Alex didn't see Matthew again until he spotted him at his usual table during lunch. As Alex sat by himself while Jack made his usual rounds, he made a point of searching the table for some of the other scholarship students he had seen in his classes. He found the freckled boy from chemistry, the brunette that had been in his European history class, and the Korean girl from trigonometry. They all looked much more at ease at their lunch table than they had in the classrooms.
"Guess there's safety in numbers, huh?" An unfortunately familiar voice chimed from behind Alex. He thought about not turning to acknowledge her, but before he could decide she sat down in the empty chair beside him and put her arm around his shoulders. "How are you, Alexander?"
"Fine," he muttered, finally turning his head to look at her. "How are you, Hannah?"
"You know, I've been better." She angled herself so that she was sitting sideways in her chair, the front of her body facing him. She crossed her legs, and she was so close to him that her knee brushed up against his thigh. He tried not to pay attention to the fact that her uniform skirt was much shorter than it was meant to be.
"Why's that?"
"Look, I know we're supposed to be all highly evolved and civilized about this. My parents have certainly reminded me of that enough times. But. . . Well, what's the point of being in a club if they just let anyone in?"
"And what is the true value of a club if all you need for membership is a big check and the right family name?"
Hannah's mouth turned up a little at one end. "You come up with that one?"
"I'm paraphrasing my uncle."
"Did he believe that when he said it?"
"You'd have to ask him."
"While I'm at it, I can ask him why he's being so paranoid about Mary Somers' party."
"Ah. So that's what you want."
"I know you're more or less ambivalent to social functions, but come on. Even you make your way to this one every year."
"Jack drags me."
"It's practically an institution at this point. A cherished Conrad tradition."
"It's an excuse to get drunk and hook up. I'm sure you can find other ways to do that." Alex glanced over at the table where Hannah's friends were. Norah and Kaylee were watching them with big grins and intense interest. Isaac and James had their backs turned to them, both too busy with their food. Warren was pushing around food on his plate while he read a book. There was a fourth boy today, one a grade above them named Andrew Teller. He was sitting next to James but had his body fully facing the two of them. Even from a distance, jealousy was visible in his eyes. "Looks like you have someone for that already."
Hannah looked back at the table for half a second before shrugging. "Eh. He's starting to bore me, honestly," she said, moving her hand to play with the ends of Alex's curls. "Was hoping to find better options on Saturday."
"There's nothing I can do, Hannah. If anyone should know that, it's you."
"And if anyone should know a place on campus where they'd never check for a party, it would be you."
"What, do you think there's a crypt under the library or something?"
"I'm not asking for passageways behind bookshelves. Just an old building tucked out of the way, maybe. One most people have forgotten about."
"I don't think it matters where the party is. They'll just do a dorm check, and you'll all get in trouble anyways."
"The point isn't to stay out of trouble, Alexander," Hannah said slowly, pulling on his hair hard enough for it to be slightly uncomfortable. "It's to make sure we have a fair shot at getting into trouble. And they can't shut down a party they can't find. Besides, if we keep it in the old family circle, we shouldn't have to worry about the whole reason they want to kill the party in the first place."
"As if any of us are any good at keeping a secret like that."
"Look, if you don't want to come, don't. Let those of us who want to have some fun worry about getting in trouble. Do you know a place or not?"
Alex sighed. He should just say no. If his uncle found out he helped them with their party operation it would bring more trouble than it was worth. But then he thought about how disappointed Jack had been that morning. Maybe it would be better for the atmosphere if the party went ahead. That way old family students would have less to complain about. One less thing they would blame the scholarship students for.
"It's small," he decided to say, maybe against his better judgment. "A lot smaller than the library. But. . . there's an old chapel. Behind the apple grove that's past the stables. It's not on any modern maps. They built it back when my family was going through a Christian phase. It hasn't been used since the 20s."
"Does your uncle know about it?"
"I doubt it. I only do because Oliver mentioned it to me."
"Who?"
