Pell Laveau
The air was still. On Wednesdays, it usually was. Without the demanding schedules of class, household was left to do really whatever they pleased. Even those under legal age. It was
truly a one-of-a-kind school. In place of standard parenting came lenient supervision and the wave of a hand. Where most children would get slapped on the wrist, the academy’s were rewarded. Pell caught herself in a half eyeroll thinking about it, bulging sandwich in hand. From where she stood at the dining room table, she could hear no echoes or voices, not a single whisper. Eerily thawed by the afternoon gale, the motionless hallways were so hushed that they seemed to hum all on their own. Mostly everybody had cut and run for a bit of freedom. Wednesdays were a mid-week weekend up until Ceremony. The girls would clear out and break loose, a truly uninhibited flock of messy witches if Pell did say so herself. Not that she was tooting her own horn. She was just more reserved, with more humility forced into her by Marie Laveau, the voodoo queen herself. Pell wasn’t so brazenly audacious. It seemed to only be the girls, younger, mostly. Male inhabitants usually hung around and binged on food from the kitchen while mindlessly flipping through television channels in their rooms. Or in the case of Bjarki, a newer teacher, would douse their habitual cup of coffee with liquor and stroll around the property with a shit-eating grin, like all of this was just so normal, so
peachy.Speak of the devil, he was bizarrely chirring to himself as per usual when noise bled back into the Robichaux realm. If it weren’t for the open windows, Pell might not have acknowledged him. She padded into the main foyer, its palatial white walls somehow homely and heartening. Pell did love the place. It was so remarkably ivory. It just looked
so clean. Like history hadn’t marred it a bit, not even with the bloodshed known to its former time. Pallid satin drapes billowed if not secured, summery Louisiana breeze seeping into the school and bringing the aroma of sweet lemon with it. In a half-assed saunter, Pell wandered toward the front door, a sandwich almost to her mouth when Mr. B burst back in. His inky eyes were alive with mirth. Naturally Pell couldn’t help but reciprocate the expression, even if in a slightly dryer manner. The young teacher was just so neighborly and as happy as a clam.
However, given the sight of the head of Council, Pell’s shiny beam slackened. What was
she doing here? Pell leaned away, the muscles of her exposed torso tightening with ill pique. Unconcerned, Myrtle Snow marched past the defiant lavender-haired girl and her sandwich. In tow like some sort of tall, lanky puppy dog, came what Pell took as a new peer. Superintending the arrival, Mr. B was waggling and smiling, rigged out in a usual lightweight button up, tattooed arms exposed only because he couldn’t stand the humidity. Pell wondered how Myrtle Snow felt about all that body modification. She moved her gaze to the sheepish appearance again, diffident and apparently thinking way too hard. Pell gave him an uncurious nod, muttering, “Welcome to thunder dome,” sarcastically with a mouthful of food. Judging from the addled yet happily polite look in his eyes, he was without a doubt new to this. She didn’t hang around to investigate. Wasn’t her bag. Besides, new students were every other week lately, and she wasn’t on a hunt for friends.
The quiet echo of her walk’s rhythm reverberated briefly before she returned to the main dorming hall. At a snail’s pace she would scale the immense atrium, taking a cumbersome bite now and again from the bread and turkey grasped by her digits. Her elfin feet would wiggle some toes occasionally if the air conditioning was on high. For some reason, it was not. With a peek toward the floor, Pell wondered why she hadn’t dressed up or gone out. Could have been wearing a nice pair of creepers or a skirt. Sure, she was a bit worried about being exposed, but she’d been at the academy for weeks now. She could use a break. And if she kept up the boyish routine, she would be reduced to a bubbling mess of idiot just like all the others who parked themselves in front of a cable box rather than braving the New Orleans heat.
She pulled at the fabric of her cropped tank top, noting a familiar and elitist voice in the air. Pivoting on her heel, a small squeak emitted beneath, Pell wandered back to the entryway of the foyer, where she was not surprised to see the impotent puppy again. Anyone else would be astonished to see him braving a conversation with Madison. Let alone politely asking for guidance. But Pell? She knew the feeling of being a fresh face at Robichaux, how unyielding some of those bitches were. How it was similar to being thrown into a snake pit when you just wanted to know where the damn laundry room was. The worn fringe on her pale and torn jeans tickled her skin, gravity defied as she gently nudged a young man from the doorway, leaning in to smile smugly at the flaxen-haired big name. Unfazed Madison continued some biting speech, picking apart who she was calling a moron every other word. Pell grasped the door frame, allowing her to go on, even concluding finally with a deep respiration, as if she were going to extent the onslaught. Not inspired by Madison’s cliche take on a fashionable rebirth of ‘punk’ or her ridiculous diction that focused solely on belittling new arrivals, the Laveau girl remarked, “Wow! Madison! That skirt is
so cute. You know something? It looks familiar…”
Madison paused to peer at Pell, a lip-pursing annoyance etched on her face as the purple haired girl proceeded. “Shit, I’d swear you wore it in a movie I saw. But,” Pell’s shapely lips slanted in a mock look of sympathy, “That’s right.
You don’t get,” she paused and limply raised a finger, “parts in
movies, do
you?” Madison glared, a snarl on the tip of her tongue when Pell tossed a small remainder of sandwich at the bimbo, “You should probably eat. Cocaine catches up, you know?” Pell turned away with disinterest and gestured for the young man to follow.
She didn’t waste time making small talk, only asking his name, if he was excited, and his room number. Silas. He was excited, but there was
some question on how convincing his statement was. And room 2D. A roommate had finally arrived, imagine that! Pell simpered, pushing open a white clone door which opened up into a fair sized space with two double beds, one decorated in ivory lace and a colorful quilt. “Hey sorry about Madison,” she chimed quietly as she seated herself on the embellished bed near one of two windows, “She comes from a big Hollywood family so she thinks she can be a snob to everyone. I’m actually amazed she’s home, usually on days off she’s somewhere getting sloshed or still sleeping at a frat.” Pell pulled a pair of shoes out from beneath her mattress’ frame, sliding into them as she peered toward the window, hollow cheeks sort of pulling in during a moment of thought, “Do you have any questions? Admittedly I’m not good at this stuff, to be honest, but I figure I’ll be more helpful than Madison. Plus it’s Ceremony, so no one will be home until they have to.”
"Well, regardless, I'm Pell," she extended her hand, "Guess we're roommates. I'm a Laveau, so don't let anyone tell you rumors without hearing it firsthand. Voodoo is
not a dark art, it is not some... Rival-born race. I'm not part of the war, and neither is my cousin, Jacqueline. She also goes here." She could tell from the look on his face he was clueless. Sighing, she pinned a smile to her own, "Anyway, cheers to new roommates."