At dinner that night, I refrain from complaining about anything and fill up everyone's cups the minute they're halfway empty. I even manage to laugh at some of Dean Hadden's jokes and ignore the snide comments coming from Mr. Ynez at the end of the table. Dishes get cleaned without incident, leaving me enough time to hype myself up to ask Teacher about allowing me to be an Enforcer.

On the way back to my room, I think of all the reasons he should let me and try to push the selfish reasons way far back in my mind where he might not notice them. But even the selfish reasons aren't that bad, like getting my knife back for example. That thing was badass, and sliced through apples like butter. Much more useful than my paring knife.

Crap, I need to push that train of thought back. I'm already at the basement door. I can be calm. Teacher is always kind to me after dinner, this is the best time to ask this. Hell, maybe this is something he'd hope I'd ask. He was the one who trained me, and he specifically taught me to fight in the dark. All I need is a cloak and dagger to make it official.

I turn the handle of my door and push my shoulder into it three times to get it to open. The light is on, and Teacher is sitting at my desk, spinning an apple by its stem.

"Evening, Princess."

He's calling me by my nickname. So far, so good.

"Evening, Teacher. Anything I can help you with?" I take a seat on my bed.

He shakes his head and tosses me the apple.

"You were being rather agreeable tonight. I thought that meant you wanted to talk to me about something."

He sees right through me. Alright. Time to make my case.

"I've been doing really well in Hercules' class, he says I'm one of his top students, even out of his morning class."

"So I've heard."

"And I haven't been to an arrival point since Hercules punished me weeks ago, even though I get into fights almost every day."

"Combat training is severely lacking on campus, I imagine that plays a role in that. Are you so bored you're looking for a challenge?"

"No...not exactly."

"I told you to join a club. I don't want you doing anything reckless."

This is going way off.

"None of those clubs really interest me."

"Then start your own," he says simply. He stands and shrugs on his jacket. He's going to leave without me even asking my question.

"Well, I thought it might be a better idea to let me join the enforcement team. Even Henry thought so."

Teacher turns around.

"Who the hell is Henry?'

I didn't expect him to zero in on that.

"He's a Meat, one of the ones with a stand at the Portal Pick Up. He's kind of a friend, but not really."

He nods slowly. "Well. The random thoughts of some Meat aren't going to sway my decision."

"And that decision is...?"

"No, of course." He looks back at me as if it were obvious. As if I were a complete idiot for even asking.

"But I'm one of the best fighters on campus, especially in the dark. You taught me, you know I'm capable."

"I've given you my answer."

"I took down a facilitator, don't you remember? You really think I'd suck at the job that much?"

He turns and shakes his head.

"There is more to being an Enforcer than just fighting. And neither of us is in the position to allow you to shoulder those responsibilities."

I ball my fists at my sides. None of this makes any sense.

"What more do I have to do to prove myself?"

Teacher turns suddenly and looks me over. He takes a deep breath.

"Elizabeth..."

Now he's looking at me like I'll vanish into thin air just to spite him. Like any amount of disappointment will be enough to make me open a portal and leave.

"It's fine, Teacher. You made your decision, and I'm guessing there's nothing I can say or do to convince you to change your mind, is there?"

He shakes his head.

"Then I'll figure out something else, I guess."

He smiles and gives me a shallow pinch on my cheek.

"Of course you will. Don't forget, you have friends here and you decide to make your time worthwhile or not. And I doubt you'd very much enjoy any extra time spent with me, right?"

I shrug my shoulders. That wasn't a factor in me hoping he'd say yes. Teacher and I have an okay relationship, we haven't had issues with each other since Topside. I don't understand why he'd suddenly think I hate hanging out with him. The only thing that sucks is how I only get his kindness in the privacy of his home or my room. But even when he's strict or mean to me publicly, it does feel like a game. As if we're putting on a show for everyone else.

He's my Prince of Darkness when we're out there and here, I'm his Princess.

Even if he hardly ever gives me what I want and we call each other those names out of spite.

I open the door for him as he pulls on his hood.

"Well, goodnight then, your highness," I say.

"Same to you."

***

I'm still pouting about my utter and complete denial at breakfast with Hercules. Even after tossing and turning all night, I can't shake what Teacher said. Honestly, it shouldn't bother me. I asked to be an Enforcer on a whim, because of what Henry already assumed and to get my knife back. And maybe to have control of something here, even if it'd put me even further under Teacher's thumb.

I can't help but think this new need for control is related to me getting my memories back.

But those are thoughts for another day.

"What has you all serious?" Hercules says with a wave of bacon.

"Nothing," I lie.

"Yeah right. Is it Matthew again?"

"What makes you think that?" I ask back.

He shoves the bacon in his mouth and swallows loudly.

"You were glaring at your plate."

My afterlife is going to get really complicated if Hercules turns out to be a psychic too.

"I really don't like grapefruit."

He grunts and takes it off my tray. While he works on that, I let my eyes wander the room. Over at the buffet line I notice April, the Dean's secretary, grabbing a bowl of yogurt. Her eyes connect with mine before I awkwardly turn away. I haven't been able to look her straight in the face since I heard she and Teacher broke up.

"What is it now?" Hercules says and turns around. He waves towards the buffet line. On no, what is he doing?

My heart drops into my stomach when April throws her leg over the bench next to Hercules. This wouldn't be weird if they had a normal relationship, but Teacher dated her as a diversion. And she really did seem to like him.

