Chapter 1
P.O.V
Molly
The hallways of Stonebridge, a school for witches of which I was not, were empty this late at night. I held my project in my hand as I went up the last flight of stairs to my dorm. It was one of the special apartment dorms the professors stayed in, but because I was the only one of my kind and over eighteen with no plan to ever leave, I got to stay in one of the two extra-bedroom apartment dorms. I set the box full of books for my project on transfiguration on the ground and unlocked the apartment door. The lights were all on, and there were boxes everywhere. What I thought. I put my bag and box down next to the door and walked around. I could hear shuffling from the bathroom. “Hello,” I called, no answer. “Hello, “ I said again as the bathroom door opened. There stood a very tall, very muscular woman in a black tank top and gym shorts, running a towel through her black hair. “Um.. who are you ?” I said, taking my glasses off to clean them because the steam of the shower made them foggy. “ I’m ash you must be Molly, sorry my stuff is everywhere, I’m kinda new to this whole sharing a space thing.” I pushed my glasses back on my nose. “Sharing a space?” “Ya, I’m your new roommate, didn’t miss snow tell you?” Miss Snow, meaning my aunt, who couldn’t remember what she ate for breakfast, was always forgetting important things to tell me. “No?” she smiled, “ ya well, I’m your new roommate, and if you would excuse me, I have a four-thirty run tomorrow, so I’d better get to bed.” She passed me and walked down the hallway and into her room, shutting the door behind her.
P.O.V
Ash
I had never meant to be rude, barely talking to her before going to my room, but my claws had started descending; I could feel it. I rubbed my hands together to build up a sensation that would make my claws go in. I stepped over the boxes and made my way to my bed in the corner of the room. I lay down my feet just barely not hanging off the edge, dang, I was tall, I thought
I opened the window that was above the bed a little to let the breeze in. I fell asleep watching the moon glisten.
I awoke to my alarm blaring in my ear. “You have got to be fucking with me, I just fell asleep,” I yelled at the alarm, hitting it with my pillow. The alarm still blared. I rolled out of bed and pressed the button, turning the alarm off. I changed into my leggings, tank, and running shoes and walked out the door. I found Molly lying on the couch with books everywhere. Her glasses hung off her face. She was snoring lightly as she slept. I grabbed a blanket from the basket, took her glasses off, grabbed the book, and covered her. Her white-gray hair tied up in a messy bun glowed in the light of the lamp. I grabbed a granola bar and a water bottle and shut off the lamp. I had just barely opened the front door when I heard a small voice from behind me. “Thank you, Ash, you’re not as scary as everyone says, and I think you’re going to be a wonderful roommate.”
I walked out of the dorm six building as the lighters glowed in the musky morning. I walked down the path and out the gate and into the unlit side of the woods. I walked till i found a clearing. Professor Albert stood in the clearing in his running clothes and rain jacket. I walked over to him.
“Morning, Al, “I said with a smile. “Good morning, my darling Ash, “ he said, playing with the binder in his hands. He opened it and grabbed his pen.
“Go run as fast as you can around the woods seventeen times, then we will talk about your next steps of training, “ and off I went
P.O.V
Molly
A breeze blew through the apartment as a note landed on my face. My cousin Emma’s preferred means of communication was letters. I opened the letter
Hey, cuz, I know it’s Saturday, but can you come by the apartment? Mom wants to talk to you.
I got off the couch and hurried to get ready before walking all the way across campus to the dorm nine building I lifted my hand to knock but Emma opend the door before I could “ thank god your here” she grabed my arm and dragged me inside aunt kay was sitting on the couch waiting for me “ hey “ I said planting myself in a chair . “ so your getting a new roommate and she’s uh..”
“Ash Conner, the girl everyone is scared of,” I said. They both looked at me, confused
“ she moved in last night “ I said “ well it was supposed to be tomorrow that she was moving In but the date must have gotten mixed up going from me to headmaster to Albert but be kind please she’s been through a lot in the last nine years she deserves a friendship that isn’t built on lies “ Kay said emma smiled “ why do I feel like I’m not being told the whole story?” “ because you arnt but I’m not aloud to tell you the information your missing for the safety and sanity of ash herself, if you want to know the whole story it’s ashes to tell” emma grunted “ she wont even tell me and she tells me everything” i smiled then a confused look washed over emmas face
“Isn’t the portal trip tomorrow ?”
P.O.V
Ash
The portal trip. I hadn’t seen Molly all day, so I assumed she had left earlier that morning to go on the portal trip. This time, the portal trip was for two weeks instead of just the day, and the campus would be pretty empty besides me and Al, who preferred not to leave Snuggles the cat in my hands, seeing as the cat hated me with a passion. I lay on the couch with the VHS player playing a comedy show called Cray and Friends. The TV was only allowed when the portal trip was happening; other than that, there were no electronics besides the wall phone that could only call each dorm room’s main office. Our apartment was cozy with blankets and chairs filling the living room to the brim. I guess it made Molly feel safe enough to live by herself. The kitchen was always stocked with food, and the dining hall workers came by once a week to fill the apartment dorms’ pantries, but this week, all the workers were on the trip except Al. The front door opened, and I expected it to be Al, who said he was coming by later to let me try some of his Japanese snacks he had gotten in the mail, but it was Molly. A confused look washed over her face. “What are you doing here? “ we both said at the same time. She giggled, “Well, I felt like leaving my home, where I feel safe and comfortable, for two weeks was a horrendous choice.”
I smiled and got up to help her with her box, which was full of romcom VHS tapes.
“You had the same plan,” I said, pulling out Love on the Rocks, a gay movie. “You seem to love anything that has romance. I’m more of a comedy person," ” Ash" smiled softly, “ ya?”
“Why are you here and not on the trip?” “Because...” my voice low, “I don’t trust myself, “ she smiled and unpacked the rest of her romcoms onto the counter as she thought for a moment.
“Well then, we are just going to have to have a fun time together. I will get the popcorn.”
