t you want to know what it feels like to actually do something for yourself for once?”
Lana glanced nervously at her conservative attire and Mia's vibrant ensemble. Her purple kimono seemed to dance as she moved, casting deep blue shadows against the dim, flickering lights.
"I don't know, Mia," she murmured, her fingers tracing the hem of her blazer. Sensing Lana's apprehension, Mia stepped closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Imagine the thrill of stepping into someone else's shoes, even if just for a moment," she whispered, her words carrying the promise of newfound freedom. “No more honour student Lana Skye, no more goody-two-shoes, just… Lana.”
Just… Lana…
Her eyes widened.
Just Lana.
Just Lana?
Who even is ‘just Lana?’
With a loud sigh and a faint, hesitant smile, Lana finally relented. “Fine,” she rolled her eyes. Mia giggled and tugged Lana into a bathroom stall.
~~
“Mia…” Lana grunted as she struggled to tie the sash of Mia’s kimono around her. “I think I will need some help with this… thing.”
“I, uh… you’ll have to wait a little, Lana.” Mia’s voice softly echoed past the stall door.
“Why?”
“I’m not sure I can walk out like this…”
“What? Why not?” Lana called out, almost dropping the garb out of her hands, halted only by the status of the floor.
“Um…” Mia peeks out the stall door, waddling out in her new attire. “I think it’s a little tight.”
“I…” Lana’s gaze fell upon Mia instantly. The black blazer was, indeed, very tight on her. “I, um…” She gulped. Her eyes trembled, a warm blush creeping up onto her face. “The, uh… the top button sure is fighting for its life,” she mumbled. Lana caught herself staring, twiddling her thumbs.
“Should I just unbutton the top ones, then?” Mia pursed her lips as she undid Lana’s ill-fitting blazer.
“Unbutton what?” Lana’s eyes widened. “Wait, no, I didn’t mean-”
“Oh, sweet release…” Mia sighed, taking a big breath—and promptly regretting it as she’d forgotten the pungent smell of the restroom. “At least I can breathe now!” She giggled, closing her eyes and bringing her hands together as a broad smile crept on her face.
“I don’t think I can anymore…” Lana muttered, her voice barely a whisper.
Mia hummed, opening her eyes. “Did you say something?”
“N-n-no!” Lana shook her head. “I d-d-didn’t say anything!”
“Is… is it not good?” Mia muttered, looking away. “I should’ve known it would look silly.”
“That’s not what I meant at all!” Lana shook her head again. “I… Uh… It would certainly distract the prosecution. It could use some accessorising, though.”
“Such as?” Mia tilted her head.
“Help me with this,” Lana muttered, waving about the sash in her hands. “And I’ll sort that out for you,” she scoffed, almost to disguise how her lips had formed a pout and how her ears had been dyed a deep red, making the golden earrings dangling from her earlobes stand out even more than they did before.
Mia grabbed the fabric and twirled her finger with a wide smile. Lana obeyed the silent command and turned around. A small squeak escaped her when she felt Mia’s hands wrap around her waist as she set the sash upon her. Lana tried to ignore the soft, warm sensation against her back as Mia made quick work of the sash, masterfully wrapping it around, over, and under itself.
“There!” Mia giggled. “That was easy.”
“For you, perhaps.” Lana pouted. “However, a promise is a promise,” she said as she reached for her handbag. Fumbling with its contents, Lana pulled out a silken beige neckerchief. “This should do the trick,” she said as she wrapped it around Mia’s neck. It balanced wonderfully, contrasting her purple magatama.
“So?” Mia giggled, twirling in place. “How do I look?”
“You still look very pretty…” Lana mumbled.
“I think you look prettie-”
“Hey!” A shrill voice rang out as the restroom door swung open, the timber banging against the doorstop. Mia turned to the door separating the cubicles and wash basins, her mouth slightly parted.
Lana grabbed Mia by the sleeve of her blazer, dragging her along into a stall, closing the cubicle door behind them just as the door separating the two areas violently swung open, slamming against the tiles that time with a shrill crackling sound.
“I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” The voice sounded boyish. Like the young man’s tone hadn’t mellowed out during his adolescence.
“Shuddup! Quit your whining! We know you tattled!”
