"Mary?"
I blinked again before turning back to Ms. Duval who looked worried. I looked back at the door, but there was no sign that someone had been there.
Was I hallucinating? What was happening to me?
"Are you alright?" she asked, standing up. "I can call the nurse in if you don't feel good." I felt her hands on my shoulders. "Lie down, I'll get someone to attend to you."
But I couldn't move or offer any response. Not after what I'd seen. Goosebumps littered my arms. The only thing keeping me grounded was the pressure of Ms. Duval's hold on me.
"Mary," she called softly.
My head was a mess. Was that a ghost or was it just my imagination? "It's fine. I need to get back to class," I stuttered.
I wasn't sure if I could tell her what I'd seen. After all she'll call me crazy and tell me it was all in my head.
The only person that would believe me was Charlotte. I had to tell her.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going back to my class." I made for the door, half expecting her to call me back. She didn't.
I met Charlotte waiting in the courtyard, she fell into step beside me.
"Is everything okay? Did she say she was going to tell the sisters?" She must've seen the confusion on my face. "About the kiss."
"I don't think she will. But, there's something much more important. I think I saw a ghost that looked like me." I stumbled over my words because I couldn't quite understand it myself. "I think it was the other Mary."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I know what I saw. She was standing at the door and then she disappeared in the blink of an eye. Do you think she's back to haunt me?"
"I don't think ghosts exist if that's what you're asking. And even if it was really her ghost, why would she appear to you? And why now?"
"I'd be damned if I had the answer to that."
"Let's just go to class. We've already missed most of it. We'll talk when we get back to the room."
All eyes turned to me when I entered the class. It was that same judgemental stare everyone had given back at the courtyard. Like I was guilty of some sin I did not know.
The uniform of white long sleeved shirt with a tie and a pleated skirt didn't seem all bad until now. It seemed dull.
I sat down beside Charlotte, ignoring the chatter that swept over the room. Talking about me no doubt.
There was no need to pay attention to the class since I didn't really belong here. That was what I thought until the teacher called my name.
"Mary Blackthorne Isolde."
I looked at the teacher. "Just Mary Blackthorne."
"Isolde," the teacher repeated, like she didn't hear me. "I've not gotten your project proposal from last semester. Submit it today so we can move on with the group project this week."
The woman was old, with grey hair already sprouting. She looked familiar but I've never seen her since I came to this world.
I raised my hand. "I think you're mixing me up with the other Mary. I resumed this semester."
"It's a fail for you if I don't see it on my desk before the end of this week. And for the rest of you, I'll let you pick your group partners. Minimum of three and a maximum of five in each group. Submit your names after you're done."
I turned to Charlotte. "She thinks I'm the old Mary, I wasn't even here last semester," I whispered to her. "I can't do assignments that were meant for Mary. She's gone, everything about her should be gone too. And my middle name isn't even Isolde."
"Then what's your middle name? You can tell the teacher so she'll change it."
I tried to remember but came up with nothing. "I don't think I have one."
"You can just go along with it. I mean, it's just assignments. It's not a big deal."
"It is a big deal," I replied, annoyed that she didn't realize how big of an issue it was. "If I start doing her assignments and answering her name then I'll become a mere replacement for someone that's dead."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't see the problem here. I mean you're already kissing her girlfriend. You made yourself real cozy the moment you got here. I'd say you're pretty good at taking her place."
"Charlotte and Mary, keep it down. Unless you want detention," the teacher's voice boomed.
I turned away, her words ringing continuously in my head.
'You're pretty good at taking her place'.
Is that what was happening?
I waited until the teacher was gone before going to the front desk. I flipped through the class register, looking for my name.
The only thing I saw was 'Mary Isolde Blackthorne'. That was her name, mine wasn't on the register.
Attendance for the week I'd supposedly started classes were all marked under her name. Then it dawned on me, nobody had bothered to remove the dead girl's name.
Technically they'd continued with me, like I was a substitute instead of my own person. And everyone else was fine with it.
.
.
