River sat in Biology class as bored as anyone could be. Even though it was full of cool magic and the like, she was half considering just getting up and leaving: but being the timid little girl she was, she didn't want to be rude.
She walked out of the class feeling like she hadn't learned anything, despite the fact she did. She held her damaged wing close. Even though it was healed by now, it was badly scabbed and aching, and she would be unable to fly on it for another week at least. But no worries, she didn't use it anyway. But it hurt so bad.
River didn't run into Amber during that evening. Weeks had passed since the last incident, so River kept a low profile. It wasn't long before the month was almost up, and the teachers were making sure the kids had been assigned roommates. River remembered, as she went to the last class of the day, that her and Nora had been bunked, but there was room for one more girl. River hoped with all her heart Amber wouldn't be with them.
Nora had behaved that day, enough to not get detention, River noted as she walked to the last class, which they shared. As the teacher droned on and on about human and monster relations, River scooted closer to Nora, who was sitting beside her.
"You can visit the ranch today?" said River.
Nora nodded, and River grinned.
"Good, cuz soon we are opening for tours for young monster kids in grade school," said River, "it'll be crowded then. We only do it for a week, but it's really big with schools around here, even homeschoolers."
Nora smiled, and gestured to the teacher, He was tall with a hippie tie-dye shirt, and River stifled a laugh: he looked like a rainbow, a rainbow with poor fashion taste, though. After the class, River and Nora got on the school bus. The driver, a woman, and River talked for a moment, so that the driver would know that she didn't have to drop off Nora at her house.
After a lengthy bus ride, River exclaimed, "Here we are!"
The house looked like a barn house, almost, with Japanese elements. It had a large front yard, but it was nothing compared to the backyard and pastures. River leaped off the bus and led Nora down into the front yard.
"Shhhh," River warned, as they approached the fence of the pastures. She craned her neck over and leaned on the fence, and whistled. A few black unicorns trotted over, two babies and a mare. They glanced at Nora and took a step back, but River beckoned them forward. Nora reached out her hand.
"Cool!" said Nora, and River let her pet them.
River took Nora on a short tour. They had unicorns, but they had a silk dragon, which was always the highlight of any of the tours. The dogs ran out with the unicorns with the unicorn's glossy skin shining, and the dogs played a few rounds of chase with them. After a while, when the sun was about to set, River showed Nora a large tree on a hill towards the back of the farm.
"Did you like it?" said River eagerly.
"Yeah, it was very cool! Tomorrow we're getting our dorms assigned," said Nora, "Too bad you can't stay here, it's beautiful."
"I'm sure your house is pretty too," said River.
They smiled and went home.
The next day, it was time for dorm assigning, and for everyone to get all their belongings.
