V

The Mean Girl

———

Amy walked down the streets of The Portland Goldens with Lance, as promised. The old and modern styles of houses and stores made them too distracted. On their way back to the castle — a path they've never used, something interesting caught their attentions. They saw a school and it's free for everyone whoever wants to learn something new about the Portland Goldens, its history, and its enemies.

"Let's enroll!" Lance said.

"I would like, too," Amy said.

"Come on," Lance said.

"Wait!" Amy said. "I need to ask permission from Mom first. Also, look at the sky. It must be late."

Lance looked up at the sky with objectivity. What he saw was a partly orange and darkly blue sky.

"Alright," Lance said. "It's late."

They ran back to the castle, probably annoying some people who are on the alleys, asking, "is there a commotion?" There are some people looking at Amy, finding her somehow identical to Queen Ellen. At the main gate of the castle, they found the guards in white of the palace too strict.

"Tell us your identity, kid."

"I am her daughter," Amy said. "Haven't my mother, the Queen told you?"

"How can you prove us?" the guard talked and stood steadily.

"Isn't my look enough?" Amy boringly asked back to the guard.

"The boy with you, the messy-haired boy, who are you?" the guard glared.

"I'm Lance. Smith is the surname. Why do you mind?" Lance answered.

The guards looked away from them. The only thing they did was to hold their spears tightly and put their guards up.

"Hey, please," Amy whispered. "Wouldn't you let us in?"

The guards ignored them and it pissed Amy off. Amy turned her back to the guards and faced Lance.

"I'm losing my patience," she mumbled. "Please don't let me lose it, Lance."

Lance can't do something. I don't even belong here, Lance thought.

"Let my daughter and the boy in, please," a voice same to Ellen's ordered.

Amy faced the gate again, with her braided hair swinging. Her mother was there, smiling at the two of them on the other side of the gate. The gate opened widely for them, as ordered by Queen Ellen. Lance and Amy entered the palace walls with their jaws hanging and their eyes roaming around the place. Amy looked at her Mom who was dressed in a long-sleeved gown, not too fancy like the ball gowns, just elegant enough for a queen.

"Mom," Amy started. "We've found a school! It's just somewhere near here. Can we enroll?"

"Yes. Of course. Don't worry about the payment. It's free," Ellen said.

"That's good . . . and fancy!" Lance exclaimed.

"Let's go tomorrow, will you let us, Mom?" Amy asked.

"I will let you tomorrow," Ellen smiled back as they walked down the main hall of the palace. "Now, you two, kids, get your clothes changed for dinner. See you at the dining room."

---

It took too long for tomorrow to come. The breakfast in bed was as good as heaven, over-satisfying for an average expectation of enormous kingdoms. On that day, Lance and Amy first so each other while the lunch is being served. After the lunch, they were finally allowed to run outside the palace walls to enroll.

"I think we should change our clothes into something casual," Amy suggested.

After changing, they ran outside to reach the training school, bringing their weapons breezily.

"Good day, Madam and Sir! Welcome to the Portland's Trainer! Raised by Queen Ellen, a school for Portal Soldiers!" the guard said to them.

"H-hi," Lance awkwardly greeted. "We're about to enroll and we . . . Would you mind telling us which is the way to the . . . to enroll?"

"Yeah, over there, kid. At the main hall of the first tower," the guard said. "Just follow the signs."

"Thanks, sir," Amy said.

"You can call me Robert," the guard said.

"Thanks, sir Robert!" Amy said.

They walked until they reached the said place of enrolling.

"Good day, we're enrollees," Lance asked the Afro-Cuban man who is standing nearby. "Where should we enroll?"

The man grinned and faced them as properly as he can. "I am the one responsible for that."

The man led them to a plain white room. Neither Amy nor Lance paid attention to the room sign's name. They already had the chance to sit and get asked by the one responsible for that.

"All you have to do is to fill this up," the man gave them one form each. Each form contains name, names of parents, age, gender, and almost everything important. When they finally gave the form, the man stared at Amy's form and looked directly at Amy.

"Your Majesty," whispered the man and he bowed.

