Mouse Bones: Revenant Academy Book I by Kinsey Presley-Hornung

Author:Kinsey Presley-Hornung [Presley-Hornung, Kinsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

As the weeks rolled on, massive bristly pine trees ripe with shiny glass bulbs appeared on campus, peppering the grounds with holiday spirit. Though the handmade tinsel draped over the headless angel every morning had usually been pulled down by lunchtime, so it was clear exactly how much tolerance Stacy had for yuletide glee.

I’d started tailoring my crochet projects to be gifts. A fun little hat for Arlie and special gloves for Stacy that could fit her unique hands. I also started making a sweater, though I wasn’t admitting to myself who it was for. I probably wouldn’t even give it to him.

Since sleep was officially out of the question, I had plenty of time to work on it. Every attempt had me shooting up out of bed after a few minutes, my body ready to run for its life. The experience was a net loss, energy wise, so I spent most of my nights amusing myself, trying to avoid feeling alone.

When I wasn’t working on things for school, I would wander the halls, usually coming to settle in the abandoned lounge. The dusty arcade games called out to me. After powering them on, my heart leaped at the familiar mechanical tunes. I realized slowly I actually knew how to play most of them, though I was better at some than others.

Often, I’d bring my bag with me to the lounge so I could head right to class in the morning. But I missed the solitude of my room. I didn’t want to feel like I was hiding. So, I tried to make myself feel better.

Before tutoring one day, I grabbed the toe tag out of the drawer and shoved it into the bottom of my bag. I was so distracted by the pull of its presence that I struggled to concentrate the whole time.

“Is something wrong?” Professor Faun asked after my fifth failed attempt to reach Stage Four transparency.

The rest of my peers were catching up to me, despite all the hours of practice. Unfortunately, I knew the source of my distraction. I just hoped he was somehow clueless.

“No.”

The word came out too fast, sounding almost guilty.

He cleared his throat. “Does it have something to do with school or . . .”

“No, it doesn’t. Trust me, you wouldn’t care.”

“It’s not about whether I care. It’s about whether it’s something I can help you with.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“If it’s interfering with your studies, it matters.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, because that’s the only thing that matters.”

“I didn’t say that,” he sighed, leaning back in his chair. “But I might remind you it is technically the main purpose of your current existence.”

“Yeah, I get it.” I waved off the idea completely, deciding it would be a massive waste of time. “Never mind.”

“Something’s clearly been bothering you for a while. If there’s a way to get past it, I would love the opportunity to help.”

A rare hint of warmth, almost familiarity, laced the words. The awareness that he’d been paying attention had me feeling fluttery, like I’d been granted something special.

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