[Chapter 7]

“This is it! This is IT! I’ve had it. I’m going up to her right now, and I’m going to show her exactly who she is dealing with. I should have never let you go, Ashe! That… beautiful… face!” Dru screamed the last word, the tears looking as if they were about to fall anytime. It had been there since… well, since when she woke up and saw the red marks on the side of my face.

Noel had closed up the ugly wounds on my face with his powers, but no matter what he did, the angry red welts couldn’t be hidden. I took to comfort that at least they weren’t gashing wounds, but the scars would stay for at least a few more weeks. Almost like a branding. The three ugly red lines on the side of my cheek… the thought of how it was made only made me burn brighter with rage.

“It’s alright, Dru. It’s nothing.” I lied softly, walking down the hallway.

The dinner had been a nightmare yesterday night. After the commotion, Xaviel’s mum had kindly led me away to the bathroom to help me clean up. We arrived at the dinner late, and I had endured curious stares. It seemed like no one –except for the bitch Charmaine and her mother –was offended by my words to Charmaine. Maybe they knew her as a bitch too.

But afterwards, Grandma Elvie had made me stand up, in front of the entire crowd, announcing that I was the next Alveron. She didn’t say anything about me holding two elements, and I guessed it was something she didn’t want people to know yet. The crowd had broken out in surprised applause when Grandma Elvie announced my identity. Dinner was a bore, but stressful with everyone giving me silent looks.

The only ones who didn’t seem to care a single bit –or at least pretended not to –were Xaviel, Noel and another guy with stark silver-white hair who kept his head down on his food uninterestedly throughout the entire meal. His elder sister –who sat beside him –had been chatting enough to fill them both; almost like Dru. Then, even before the dinner ended, he stood up, didn’t even say anything, and walked out of the hall with everyone’s eyes on him.

His disappearance was forgotten afterwards when Ms. Maxwell called for the tables to be cleared. Surprisingly, Xaviel’s expected fireworks performance from the Arliden twins –in which involved little toddler Pauline grabbing the candle on the table and trying to light her sister on fire –did not happen. Perhaps their mother learnt to not put candles in the twins’ reach.

Still, I had tried to escape the dance, like Xaviel. Yet, I had been pulled back by Council Member after Council Member, each telling me how great it was to finally have another Alveron at the table. I tried to escape, but ended up getting whisked away into the dance floor. It was a mad rush for me to escape the place, but it didn’t seem to happen, until tripped on an uneven step, breaking my heel and spraining my ankle.

For some reason, Noel was there at my side almost instantly. The Council Members and their worried counterparts tried to help out, but they seemed glad that Noel was there. I thought briefly of what Grandma Elvie told me about him. Noel held more water magick than any student. Perhaps that was what made him such a good healer, huh?

Still, he was gentle and kind as he helped me out of the dance floor, bringing me to one side. His power this time healed the sprain, connecting with mine a second time. I couldn’t help but feel as if Noel was someone important to me. Something about the way my power mixed with his told me.

Since Xaviel was gone and I still wasn’t very sure about the layout of the school, I accepted Noel’s offer to escort me back to my room. We found Grandma Elvie and told her about my retreat, before we were out of that place. We shared slight conversation, in which I found out that he was a second-year student, even though he had been here since fourteen. Because of the jump in his bloodline, he discovered his element earlier than others, and mastered water faster than anyone. But five years had passed and he had not progressed on after his ‘second-year’.

I didn’t really understand why, but wasn’t in the mood to ask either. He bade me farewell at my door, and I returned to my room to find Dru already snoring. I could only sigh, do a quick shower before I jumped to bed.

“How was it, Ashe? Oh my, what is that horrible scar on your face?” Sarah caught up with us as Dru and I walked down the hallway towards the cafeteria. It was the start of school today, and we were supposed to attend an assembly first before we had a few hours to go to Penelope to collect our timetables. School curriculum would start after lunch, so it was considered a half-day today.

“Would it be okay if I said I got into a bitch fight with Charmaine Davis?” I asked a little embarrassedly. Sarah had always been the no-nonsense girl, and it was obvious that she didn’t bother herself with the petty little catfights girls like me and Dru would get caught up in.

“You did? That’s pretty courageous and stupid of you.”Sarah replied truthfully –and surprisingly.

“I know. I took a slap from her for it. But she had to come for seconds. And she scratched me.” I tried to vindicate myself, but no one could deny that I was the one to start to fight, to incite Charmaine enough for her to slap me.

“She didn’t!” Dru screamed, one tear leaking out the corner of her eye.

“Oh, stop being so teary about it, Dru! She’s a bitch and we both know it. It’s not your fault I got this. It’s my problem for picking a fight with her, alright?” I explained as we passed by a window that looked down to the entrance of the school.

Cars after cars were milling in. Students were trickling in like a small stream, some coming alone with their earphones plugged in. Others were already chatting happily with the friends they had already met, helping each other with their luggage. For the first time since I was here, this place finally looked like a school.

“Come on, let’s get breakfast first. I don’t want to be competing with them for the food.” Dru tugged my sleeve, and we made it down to the cafeteria quickly.

