The most alarming news I let slip was that August was rushing an exclusive society on campus and undergoing hazing as part of his indoctrination. Gwen absorbed my story with quiet interest as we approached the bottom of the staircase that led to the musty, windowless crypt occupied by its resident rodent, Professor Skinner.
“As if we needed another reason to ban elite societies at this school,” Gwen said darkly, pushing her glasses back against the bridge of her nose. “I wondered why August was looking so peaky lately. Honestly, I can’t believe the administration just allows this kind of behavior!”
If she only knew.
“Well, I think the members having deep pockets doesn’t hurt. For the right price, Dean Winthrop is more than happy to look the other way.” I tried to laugh, but it came out like a cough. At the look on Gwen’s face, I added reassuringly, “Don’t worry. I’m in no hurry to cross paths with them again. And as for the hazing...”
“August signed up for it,” Gwen said with a sigh, her expression resigned. But her hazel eyes glinted with mischief as she added, “You’re going to tell me more about this mysterious Casimir guy later, right? I need details.”
“Um, yeah. Later. We’d better go inside, I don’t want to give Skinner a new reason to write us up,” I said quickly, wanting more than anything to end this particular conversation.
Tugging my sleeve to hold me back, Gwen whispered, “Do you think Neha will be in class today?”
I gave her a conspiratorial smile. “There’s only one way to find out.”
Gwen had long harbored a crush on Neha Iyer, a quiet, bookish girl with large brown eyes and a secretive smile. I’d spoken to her maybe a handful of times, but always found her tobe polite and intelligent. Like Gwen, Neha ranked among the top students in our year.
When we entered, the rest of the students were already seated. A hush swept over the room as we hurried to find our desks.
“Late again, are we ladies?” came Professor Skinner’s indolent hiss. He stood at the lectern, presiding over the room with an unbearable air of superiority.
He made a tutting noise of disapproval as Gwen and I took our seats. I glared up at him, daring him to write us up for being two minutes late, the absolute tyrant. Gwen’s cheeks were tinged a bright shade of pink as she mumbled an apology. Her record at this school was stellar, and she was on track to become Valedictorian in two years. I felt a pang of regret for my role in her lateness.
“As I was saying before Miss Riordan and Miss Farrow rudely interrupted—we will be pausing our discussion of Rome and Julius Caesar today?—”
The class gave a collective sigh of relief. We’d been in the trenches with Caesar for so long last term I’d begun to wish the Roman Empire would’ve collapsed sooner.
“—In favor of examining a tragic tale of love and betrayal.” He surveyed us beadily. “I believe you were meant to read it over winter break? It was listed on your reading assignments…”
An uncomfortable murmuring broke out among the students. Most of us hadn’t bothered to read a single page over the holiday, with the exception of Gwen, who was currently gazing around the room with a forlorn expression, as her crush, Neha Iyer, was absent.
Skinner gave a weary sigh and muttered something incoherent under his breath. “In any case, today we will be discussing the Tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice, a tale of everlasting love dashed by tragedy.”
At the front of the room, Margot Penbury and Bryce Yu-Risat up a little straighter. I shot Gwen a weary glance, which she returned with a grimace. In the aftermath of my recent heartbreak, I didn’t have much of an appetite for love stories. Skinner surveyed the room with an irritated expression at our collective recalcitrance before plowing on with his lecture.
“As I feared, most of you approach your education with a disregard bordering on negligence.” He slammed his heavy tome onto his desk, making the first row jump in their seats. “I shall summarize the tale for you, otherwise this exercise will be utterly pointless.”
Thewhirrof the old slide projector filled the room, and our attention was directed towards the blackboard as the rough image came into view. A painting of two lovers, a handsome young man with golden blonde hair, and a svelte woman with dark cascading curls.
Skinner began, “In this tale, our young hero, Orpheus, son of Apollo and a renowned musician, falls madly in love with Eurydice, a coquettish nymph.” He clicked the slide to reveal the next image, depicting the wedding between Orpheus and Eurydice.
“The two lovers get married, and their love appears destined for everlasting happiness.” His lips quirked up in amusement. “But alas, by now you have read enough of these myths to know they never end so simply, or so happily.”
Click.
Another painting, but this time the colors were dark, the brush strokes heavy-handed. The once-lovely faces of the lovers now contorted with anguish.
“As the lovers flee from Aristaeus, a jealous shepherd who wants to kill Orpheus and seize Eurydice for himself, she treads over a serpent in the woods.”
My eyes trailed downward to the coiled snake, its fangs buried deep into the flesh of Eurydice’s ankle.
“Eurydice is bitten, and the venom ultimately proves fatal.” Skinner paused to smirk at our dismayed faces. “Consumed bysorrow, Orpheus appeals to his father, Apollo, who intercedes on his behalf so that he may visit Hades in the Underworld.”
Click.Another image appeared, Orpheus’s golden figure in a boat, lyre in hand, crossing over black water.
“Orpheus crosses the river Styx to reach the Underworld, where he beseeches Hades and Persephone for Eurydice’s return. Hades makes a bargain with Orpheus that Eurydice may follow him out of the Underworld—under the condition that Orpheus must not—under any circumstances—glance back until both he and his bride reach the light of the upper surface. If he violates these terms, Eurydice will be condemned to dwell in darkness forever.”
Click. The next painting depicted Orpheus, a determined look on his face, striding toward an opening at the end of a dark passageway, Eurydice trailing not far behind him, her skin so pale it was almost translucent.