For the most part, the rest of the fall semester went by without incident. At least for Cat. She was less sure how her roommate was faring. Max would frequently be gone for multiple days at a time - around Halloween she vanished for an entire week without a word. Since Cat was never actually questioned about her roommate’s whereabouts, she assumed that her absences must have been sanctioned by the college, the dean, or someone, but she certainly didn’t know where Max went. What she did. Who she saw.

Whenever she would eventually return to their room, her moods varied wildly. After Halloween, she was completely silent for nearly a week. Wouldn’t say a word to anyone, didn’t even open her mouth as far as Cat could tell. Cat never saw her eat. For an entire week! She had to have lost at least ten pounds between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Cat worried she had an eating disorder.

The dean was astonishingly, uncharacteristically, kind to Cat throughout the fall semester. After she, apparently, passed her initial interrogation and he accepted her vehement insistence that she had, indeed, fallen down a ravine, he practically coddled her on Fridays in physical education. He lovingly set and wrapped her injured wrist, ensuring her that it would heal better and be stronger by Christmas. He applied creams and ointments to her entire body, taught her about the herbs and medicines that were in these salves, and - sure enough - they miraculously healed her scrapes, bruises, and in one instance, counteracted the nauseating effect of a poisonous plant that she hadn’t even realized she’d run through the night of the bonfire.

All scholars were provided with the option to stay on campus throughout the holidays, or leave for a holiday break and return home to their families. There were stipulations, of course, to leaving campus for the month-long break. Scholars were not allowed to travel abroad, for example. If your family was spending the Christmas holiday in Bora Bora? Sorry, you had to stay on campus. Going back home was permitted and maybe even encouraged, but Cat was starting to feel comfortable on campus. She hadn’t even been given an assessment in over a month! After carefully considering her options, she decided that she would celebrate the holidays with her friends and fellow scholars who decided to stay at school for the break. She would rather be with her friends than be forced into attending daily church services and helping her family with the duties and obligations that followed in the wake of one’s parent being an incredibly popular and influential spiritual leader beloved by millions.

It was the Tuesday before the break, during the supper hour, that the dean announced the Holiday Gala. A murmur went through The Great Hall in the wake of the announcement. It had been years since the event had been offered, according to the upperclassmen near Cat’s table. Practically unheard of to have an event the Saturday that many scholars would be returning home to their families for the next month. There were some comments, complaints, from ladies in the room who had already made their plans, had arranged to leave, and would have enjoyed going to a winter social event with their friends. Cat, on the other hand, was wary. She’d been to two co-ed social events so far. The first had resulted in Max disappearing. The second, she was convinced, had nearly gotten her expelled.

The boys from St. Joseph’s had been invited to the Holiday Gala. This seemed to only indicate trouble.

::::

The impending Gala made Cat feel uneasy. Max was beside herself, thrilled. The dean had allowed one night only without uniforms. Festive, but modest, attire was encouraged. The only rules were skirts and dresses required for the ladies; ties for the guys. Max had dragged Cat away from the campus on the Wednesday evening following the announcement, chaperoned by Cat’s private patron, and the two of them had gone to one of the fanciest boutiques Cat had ever seen or been to in her life. She was no stranger to fashion… or at least she hadn’t been before attending St. Mary’s. Three months in nothing but ugly, dark, woolen clothing made her feel like she was stepping into a rainbow as they walked into the large boutique.

The girls had stayed, shopping, trying on dress after dress after dress, until well after the shop had officially closed for the evening. Someone had obviously pulled some strings for them to have this sort of unfettered access, but Cat didn’t think that Max had those sorts of connections. Her own parents had been furious at her for not wanting to come home for the holidays, so she couldn’t imagine that they had arranged for a weeknight shopping spree for her and her roommate. But maybe?

It was nearly ten at night once Cat finally settled on her dress for the event - a golden, floor length gown that sparkled in the soft light of the boutique. A halter neckline that she hoped would pass whatever the dean thought was “modest” - he hadn’t exactly provided any guidelines. She purchased an additional golden wrap to wear around her shoulders if the lack of sleeves was an issue. She desperately hoped it wasn’t. The dress made her feel like a goddess. Max had agreed.

