Blooming Life (Fate's Intent Book 10) (13 page)

“Why are you walking? Don’t you have a horse?”

“Oh no. We don’t keep animals but it’s okay. I like to walk.”

“Would you like me to give you a ride home? Where do you live?”

“Oh, no. That’s okay. It’s far. I couldn’t trouble you.”

“You’re not. I offered.”

“I’d really rather you not. I’m not really comfortable with the idea.”

“Me giving you a ride or being near your home?”

“Goodbye, Dirk. We have a duck waiting for us tomorrow.”

She walked passed me and my horse didn’t want to turn around to follow. He kept insisting that we press on so I gave in.

“I look forward to it. It will be delicious.”

She didn’t turn around to say anything. She just kept her ducked position and kept walking.

I was curious but didn’t want to push the matter and headed home. I could talk with her more tomorrow where she couldn’t walk away.

Chapter 25

Seth

Is it bad that Dirk was gone so long that I was getting concerned? We were having dinner now and his empty chair was next to me, just waiting for him.

“Don’t worry.” Darius said. “I’m sure everything is fine.”

He would be the one I expected to be concerned but he didn’t seem to be.

“It’s just taking him a long time. She doesn’t live that far.” I said.

“Maybe she invited him in.”

“Don’t even suggest it.” My father said.

“What? He’s nearly thirteen. I remember being thirteen.”

“You were a bit different.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked. Their conversation without us was getting to me.

“I was merely saying that he’s late getting home because he’s getting lucky.” Darius explained.

This conversation at the dinner table surprised me.

“You mean, having sex?”

“He can do that?” Bryce asked in awe or maybe even jealous of the fact.

“It’s part of growing up.” Troy said. “And soon it will be the only thing you want to do.”

“You really think he did it though?” I asked.

“Who did what?”

Dirk walked in to take his seat and we got quiet about it. I didn’t know how exactly I would feel asking it to his face.

“Where have you been?” Darius asked.

“Sorry, father. I escorted Janie home. Didn’t they tell you?”

“Yes.” I said. “But you took longer than expected.”

He kind of laughed and started eating. I was really curious now and no longer felt bothered by asking.

“What happened?”

“What do you mean? I just escorted her home.”

“Then why’d you take so long? Did you stay there?”

“No. We just talked for a minute. She wanted me to but I said no.”

“You said no?” Bryce’s voice was in disbelief.

Dirk took notice and also to how everyone was watching him. “What’s wrong with you? What did you think happened?”

“Nothing.” I said quickly. “Just interested.”

He looked around at us again and I think he was figuring our true question out for his own because he became really uncomfortable.

“Oh, no. Really? Are you trying to be completely embarrassing right now? Because you are whether you were trying or not. I didn’t. I swear.”

“Relax.” Darius laughed. “We were just curious due to your lateness.”

“And that was the only conclusion you came to? It wasn’t that perhaps I stopped to talk to someone else on my way back?”

“Who?” I asked.

“I saw Lynn walking home. I sit next to her in my Cuisine Study class.”

“Another girl?” Darius sounded surprised but I really wasn’t.

“She’s kind of an outsider and no one really seems to like her.”

“Does she have a deformity?” Troy asked.

“No. She’s quite pretty. She has hair like the color of Jaylyn’s but it’s straight.”

“You like someone that looks like my mother?” Bryce acted disgusted to hear it.

“Don’t act like you don’t know your mother is pretty.”

“It’s a completely different kind of pretty. There’s pretty and then there’s
pretty
. To me, my mother is the simplest form of pretty.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Dirk said, getting a little agitated having to compare pretties. “And I didn’t say she looked like her. They just have a similar shade of hair. Lynn’s eyes are a pale dusty blue, far from anything like your mother.”

“Why do people dislike her?” My father asked. “What’s her last name?”

“I don’t know that but her father is the memorial director.”

“That could be why.” Darius said. “A lot of people are uncomfortable thinking of a dead body.”

“You don’t seem to be.”

“We’re used to it but I’m glad you’re not taking society’s side and are getting to know her.”

“She’s nice and she can cook too. She might even be the best one in class, well—until I walked in of course. I don’t care what her father does for a living. Casting her out because of it is stupid.”

“We completely agree.”

“I don’t even think I can picture who you’re talking about.” I said.

“She keeps to herself and seems to like it that way. I offered to give her a ride home since she doesn’t have a horse but she refused rather uncomfortably.”

“Maybe that was just you.” Bryce joked.

Dirk nudged him. “It wasn’t. She was completely fine around me in class. I think it was because she didn’t want me to see where she lived and start to behave like everyone else. I wouldn’t of course but I let her have her space.”

“I’m becoming more impressed of you by the day.” Darius said.

“Thank you, father. Me too.”

I sighed, ready to end this meal. “Okay. That’s swell. I’m going to bed. Tomorrow is a big day. We’ll be talking to everyone about the new uniforms now that they like us again and hopefully get the High Master’s attention.”

“Sounds like you’ll have a full day.” My father said. “We give you our luck early.”

“Thank you, father. Goodnight.”

I left them to have whatever conversation they wanted and head up to my room with Rift unexpectedly following.

“Hey. I didn’t know you were in there, boy. You’re getting awfully sneaky, you know.” He just looked up at me while he kept pace but I still couldn’t hear him. “Come on. Let’s get to bed.”

Of course he continued to follow and we made it upstairs. All of the girl talk from dinner was starting to get me to think about Cadence. I haven’t gotten a letter from her yet so I decided to right her instead.

I didn’t have much to write about though. I just told her about things happening with the Royal Academy. If she was going to be my mother’s successor then I guessed that she knew about our gifts so I didn’t have to leave anything out. It could very well be possible that she heard the rumor about how it was now public knowledge.

