Private Finished Returning What Was Left Behind

Tonight was the night.
She'd checked the perimeter of the dorms. Made sure there was no one who would care if she snuck out again. Her dorm dad was somewhere, she guessed, but it didn't bother her too much. Not unless he could fly outside and catch her.
Tonight was the night.
She'd packed up her photography kit - she'd bought it local for "interest in Yearbook" - and readied her magic for a trip through the shadows to Mrs. Forestier's. It would be the perfect time, since she knew Mrs. Forestier wasn't too busy tonight. Maybe take a few more pictures, borrow a few things. Of course, she'd put it back... right?
She spared a glance at the closet that held all her "trinkets" she'd taken. She still hadn't returned them... but those could easily be rationalized, she thought. That's important to her, or that's to let me know her better , or any number of grand rationalities like that.
Tonight she'd be one step closer to achieving her goal.
Well, until she heard the knocks on her door from the very woman she was so enamoured with.
Was this a dream?!
"Oh! Um, one second!" Stumbling over herself to reach the door, she opened it to reveal Mrs. Forestier in all her glory, staring down at her. "Hi! Um, what's on? I mean, what's up?"
In her hands was the very notebook she'd been keeping herself secret in. Thank the gods it was locked.
"Oh, you found it!" She jumped into a perfect impression of delighted surprise. "I was wondering where I left it. You... you didn't read it, did you?"

"Yeah... I was about to go out though, so good timing!" There it was - that warm smile that had brightened so many of her Home Ec classes. From her angle, she must have looked a little bashful, though that could be chalked up as embarrassment at losing her notebook.

For a second Riko thought she might have read it, and fear clutched at her heart, which she tried to swallow down so it would stay in place. No use being afraid like this. But Mrs. Forestier rushed to correct herself and Riko almost sighed in relief. So she hadn't read it. She was both lucky and unlucky, grateful and yet disappointed. But that wasn't something Mrs. Forestier did - she was too good of a teacher, too good of a person to do that sort of thing.

With a smile, Riko took back the notebook and held it close. "Thanks."

"Can I come in for a second? I was wondering if I might have a word with you?"

Oh no.

All of her photography supplies were set up on the night table. She could jus reason she was working with Yearbook... and besides, hadn't she said she was to go out soon too?

Still, she was hesitant to let Mrs. Forestier into her room. "Oh, um, sure. What about?" she asked, still standing in the door frame.

Oh.
Walpurgis... nacht, she filled in. A holiday thing. Not...
Nope, not that.

That sunny smile stayed on Mrs. Forestier's face as she explained that she was looking for students to help her. What a wonderful opportunity! Not only did it get her closer to Mrs. Forestier (always a plus), it was a chance to memorize her new routine and plan around it.

Riko nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, sure! I'd love to help you out. I've never done a Walpurgis celebration prep before, but I'll try my best to help out wherever I can!"
Especially now that it'll bring me closer to you, Mrs. Forestier.

"What is Walpurgis, by the way?"

Okay, well that made sense.

Riko kept up as Mrs. Forestier thanked her (by way of a cute merci!, too) and explained the holiday further. Not that she knew what Hexannacht was, either, or Beltane, or May Day, but most of it was cleared up by her last line. An important holiday for many witches, druids, and other magical creatures. Mrs. Forestier was enthusiastic about the whole thing - but then again, that made sense, too, because her teacher was a witch.

Maybe this was an opportunity to get to know herself better too? She never had investigated what made her necklace so... well... powerful over her, and never got the chance to ask Mom... And partly, that was because of fear. Another part was, she thought, the necklace itself.

Nevertheless...

"Du riyen," she tried to say. Was that right...? Was that French or Spanish she'd just said..? "Is there somewhere for the volunteers to meet and stuff?" She reached for the phone in her pocket, and the lighting of the hallway glinted off her necklace as she did so, though she took no notice of it. "I'll make a note of it."

Her reply, clumsy though it may have been, still garnered a positive look from Mrs. Forestier, and a shy smile from herself. Riko looked down at her phone, then back up at her teacher, waiting to note down the meeting info, when -

"Oh, my... what a lovely necklace, Riko," Mrs. Forestier commented, breaking off from her previous thought. Her necklace...

Paranoia began to crawl through her mind like a spider. She couldn't know anything much about it, could she? Certainly not... Riko hadn't shown her anything of her powers, let alone the sway it held over her.

Calm down, she told herself. Even so, the faintest hint of strain appeared in her easy smile.

"Huh? Oh, this thing?" She took the pendant in her other hand and held it up briefly. "Um, thank you. It was a gift from my mom." Riko clutched the pendant close, as if to show off sentimental value. Which, she supposed, was actually true.