Xerin's POV

It was going to be one of those days, I could tell. Not only had I forgotten all the padding for my pointe shoes because I had left it out to air, but I was also going to have three hours of technique after the two of pointe. There was no escaping either class, and since it was my last day I figured it wouldn’t be of consequence. I wondered if Skeleton Keys would have a studio so I could continue dancing, though it wouldn’t matter much if it didn’t- it would be quite simple to improvise. The only thing I was worried about were pointe shoes, but it was definitely opportune that I was leaving this area now- it was particularly anti-Elementalist, and my ankle was beginning to twinge, which was typically a sign that it was time to move on. Sighing, I knotted my ribbons and prepared to face the inevitable blisters. My last thought, before surrendering to the single-minded focus of class, was ‘Thank god for mail order’.
I had contacted the landlord and cleaned out the apartment a full week before, and had finished packing that morning. Now, I waited for the train in a semi-deserted station. The only other occupant was a lanky boy with flame-red hair who appeared to be asleep. I wondered if he was also leaving for an academy, which seemed likely (because who else would be at an empty train station at three in the morning with several suitcases?), or if his purpose was less unpleasant. If he was off to an academy, I hoped for his sake it was not Skeleton Keys. Famed for its ‘problem children’, it was the only place available to me since I had neither a guardian’s signature nor proof of abuse by a guardian. Glancing at my fake I.D., the one that fixed my age at twenty-two, I tucked it securely into my coat pocket. Even if Skeleton Keys could see past the façade, it was a useful thing to own out in the rest of the world. Impatient, I started tapping my lacquered nails against the back of the bench, while simultaneously scrolling through the playlists on my iPod. However, since I used it primarily to play music for classical ballet, there wasn’t exactly a wide selection.
“Will you stop that?” a cross voice issued from a source above my left ear. I yelped, twisting in my seat to face the unwelcome intruder. It was the red-haired boy I had noticed earlier. I frowned at him.
“Stop what?” He gestured towards my hand. I glanced at it in surprise.
“Oh!” I stopped tapping. “I’m sorry. It’s a habit.”
“You woke me up.” He was clearly a belligerent sort of person, but his heavy Irish accent made me smile. I held a hand in front of my mouth to hide it, causing the appearance of stifling a yawn.
“It is rather early,” I agreed. “But wouldn’t the train have woken you anyways?” He considered this.
“Probably not. But that would have been a very bad situation for me.” He flashed a startling grin. “It seems I ought to thank you.” I waved it away. Perhaps he wasn’t so hostile after all.  
“You’re heading there too, I expect?” I glanced at him. I couldn’t tell whether he was mocking me or not.
“You’re a long ways up, and I don’t really want to strain my neck, so please sit.” I wasn’t usually so blunt, but it was three in the morning. To my surprise, he sat meekly, perhaps making up for his previous aggression.
“If by ‘there’ you mean Skeleton Keys, then yes, that is where I am going.”
“I thought so, although I wasn’t sure if that was the academy you were going to. It is an odd hour to find a lone girl in a deserted station.” He nodded amiably. I had been watching him warily, ready to flee at any sign of heightened hostility. Now I relaxed.
“Are you going as well?” I asked. He quirked an eyebrow.
“I would think that would be fairly obvious,” he said, “given the amount of luggage I have with me and the fact that I’m not jumping in fright at the name.” I flushed.
“W-well… it’s three in the morning! You can’t expect my brain to function normally!” And yes, that really was the best excuse I could find at that moment. He was polite, however, and merely smirked rather than snickering like he clearly wanted to.
“I see.” I was absurdly relieved that the train arrived at that moment, so I wasn’t required to think of a retort.