"Good morning you two, mind if I join you for breakfast?"

"Course not," Hercules says.

I just shake my head. She and Hercules make small talk as I struggle to keep food in mouth as an excuse to not have to say anything. From what I can tell, she's handling the breakup well. That's good, because it sure hasn't affected Teacher in the slightest.

"Alrighty, well, I better get back to my desk. You guys have a nice day."

"You too," we both say.

I watch as she walks away and sigh when she's finally gone.

"What is it now?"

"Don't you think it's a little awkward to have her sit with us after what happened?"

"You mean her tiff with Matthew?" He laughs. "Trust me, they all end the same and Matthew makes sure of that."

I will admit she didn't seem heartbroken or really bothered. Maybe Teacher was right and relationships with him get boring, since all he does is read his partner's mind. Still, it would be hard to just get over someone like that, wouldn't it?

"I don't get it."

"What's not to get?"

I tilt my empty glass with the tip of my finger.

"You'd think someone would be upset with him. He breaks up with them out of the blue, after giving them everything they want. I'm surprised he's still so well liked after doing that for so long."

Hercules slides away his empty tray.

"Well that's your problem, Squirt," he says as he hunches over the table, waving me forward as if he's going to tell me a secret. "You think it's him ending things, when it's really them. And he doesn't give them everything." He winks at me. "That's why it never lasts, and him being who he is, why none of the girls ever say anything."

I think over what he just said. It's hard to imagine anyone breaking up with him and him to still maintain his signature arrogant smugness. What could he be holding back? He has plenty of secrets, but I don't think anyone knows that except for me and Hercules. We're the only two he doesn't seem to put on a face for. Then there's the other part of what Hercules said, insinuating his exes are keeping some kind of secret for him to save their own faces.

I look back to Hercules, who has begun tearing the empty rind of my grapefruit. It's not something I could imagine Teacher doing, making a mess for no reason. I wonder how they survived being roommates.

Then it hits me square in the face. I lean over the table, surprising Hercules enough for him to drop the peel.

"Are you saying that Teacher," I drop my voice even lower, "he, uh, doesn't swing that way?"

Hercules breaks into a fit of cackles and the whole room turns to stare.

"Amazing. It's amazing the way your mind works."

I ignore the compliment. I'm too busy thinking about Teacher, and how he had told me that dating April had been a sacrifice. And how everyone said it was something he did every decade. Like some sort of cover. I know he must be over a hundred years old, but why would his sexuality matter here, where everyone is already dead and his judgment already served? No one treated Tiffany any differently, but maybe it's because she is a woman that no one cares.

Whatever the case is, Teacher shouldn't have to hide himself. And I should apologize for chastising him about April before, no wonder he had punished me with so many dishes while he was living out a lie.

"I'll see you in class, Hercules, okay?"

He nods. "Sure thing, Squirt."

I run the entire way off campus, but even being as far as I am, I can hear the bell in the distance signaling the start of morning classes. I knock on Teacher's door. Hopefully, he's here and not at some meeting. I step back and take in the carefully manicured flower beds beside the porch. Even the mat outside the door is tidy. It is a stark difference to what Hercules' home is like.

The door opens, and Teacher looks down at me with a hairbrush in his hand. The rest of him is covered in a starched shirt and pants.

"What are you doing here, Elizabeth? If you're going to ditch class, this isn't the place to do it."

"Yeah, I know." I knot my hands in front of me. "Can I come in?"

He raises an eyebrow at me but stands aside. I pass by him and smell the vanilla and teak coming off him like perfume. The only thing out of place in the living room is a coffee mug on an end table and a knitted throw blanket draped over the couch.

Why hadn't I noticed these things before?

"This isn't about our conversation last night, is it?" he asks.

I shake my head but don't turn to face him. I probably should have taken time to think out what I would say, but I ran straight over. Now I'm here, ditching class to speak with him, and will likely get punished if I don't say anything.

"I had breakfast with April this morning," I say slowly.

"That's odd. She usually eats with the Dean in the administration building. An interesting tidbit, but you didn't come all this way just to tell me that, did you?"

I'm knotting my hands again. He sounds annoyed, and very much like he's going to toss me out on my ass if I don't get to the point.

"I was with Hercules too and we got to talking." His arms are crossed now. I swallow liquid fear and continue. "And I just wanted to apologize about how I diminished what you did for us when you decided to date April and," my voice goes low, "offering to marry me back in Topside."

"What is all this about?"

Now he just looks confused. I know I asked him not to listen to my thoughts, but this would be easier if he did. Am I dragging it out of him? I just want him to know I support him being whoever he is, no matter what, like he has done for me. Maybe I'm going about this all wrong. I should let him come to me, he should be the one to tell me that he's...

"You think I'm gay?" The question comes out as an angry accusation.

"Well...I..." I turn my eyes to the knitted blanket on the tidy couch, to the paintings of flowers on the walls. He trails my gaze.

"Some of us decide to live our afterlives differently than how we died. Sorry if you find my decision not to live in filth suspicious," he says sarcastically. He slumps down into the couch. I've never seen him so angry before.

"Sit. Now," he says, pointing a finger toward a chair. I do what he says and bite my lip. "Who gave you this stupid idea?"

"Well Hercules said..."

Teacher smirks. "So he did, did he?" he mutters, but I think he's saying that more to himself than me. He looks at me, his eyes still alight with anger. "I think you ought to get to class, Elizabeth. And don't you dare miss another one."

He didn't need to tell me twice.