property. It was wide with several floors and windows all over the front. Six gray columns stood in the front, supporting a pyramid roof with the rest of the house flat on top. She could see a balcony to the right, extending from a room at the top floor. Several black-bricked chimneys were positioned around the exterior.
“Doesn’t this place have heat?” she asked, wondering if she had stepped back in colonial times.
“Of course,” Mr. Quinn said. He slowed the car down and finally stopped in front of the house. “It’s quite modern with internet access and everything. It just looks old.”
“Well, it is old,” Lucas countered. “It was built by Irish immigrants a long time ago.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, it—”
“I’ll tell it,” the headmaster interrupted. Lucas acquiesced, throwing his hands up. Mr. Quinn turned around in his seat to Eva. “This house was a haven for Banshees and Leprechauns. My great-grandfather grew up here as a child, and my father, a Leprechaun—it skipped my grandfather—left our home in Chicago when I was just a young boy, and decided to turn it into a school—a place where children such as you could live and have an education.”
“Yeah, so math class is right next to where I sleep,” Lucas said sarcastically.
Mr. Quinn narrowed his eyes. “Go get her bag.”
Lucas rolled his eyes and got out the car, placing his black cap on his head. The headmaster popped the trunk, and after Lucas retrieved her bag, he slammed the trunk door down.
“He’s actually a good boy,” Mr. Quinn said, nodding. “I just have to be stern with the boys sometimes, to let them know their place, or else it’ll be chaos,” he continued in a casual tone.
Chaos? He must be exaggerating…maybe.
Lucas opened her door, smiling. He tipped his black cap to her. “Milady.”
“Thank you, good sir,” she said, stepping out.
Mr. Quinn was already out of the car, adjusting his patchy cap on his head. He turned to Lucas. “I’m expected in a meeting in about”—he glanced at his black wrist watch—“ten minutes. It’s near dinner time. Why don’t you show her around, take her to her room, and then lead her to the cafeteria?”
“So I can actually visit the girl’s wing?” he asked, smirking.
“Briefly,” the headmaster cautioned. “Here’s her key,” he continued, fishing it out of his pants pocket, and then handing it to her.
It looked like an ancient key but short and black, and the handle was shaped in the form of a green shamrock. She placed it securely in her pocket.
Mr. Quinn smiled and tipped his hat to her. “If you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to find me. My office is nearby. Classes start tomorrow but don’t worry about that now.”
She watched him walk past the set of gray columns to a pair of large wooden doors cut in the middle like the gate. There was a large green shamrock at the top of each halve and a pale green sign with glossy black letters above that read GREEN CLOVER ACADEMY . The headmaster opened the left door, gave Eva a final wave, and went inside.
Lucas sighed. “Finally. Let’s sit over here for a minute.” He directed her to a black iron bench next to the house, surrounded by lively green shamrocks.
In fact, all around the house were shamrocks. Nearby were other benches, some tabled. A narrow pebbled trail led to a volleyball net, tennis and basketball court in the distance. Thick woods surrounded the property, and Eva wondered if this school was even on the map, it was so isolated from the city.
When they sat down, Lucas placed her travel bag on the grass, and then pulled a pack of cigarettes and a black lighter from his pants pocket.
He lit up, took a drag, and exhaled. “This is much better than that damn Coke.”
Eva forgot about their drinks in the car but that was the least of her worries.
She scrunched her nose. “You smoke?”
She didn’t like it up close—the strong odor of it—and had
“Doesn’t this place have heat?” she asked, wondering if she had stepped back in colonial times.
“Of course,” Mr. Quinn said. He slowed the car down and finally stopped in front of the house. “It’s quite modern with internet access and everything. It just looks old.”
“Well, it is old,” Lucas countered. “It was built by Irish immigrants a long time ago.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, it—”
“I’ll tell it,” the headmaster interrupted. Lucas acquiesced, throwing his hands up. Mr. Quinn turned around in his seat to Eva. “This house was a haven for Banshees and Leprechauns. My great-grandfather grew up here as a child, and my father, a Leprechaun—it skipped my grandfather—left our home in Chicago when I was just a young boy, and decided to turn it into a school—a place where children such as you could live and have an education.”
“Yeah, so math class is right next to where I sleep,” Lucas said sarcastically.
Mr. Quinn narrowed his eyes. “Go get her bag.”
Lucas rolled his eyes and got out the car, placing his black cap on his head. The headmaster popped the trunk, and after Lucas retrieved her bag, he slammed the trunk door down.
“He’s actually a good boy,” Mr. Quinn said, nodding. “I just have to be stern with the boys sometimes, to let them know their place, or else it’ll be chaos,” he continued in a casual tone.
Chaos? He must be exaggerating…maybe.
Lucas opened her door, smiling. He tipped his black cap to her. “Milady.”
“Thank you, good sir,” she said, stepping out.
Mr. Quinn was already out of the car, adjusting his patchy cap on his head. He turned to Lucas. “I’m expected in a meeting in about”—he glanced at his black wrist watch—“ten minutes. It’s near dinner time. Why don’t you show her around, take her to her room, and then lead her to the cafeteria?”
“So I can actually visit the girl’s wing?” he asked, smirking.
“Briefly,” the headmaster cautioned. “Here’s her key,” he continued, fishing it out of his pants pocket, and then handing it to her.
It looked like an ancient key but short and black, and the handle was shaped in the form of a green shamrock. She placed it securely in her pocket.
Mr. Quinn smiled and tipped his hat to her. “If you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to find me. My office is nearby. Classes start tomorrow but don’t worry about that now.”
She watched him walk past the set of gray columns to a pair of large wooden doors cut in the middle like the gate. There was a large green shamrock at the top of each halve and a pale green sign with glossy black letters above that read GREEN CLOVER ACADEMY . The headmaster opened the left door, gave Eva a final wave, and went inside.
Lucas sighed. “Finally. Let’s sit over here for a minute.” He directed her to a black iron bench next to the house, surrounded by lively green shamrocks.
In fact, all around the house were shamrocks. Nearby were other benches, some tabled. A narrow pebbled trail led to a volleyball net, tennis and basketball court in the distance. Thick woods surrounded the property, and Eva wondered if this school was even on the map, it was so isolated from the city.
When they sat down, Lucas placed her travel bag on the grass, and then pulled a pack of cigarettes and a black lighter from his pants pocket.
He lit up, took a drag, and exhaled. “This is much better than that damn Coke.”
Eva forgot about their drinks in the car but that was the least of her worries.
She scrunched her nose. “You smoke?”
She didn’t like it up close—the strong odor of it—and had
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