"
What's the deal with the medicine? You don't look sick." Skylar had asked Braelyn as they walked outside. Braelyn shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know," she said. "For the past couple of days, I just haven't been feeling quite right and keep getting really dizzy. My parents are convinced that it is something magic-related that their doctors wouldn't understand, so they insisted I come back to school a day early. I've been back since yesterday, in the infirmary. They don't know what it is yet, but Madame Chesney gave me that potion to take just in case."
She snorted at Skylar giving Ryland a hard time about forgetting her name as they sat down at one of the tables in the courtyard. "Says the girl who just moments ago couldn't remember Chase's name," she said. "Give him a break, Sky." As the other two began talking about Ryland's brother, Braelyn turned around on the bench so that her back rested against the edge of the table. She leaned back, looking up at the sky and breathing in the night air deeply. It was a beautiful night. The waxing moon was almost full, and for a moment Braelyn couldn't seem to take her eyes off of it. She snapped out of her daze suddenly when Reid's voice came from behind them. She returned his wave, but wasn't sure he saw it as he had gone back to sketching rather quickly.
She could see another figure approaching them, and when Braelyn looked hard enough she could tell it was Alison Oglethorpe. She appeared to be headed straight for them, but it was kind of hard to tell because she seemed to be walking more clumsily than normal. Braelyn's eyes widened just a little as the girl greeted them with a smile. Alison had just transferred to the school in the middle of the year last year, and Braelyn had yet to interact with her at all, as they were both in different houses and years. Frankly, she was surprised that Alison knew her name. But she supposed she could easily be acquainted with Ryland, he being a Vulpes as well.
"Hi Alison!" she said, putting on a smile as the girl sat down to join them. She raised an eyebrow as Alison hiccuped, but she didn't say anything about it. "No, you're not interrupting at all," she said. "We just didn't want a night like this to go to waste. It's too nice to be up in the dorms right now." Her nose twitched a little, picking up the distinct scent of firewhiskey and vomit. Well, that would explain Alison's odd behavior. Braelyn had learned a year ago, when she tried alcohol for her first (and last) time, that she could not hold liquor well. She looked sympathetically at the girl. "Enjoying the first night back?" she asked her.