The rest of the classes went in a blur. Other teachers had reminded me of past assignments that I was yet to submit. It was useless reminding every single one of them that I wasn't the old Mary.
I needed to leave this school, this world, before I lost myself.
"Mary, it's time for lunch," Charlotte said when the final bell rang. "Are you coming?"
"I thought you were angry with me?" I asked, standing up. "And what's that about kissing Mary's girlfriend?"
She bent down, her mouth close to my ear so others won't hear. "Ms. Duval. There was something going on between them, the entire school was talking about it."
That was where the memories of love letters, and dark library corners came from. I'd remembered it when Ms. Duval kissed me.
"It was all speculation but I knew it to be true. She was sneaking off in the middle of the night and coming back early in the morning. I'd watch her exchange glances with Ms. Duval during classes."
She grabbed my hand, leading me out of the class.
"A classmate walked in on them once, in Ms. Duval's office. The school board was going to expel her. I wanted to confess before she was gone. But then…you know how the story goes."
"Expel? And Ms. Duval? Was she going to leave too?"
Charlotte shook her head. "I don't think so. Everyone thought it was unfair that Mary was the only one being punished. Let's continue after we get our food, I don't want anyone to hear us."
We stood in line for a couple minutes before finding an empty table at the back. The food looked unappetizing so I pushed it around my plate before pushing the tray away.
"That's why you have to stay away from Ms. Duval. She's a lot of trouble. I saw what happened after she sent me out."
Yeah, but something else bothered me. "That night after you kissed Mary, do you know where she went?"
"She was going to see Ms. Duval, something about her final goodbye."
"Then something must've happened during the time she left the room and met with Ms. Duval. I don't think she killed herself because of you. If she was the only one being punished between the two, then she'd think it was unfair."
Charlotte was about to answer when a tray with food was slammed down in front of me. Its contents splashing all over me. Having potatoes and gravy on your face and hair wasn't very delightful.
It was the same classmate that had punched me.
"Oops, I didn't see you there." She giggled.
This time she was followed by her small group of minions. They laughed like it was the most hilarious thing they've ever seen.
"Right," I muttered.
I bit down the retort on my tongue. I didn't want to get another split lip.
As if it wasn't enough, she bent down and smeared the remaining gravy on my uniform. There was a maniacal smile on her face because she knew I wouldn't dare to retaliate.
"Let's see how fast you can clean up before the next class," she hissed before leaving with her followers.
"I'm so sorry. Agatha has always been a nuisance," Charlotte said, her expression apologetic. "She was the one that reported Mary to the sisters."
"Seems like something she'd do." I stood up. "Where's the restroom? I need to clean up before the stain sticks to my uniform."
"Down that hallway. It's the last door there. Do you need any help?"
I shook my head. "Stay and finish your food."
My back prickled with all the stares I was getting as I walked through the crowd in the cafeteria. I breathed out in relief when I finally got to the safety of the dimly lit hallway.
I found the door, grateful that there was no one else in the restroom. I almost cursed out loud when I assessed the damage in the mirror. It would take forever to get the food out of my hair.
Turning on the faucet I put my hand under and started to clean the food on my uniform. The stain wasn't going out completely but it didn't look as bad.
I removed my hair from the bun and bent over the sink so I could wash it. I squeezed the water out of my hair when I was done.
I braced my hand on the sink as I lifted my head but froze when my reflection in the mirror blurred. Like someone had taken oil and rubbed it all over.
I took a step back, my blood turning icy cold.
The door to the restroom slammed shut and I jumped from fright. Had I been right about the ghost? I should've let Charlotte follow me.
I risked another look, gasping when my reflection suddenly came back on. Disheveled wet hair, wide eyes, the only difference was the mouth.
Skin was smoothed over where my split lip should've been. Its mouth had an uncanny smile.
This is not real. This is not real. This is not real.
I kept moving back, trying to get to the door. It wouldn't dare follow me out of the restroom where everyone would see.
Except—the reflection in the mirror had their eyes fixed on me. And before I could get to the door its hands pressed out of the mirror like stretched skin and seized my throat.