Ex Nihilo Academy by Jennifer Watts

to more cardio and weight training. Get ready to sweat class!”
    * *
    Lucinda wasn’t kidding. By the end of the day sweat runs
     from my hairline and drips down the back of my shirt in rivulets. Because I’m not living on campus the only showers available to me are the communal ones in the gym so I head to the change room to clean off. It is empty when I arrive
     because the bell rang close to an hour ago — apparently there is no set end time with training and it ends when the instructor thinks it should end no questions asked. I rest my bag on the bench and strip down before stepping into
     the shower. The hot water feels incredible beating down on my already aching muscles and I know that my body is going to pay for today’s workout tomorrow. When I am done I grab my towel from the hook and walk back to the lockers but my bag isn’t there. I look under the bench, in the locker across from it, then
     I check back in the shower stall but it’s nowhere to be found and I’m more than a little freaked out. That bag contained my favorite green sundress for the dance, my limited supply of makeup and even my dirty gym clothes so I have
     nothing to change back into. I know instinctively that someone must have taken it and I have a feeling I know exactly who that someone is.
    “I’m not going to cry, I’m not going to cry.” I chant to
     myself, my breath hitching. I sit down on the bench and pull the towel that barely covers my butt tightly around me. I consider what options I have - breaking into another locker won’t work without bolt cutters and the shower curtains are see-through so ripping one down and wearing it is out. After
     sitting hopelessly for about fifteen minutes I hear someone come in.
    “Lily?” I’m surprised to see Nissa walk in. “I thought you might be here.”
    “How did you know?” I sniff.
    “These are the only public showers on campus and I imagined you’d need one after training. I was coming to see if you were ready so we could head to the ballroom together.” She says eyeing me speculatively and a
     sob escapes me.
    “I’m so glad you’re here. I’m sorry to ask but I need your help again. Someone took my bag with everything in it and I don’t know what to do. Do you have a spell or something that can make me look like I’m wearing
     clothes?” I ask hopefully and she laughs but not unkindly.
    “Sadly no, but I do have these.” She spins her locker combination and pulls out gym shorts and a baggy t-shirt and hands them to me. “I’ll never understand why the school feels that supernatural’s need gym class.
     I suppose that teenage humiliation is universal. Do you know that they even make us square dance?” She looks horrified and I laugh out loud. It amazes me how she seems to know exactly what to say to make me feel better.
    “You lie.”
    “Cross my black heart and hope to die.” She replies as I fold the shorts over a few times to hold them in place and pull the t-shirt over my head. It slides off one shoulder but I’m covered enough to make it
     home.
    “Thank you for the clothes and for cheering me up. I guess I should head to the dock. I’m sure my ride is long gone and next student ferry doesn’t come for another half hour.” I’m saying all this more to myself than
     for her benefit but she watches me closely, her mouth quirked up at the side.
    “Come with me, darling. I may have something you can wear to the dance. I have many cute outfits that I used to wear before I decided to go dark and gothic. I know we’re not the same size but I have an eye for fashion
     and I’m surprisingly good with pins.”
    * *
    It turns out that Nissa is surprisingly good with pins. Within twenty minutes she has my hair and makeup done and has me pinned into a
     black party dress with a ruffled skirt that is made of shimmery chiffon. She isn’t much taller than me so it hits at the right place just above my knees and the top is a tube style that she folds over to