Mia’s breath quivered, a tiny whimper escaping. A kick against the door was heard, making the stall she and Lana took refuge in tremble and quake. Mia’s breathing hastened, growing louder. Loud enough to be heard. Loud enough to be heard past the door. She was becoming lightheaded, and her vision growing hazy, clearing ever so slightly once she felt a soft hand lie atop hers.
Lana’s expression was soft yet firm as she looked at Mia, raising her forefinger to her lips.
“Just admit your mishap. What’s done is done…” Another man spoke, his tone calm and collected compared to his companion’s.
“Don’t just dismiss this so easily!” A fist slammed against the door again, and that time, Lana moved her palm to cover Mia’s mouth before she could scream, recognising the terror in her expression. Mia unwittingly wrapped her arms around Lana’s, leaning on her as she began to feel faint again.
Lana pursed her lips together. She furrowed her brow as she let go of Mia. Then, as quietly as possible, she stood on the toilet bowl. Mia gasped but instantly clasped her mouth as she realised what Lana was trying to do.
“What are you doing?” Mia whispered. “Have you gone mad?” She tugged at the hem of Lana’s sleeve, begging her to come down from her viewing platform.
“If anything, he’s the one who is in deep shit if they discover you leaked information about the plan to a first year.” The Calm Man spoke again. Lana, as she peered over the stall, was disappointed to find the man looked as she pictured him in her head: a stereotypical image of the dull and studious, with black hair and brown eyes and in glasses with a thick black frame which he pushed up the bridge of his nose with his index finger as he spoke.
“It’s not even that complex! Our task was far more challenging!” The Mousy Boy—a scruffy-looking runt, his body scrawny and lanky—mumbled.
“That’s not the point, Lehman!” An Auburn-haired Punk crossed his arms, his ears laden with piercings and hair styled slick back. Upon hearing him speak, Lana, startled by how deep his voice rang, jumped in place, slipping on the plastic seat cover.
“The point is, Leigh here got us all involved in a situation we didn’t want to be in in the first place just because he wants to get with a girl! Do you know how much damn effort it took to fit the old man in that closet?” He said, letting go of the Mousy Boy’s collar. “The mop and broomsticks fell right onto my head, nearly gave my handsome face a black eye they did!”
“You’re not that handsome.”
“Hmph!”
Mia’s heart trembled so erratically that it threatened to climb up her throat with each heartbeat. But upon realising Lana’s stumble, she sprung into action, jumping onto the toilet bowl, raising her arms to keep her steady, and wrapping them around her waist before falling. Lana’s feet barely still on the cover, tiptoeing on the edge, she found herself in quite the conundrum.
Art by Kas
Does she fall flat on her butt, alerting the men outside, or does she wrap her arms around Mia, relishing in the feeling of her soft torso?
Lana raised her arms as if to object, but sensing her loafer slip on the plastic, she grabbed Mia’s collar to steady herself and pulled herself close. Thankfully for them both, the man’s groans and complaints were loud enough to mask the thuds and clacks as Mia tried to keep Lana upright.
“We are wasting time…” The Calm Man spoke. “We should just find the girl and ensure this doesn’t spiral out of control.”
Mia’s body was warm.
“Let’s hurry it up then,” the Auburn Punk said. “Where’s the lass in question?”
Lana couldn’t help but snuggle against Mia’s warm chest as she felt Mia’s arms wrap tighter around her waist.
“Time’s a-wasting, Leigh!”
Lana closed her eyes, letting the world around her collapse momentarily. It was her and Mia. Just Lana. And Just Mia.
“Last I checked, she’s dancing with her boyfriend. Missy Teak, more like Missy Poplar!” The Mousy Boy groaned. “It’s not like I have anything to gain from this. She’s the one who has been slacking on her studies the whole semester. Ugh!”
“All that to impress a taken girl. You are so pathetic…”
Lana and Mia kept still, holding their breaths until the footsteps receded and faded out altogether. Once the outer restroom door slammed shut, they both rushed to unlatch the lock, throwing the stall door open as they stumbled out, almost as if the cubicle spat them out.
“What the hell was that!” Mia shrieked. “Holy shit!”
“Are…” Lana heaved, her hands on her knees, body trembling. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Mia said, raising her arms to her chest and adjusting her neckerchief. “Are you alright? You don’t look so good,” she mumbled, waddling toward Lana.
