A gong rang out declaring it was finally time for supper, which was a good thing, my stomach was about ready to start chomping on my kidneys and liver. Several doors opened up along the walls, and a stairway appeared in the floor, none of them gave any clue about which way led to food.

The school book we'd gotten from our rooms didn't help. We'd looked at the map in the front, and the school was a confusing jumble of halls, doors and tunnels, that didn't seem to make any sense. There was one room that was supposedly a bathroom, Potions 101, Literature 1, and the Promotion of Minion Infighting for Fun and Profit. There were also several rooms that seemed to overlap, with the doors being two feet apart, but the actual rooms being the size of a football field.

Looking at the map again, I tried to figure out which one led to the cafeteria. I couldn't make heads or tails out of it. According to the map, the halls wound around each other like a knot and went off in a dozen different directions, not all of them following trails that were possible without bending your brain into a pretzel and adding a couple of extra dimensions.

Ivy started sniffing the air and walked away, totally ignoring us.

“We're looking for food, lets follow the werewolf,” Naomi suggested.

We weren't the only ones with that idea, the tiger girl, who seemed to be asleep, was riding her tiger as the animal strode forward purposefully. Blood Wing had summoned a demon dog that was snarling and loping forward. Several others were using pets, their own senses, or spells to find their way to food, and they were all headed for the same door. Most of the girls who didn't have super noses followed along. I did see a handful of girls who looked confidently at their maps going through other doors.

I tried to memorize the route, but it was a little hard when we'd walk down a hall and the walls would press in on us until it felt like we were being crushed and then we'd look out a window and see a cat that was as large as an elephant, or we were as small as mice. A few time I looked up to see another group of girls walking on the roof, only to notice that I was walking around a chandelier. Taking a corner I actually walked straight through me, and let me tell you, my brain is not a pretty thing to see.

After two minutes of walking, following Ivy as closely as we dared, we reached the cafeteria. There was a large bowl almost twenty feet in diameter and about three feet deep, all along the edges were sharp little needles. On the other side of the room where the boys were entering was a similar bowl. Ella poked the back of her hand and squeezed out a drop of blood, I followed suit, while other girls poked the tip of their fingers. A few however only pretended to, or ignored the bowl entirely.

Grabbing trays, my little group went up to a counter where a cat woman wearing a chefs hat was waiting for us. “What do you want?” she asked.

“Fairy dragon flank steak, emerald juice, mashed potatoes heavy on the butter and sour cream, and fresh steamed vegetables, please,” Ella said.

Reaching under the counter, the cat woman pulled out a tray that had everything Ella ordered. Ivy was next and asked for a stack of raw steak, a bowl of salt, and a bowl of water, again there was no problem. Then it was my turn.

“I'd like a unicorn burger, fries, and a glass of golden nectar juice, please,” I said.

The cat woman didn't move, “We're all out.”

“How can you be all out?” I asked, I was only the tenth person in line.

“All out.”

“Ok, what about a griffin sausauge on a bun and some kelpie chips?”

“All out.”

This was getting annoying. “Fairy dragon flank steak, emerald juice, and steamed vegetables?”

“All out. Move along you're taking too much time,” she said.

“Bread and water?” I asked in desperation.

“All out.”

“Ketchup?”

“All out. Go away, if you don't want to order sensibly,” she said, showing claws.

With my stomach growling, I slunk away, as I heard Naomi getting a unicorn burger and fries with no problem. Looking around, I realized that even some of the girls who hadn't given blood were getting food. Sinking into a free chair beside Ivy and Ella, I banged my head against the table, this school sucked.

“Where's your food?” Ella asked.

“Apparently they have to order out for any food I want. It will be here in a few days.” My stomach howled in anger.

“That's strange. I've never heard of them doing that before unless they got the cafeteria staff or a teacher really angry. Did you insult one of the teachers while you were beating up that boy?” she asked.

“No! Master Grieve gave me some pointers on where to kick Michael so it would hurt more.”

The other girls came to our table, each one had a tray loaded down with food, which made me give them my best attempt at puppy dog eyes I'd seen girls give to teachers and parents.

“Don't worry Petra, we ordered extra for you,” Clarice said, handing me a unicorn burger.

Calci gave me a plate of fries, and Naomi gave me a glass of grape juice. I got up to give them each a big hug, not fondling them, just enjoying being close to three cute girls, and trying to fit in. It was completely harmless, with nothing perverted about it. Nothing at all. Ok, I may have enjoyed it a little too much, but no one could blame me.

“You guys are the best!” I said, digging in.

As we ate, we were watching everyone else, and they were watching us. It wasn't the usual type of looks like in my old school, where you just watched out for bullies, cute girls, or something to talk about. This was much more predatory, with whispered conversations and notes being passed between groups followed by nods or subtle head shakes.

Suddenly there was a huge fart from a table full of boys, many of whom were sporting spectacular bruises. A boy in chainmail got to his feet and rattle his way to the door as quickly as possible, partly jet propelled. The cafeteria burst out laughing and more farts were heard throughout the room. Boys and girls ran for the doors, with frantic looks and lots of pushing and shoving.

