“Hi, Ned,” Minka said, her eyelashes flitting rapidly.

“Huh,” he said as he scratched his pasty white muscle-free arm.

Was Minka actually flirting with Ned? I’d been teaching classes here for years and I’d seen Ned maybe four times. Each time, he’d said exactly one word to me. That word was Huh. Seriously, that was his only vocabulary.

Ned could work magic with the ancient printing press BABA used, but that’s where his social skills ended. He was probably a sweet guy, but he worried me. Today he wore a T-shirt that read “Can’t Sleep. Clowns Will Eat Me.” That might’ve been funny, but I was pretty sure Ned believed it.

“I like your shirt,” Minka simpered.

“Huh,” he said, then turned and walked away, disappearing down the hall.

“Nice talking to you, Ned,” I said, but I wasn’t sure he heard me.

Minka’s snarl returned, signaling she was ready to go another round with me. But it was not to be.

“Minka, darling,” Layla cried as she rushed forward and gave Minka a big hug. “I thought I heard your voice.”

Not surprising, since yapping puppies in the next county could have heard Minka’s voice.

“I’m so pleased you could join our faculty,” Layla gushed, winding her arm through Minka’s. Then she turned to me and her green eyes gleamed with amusement. “Don’t tell me you two know each other. Isn’t that perfect? Brooklyn, you’ll be able to show Minka around. I know you’ll make her feel comfortable and welcome here.”

Minka smirked in victory. Over her shoulder, I saw Naomi roll her eyes. Good to know it wasn’t just me who thought that would have been a really bad idea.

I gave Minka a look that made it clear that hell would freeze over before I would show her anything but the back door. My former good mood plummeted even further as I realized I’d have to spend the next three weeks trying to avoid both Layla’s caustic bitchiness and Minka’s toxic stupidity.