“I’m just rattled.”
“Alright,” Mia smiled, tapping Lana on the back. Upon feeling Mia’s touch, however, Lana jolted upright, a small ‘eep’ escaping her. Mia brought her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide and eyebrows raised.
“You…”
“It’s not what you think!” Lana shrieked.
“Are you hurt?” Mia asked, moving Lana about and twirling her to inspect her torso. “You are, aren’t you?”
“I s-said I’m fine!” Lana jerked her arm free.
“... Sorry…” Mia frowned, her eyes turning to the floor.
“No… I’m. I was just startled.”
“We should probably get going before we get into even more trouble,” Mia muttered as she turned on her sandal heels and headed out. Lana followed silently.
~ ~
“Missy Teak…” Lana hummed, the elevator's vibration as it descended the only other sound in the small, dark space. It was Lana's first words from when they decided to leave the restroom and take the elevator down to the function area. It was the second thing uttered, the first being when Mia said, ‘I don’t think that’s the right floor,’ when Lana went to press the button leading to the third floor on the elevator.
“What about her?” Mia tilted her head.
“Whatever is going on, she’s well informed about it—if not the one orchestrating it. Now, how do we find her?” Lana crossed her arms, raising a finger to her chin.
“Why would we find her?” Mia murmured.
“She’s behind some kind of criminal ploy involving the Dean’s disappearance, or more likely, his kidnapping,” Lana tapped her finger on her skin. “Why wouldn’t we pursue this issue?”
“Why should we?” Mia muttered. “This is something the police should handle, not a pair of students!”
“I see…” Lana frowned. “That is disappointing. Is that the extent of your justice, Mia Fey?”
The elevator bell rang, and the doors slid open. Like a tsunami, a set of waves, loud bass and electronic music flooded the elevator as Lana bolted out toward the dancers, packed like sardines.
“Wai- Lana!” Mia called out, shuffling after the woman wearing her kimono, and for a moment, she was startled.
Lana looked beautiful, like a spirit floating across the parquet. She glided gracefully, like a swan about to take flight, as she slalomed between students, her posture standing out against the erratic movements of her contemporaries.
“Lana!” Mia shouted, but her voice was utterly drowned out. It was barely loud enough for her to hear. She slithered by the crowd, scouting the dance floor; the golden pin in Lana’s hair glimmered like small little beacons as she shook her head side to side, allowing Mia to find her amongst the sea of people bangning their heads and swaying their hips.
“Wait, Lana, please!” Mia called out, grabbing hold of Lana’s sleeve.
Lana didn’t turn to look at her. “Don’t mind me,” she sighed. “I can manage. Just be on your merry way then.”
“No. We’re in it together, right?” Mia said, shimmying closer so as not to bump into other dancers nearby.
“I…” Lana’s eyes widened. She frowned and looked down to her feet. “I suppose so, yes.”
“So don’t even think about going off on your own!” Mia chirped, sticking out her tongue before striking a pose. Lana chuckled, looking at her—silly and bubbly Mia. Her chest grew warmer upon realising this little, ludicrous critter dedicated herself to seeing through Lana’s own ludicrous behaviour.
The music turned off.
Several heads turned about as the disco ball lights turned off, and the students were almost in absolute sync as they groaned, raising their arms to cover their eyes from the function room lights turning on overhead.
“What…” Lana raised her hand to her chin. “What’s going on?” Her voice was barely audible over the hushed mumbling of all the other students, whose collective whispers turned into a roar of groaning and bemoaning their fate for this evening. Mia huddled closer to Lana as the commotion grew louder.
“Is this thing on?” A lanky woman with fuzzy brown hair took to the stage, tapping on a microphone. Her forceful gesture made the crowd cringe from the following feedback. Professor Stiller, head of forensics.
“So, um, I hope you’re all having fun,” she grinned awkwardly. “Whoo!” She laughed, raising her fist in the air. “Anyways, the Dean is missing…”
A small commotion began amongst the crowd, and Lana turned to find Mia with precisely the same expression as she imagined she looked like: ashen, lips parted, and eyes wide.
“Now, we would like everyone’s help resolving the issue and finding him before the night ends. So, if everybody would be so kind to-”
“Damn, just call the cops…” A voice rang out behind Mia, whiny and childish despite the mellow and deep timbre.
