Dorin woke up early the next day. He took a quick bath and hurried to the kitchen, leaving Sebastian snoozing on the top bunk.
The kitchen was still under renovation, so he made his way outside to the canteen. It was still closed. He sighed, stifled a yawn, and waited for the cook to arrive with the key. He was getting hungry. Good thing he brought some snacks. He was humming while he ate, squatting on the ground, when a pair of rugged sneakers stood in front of him.
"What are you doing there?" asked a frowning guy in a frayed shirt and faded jeans. "The canteen won't open till 7 am."
"Oh, I'm here for kitchen duty," Dorin said with a smile. "Do you have the keys?" he asked.
"Only the head cook has the keys," the guy said, squatting on the ground away from Dorin. He had close cropped reddish dark brown hair, a dark complexion, and sunburnt arms. "You aiming for scholarship too?" he asked, eyeing Dorin's new clothes.
"Scholarship?"
"What brings you to the kitchens, then?" he asked again.
"I had some trouble in the kitchens so Ms. Ermingard told me to work it off..."
"Oh, so you're the idiot who blew up the oven?"
Dorin looked at the guy again. He was tapping out a thin white cylindrical stick from a small rectangular box with a hole on top. He placed the stick in his mouth and touched the end with his finger. The tip started to smoke, leaving a sharp menthol scent in the air.
"What?" asked the guy noticing Dorin's stare.
"What... is that?" Dorin asked, pointing at the white stick.
The guy snorted. "Are you serious?!" he asked back, laughing so hard that he starts coughing. He extended a hand to Dorin after he finally got his breath back. "Johan Ignacius."
"Dorin Silvius." the two shake hands. Dorin was about to ask about the stick again when Johan suddenly looks up and stomps it to the ground.
"Is that cigarette smoke I smell?" It was the cook, Mrs. Cooper, waddling into view. She is a very plump woman with rosy cheeks and very curly hair that she tries to tame with a yellow bandana. Her apron looks immaculate, as well as her kitchen, and anyone who tries to mess it up would feel her wrath. "Johan. How many times do I have to tell you not to smoke near my kitchen?!"
"Sorry, Mrs. Cooper," mumbled Johan.
"So, you two met each other?" she looked at the boys before her, "Johan usually works mornings. And Dorin here will only be staying `till tomorrow."
"Mrs. Cooper." said Dorin, "Can we start soon? I have a class at 8 am..."
"Patience," the cook cuts in. She waddles to the door and pulls out a ring of keys, then chose one to open the door.
"So, you a 1st year too?" Johan asked as they enter the canteen.
"If you mean, am I new here, then the answer is yes." said Dorin, "But I'm only here for the Photography Camp."
"Hmm," the other replied.
"Okay now, you two," the cook called their attention, "I don't want anymore trouble today. I swear, you two bring more problems in my kitchen than actual help. If Johan isn't burning something down, then it's Dorin blowing things up! Sometimes I think Ms. Ermingard sent you here to torment me..." she went inside, leaving the 2 students standing in front of the kitchen counter.
"You burn things?" Dorin asked.
"Just a batch of pastries... or two..." said Johan with a scowl. "And you?"
"Well..." Dorin hesitated, "I had that... accident with the oven, and last night, with the dishwasher..."
"Now I want absolutely NO SPARKS in my kitchen." said Mrs. Cooper, coming out of the kitchen with a tray of dough she have left to rise over night. "NO MAGIC WHAT SO EVER." she stressed. "If I so much as sense a thread of thaum from either of you, I'm gonna take you by the scuff of your necks and lock you inside the freezer."
And she looked like she meant it, too.
"Yes, Mrs. Cooper!" said the 2 boys in unison.
All morning they cooked porridge, baked bread and pastries, and fried bacon, sausages and eggs. When the canteen opened at 7 am, Sebastian was one of the first students to arrive.
[A sausages, an egg and a muffin please.] he said, the slate raised.
"Good morning Seb." grinned Dorin, placing food on his friend's tray.
[I'll wait for you at the back.]
"I'll be joining you soon!"
The two went straight to the Photography Club after breakfast.
"Good morning!" Anastasia greeted them, "don't forget attendance, and here's your pack of photo paper for printing later." she handed a pack to each of them and led them into the back room where Josiah was tinkering with the enlarger machines.
"Since there are quite a number of us here, we'll be printing 2 at a time," Anastasia stood in front of one enlarger while Josiah stayed with the other. "Please watch as we print the 1st picture, then you can print the rest with your partners."
"You will be printing a total of 6 photos each. " said Josiah. "Later in the afternoon, we will be inviting some people to judge the photographs, the winners will receive prices from our sponsors, the 1st price being a high-end TLR camera."
"We're 3rd in line!" Dorin told Seb excitedly. "This is really so much better than books!"
[Yes, practical experience is always better than theoretical knowledge.] thought Seb, what he did not write was, [Stay in University. There is so much more you can learn, so much I can learn from you.]
He watched as Dorin fiddled in his seat, too excited to stay still, and couldn't help but wonder if this was the same person he had a discussion with the night before.