Chapter 14: Back to Class

Monday, September 8

Dawn didn't bother setting an alarm on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays anymore. She thought she might have been able to train herself to ignore Naomi's alarm, but why bother when she could just use it? Besides, that way she had time to wake up a little more before magic class--and that was one that she wanted to be fully alert for, even if they were still on the theory portion.

After breakfast, she and Corrie joined Roe in their regular corner of the classroom. "Good morning!" Corrie said to the other girl, chipper as always. "Did you sign up for any clubs?"

Roe smiled and nodded. "I was convinced to join the Rainbow Alliance--Annie's in that too. I think Lorelei is collecting Gilkeys for her club."

"She's pretty persuasive," Dawn agreed.

"I also signed up for the yoga club and the gardening club," Roe continued. "I thought about joining that pagan group but I sort of got a bad vibe from them--like they didn't want me." She shrugged. "I thought there would be more clubs that had something to do with magic."

"I guess people figure that magic class is enough," said Corrie. "Why didn't you think they wanted you in Circle of the Goddess?" Dawn had been surprised to hear that too--when she met them, she had gotten the feeling that they wanted anyone they could get.

"I don't know. Just a feeling. Not a vision, don't worry. Did you sign up?"

"Yeah, they really seemed enthusiastic to me. But I'm already pagan--my mom and grandmother raised me pagan--so maybe they felt more comfortable with me."

"Have you had any visions in the last few days?" Dawn asked, much more interested in that than in the club.

"None that I remembered. Though I guess I might have had some while I was sleeping. I'm going to have to ask Professor Strega for help telling the difference between dreams and visions." Roe laughed suddenly. "Though I'm pretty sure I didn't have a vision about dating a British bus driver who also worked as an actor."

"You never know," Corrie teased. "Are you planning to study abroad at any point?"

Roe crossed her arms, but before she could deliver a retort, Professor Lal was at the front of the room asking for quiet. So she just crossed her eyes at Corrie and turned to face the front. Dawn was momentarily envious of her ability; she couldn't do that at a moment's notice! But a few minutes later, while the professor was asking a question of someone on the other side of the room, she took the opportunity to whisper to Roe, "Did you bring your clover?"

Roe's eyes widened and she nodded. She opened her book surreptitiously to a later page--apparently she'd pressed the clover there. She touched her finger to it and couldn't suppress a gasp. Dawn knew what she was seeing and what she had seen before. Scary as it had been for her when she saw Professor Lal for the first time, it must have been worse for Roe, who had probably been thinking of her as human. "You okay?" she whispered, wishing they weren't sitting at the front of the class so they could have a better conversation.

Roe nodded slowly. "It's just... weird. But I'm glad I know now."

Professor Lal walked closer to them, so they had to stop their conversation. Roe pulled the clover out of her book and kept it in her left hand. Dawn was a little worried about her, but soon she was much more involved in the discussion they were having about the readings they'd done over the weekend.

Interesting as the discussion was, however, it didn't last more than twenty minutes. Professor Lal was asking a question when Roe suddenly stiffened and grabbed the edge of her desk so hard her knuckles went white. At first Dawn thought she didn't like the question for some reason, or was reacting to the proximity of the faerie, but she quickly realized that something else was happening. Professor Lal stopped mid-sentence to take two quick steps that took her to Roe's desk. "Roe? Are you all right?"

Roe didn't respond. A girl from the back of the room cried, "Oh my god, is she having a seizure?" Two people from close by jumped up to get a closer look at her.

"No," said Professor Lal, staring intently at Roe's face. "I think she's having a vision."