“Yeah, what do you expect us to do?”
“And they really had to cut my favourite song right in the middle for this shit man…”
“Nobody even cares about the old geezer!”
“Whoever finds the Dean before the night is up passes all their subjects for this semester with High Distinction!” The Faculty Head shouted, her voice thick and sturdy, the kind that sounded like it could make the floor joists tremble more than the bass played through the loudspeakers just earlier.
“W-Wait, Professor Impalse, you can’t just-”
But just like that, the murmuring crowd turned into a collective howl—the cry of a flock of seagulls upon laying eyes on a fish amid the ocean. A horde of students suddenly mobilised, taking off to investigate every nook and cranny of the function hall as if the Dean was hidden in the cracks between the plaster cornices.
Mia instinctively latched onto Lana’s bicep, bracing herself against the stampede they were in. Lana didn’t stand any taller than her, and despite the soft and feminine appearance the kimono afforded her, her expression was steadfast. As if Lana’s feet were made of stone, she held her ground, her eyes sharp and the gears in her mind turning.
Mia always thought Lana looked pretty. From the moment she opened the stall door, she thought Lana was pretty, even more so in her delicate clothing. Now, however, Lana looked outright ethereal. Her guardian angel. Her knight in shining armour.
Mia’s grip on her arm became less of a desperate clutch holding on for dear life and more of one bearing devotion. An eagerness to hold her and not let go.
“We need to find the men from the restroom,” Lana said.
“What?” Mia shouted, trying to make out Lana’s voice from the cacophony around them.
“I said!” Lana shouted as loudly as possible, yet she was still barely audible. “We need to find the men from the restroom!”
“What for?” Mia shouted back.
“Don’t you see? They know where the Dean is being kept; they put him there!”
Mia gasped, yet her voice was inaudible; her shock was evident only when she raised her hands, clasping the magatama around her neck. “You think they kidnapped him?”
“I have reason to believe so, yes,” Lana said, turning her back to take off until Mia halted her.
“There’s no point! They won’t tell us anything if that’s the case!”
Lana pouted, biting her lip. Mia was right. The only thing they had going for them was what they overheard in the bathroom. She ran the conversation through in her head, again and again, trying to find even the faintest of clues.
“The mop…” Lana whispered.
“What?” Mia shouted.
“The mop!” Lana shouted back louder. “The mop and broom! A place where one would normally find mops and brooms!”
Mia gasped. “The janitor’s closet?”
“I think so!”
“But… I didn’t see one…”
“Huh?”
“I said!” Mia shouted again. “I didn’t see one!”
“Why would you see one?”
Mia frowned. She looked to the floor, nose scrunched and arms crossed. “I was looking for one earlier. I thought people might hear me if I go to the bathroom, so…”
“Mia…”
“Anyway, since I ended up crying in the men’s room, we can safely deduce that there isn’t one.”
“Did you scour the entire building?”
“Yes. Both floors!”
“Aren’t there three floors in the building?”
“Huh?” Mia tilted her head. “No.”
“But the… elevator button.”
Both eyes widened, recalling their short interaction in the elevator just earlier. They said nothing before bolting toward the elevators. As Mia frantically pressed the call button, Lana examined the evacuation plans posted on the noticeboard.
“There’s no third floor here. You’re right!” Lana said as she ran her finger over the plans. The elevator bell jingled, and as the doors opened, they scrambled to get in, squeezing in through the partially parted doors. They found that this elevator only had two buttons: “G” and “1.” Flabbergasted, they looked at the control panel before Mia turned around to face Lana.
“Which elevator specifically did we take down?”
“The one on the far left,” Lana said, taking off. She shoved her leg between the closing elevator doors, making them open again as she dashed through them. Then, she waddled to the far left elevator as Mia, who had broken into a sprint, overtook her, her sandals clacking against the timber floor.
“How do you walk in this?” Lana grunted, pulling up the kimono as she caught up to Mia.
