Isadora had insisted we worked on the project after dinner when she bumped into me at the cafeteria.
Which I realized now was a bad idea because the library was empty and it meant Isadora and I would be alone in a confined space. I did not like it very much.
We hadn't spoken much after her outburst in the bathroom. Mostly because I'd avoided her like a plague and stayed away from Ms. Duval. The latter wasn't very hard because I'd been caught up with submitting the assignments I missed and trying to catch up in class.
The door opened with a creak when I pushed it. It was on the ground floor of the administrative building, but it was also very underused.
I greeted the librarian who was one of the nuns. She had round glasses sitting at the top of her nose as she buried her face in the book in front of her.
I greeted her as I walked past but I don't even think she heard me.
There was a speck of dust on the shelves, my finger running along the spines of the books in the literature section. I was about to pick up one of the recommended books when a memory flashed hot in my head.
I remembered passing an old rusted key to someone on the other side of the shelf. The face was blurred in my mind. And I'd been very scared of something at that time, I just didn't know what.
The lights chose to go off in that moment and I yelped in fear. "Sister?" I called hoping the librarian would answer but there was no response. "Sister?"
I felt a hot breath on my back but when I turned there was no one. I needed to get out of here, Isadora would have to do the project somewhere else.
Or maybe that was why she brought me here. To hurt me so she could have Ms. Duval to herself? I shook my head. I was just letting my imagination run wild in the dark.
"Sister?" I called again but I was met with the same silence.
I held onto the shelf trying to find my way in the dark. It was just Mary's memories messing with me. I was my own person now and had no entanglement with the dead.
With hurried steps I made it to the front desk. The librarian wasn't there. I was about to turn when the door slammed shut and the lock turned.
I screamed, my waist hitting the desk when I jumped back. What was going on? The door rattled but didn't open.
"Somebody please come save me!" I yelled, sweat running down the curve of my back. My pulse raced when I heard footsteps behind me, they were loud and heavy.
"God please," I cried. I should've listened to Charlotte and let her come with me to the library. I should've remained in my dorm and told Isadora we'd work in class.
"If there's anyone listening, please save me…" I put my palms together in front of me. "Please…"
"Booo!" Someone yelled behind me.
I screamed, my hands instinctively shooting out in front of me. I was still screaming when the lights came back on and I saw a laughing Isadora in front of me.
"You should've heard yourself scream." She burst into another laughing fit. "You sound like such a girl."
I glared at her, my heart slowing down. "I am a girl," I deadpanned. "What was that for?"
She shrugged. "Nothing, I just wanted to entertain myself. I didn't even think I'd pull it off."
The door was unlocked when I turned around. "Good thing I was the perfect joke for you. I'm going back to the dorm."
"Wait! What about the project?" She called after me.
"You should've thought about that before pulling your stupid prank." I stormed out in anger, Isadora chasing after me.
"We really need to submit this tomorrow."
I stopped but didn't turn to look at her. "I'm not going back to that Library. Not now, not ever." I shivered, thinking back to that hot breath on my back. Was that her doing too?
"We can use Madeline's office."
That was when I looked at her. "I don't think that's a great idea."
Her smile was cynical as she closed the space between us. "I say it's perfect. Or you can't control yourself around Madeline?"
"I never said that."
"Then prove it. She'll ignore your ass anyway."
With that she led the way to Ms. Duval's office. The older woman was working at her desk when Isadora pushed the door open.
"Can we work on our project here, Ms. Duval?" Isadora's voice was sultry and high pitched, it had me almost gagging from how pretentious it sounded. "The lights in the library went out and we didn't get the chance to do anything yet."
"Sure." She looked at me for a brief moment. "Just keep it down girls, I don't need any distraction."
It seemed like a long time ago since I'd been in her office. The atmosphere was cold and I tried my best not to let the door make a sound when I pulled it shut.
Isadora moved around like she owned the place, running her fingers through the spines of books and throwing Ms. Duval a flirty glance. All of it made me sick to the stomach.
I sat on the couch and buried myself in the books Isadora had gathered. I worked on the assignment like my life depended on it, only sneaking glances at Ms. Duval when I thought no one was looking.
"Close your mouth or you're going to drool all over the book," Isadora said, pushing my chin up. Then she whispered, "You look at her like you'll eat her whole if given the chance."
Expensive lace flashed in my mind. "Leave me alone."
"Oh, but I like the way your cheeks flush when I make fun of you." She tried to pinch my cheek but I slapped her hand away.
"Keep it down girls." Ms. Duval's brows were burrowed in deep concentration or worry, I couldn't tell which from my position on the couch. "You have thirty more minutes, I'm almost done working."
"Do you think you can take it from here?" Isadora asked. "I'll go through it in the morning before you submit. I'm just too tired and nothing makes sense anymore."
Or she wanted to go back to Ms. Duval's apartment with her. No way I was letting that happen.
"If you think you can dump all the work on me while you go play house with someone else…" I glared at her. "Then think again. We'll work on this project together."
"Keep it down," Ms. Duval said, looking at me this time.
"I'm sorry," I muttered. She hadn't said anything when Isadora was talking. Was this her way of putting me back in my place?
"Oh…" Isadora stretched. "I'm thirsty. Mary, can you be a darling and get me water from over there."
She pointed at a little fridge I hadn't noticed all the times I'd been here. There were bottles of water in it, glass cups and red wine in a bottle that had no label.
I took a glass cup and water. I was about to set them down on the table beside our books when Isadora tripped me and the cup fell from my hand.
"What the hell?" Ms. Duval hissed standing up.
I bent down to pick the pieces up only for a shard to cut my finger. Blood dripped onto the white tiled floor.
Ms. Duval watched the blood drip with a hungry look in her eyes. I knew what she looked like when she was being passionate, the subtle neediness in her expression. It wasn't the same as this.
She held the edge of her table until her knuckles became tight. "Get out!" She roared, her eyes on the floor.
"I've never seen her this angry, you should leave." Isadora nudged my leg to get me going.
"I'm sorry about the glass, I truly am," I blurted. "Let me at least clean it up. I didn't mean to break the glass." I was shaking my head, growing hysterical as the second passed. "I really didn't mean to."
"I will not repeat myself Mary. Leave and never show up in front of me again."