"The head groundskeeper." Hannah looked at him with vacant eyes. "Yeah, my uncle has probably never spoken with him either. So, I'd bet you're safe. I don't know if that building is, though. I don't think anyone has-"
Alex cut himself off when Hannah suddenly leaned in and kissed him on his jawline, a little too close to his neck. He stiffened as soon as she made contact. He was about to ask her what that was for when he spotted out of the corner of his eye Baptiste and Eloise walking by. Eloise was looking at the two of them with a puzzled, maybe even slightly hurt, expression.
"Can I help you, love?" Hannah asked her, in what was probably the most condescending tone she could manage.
Eloise didn't answer her, she just looked at Alex. He was suddenly aware of how much they must have looked like a couple to anyone who didn't know them. Her arm was around his shoulder. Her practically sitting on his lap. The kiss.
Alex just gave what he hoped was a friendly smile and waved. Eloise didn't return either, instead looping her arm through Baptiste's and walking over to their table to join Matthew Montoya and their other friends.
"You know her?" Hannah asked, loud enough for them to hear as they walked away.
"We spoke before school started," Alex said, much more quietly. "When I first got here."
"You should be careful."
"Of what?"
"Well, I know your family must have told you to be kind to them. Can't have the future head of the empire going off on his subjects, after all. Not with the kind of empire they're trying to build, at least. Just be careful that they don't get the wrong idea. You're on completely different levels. They need to remember that. You need to remember that."
Alex could feel himself starting to heat up out of anger, so he grabbed Hannah's arm and unwrapped himself from her hold before he hurt her. "You kissed me to make him jealous, didn't you?" He said, deciding not to touch her comment. "Andrew, I mean."
"Hm. Half right," Hannah admitted.
"Why? Why try to get the attention of someone who's boring you?"
"Maybe he's more interesting when he feels like he has something to prove. Aren't you going to ask what the other half was?"
"I have a feeling I don't want to know."
Hannah put up a hand to Alex's face and cupped his chin. "Kaylee and Norah have been in a foul mood today," she whispered, tracing a line down from his jaw to his collarbone. He was sure she could feel his skin heating up enough to be uncomfortable to touch. "So, I wanted to cheer them up. They both think you look adorable when you're embarrassed."
She suddenly pulled her hand away and shot to her feet, making it very easy for Alex to see the twins in question. They were both still watching with intense interest, and now they were giggling. One of them- he still wasn't sure which- caught him staring and wiggled her fingers in a wave. He looked away before he could get even more embarrassed.
"Thanks for the tip, Alexander," Hannah said, brushing a hand along the back of Alex's neck one last time before walking away. He tried not to shudder at how much her nails felt like spider legs. He wasn't sure if that had been meant to anger Andrew or entertain the twins, but when he glanced over at them it was clear it accomplished both goals.
Hannah walked past her table and over to where Mary Somers sat, which also happened to be where Jack was parked for the moment. She must have been explaining the plan for the chapel because suddenly Jack jumped up and rushed over to Alex.
"Dude, how have you never told me about this place?" Jack asked as he crashed into the seat next to him.
"Because Oliver said it was haunted," Alex said, pushing him away when his chair started to tilt toward him, "and I knew you would want to see it."
"You don't believe in ghosts."
"I don't believe in them."
Jack took a second to process the double negative before shaking his head. "Whatever, we're going to the party."
"They'll get caught."
"Only if they do a bed check."
"And why on Earth wouldn't they, if the whole point is to stop the party?"
"Okay, fine, they'll get caught. So what? It'll at least take them some time to find us. We can have fun until they bust it up."
"I never have fun at that thing. You go. Enjoy a chugging beer in a probably haunted, definitely structurally unsound, dusty old chapel."
"Tsk. Such a grumpy old man you are," Jack muttered, settling into his seat. "So instead, you're going to, what? Pour yourself a cup of tea while you watch Columbo reruns. Turn in at seven?"
"What is Columbo?"
"Wow. You're not even current enough to know old people's pop culture."
"I don't think Matthew Montoya would let me sleep that early anyways."
Jack craned his neck and looked toward the table with the scholarship students. "Alright, which one is he?"
"I feel like it might be better if you don't know."
"What if I just wanna talk?"
"I'll leave it up to fate, it doesn't feel right pointing out a target to their assassin."
"Please, this guy does not deserve your protection."
"Go over there and ask yourself, then."