Max on the other hand. Max was out for trouble, Cat thought. She had chosen a knee length, skin tight, red sequined dress. Complete with glittery stockings. Cat really didn’t think it looked very modest at all, but it technically did fit the length and sleeve requirement.

The girls left the boutique, purchases in arm, to their patron chaperone looking completely furious.

“CURFEW!” She hissed, brandishing the rod from within her cloak at the two of them. Both girls jumped back in shock. Why hadn’t she just come inside to grab them when it had been time to go?! Why let them stay so late in the first place?!

“IN! IN!” She banged on the roof of the car with the rod and Cat considered running back to campus instead. It was at least 5 miles away.

The patron opened the car door and gave the girls one last usher inside the backseat. Max grabbed Cat’s hand and pulled her towards the car. The patron thwapped each of them - HARD - across the shoulders and the butt as they ducked inside.

::::

”This definitely isn’t modest,” Cat said glumly as she looked down at herself in the golden dress. GOLD?! What had she been thinking Wednesday?! Similar to Max’s ridiculously flashy red dress (that she, frankly, looked un-fucking-believable in), Cat sparkled in the light of their room. She wanted to curl up into a ball and crawl into bed. She had a horrible feeling about how tonight was going to pan out. She didn’t know why. Just… none of these co-ed social events had gone well to date, why should this one be any better? Because it was the holidays? Half the people going to this event wouldn’t even be on campus this time tomorrow.

“You look HOT,” Max corrected. “Oh my god, Cat. Who knew?!? I mean. I knew. All along. I was certain of it. Underneath Pastor Davis’ virginal daughter lies…” she made a kissing face at Cat. Cat giggled and blushed deeply. She wondered how on earth she was going to hide her cleavage. SO not modest. The dean wouldn’t like that. He’d probably whip her stupid if she dared to ruin the look of the dress with her regular bra. She got a smile at the thought, at least.

“YOU…” Cat looked her friend up and down. “Look…yeah.” She blushed again.

Max laughed out loud and threw Cat the wrap that she had gotten to wear with the dress. “I hope we’re not grossly overdressed for the occasion.”

“We’re going to draw attention…” Cat mentioned quietly as they walked out the door.

::::

Draw attention they did. August Rogers sought Cat out the moment she walked into The Great Hall. She and Max sparkled in the light of the table-free hall and the room almost, practically, seemed to hum around the three of them. Holiday lights twinkled in the rafters giving the entire building a festive, dreamy sort of atmosphere. They weren’t overdressed. Girls were wearing actual ball gowns.

“Ballgowns hide some of the more old fashioned chastity belts,” Max muttered, almost under her breath, “Of course, we couldn’t possibly be having sex at these co-ed events, must take every precaution.”

It was in that moment that they simultaneously realized that neither of them was wearing one that week. Cat eyed August nervously, but then immediately felt her belly flutter wildly as he looked back at her. Ugh, those beautiful blue eyes of his!!

August reached for Cat’s hand. Her heart did a somersault as he laced his fingers with hers. Was this for real?! Did the president’s son seriously, seriously like her?! She allowed him to pull her towards a group of upperclassmen who were all chastely dancing together near the speakers projecting music through the hall.

”May I… would you like to dance, Cat?” He asked. Her heart did another somersault. He looked shy. Almost nervous. His eyes were large and round and, ugh, SO blue. She just nodded dumbly and allowed him to pull her into his arms.

She heard a whoop from a far edge of the circle and looked over her shoulder just to see the barest flash of sparkling red and wild, dark, curly hair bouncing up in the air. Max must have found someone she was looking for. Who she could possibly be looking for, Cat had no idea. She didn’t interact much with the other girls at St. Mary’s - maybe other than the dean’s receptionists. She seemed to be chummy with every single one of them. Mysterious. From another corner of her eye, she then saw another flash of Max’s red sparkles, this time being pulled along by an impossibly muscular and attractive young man. Cat had never seen him before. Did Max have a boyfriend?! Impossible. If she wasn’t in trouble with the dean, she was either in class or with Cat. Unless…was this strong, handsome young man a troublemaker too??

