Fianna seemed to avoid me for what seemed like forever (but really was just a week) even though I avidly tried to get her to talk to me, but finally Friday came about and I got a reply. Tea on Saturday again; and I was so happy. Sure it was just tea, and it was on her terms, but still. It gave me a chance to sort things out and to figure what I wanted to say. Even more exciting, this coming Monday was Halloween, so I thought I could pick her brain about the school’s costume policy and what I should wear. The wait was excruciating, more so because I kept counting the seconds; there were 79201 for those wondering, just a second over 22 hours.

I knocked on Fianna’s door Saturday afternoon and giggled with excitement. I had chosen a particularly festive look today; a three-quarter sleeve black and purple sweatshirt, a set of mid-thigh shorts in black denim, the most cliché orange and black striped stockings, and a wonderful set of black steel-toed boots. I thought I looked fantastic, and more than anything, I was ready for just about whatever she could throw at me. Then she opened the door and… I was floored by her simple and elegant look.

Dressed in a brown turtleneck, a set of black slacks, and her glasses, she was the very picture of grace and nerd chic. I have to imagine that I had the most idiotic look on my face, but she didn’t seem to mind too much; she smiled and waved hello. We both seemed too nervous to talk, which was both kind of sweet and just a little annoying. She stepped back and let me into her office, and I got about halfway past her before she surprised me with a quick hug. We shifted just enough that the door could close and she let go as the kettle went off.

I looked about the office and noticed there had been some redecorating; it was all fall style and autumn colours. There were some small gourds and banisters of foliage, even the tea cups were fall-esque. It was so… not like the Fianna I had been getting to know.

“So, you’ve redecorated. I like it.” I said, breaking the long silence. “But I didn’t think you… decorated. You seemed really uptight about things when we first met.”

Fianna came back with two cups of tea; one was squirrel shaped, and one was an acorn with leaves forming the handle. She placed the acorn in front of me and put down the squirrel by her desktop.

“I don’t normally decorate, but fall is my favourite season. Plus I finally have a reason to be expressive and imperfect.” She smiled at me as she sat in her chair.

“Is that a compliment?” I asked, teasing her.

“I guess one could say that. I like being able to drop the prim and proper act around you. It makes it easier to talk, easier to be me, and I don’t risk a loss in status with the student body. It’s nice, having someone around like that… I’ve only ever had my brothers to talk to like that, but they’re all in Ireland right now.” Fianna commented, her face taking on a slightly smaller smile.

I grimaced, “I know that feeling. Emrys is one of the only people I can be completely honest with… and yet I’ve only just heard that he’s a magician or something.”

Fianna looked at me, her face showing her puzzlement. “He’s magic?”

I looked at Fianna and grinned sheepishly as I rehashed my email communication with my dad.

“Well that… actually makes sense. I wonder if I shouldn’t get you enrolled in an after-hours class for magic manipulation. Then again, you’ve only really discovered your perspicacity… maybe we’ll wait for other abilities to sprout before we make that determination. Is your tea alright?” Fianna responded after a moment or two of thinking.

I nodded, taking another sip… it was bitter. “Can I get a few sugars?”

She passed a tray my way and I added three sugar cubes to my cup and stirred with the small stick that was provided with the cup.

“The big thing I wanted to talk to you about today was the festivities on Monday. Samhain is the most impressive day of the year at Avalon, all the girls drop their glamours and wander about as their true selves. For girls just coming into their powers, we offer these.” She slid a set of earrings across the table.

“These are… what? Like a glamour canceller? How does that work? Better question, how do the girls with no ‘true selves’ blend in? There’s got to be some kind of catch…” I asked, trying to figure out what exactly was happening.

“Every student gets a set of these earrings, they’re enchanted to work only during the time of Samhain, and the humans are gifted a set that will transform them for the day. They’re also told, at the time they get the earrings, that they will be issued a costume in the morning so long as they wear the earrings. It’s actually optional, the whole costume/glamour thing, so if a person doesn’t want to reveal themselves they don’t have to.” Fianna explained.

“So much for matching costumes…” I muttered.