"Hmm. I think they might all scatter if I approach them. Hey!" Jack suddenly shot out his hand to get the attention of a server. "Can I get the special?"
Luckily the thought of food made him want to drop the discussion about Matthew because he didn't bring him up again. Even though he hadn't seen him all day, Alex had been hearing his flatmate's name plenty. Karina Dole in his European history class had sat next to him in her first class of the day. She gossiped with her friends about how he was quieter than she expected, and how she couldn't decide if he looked cuter with or without his glasses on. Dominic Allman in Trigonometry had his second class with him and mentioned how the Chemistry professor had called on him to answer somewhat advanced questions, and every time he didn't hesitate and gave the right answer.
Of course, he was intelligent. He couldn't have done that well on the school exam if he wasn't. There had been rumors around that he cheated somehow, but Alex never believed them. The testing centers were monitored too much. And it was hard for him to imagine that his family couldn't find evidence of cheating if that's what he did. Lord knows they tried. Wouldn't that be the greatest victory for them? The one who started all this nonsense about equity-based it all on a lie. Maybe all you outsiders are cheats too. Maybe we were right to say you don't belong in the first place.
Alex was almost surprised his family didn't try to frame Matthew Montoya.
In addition to Karina's gossip and Dominic's confirmation that yeah, he was probably just that smart, Alex had heard a fair share of cruel things. Insults and slurs, threats of violence under breaths. Just like when he saw Eloise and Baptiste in the morning, it made his anger and frustration fade away. Matthew was under pressure and hostility that Alex could not begin to understand. As far as he was concerned Alex was part of the group causing it. How could Alex stay resentful? Alex was only really being inconvenienced by him. Matthew was being harassed much more severely and frequently.
Doesn't give him the right to act like a twat, his inner voice reminded him as he snuck a glance at Matthew's table for the tenth time in twelve minutes.
"That word's a bit harsh," he argued back under his breath.
"What word?" Jack asked around a mouthful of the meal that was brought to him without Alex noticing.
"Just an insult from my lesser half."
"Directed at me?"
"No, Matthew Montoya."
"Then your lesser half is not being too harsh. Maybe he's even your better half right now."
"Great, now that'll give him an ego. Thanks."
"What does he say about me?"
"I don't think I should tell you."
Jack frowned with a displeased hum. "Fine. Keep your secrets."
"Well, what does your lesser half think of me?"
"Nothing I haven't already told you."
"Is your lesser half that nice or are you just that mean?"
Jack pondered that question around another bite of food. "Both, probably," he said. "You should let your mean side out more, though. I feel like it would be entertaining to see how everyone reacts to him."
"I'll save it for when your boredom reaches truly dire levels."
"Might happen sooner than you think. Especially since you're making us take this stupid drawing class next."
"Hey, you're the one who put off getting your art requirement fulfilled. It was this or art history. With Professor Turner, too."
Jack brushed off Alex's very fair point and continued to complain about their Intro to Drawing class. He kept at it through the rest of their meal time, and even on the walk to the art building and through its winding hallways. He didn't stop until they walked into the classroom, and they both spotted a familiar girl sitting at an easel by the window. Eloise.
"I take back everything I just said," he whispered. "This class is perfect."
"Glad to see you're a man dedicated to his principles," Alex teased, but Jack wasn't listening. He was already halfway to reaching Eloise's side. Alex followed after him, hoping his friend wasn't about to cause an incident. He caught up just as Jack was getting Eloise's attention.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked, gesturing to the empty stool and easel beside her.
Eloise had been fiddling with the hem of her skirt, but at Jack's question, she raised her head to reveal a guarded expression. It didn't change when she saw it was Jack who had spoken.
"No, it's not," she said simply, and instead of inviting him to sit or shooing him away, she just turned her attention back to her skirt.
"Do you mind if I sit here?"
"Does it matter what I mind?"
"To me, yeah."
The words combined with Jack's earnest tone made Eloise look up in surprise. She seemed to notice Alex standing there for the first time, and her guarded expression softened slightly.
"Then yes," Eloise said after a beat of silence. There was a bit of a playful challenge in her tone. "I do mind.