August pulled Cat’s attention back to the impossibly handsome young man in her own arms. She melted into his embrace. Somewhere in the back of her rational mind, she knew that dancing this close with a boy could likely land her in some serious trouble with a patron or the dean. But his blue eyes and incredibly delicious boy smell overwhelmed her sanity completely. She was a goner. Completely enamored by this boy. She couldn’t even begin to comprehend why he would choose her over literally anyone else.

The music picked up to an upbeat tempo. The couples on the dance floor began to separate, dance frantically in time with the music reverberating through the hall. August and Cat followed suit. She hadn’t been to many dances in her life. Her strict religious upbringing didn’t exactly forbid her from participating in co-ed dances, but it certainly hadn’t encouraged it.

The music slowed again. August pulled her back close. Wrapped his arms around her. Slowly rocked the two of them back and forth, hidden amongst the melee of other students coupled together. Cat felt weightless and dizzy. August was so warm against her own body, his front perfectly fitted up against her own. She rested her forehead against his jaw and closed her eyes dreamily. God, she needed to find out what kind of soap, deodorant or cologne he wore. Purchase it for herself. Use it liberally everywhere and anywhere she went.

“Cat, I know scholars aren’t allowed to date…”

Wait. Was that actually a rule?! She hadn’t remembered ever having been told, but she supposed that it made sense considering everything else that she’d encountered so far at this college.

“I’d really like for you to be my girlfriend,” her heart actually stopped as she heard him say the word “girlfriend”. No one had ever asked to date her. She assumed no one had ever dared risk the conversation with her parents - with her father, especially. He would have tied a boy up in the church sub-basement if he thought someone of the opposite sex had romantic intentions with his daughter.

At that thought, something suddenly “clicked” in her brain. But it was quickly chased away as August took her chin between his fingers and lifted her face up to his.

“Please say yes,” he said quietly. “You’re enchanting.”

She gasped, but remained mute, as he leaned his face close to hers and pressed his lips against her own. She was too shocked in the first moment to do anything other than freeze. But then she felt the distinct touch of the tip of his tongue against her bottom lip and she lost all concept of who, where, what, why and when. She returned his kiss in kind. Allowed her tongue to touch against his. Felt all of the fireworks and somersaults in her belly and heart as nothing except the two of them ceased to exist.

She pulled away starry eyed. Opened her mouth to say something, ask for more, accept his invitation into a romantic relationship…

Her head went ricocheting forward, knocking August in the nose, as the dean hit her across the back of her head. August began to bleed at the nose and two hulking men - secret service, no, patrons, no, who?! - came through the crowd and hauled August back into it, whisking him off his feet. What the…?

Cat whipped around to face the dean and he slapped her so hard across her cheek, she bit her lip. She could taste blood.

“Catherine,” he seethed as he grabbed her firmly by the elbow, wrenched her towards him and then, as if suddenly noticing for the first time, stared down at her cleavage. She hoped she had imagined the heat of his breath against her skin. Of course it was only the heat of the embarrassment of this moment.

“That is… NOT a modest dress…” the way he said it made her skin crawl. He wasn’t making any attempt to hide the fact that he was outright staring at her chest. What the fuck was his deal?! He yanked at her elbow so hard in the direction of the front of the hall that she cried out in surprise and pain. He only pulled harder and faster - she was helpless but to follow his pull.

He dragged her up to the stage and, without any warning or preamble, expertly unfastened the halter at the back of her neck and the top of her dress fell forward, exposing her breasts to… oh god, literally everyone. She gasped and tried to cover herself, but the dean grabbed his rod and thwacked it down on top of her nipples. She shrieked in surprise and pain. Several girls flinched. Someone in the back of the hall yelped. The room was silent. Cat wanted to cry, both in utter humiliation, but also because FUCK her nipples had never, ever felt like that before. Her entire torso felt like it was on fire.

“I’ll deal with you later,” he shoved her behind him, pinning her in against the wall, and scanned the room for her roommate. “Maxine? Where is your roommate, Catherine?”

Cat looked around the room. Max was nowhere to be found.