“Actually, we will look quite similar to each other. My species, the dullahan, are a variety of fae. We’re both part of the unseelie fae too… I mean, yeah I’ll be headless and my eyes will retain the silver irises instead of your blues, but otherwise we’ll look very similar.” Fianna said, tapping her index finger on her lower lip.

“Do we dress regularly too?” I asked.

“We still maintain our school uniforms, but we drop the formality of looking human.” Fianna confirmed for me.

We sat for a while, sipping our tea. It was quiet, and intimate, and I think I could have sat there for hours without a care. We exchanged stares and sheepish smiles, neither of us were certain how to proceed. She was completely new to relationships, and I was socially awkward, so it was almost laughable.

“So… are we… going to go on a real date sometime? Or are we hiding our relationship?” I prodded, seeing if I could figure out where we stood.

“We will maintain a low-key relationship in public, if that’s alright. In private, I’d like it if we could be more close. It’s just a bit difficult really… what with my duties as head girl making me a public face during the week. I wanted to respond to your messages, but as I was constantly working and interacting with the teachers, I lost myself to my job. I know it sounds really selfish, and I want you to know I’m not ashamed or anything of our relationship, I’m just trying to keep up appearances as a rock for the students. Obviously, I’ll be taking you to all events for school and we’ll have a weekend or two during the month when we can go into the shopping center on the other end of the island where we can do a real date, and… I’d like you to come home with me to Ireland this winter. I hope that’s not too forward.” Fianna gushed, her face getting redder as she spoke.

I made motion with my hands, “Just a little.”

She looked like she was about to make another comment but then a knocking came from the door. Without even waiting for a response, a small mousy haired girl stuck her head in the door.

“Fianna! We need to- Oh… who is this?” the mousy haired girl started to say before she noticed me.

Fianna looked at a loss for words, so I stepped in. “I’m Lauren, the newest member of the… uh… disciplinary committee?”

Lauren, you are really not very good with this improvising thing.

“Is that so? I didn’t know there was an opening…” the mousy haired girl replied, her tone telling me that she didn’t believe me at all.

This seemed to get Fianna in gear and back on track. “That’s because she’s training to replace me when I graduate at the end of the year. She is starting in the disciplinary committee and then getting a crash course with the student leadership closer to the end of term. Does that suffice, Elise?”

The mousy girl, Elise, nodded a few times as she processed what she’d just been told.

“Was there something you came for?” I asked, hoping to move on.

Elise looked up, “I guess if you’re going to replace Fianna next year, I’d better introduce myself properly. Elise Weber, student body leadership’s head figure. If Fianna is teaching you the ropes herself, I’m going to assume you know about the… forms we keep to ourselves?”

“You mean the whole glamour thing?” I asked.

Elise smiled before continuing. “Precisely. As far as that goes, I’m actually human. I’m one of the three humans enrolled here, but I found out about the glamours in my first year. My natural charisma and ability to manipulate people as I see fit lead me to be on equal footing to Fianna, but with less punishment and more celebrations.”

“You’re the student council president!” I shouted excitedly, my mind making the connection to what I had grown up with.

Fianna giggled. I turned to look at her, questioning if I was wrong.

“You’re not wrong, but she’s the other head girl here at Avalon. She acts as the political front, the bureaucracy of the school. I operate as the law of the school; judge, jury, and executioner. You’ll have to learn as much as possible from both of us, and quickly, but you could very well become the next head girl if you tried.” Fianna explained, tapping her finger on her cheek.

Well, on the one hand, this lie gave her an out. On the other hand, I think I’m going to actually have to follow up on it… But if I’m training under Fianna, we’ll have a lot of time together. So it wouldn’t be all bad I guess.

Elise smiled for a moment and then it suddenly hit her. “Oh, yeah! I almost totally forgot! Fianna, we need to discuss the plans for Monday! Distribution, explanation, and how we’re going to keep order. I don’t want an issue like last year’s incident.”

I looked at Fianna, my face showing obvious surprise. “What happened last year?”

Fianna hung her head and collected her thoughts before speaking.

“What if I told you that one of the students couldn’t re-glamour themselves at midnight? What if I told you that they had been roomed with one of the regular human students? Maybe I tell you that the normal human student is still here… and has been forced to forget what happened?”