She and Jack stared each other down for a couple of seconds before he nodded. "And I respect your wishes," Jack said, doing his best not to let his wounded pride show. "So, I will sit next to my very good friend," Jack quickly scanned the room that was slowly filling up with students, "Warren! Hey buddy, how you doing?"
Jack rushed away to sit next to Warren, who looked slightly confused by his enthusiasm. Alex was about to say goodbye to Eloise and join them when she spoke again.
"If you wanted to sit here, though," she said quietly, not quite looking him in the eye, "I wouldn't mind that much."
"Really?" Alex said.
"Only if you want to."
Alex glanced around the room as more students filed in. So far, Eloise was the only scholarship student there. He suddenly remembered that freckled boy from chemistry, how he had wished that Matthew Montoya would walk in and sit with him. To make him feel less alone and resented. How at the time he had ignored the part of him that kept asking a pretty obvious question.
Why don't you do it?
"Sure," he said before he could convince himself not to. He sat down on the stool next to her, but it wasn't long before a slightly uncomfortable silence fell over them. "How, um, how has your day been so far?"
"Oh, fine," she said, not sounding at all like she meant it. "I've only been called a runt eight times so far, and a couple was even under people's breath."
Alex winced at that word, a loaded insult that even his mother avoided using in public. "I'm sorry."
"Your cousin was in my gym class. Julia, right? She's a piece of work."
"I know."
"Do you know your girlfriend is too?"
"My what?"
Eloise looked at him with raised eyebrows, as if she couldn't believe he was trying to play dumb about what she was talking about. By the time he realized she must mean Hannah, their instructor walked in to begin the lesson. It wasn't until she went over the basics of perspective, shading, and proportions and set them up sketching bottles that he could talk to Eloise again.
"Hannah Palmer isn't my girlfriend," Alex told her, completely unprompted. Still, Eloise got that they were continuing where they had been interrupted.
"You don't need to lie, Alexander, you're allowed to date whoever you want. I just didn't think you would go for a girl like her, but hey. I guess even the best of men have their follies."
"She's not ."
"She was in your lap, Alex. You two would have looked less like a corny couple if you had been snogging." Eloise flushed slightly, probably realizing her tone sounded a bit harsh and judgmental. "But it's- Well, it's your business, isn't it? I know I wouldn't want a stranger criticizing my choice of a romantic partner. Even if it was shite."
Alex suppressed a smile and shook his head again. "Ellie, I'm serious. Hannah Palmer. . . Well, she's my fiancée, but she's not my girlfriend. We've been engaged since we were in primary school. She's always scared me a little, and I think she knows it. She likes to tease me, to entertain herself. And her friends. Plus, she likes to make whoever she's seeing at the time jealous. That's what she was doing when you saw us in the dining hall."
"Oh. That's good," Eloise said with a smile, but it vanished as she suddenly got embarrassed over her relief. "I mean, it's good that you... Well, it's good to know you're a man with a... With better taste than that."
"Thanks, I guess. Did... did Hannah do something to you?"
Eloise looked down at her skirt again. Alex noticed that unlike Hannah and a lot of the other girls in their year, she didn't wear it well above her knees. She didn't even wear it at her knees, where the dress code said it should be, but a couple of inches below.
"Honestly, she wasn't much worse than the mean girls at my old school," she muttered without looking up. "Making cracks about my weight or my nose or my hair. Guess old family wyverns just have a bit more ammo to throw at me than skinny racist white girls, huh?"
"I'm sorry you've had to deal with that."
"Oh, you learn to drown most of it out, eventually. Her type is, unfortunately, very common." Eloise raised her head, but this time looked at Jack instead of Alex. "He's a bit different than I was expecting, though. He's a Farrow?"
"He is. And he's being genuine, in case you're wondering. He thinks you're pretty."
Eloise snorted out a laugh. "He does not," she said, sounding quite sure of herself.
"Well, he said hot, but I thought you might think that was rude."
"What makes you think he's being genuine, then? That he's not trying to pull a joke on me, like poor Carrie?"
"Carrie?" Alex asked, suddenly confused. She said the name like she was a mutual acquaintance.
"Carrie. You know, from the movie? It came out almost fifteen years ago, I think. Well, I guess it was a book first."
"I don't get to watch a lot of films."