It was pretty empty, but in the large cafeteria, I could still spot Charmaine and the rest of the students that belonged to the families of the Council Members. A number of them were still studying in the school –like Charmaine and Noel. I took to note that the silver-haired guy was here too, silently eating without looking at anyone. Noel however, was sitting with Logan and Xaviel, chatting.

“Hey! What’s up?” Logan greeted as we made closer. His loud greeting got the attention of some of the students that were already here. Some that I recognized from yesterday’s dinner smiled at me, while Charmaine and her bunch of bitch friends only glared. I tried my best not to glare back, ignoring her as we approached the guys.

“Nothing much.” I replied nonchalantly, but Dru was louder in her protest.

“Nothing? You getting scratched on the face is not ‘nothing’! That beautiful face!”

“What? You were scratched? By who? There was a catfight, and I wasn’t there?” Logan asked, apparently not seeing the scar yet.

I sighed. I didn’t want this thing to blow out of proportion. But it was pretty hard, considering I had Dru as a friend and roommate. I ignored Logan –that ever-non-understanding guy in our small gang –and turned to Xaviel, whose eyes flitted quickly to my red welts, then back to my eyes. I wasn’t sure if he was shocked or disappointed at my act. I had always been Ms. Nice Girl, until the ugly side of me showed yesterday.

“I’m… I’m sorry for what I did yesterday, in front of you and your parents. I didn’t get the chance to talk to you afterwards…” I trailed off, not knowing what to do. Would Xaviel be disgusted at me? Would he walk away, leaving me to lose a friend before school even started?

He leaned forward a little and spoke, keeping his voice low.

“I know you think I’ll be disgusted at you. But frankly, I’m not. I’m glad you showed Charmaine what you were worth. I’m not going to make any comments about you, Ashe. What I saw; it was only you standing up against someone who couldn’t even be bothered to look at you. Sure, you shouldn’t have been so crude, but you took the words that had been hanging on our lips and you vocalized it.” He whispered, making sure that only the people at our table could hear him.

I drew back a little, surprised. Xaviel… didn’t mind? Xaviel thought the same… about Charmaine?

“You don’t like her?”

Xaviel nodded, and I watched as Noel did the same too. Blue soulful eyes were still tagging on me, as if trying to figure out what I didn’t know either.

“We’ve been putting up with her the best as we can. Her mother, Lily Davis, is holding reigns over disciplinary. She can kick us out anytime we do anything to her daughter. Our families are mostly against her, but she has the ears of the Council Heads. But you, Ashe, you are Alveron. She cannot touch you. What you did, what you showed her; it’s what we’ve all been dying to tell her. The only other people who could do tell her that was Zane over there and his sister,” Noel pointed over to the silver-hair guy, “and the Council Heads.”

I looked over to the lonely guy for a moment before I returned my attention back to the conversation at hand. “Then why doesn’t he?”

“Because there has been rumors that Charmaine has been sleeping with him. One way or the other, Zane Krien never talks to anyone. So you’d better give that thought a rest. Come on, I’m starving.” Dru grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the table. With deft conversation, I steered Dru away from the fact that I was scratched on the face to something totally unrelated of the dinner that happened the night before.

Conversation continued between us and Noel seemed to fit in with us perfectly well.

And then we proceeded on to the auditorium, where I found almost the whole school already there. Dru managed to scare and shock a few shy students, while I managed to get to know a student who was like me –in the first year. Madeline discovered her affinity for air a few months ago, but had to wait for a new term to start before she could join. Since we were both of the air and knew next to nothing of it, it was pretty quick that we got along well, since I figured we would most probably be taking the same classes.

And then everything died down when Ms. Maxwell went on stage.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” She started after clearing her throat. It was kind of a habit for her, wasn’t it?

“It’s good to see familiar faces again. I would first like to welcome our new students into our school, and I sincerely hope that they will enjoy their time studying the elements with us! This place is going to be your homes, so I should remind you guys again –especially the fire and earth-users –that you should, at any point of time, keep leash on your powers. We do not want to see elemental fights in your dormitories. And yes, Logan, I don’t expect you to set your teacher on fire again.”

Laughter broke out in the auditorium as Logan slid down further in his seat despite the fact that Ms. Maxwell’s eyes were straight dead on him. “Bloody hell…” He groaned as he almost slid off his seat.

“Also, I must inform you that the regulators and ventilators in the training hall for the fire-wielders are currently not working. Instructors will be placed to regulate the level of heat there, and all flame-involved activities must stop in twenty minutes upon beginning. All students must not be exposed to more than twenty minutes of heat-inducing activities. Fires may be easily built up there, so there will be water-wielding staff placed there twenty-four seven. In the case should you see a fire out of your control, please locate the closest staff for assistance.”

Dru and I exchanged a look. Both of us knew Logan wasn’t going to obey any of whatever Ms. Maxwell just said. It was just Logan. He would know trouble. And he would find the trouble, but somehow get out of it with either his charms or just pure, dumb luck.