"Shh, don't bow. Look up," Amy said. "I don't want anyone to know."

The man's jaw dropped. The man gave their requirement list, room numbers (which is given oddly immediate), the schedule, and like earlier, almost everything.

"Thanks," and they left.

---

The first day of the classes in Portland's Trainer has come. Their things and requirements are well-prepared when they went to the school. While walking on the hall, they paid attention to the classroom number for the first time.

"We're classmates!" Amy said while grinning.

"Come on before we're late," Lance replied.

They both ran to their training classroom for them to be on time. After breathing deeply, Amy and Lance opened the door. They roamed their eyes around while ignoring the mixed smell of air-conditioner and perfumes. There are two vacant seats beside a plainly fancy girl. They took no second thought of sitting there.

"Would you mind leaving those seats?" the girl grinned. "My best friend needs that seat beside us. I'm Lauren and you are . . ."

"Amy," Amy said but Lauren seems to pay no attention.

"Come on, Amy. Let's just go to other vacant seats," Lance cut everything off.

They sat at the two vacant chairs at the back. Beside them, there's a female student wearing big-rimmed glasses. She's reading the books for advance study.

"Hi, my name is Elise. I'm also a new student here. I'm supposed to be sitting there at the front, but the girl, Lauren shouted at me and pulled me to sit here at the back. She did the same to the both of you right?" Elise said.

"Yes," Amy said. "I'm Amy and this is Lance."

"It's nice to meet you," Elise said.

"You too," Lance said.

A general came in the room without knocking, showing that he has power in the classroom.

"Good morning, class. I know that the new students are very curious why generals are the teachers. We all know that this is a training school, so Generals will be in charged. I am General Phillip and I am in charged for you all," He said.

"Good morning," the students replied.

"Now we'll start with knowing each other. All will go in front one by one and introduce yourself," General Phillip said.

"Oh, no!" a boy beside Lance whimpered.

Lance looked at him. Amy and Elise also looked at him.

"Why?" Lance asked.

"Last year, if I can still remember, when I introduced myself, they threw crumpled papers at me and I don't wanna go in front again," the boy narrated.

"Don't worry, we'll be here for you," Elise said.

"Let's start at the back," General Phillip said.

The boy is shaking. When General Phillip walked towards the back, Lance whispered something to him.

"General Phillip, last year, the students threw crumpled papers at him. I think he's afraid," Lance whispered.

"I'll introduce him," General Phillip said. "Worry not."

"Thank you," Lance went back to his seat.

"Come on," General Phillip said.

The boy walked.

"His name is Tom Fox. He likes apples and he hates to be ashamed," General Phillip said.

"Here you go, man," Lance whispered as Tom went back to his chair.

"Next," General Phillip said.

Lance walked in front normally.

"Hi, my name is Lance . . . Smith. I came from a small family in Garing-free and I love self defense," Lance said.

As Lance was walking, a bully laid his legs on the path and it almost made Lance stumble. Good thing, he have his eyes clear. He did not brag about the feet laid on his path.

"Stop it!" Tom said to the boy.

"Well, it's enough for all like you!" the boy laughed.

The three, Amy, Elise, and Tom looked at the boy badly. General Phillip walked towards the boy.

"First day of training, I don't like what you're doing," General Phillip whispered.

"Okay, fine, sorry," the boy mumbled.

"I'll not let you do this again, Jacobson," General Phillip said.

General Phillip walked again to the front.

"Next," General Phillip said.

Amy walked and all are staring at her.

"I'm Amy Arrows, new student. And I want to say this, even we're new here, it doesn't mean that we don't have the rights to be respected. Queen Ellen doesn't want bad things, for sure," Amy said.

"Wow . . . Is she the princess?" Jacobson felt awkward with suspicion.

General Phillip clapped and so all of them. Lauren, before clapping, rolled her eyes. Elise walked in the front and said, "My name is Elise. I like new friends and new eyeglasses."

Lauren raised her eyebrow up. The introduction flowed until it was done. The time seemed too fast.

"Now I've prepared groups for you. You'll be the group mates. Every group will have six members. So, let's start," General Phillip said as he wrote down the groups on the board.