"Well, long story short the popular kids wait until she feels like she's fitting in to humiliate her. And I've had enough narcissistic boys try to ask me out to stand me up before, so if that's what Jonathan Farrow is trying to play at"
"No, no. He just thinks you're pretty, promise. He would never do that to a girl, he likes you all too much."
"Even a girl like me?"
"Maybe especially," Alex guessed. "His best friend from America is a girl named Miranda Singh. She's not old family either."
"Singh," Eloise repeated, before scrunching her nose. "God, he's not got a thing for Indian girls, does he? I've dealt with guys like that too, and I think I'd rather he was pulling a prank.
"No, I..." Alex hesitated, glancing over at Jack. Despite his earlier complaining he looked very engrossed in his bottle drawing. "I don't... I don't think so."
"You don't sound very confident."
"He did seem overly invested as to whether or not my cousins from New Delhi were going to attend Conrad this year."
"There it is."
"He's not so bad. Once you get to know him. Being a Farrow comes with a lot of pressure."
"Yeah, I wouldn't know anything about what it's like being under a lot of pressure."
"Right. Sorry."
Eloise sighed and darkened some of the lines on her bottle sketch. "It's not your fault. Sorry, I'm not angry with you, it's just... I had convinced myself that all the ones going on about how we don't belong here were the minority. That they were just being loud, and once we got here there would be more kind people than cruel. But I think you're the only old family who's spoken to me with anything more positive than apathy in their voice. Unless you want to count Farrow and his dubious intentions. I mean, even the professors are giving us the cold shoulder. A couple has been outright malicious. And when Julia Conrad and your 'not-girlfriend' were being cruel, the girls who weren't laughing with them either just watched or walked away. Maybe it was stupid of me to expect any different."
"I don't think it's stupid to expect better from people."
"Naïve, then."
"Brave, I think."
Eloise let out another snort of laughter, this time loud enough to draw the attention of a few students around the room. Eloise let her hair hide her face until most of them looked away. Alex noticed Jack's intense focus had shifted from his drawing to them.
"Sorry," Eloise said once most people stopped looking, "but that just sounded incredibly corny."
"Well, I'm not sure what else you would call choosing to deal with our lot."
"Daft was what my friends back home called it. Part of me thinks they're right, but a bigger part of me sees red at the thought of these pricks getting what they want. Besides," Eloise smiled coyly and leaned in to whisper, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little satisfied with being the reason you guys are getting your rich kid fun taken away from you. Like this party of yours that we killed."
"You've heard about that?"
"What's the deal with it, anyways? I mean, where do you even have a party like that at a boarding school? I'm guessing it's not chaperoned."
"No, it's not. But the staff has never tried to shut it down. At least, not since I've been here. It's a bit of an unofficial tradition. Mary Somers' grandfather started it. And there's been at least one Somers in attendance here every year since, so they always take the lead on putting it on. I think it just started in the dormitories, but now it's so big and non-secretive that they hold it in the library. It even closes early for the day so they can get everything set up. Well, it did."
"So your family is stopping it for the first time?"
"They worry about how unchaperoned events will go this year. The threat of getting in trouble is the only thing stopping a lot of people from throwing more than insults around. My uncle has made it clear that few people could get away with starting trouble. He's terrified of the negative press any physical altercations would bring. Honestly, anyone other than my cousins and Jack would be expelled if they tried anything."
"What about you?" Eloise said, clearly joking.
"I think my mother would kill me for making them look bad before she let my uncle expel me," he answered, hoping his serious answer would sound like a joke too. "Anyways, he's worried that if he lets the party go on as usual, and any scholarship students try to come-"
"Without any adults watching, we'll be dead meat within minutes?"
"Something like that, yeah. They could make it an actual school event, with chaperones. But then they would also have to, you know, actually chaperone it. Get rid of the drinks and the drugs and the hooking up."
"All the things people go to the party for."
"Yeah."
"Are your friends still going to try to do it?"
Alex ignored the little bit of discomfort he felt at anyone other than Jack being called his friend. "Probably," he said. "We don't do well with being told no, do we?"
"Are you going?"
"No."
"You don't like parties? Or you don't want to get in trouble?"
"Let's say both."