“All in all, things will not turn bad if you obey instructions. Also, we will have plans of inviting Messir Lance Krien over to our school for a short while.” Ms. Maxwell announced, and the whole school broke into excited applause and cheers.

“Who is ‘Messir Lance Krien’?” I leaned to Dru to ask, since it was almost deafening.

“Zane’s father! Lance went over to Italy to start his own school to help the Faens there. He left Zane and his sister here, but his sis is going off after this year. Zane’s still wondering if he should follow his sis to study there. Lance is a pretty fun guy. I’m jealous of you, though. He teaches fire; so if he really comes, he will most probably be taking you. It’ll be even better if you’re in Zane’s class. I’ve heard the fire students saying that witnessing a sparring between Lance and his son is the best show of firework anyone can ever hope to see.”

“Really?” I probably sounded surprised since Dru chuckled.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t expect Zane’s father to be so different, huh?” She commented, but Ms. Maxwell had continued on with her speech, so we put a pause in our conversation.

“There will be plans for many things in the school. Dates and times for assembly will be announced at a later date. That is all. Please proceed to the front desk in an orderly fashion and be in your respective classrooms after lunch. Should you be found outside your classroom after the second bell, you will be deemed late or playing truancy.” Ms. Maxwell said sternly, and, as if leaving things as it were, she strode off the stage, disappearing in the folds of the stage curtains.

The students at the front began milling out of the auditorium, and Dru dragged me into the crowd, leading me somewhere outside. So far, we hadn’t been going outside, so it surprised me a little when that happened.

“Where are we going?” I asked; a little confused when Dru giggled softly, as if keeping a secret. I realized that Sarah, Xaviel, Logan and Noel were gone. We were the only ones running out into the open…

The total whiteness of the canopy met me, shocking me. Sure, I saw lots of snow back home, but never this thick, never this peaceful; uninterrupted by cemented pathways or buildings. This patch of whiteness, it was just pristine whiteness. The beauty of total, unmarred whiteness; it gave me a total refreshed looked at everything.

“Dru… where is this?” I whispered, not wanting to break the melodic silence of the place.

“Like this place, my dear princess?” Dru asked, and I heard her voice far away. That was strange. I didn’t hear her move from behind me before this…

Something cold and slushy hit me on the back of my head, and I stumbled with surprise. Another one hit me, this time with more force and I heard a cheer. A third hit me on my back, and I spun around to see Dru standing beside Xaviel. Their power was heavy in the air, and I saw the snowballs hanging in the air, waiting to hit me.

“What are you guys doing?” I demanded, more shocked to see Dru and Xaviel using their powers than the fact that they had just shot me.

Another snowball hit me before I knew it, and I spun around to see Logan laughing triumphantly. In retort, I scooped a handful of snow from the ground, molding it quickly and lobbing it over to him with as much force as I could.

He started dodging it, but I felt his power draw in the air too. He clicked his fingers, and I watched as fire engulfed the snowball, forcing it to end up as water and slush among the snowfield.

“That’s cheating! We’ll get nothing on you like that!” Dru shouted from the other side, and I watched as another snowball that was floating fly towards Logan.

The guy in question laughed again, clicking his fingers again. This time, the snowball exploded into a mess of steam and water in midair.

“What are you guys doing?” I asked, a little shocked to see them using their power so blatantly. The rules had been very clear. No power usage in public areas; no elemental power usage on school grounds without permission.

“It’s alright, Ashe. This used to be the training grounds for all elements. Not many people know about this place; so we have it all to ourselves. The teachers can’t slap us any offense here; we’re preparing ourselves for a new term.” Sarah explained and I watched as she picked her way through the knee-deep snow towards me.

“So we can use our elements here without worrying?”

She nodded, seemingly to sense my excitement. “We were worried about you; about your nervousness being in this school, about yesterday. It was time to show you our Sanctuary. It’s our tradition to come here after every break; just before school starts –to relieve a little stress. Of course, we do end up getting in a snowball fight during the winter, but that’s the fun of it, isn’t it?”

And even though I wasn’t skilled at my element yet, I relished in the idea of being able to use my elements freely; without worry about setting anything on fire, or toppling anything over with my wind.

I threw my arms around Sarah, giving her a quick hug. “Thank you! I love you guys! You are the best bunch of friends I can make here!”

I heard her chuckle at my sudden bout of childishness, but something cold hit me again, the snow sliding down the back of my shirt. I spun around to see Noel standing directly behind me, snowballs gathered at his feet while a few floated close to his hands.

“You too, Noel?” I asked, bending over to scoop the snow from the ground.

He was grinning; something that seemed pretty rare on the serious face I had seen since the dinner yesterday. He had always been smiling gently, or maybe keeping a serious front. But this was a happy Noel. This was a carefree Noel.

“I never knew about this; a surprise how Xaviel kept this quiet from the Council. But hey, I take what I can get.” He laughed, and he grabbed one of the snowballs close to his hand, taking quick aim.

I laughed too, as I ran from his projectile, running towards where Xaviel, Dru and Logan were having their messy snowball fight.

In an instant, we were all kids again. But it was fine. In this school, it didn’t matter, because I had a new life.

I had new friends.