The second meeting

Glancing at your watch you see you have only a few minutes before the second orientation meeting. Eschewing the shower you want, you step into the bathroom and check your appearance before heading out the door and striding back to the main campus.

The library is full of students, only a few trailing in behind you before Ms. Naylor raps the table for attention. She makes the same speech as she did this morning, introducing Dean Hawkfeather. You notice that all students are wearing their regulation ties, the only anomalies in uniform being two dark complected girls sitting near the front who wear colourful headscarves and gauzy leggings under their skirts.

He makes no demonstration of his tie removal skills, but simply refers to the dress code and the Code of Conduct. It's apparent that word has gone around the campus since the first meeting, and there are not the mutters of surprise and dismay, but only a phalanx of appraising stares as the Dean finishes his presentation and turns the meeting back to Ms. Naylor.

As she did this morning, she runs over coming events and some administrative details, directing students to pick up a copy of the Code of Conduct before they leave, then dismisses them.

"Not anywhere near as exciting as this morning," a lilting voice says softly.

Surprised, you turn to see Honey Thibodeaux, who gives you a sly smiling glance.

"No, pretty boring by comparison."

"Sometimes that's the way things go," she says softly. "When you compare them, they just don't seem the same as you thought they would be. Or the same as you remember." She gives you an enigmatic smile and walks away with a last backward glance, leaving you standing in puzzlement at her meaning.