Mariel hopped on one leg as she struggled to get into her pleated black skirt. With both legs in, she slid it up and zipped the side, pulling her favorite boucle teal sweater over her head as her arms flailed wildly. She loved this sweater - it matched her hair and she liked the vivid contrast of the bright color against her black leggings, boots and skirt. She tugged at the hem until it sat just right, and ran her fingers quickly through her hair.
Stretching her arm to its full length, she picked at a few stray cat hairs on the ribbed cuff of the sweater, discarding them onto the floor. Her phone buzzed with a text message and the screen illuminated. 5:48 PM.
"Oh no, " she moaned. She was going to be late. Again! The last time she was late for her music lessons her tutor had threatened to stop teaching her all together, and he was the best teacher in the city. If she was going to get into Wyverly University on a music scholarship, he was her best bet.
She hooked her finger into her key ring, jerking them off of the night stand in a raucous jangle of metal keys and plastic charms. Snatching up her phone she ran toward the door, reaching down only for a brief moment to pet her white cat. "See you later, Mr. Mog!" Her voice trailed off as she got closer to the door. She certainly didn't see the human-like, up-to-no-good grin on Mr. Mog's face as she latched the door behind her.
_____
If you can't tell, I've been reading the Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix. It started with the recent release of Clariel, but now I'm re-reading Sabriel because I am so loathe to leave the Old Kingdom behind until the next book comes out. The idea's been rolling around in my head recently to play with the idea of Mogget and the descendants of the abhorsen family. So this quick little scene is just me playing with some ideas in my head. Perhaps something will come of it, perhaps not. Either way, here it is.