I kept the letter fairly simple and ended it with my excitement to see her again without sounding too tremendously desperate. I didn’t want to come off that way but I did miss her and the other girls that like to keep my company could never fill it like she could.

Time wasn’t going by fast enough but I was going to have other things to occupy my time starting tomorrow.

I tried to plan it out perfectly but didn’t quite know how to plan things like this. Since we were all around liked, I was able to get support from everyone I had asked and the whole Academy was on my side. I just had to get the authority here onboard and thought to do it with showing them the actual uniforms on someone compared to the old.

“Janie, can I use your body?”

Her expression at the lunch table made me realize how it sounded.

“I mean, will you be willing to wear the new uniform when I present them to the High Master?”

“I get to be the first one to wear it?! Sure!” She sounded very excited after the momentary confusion.

“Good. Bryce you can wear the new one for the boys, I’ll be there for the comparison and Becca, would you be willing to be the comparison for the girls?”

“Sure, Seth. You’re jumping right on it, aren’t you? When?”

“This evening at the end of classes. Janie, I’ll find you so you can change and Bryce, well, you’ll already be with me.”

“Think he’ll go for it?” Janie asked.

“I hope so. I don’t want to wear this for another day which reminds me, Dirk, you should be there for the source of fire.” He didn’t respond. In fact, he wasn’t even looking. “Dirk?!”

“Hmm?” He turned his head quickly.

“Source of fire.” I said. “You being needed. Our social existence at stake.”

“Yeah. I’ll be there.”

He was distracted about something I wasn’t sure what but knew this wasn’t exactly the place to ask.

“Good. If everything goes as planned, I’ll be working on getting everyone’s uniform put together tonight after figuring out how many I’ll need.”

“A hundred and eighteen boys, ninety-six girls this year.”

I turned my surprised expression across the table at Kari.

“What? I’m good with numbers.”

“That’s helpful. Thank you. Let me write it down.” I jotted it on a tiny edge of the book next to me. “That will be a lot, won’t it?”

“Don’t act like it will be hard for you.” Bryce joked.

I smiled to the truth. Putting clothes together has always come easy to me and my range of gifts. I was confident that I could get it done swiftly.

The bell chimed and we headed off to our next class. It was almost nerve racking trying to wait out three more classes wearing this hideous excuse for attire. I hated wearing it and this better be for the last time. I had to be convincing. I expect him to object several times and had many arguments ready that I could use.

Those who needed to get ready did and were waiting outside of the High Master’s office until I was ready for them.

“I’ve never sat out here before.” Becca said.

“No?” I asked.

“One only would if they were in a serious amount of trouble.”

“Oh.” I should have guessed but it wasn’t making me nervous. I’ve had to sit out here before. “I’ll go in and will call you when needed.”

They nodded and I knocked confidently on the door.

“Enter.”

I went in as authorized and he was sitting behind his desk but not looking up.

“High Master?”

His eyes met mine. “Seth, this is a surprise. What do you need?”

“I was hoping that I may have a moment of your time and discuss a proposal.”

He seemed interested enough to start. “Oh, do state it. Please.”

“It’s in regards to updating the uniforms here.”

I used updating instead of changing, hoping he would hear me but he immediately shot it down. “No. I don’t think so.”

“Please, sir. Hear me out.”

He leaned back and took off his glasses as to give me his full attention but not without a brief lecture. “Listen, Seth. I understand that you’re new to all of this and you’re not used to not getting your way but this school is built on tradition and some things just simply can’t be changed.”

“Please. You haven’t even heard what I had to say.” He was silent enough that I went on. “I do understand that it’s built on tradition but it’s also built to give students a better future. A uniform change wouldn’t break tradition, it would simply just be reassembled for its time. This would boost the level of confidence among the students and increase productivity. They’d want to come here every day and not feel held back while doing it. You may see us as children but we’re here to grow into adults and should be able to have expression and creativity. The change I propose isn’t outrageous, flashy or vulgar. The color scheme has stayed the same to reflect the royalty of being Senian and the students would be proud to wear them. I already have their support.” I showed the list of signatures. “Now we just ask for yours.”

He was silent for what seemed like a long while. I wasn’t quite sure what he was thinking and wouldn’t have until he spoke again.

“You’ve put a lot of effort into this, haven’t you, my dear boy?”

“Yes, sir, I have.”

“I would assume you have something else to show me but a list of names.”

“I do, sir. A sample of what would become the new face of the Academy.”

“Let’s see them, shall we?”

I was surprised I got this far but I wasn’t turning back. “Yes, sir.”

I looked out the door and waved for Bryce first.

“This is the boys look.”

I designed the boys outfit to be pretty basic but still an image of Seni. White pants and boots with a silver shirt and two toned jacket that had the Academy’s patch on it.

Bryce turned without a word so he could see it all. The High Master said nothing but waved him out and I brought in Janie next. He had a more expressive reaction and raised his old eyebrows.

I had her dressed in a pair of white boots just below the knee, a white pleated skirt just above the knee, a silver ruffled shirt with a white short jacket. It had the patch on it as well except this outfit was donned with a white seashell and silver pearl belt.

“Thank you, Janie.” I said.

She only nodded and left the room for me to deal with the rest.

“Well, I must say. I did not expect any of that.”

“Is that your only opinion?”

He sat for a while. It might have been his pride holding him back but I knew he liked them.

“I have only a few concerns. Our school is run solely off the tuition and donations of the people. I am unsure if we could fund such a change of this magnitude. The belt I saw on that young lady would set us back a few hundred years.”