“Force of habit!” She replied as she repeatedly bashed the call button. The ding rang out, and indeed, as they scurried inside, they both reached out for the button with the number “2,” in disbelief as they watched it light up red. They jumped upon hearing the doors close behind them. Lana’s hand unwillingly wandered to Mia’s, holding it tight as they ascended the floors, their eyes fixated upon the steel door, their reflections distorted upon the brushed finish. It felt like an aeon until the elevator stopped moving, and the doors slowly began opening. Lana and Mia held in what felt like a collective breath, and their heartbeats barely beat in their chests. But nothing could have prepared them for the sight before them.
“Well…” The Dean uncrossed his legs and stood up from his stool. “That was quick this year!” He said, pressing down on the button of his stopwatch.
~~
“There must be something about pairs winning this scavenger hunt,” the Dean smiled, handing Mia and Lana a small glass trinket with the words ‘The Law Faculty’s Dean’s Puzzle Winners, 2005. Ivy University.’
The girls looked about the crowd with an empty stare—a pair of lost ostriches.
“Well done, you two,” a familiar voice made Lana and Mia spin around.
“Grape juice?” The Calm Man said as he extended his arm to Lana, offering her the beverage. The both of them looked suspiciously at him, somewhat flabbergasted, as the reality that they had not, in fact, kidnapped the Dean was still taking a long while to sink in.
“Now, the ball shall resume as per schedule shortly. So, I kindly ask everyone to please repopulate the dancefloor!” The Dean said, waving his hand about as to dismiss the students who stood below the podium; some befuddled, some frustrated, several of them hopelessly bored, others likely too drunk to have registered what occurred, but there in the distance, there was a woman with thick black curls berating the blonde man in the blue suit that both Lana and Mia recognised as the runt from the restroom.
“And a final congratulations to our winners this year!” Professor Impalse said, raising her glass, which she had filled with her drink of choice rather lazily.
“And here’s to looking forward to what the ladies will create for the new wave of first years at next year’s ball!” The Dean laughed heartily and took off from the podium. Indeed, as promised, the lights went down, the disco ball lit up again, and the function room was filled with lights of all colours, spinning around like a miniature sun upon the crowd. Lana and Mia looked at the young men beside them suspiciously still.
“So, since you solved last year’s puzzle…” Mia mumbled. “You curated this year’s one?”
“Indeed we did. I can’t believe this guy’s stupid gamble worked…” The Auburn Punk crossed his arms and shook his head, his earrings dangling as he spoke.
“If anybody could solve the Dean’s Puzzle with nothing but a handful of clues, it would have been the honour student. It’s not that surprising,” the Calm Man shrugged. “Although… I hadn’t noticed the scholarship recipient had also snuck into the men’s room. That was a bonus.”
“Wait…” Lana’s lips parted. “You mean you intentionally fed us clues? To what end?”
“If Missy solved the puzzle, it could have gotten us into deep shit,” The Auburn Punk sighed. “We were responsible for setting it up, so if she blabbed about tricking Leigh into leaking information about it, it would have inadvertently involved us all.”
“Frankly, our first mistake was running the scheme through Leigh for his opinion before we submitted it.”
“In other words, ensuring somebody else solved the puzzle meant you got off scot-free,” Lana huffed. “Impressive.”
“Damn that scrawny bastard! It was a creative scenario we’d come up with, too…” The Auburn Man pouted.
“Indeed…” The Calm Man sighed, adjusting his glasses. “It is indeed a shame.”
“How did you even find that spot?” Lana raised her eyebrows.
“I suspect they were also looking for the janitor’s closet during last year’s ball,” Mia sniggered.
“Hm?” Lana looked at Mia only to see her don a mischievous grin. She looked back at the two men to find their cheeks had turned a soft shade of pink, arms crossed, and trying to avert their gaze.
“Oh!”
“Quit it!”
“You really can’t judge on appearance, huh?” Lana tilted her head.
“Indeed. He’s a big softy in general.”
“Hey!”
Mia chuckled, seeing the men banter, and looking up to see Lana, she could see a slight grin had formed on her face, too.
Lana’s smile was pretty. Lana was pretty.
The Calm Man turned to speak to Lana, but the words were a bit of a blur as Mia focused on nothing but Lana’s soft eyes, a warm, gentle gaze that had unfolded over this evening. Her words didn’t matter compared to her peachy lips, parting and connecting as she spoke. Perhaps a university life alongside Lana wouldn’t be too bad. And seeing that Lana Skye is in it, how bad can this city be?
Mia was right. First impressions are unreliable.