“I think they skipped giving a drop of blood. I know that girl just laughed at it,” Naomi said, pointing at a pretty girl who was running so fast she hit the door and fell on her butt, letting loose a very wet sounding fart. She scrambled out the door on all fours.

I looked a little more closely at some of them, she was right. At least two of the girls who were trying to reach the door first had only pretended to do prick their fingers.

“Don't cheat the school, unless you can get away with it,” Clarice said. “It's on the first page of the book they gave us.”

We all agreed that that was a very good rule to keep in mind.

As we dug in again, a group of four boys came over, they were wearing all black and ranged from being short and skinny to giant size. “Mind if we sit down?” the best looking one asked, smiling and giving us a weird face.

Glancing around the table I saw Naomi, Calci, and Clarice looking at him with big eyes, playing with their hair, nibbling on their lower lips, and sighing. Ivy kept gnawing on her steak, and Ella merely smiled before gesturing at the empty end of the table. “Certainly. We haven't been able to talk to many boys yet.”

“I'm Victor, and these are my minions,” he said, leaning in, staring directly into Ella's eyes. “I'm looking for allies, and your group of beautiful girls looks like the perfect match.”

“Really,” Ella said a little breathlessly. “What do you think you can offer us?”

“My radiant presence,” he said, giving a half smile so confidently, I would have sold my soul to be able to be half that cool as a guy. I instantly hated everything about him. “Seriously though, you're the daughter of an emperor. Your resources, knowledge, sheer radiance, I want all of it. I need all of it, and my heart, my body, my very soul is yours if you give it to me.”

Every girl near us shuddered and fanned themselves, even Ivy. I just shuddered and wanted to break Victor's face.

“Tell me more,” Ella whispered, leaning in so close it looked like they were about to kiss.

Something was wrong here. Grabbing my juice, I threw the contents right into the jerks face. He fell back in total shock, gasping and sputtering in rage. Ella shook her head as if trying to get rid of a nasty thought, and Ivy started growling.

Victor's giant stood up and loomed over me.

Ella's voice cut through the growing chaos. “You JERK! You tried to control my mind!”

“Wait!” Victor said, focusing totally on Ella.

I saw my friend start to sag, a smile came to her lips. Before I could think, my body reacted.

Grabbing a tray of food, I ducked under the giant's arm, slid over the table and whacked Victor in the face as hard as I could. He fell hard, but got up quickly, reaching for a long dagger on his belt. From the look in his eyes I knew I was a dead man, uh girl, if he got it out. My tray met his head again. And again. And again.

As I was getting Mrs. Tray and Victor better acquainted, Ivy had turned into a wolf woman and jumped on the giant, Naomi, Ella, Calci, and Clarice, grabbed their own trays and began tag teaming Victor's remaining minions.

By the time the cafeteria staff reached us, it was a clear victory for the girls, with the three boys battered and covered in food. Ivy and the giant were still going at it, the giant couldn't hit the fast moving werewolf, and her claws and teeth couldn't get past his thick skin.

The cat women grabbed the giant and Ivy, pulling them apart extremely easily. With order restored, a big, black panther-like woman glared at us. “Get the rags and mops, ladies. These students are going to clean up everything for us tonight.”

The cat women cheered.

**

By the time we got back to our dorm, our hands were blistered, wrinkled, and cramped. True to their words, the cafeteria workers had made all ten of us who were involved in the fight wash the floors, the tables, the dishes, take out the garbage, set out traps for the brownies, and even scrub the walls. We had pointedly worked as far from Victor and his minions as possible. Whenever we had to go near them, I was the one in front, since his psychic powers didn't seem to work on me. And the one time he'd tried anything I'd thrown a grease stained rag at his head.

Saying goodnight to our friends, Ella and I crawled into our room.

“You're the hero of the day, Petra, you can have the first shower,” Ella said.

“Thanks,” I muttered, too tired to speak.

As I cleaned myself off, I was even too tired to study my new body. I just wanted to get the dirty water and grease off. Half an hour later and reasonably clean, I stepped out of the bathroom, to see Ella in her underwear reading a book as she waited for the bathroom.

I was suddenly both profoundly glad, and upset that I was a girl. Especially as she walked past close enough to touch. Trying not to stare, I just went to my closet and pulled out a nightgown that I'd been given to me along with my uniforms.

Sliding into bed, still thinking of Ella, I realized that I'd touched a pair of breasts for the first time in my life. Sure they were my own, but that was a lot better than any of my friends back home could say. And I'd hugged a bunch of really pretty girls earlier. And I was sharing a room with a gorgeous girl. Turning off the light, I began poking and prodding my new body, giggling and sighing at the new sensations.

Maybe being a girl wasn't so bad after all.

__

Doom Valley Prep School will be updated every Monday. My other stories, The Oubliette, will be updated every second Friday, and Necromancer Unmanned will be updated every Sunday night.

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