Lauren got her bestfriends as her group mates. Jacobson's group are filled with tall boys with no gentleness. And of course, Amy's group is composed of people like her — brave, sweet, and strong. There are two more people added to Amy's group aside from Elise, Lance, and Tom. They are Sally and William.

"Better know your group mates," Gen. Phillip said.

"Okay, here, introduce yourselves to everyone in our group," Amy said.

They introduced themselves to each other. They treated each other fairly. Although her classmates still doesn't know that Amy has a royal blood, they respect her.

"Okay, class, follow me," General Phillip said. "Fall in line, everyone."

They followed him. Only Amy's group sticks together. They were led into the training field. After letting the students get their weapons from their big enough lockers, General Phillip assigned the position of each group. It's complete. Each group will have to step onto a medium-sized platform and they will fight safe lasers. The highest points earned will be posted at the bulletin board.

Amy, who's holding her bow tightly with her guard on the arrows tied to her, led her group to the medium-sized platform. Lance and Sally stood by the front line while grasping their swords tightly. Elise was roaming around the group's formation with her axe, swinging by her right side. Holding their guns, Tom and William stood by Amy's side.

The first laser came near to Sally and she pretended that she was defeating a real Kininva and so all of them. They have own enemies there. Amy was being easy at that time. She shot an arrow to a laser. Lance was also having an easy time. He also swung his sword easily and so all of them.

It's too easy that they even lowered their guards but it turned out, their guard wasn't enough. Too many lasers have surrounded them already and some are adding up.

"Everyone, duck and stop!" Amy commanded.

Lance, Sally, and Elise ducked as what Amy has commanded. Tom and William let showers of bullets from their rifles. When the number of safe lasers decreased, the front line stood up and walked towards the edge of the platform. They have finally exited the platform and it became calm. All tired of fighting, they sat on the side of benches and waited for General Phillip to talk.

---

"Very well! Great job everyone," General Phillip said. "So, have your break. Check the bulletin board tomorrow for you scores in this activity."

They had their break. The six of them bought their food and talked about their lives. The canteen seemed lively as they talked.

"Amy, you looked like the Queen," Elise said in the middle of the conversation then they all went wordless.

"Everyone, listen. I'm going to tell you something about that. Promise me you won't tell anyone," Amy begged.

"We promise," they swore.

"I'm her daughter," Amy whispered.

"Yeah, that's true we grew together in the town of Garing-free. His father, David was captured by a Kininva," Lance explained.

"Really?" Sally asked.

"Yes," Amy said, "don't tell anyone."

"You go back to the classroom. We'll just go and walk around," Lance said.

Elise and Amy headed to the classroom. Lauren walked at the front of their chairs while Elise was reading. She pulled the books piled on Elise's armchair. The books fell.

"Hey!" Amy exclaimed.

Amy was about to walk towards Lauren but then Elise grabbed her right arm too firmly.

"Amy, no. It's alright," Elise insisted.

"No, it's not!" Amy whispered too loudly as Elise was pulling her back to the chairs.

General Phillip came back with the rest of the students. Just as everyone got to their seats, General Phillip spoke up.

"Bulletin board is filled with papers! You may check it after dismissal," General Phillip announced.

"Let's go exit altogether," Amy suggested.

"My students, whoever this winning team is, please know they deserve it," General Phillip started and Amy thought, the winning team is so lucky.

"This activity has the easiest level to start a new mindset for my students. You may either find the activity easy or difficult but what matters is he teamwork. I hope you made friends and I also hope that you improved your skills as a start. Expect more difficult mechanics for the next activities. Any questions?" General Phillip asked.

No one raised their hands and everyone is waiting for the words:

"Class dismissed," General Phillip finally said.

Amy and her friends went outside the classroom together but everyone ran through them and it made them scattered.

"Who won, who won? Was the group is ours?" That's what they heard. Suddenly, it became silent and Lauren just bumped Amy in to the wall. They saw the bulletin board and it's them who won.

Saying goodbyes for the first time, they smiled and they knew this is a fresh and good start. May their friendship be stronger as they are growing stronger.

---