"I thought all old families did was host and throw extravagant parties," Eloise said in an exaggerated posh accent that reminded Alex too much of his late grandmother.
"We do. Though they're very different than the Somers school party. More of a bore to get through, though honestly a bit easier for me. Fewer opportunities for me to make a fool of myself, if only just."
"I'm sure you do better than you think you do, at both kinds."
"Oh, you'd take that back in a heartbeat if you ever saw me at one."
"Maybe we should throw a party," Eloise mused. "It's just scholarship students in McAvoy. Would we get in trouble?"
"Well, since it's a Saturday it's not lights out until 2 AM. So, as long as you don't get caught with any contraband you wouldn't be breaking any rules."
"Hmm, I kind of like this idea... Would you want to come?"
Alex was in the middle of shading his very bad bottle drawing, and the surprise at Eloise's question made him snap the graphite on his pencil.
"Is that," he stuttered out, "I mean- Are you inviting me?"
"You don't have to," Eloise said quickly, and Alex worried she had mistaken his surprise for the offense. "I mean, you just said you don't like parties, didn't you? Just, in case it was because of like, the drinking or something- I mean I have friends who aren't comfortable with all that. But Taika brought her Super Nintendo so we'll probably just end up playing games all night. Have you played Mario Kart before? I mean I think it only just came out in Japan so probably not, but- I'll stop talking now."
Alex blinked as his head spun from not being able to understand most of the second half of Eloise's speech. "Nintendo is... video games, right?" Alex said, vaguely remembering the cartoon characters in Matthew's magazines.
Eloise smiled, a bit more at ease than she had been a second ago. At least his pop culture ignorance was good for something. "Yes, it is," she said, clearly trying not to chuckle. "I take it you've never played one before?"
"No, I haven't."
"Maybe you can come give it a try then. We could even make you watch a film or two."
"I..." Alex felt warm at the thought of that, in a way different than the one he was used to. One that didn't make him afraid of burning anyone standing too close. It turned icy when he remembered who he was, and who he was talking to. "Thank you," he said, hoping he sounded genuine and not just polite. Nice, as Matthew Montoya would probably put it. "Really. But, well, I don't think I'd be very welcome."
"Hey, most of us are just scared of you. If you treat them the same way you've been treating me and Baptiste, they'll warm up to you. For the most part."
"I wouldn't want anyone to feel like their space is being encroached on."
"By 'anyone', you mean Matt, don't you?"
"Not just. But yes."
"Maybe you two just need a good party to warm up to each other. Me and Baptiste will back you up, you'll be away from old family eyes." Alexander was about to try and decline again, but Eloise must have been able to read that in his expression. "Just think about it, okay?"
"... Okay," Alex decided to say. Liar, his lesser half snapped at him.
"And I promise I won't take it personally if you don't come. I just don't want you to feel like you have to stay away just because of Matt."
"Well, whether or not I go, I hope you all enjoy yourselves."
"I hope we all make it to Saturday," Eloise sighed. "I can't believe today isn't even over yet."
"What class do you have next?"
"Chemistry. With... Professor Carlisle."
"She's nice. You should be alright."
"What about you?"
"PE."
Eloise's face suddenly scrunched into a grimace, as she had just seen a particularly bad car wreck. "Uh-oh."
"What? What's wrong?" Alex looked around suddenly, afraid one of the other students had done something. But none of them were doing anything worse than shooting them snide glances.
"No, no," Eloise said, putting a hand on Alex's arm to calm him down. Alex noticed Jack still watching them, and when he saw the physical contact he smiled in a way that made Alex heat up in a bad way. He brought his embarrassment down before he could hurt Eloise and resisted the urge to throw something at his friend. She didn't seem to notice the heat or their exchange. "It's just that I think Matthew mentioned he had that next too."
"Oh," Alex said, at first relieved. And then, when he realized what that meant, a much less enthusiastic, "Oh."
"You two haven't shared a class at all yet, right?"
"No, I haven't seen him all day outside of the dining hall."
"Maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe you'll have some male bonding over football or something."
"Yeah, maybe."
Alex could feel his lesser half getting ready for a quip before it even came. He was going to have to give him a name if he was going to keep being this vocal.
If you two become football mates, he said, then I'll become the next queen of fucking England.