~This Beautiful Boy, He's Something~

Before I knew it for myself, the two weeks had flown right by up until it was the day for me to take the train to the town of Primrow. This would be at least a five-day journey by carriage, but with these railroads, it should take around 10 hours to arrive. Wherever the train leaves me, I'm sure I will have to go by foot from there for a short while.

"Good luck, sweet, Gwynerie dear," my mother says smothering my cheeks in farewell-kisses. The whole family didn't come to see me off, only my mother. I had to say, "goodbye," to my brothers and sister this morning before I left as we had to take the long walk to the town across the east river called Ethington. We don't have a station running through our lowly town. The officials of K'aina don't particularly allow luxuries for the lowest class: my class.

I place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'll be fine, Mother. You taught me to be strong and fight my way through everything as I need to. I can say with certainty that I will get an education despite my hair color and freckles."

I small tear slips down her face leaving a glistening, wet trail in it's wake. I seldom see my mother cry; she is always so strong and fearless, and she never is unable to find a solution to some impossible issue. No matter what happens, she knows how to stick-it-out till the end. That said, I am shocked, to say the least, to see even that one tear.

I pull her into what felt to be the hundredth hug of the day. "It'll be alright—I'll be alright."

"I know you will. I am just so proud. I never thought any of my children would be able to go off to be great after seeing that red hair from your father sprout onto each of your small heads. If only you were born with clear skin like him, and blonde hair like mine." She sighs gazing over my features. "You would have been perfect."

Bringing us from the conversation, the train sounds its first and only warning telling that it would be leaving the station within a minute.

"Goodbye, Mother. I'll be sure to write when I can, and if I am able to come back for breaks, I will!" I give her one final hug before lifting my trunk by it's handle and walking up into the train, my leather gloves gripping the railing as I do so as to not trip.

I find a vacant compartment along the train and choose to sit there. I have a clear view of the station as it pulls away and I wave to my mother. I hold eye-contact with her until I'm am no longer able to. I suddenly find myself overwhelmed with boredom, so I pull out the text on beauty.

It's entitled The Keys to being Beautiful by Maria Edwin Sprouse. I stifle a small snicker as the thought crosses my mind that no amount of lessons or tips could ever change that which how I appear to this cruel world. I'm ugly, and that's that.

I hear a familiar male voice approaching my compartment from down the thin aisle. I hear faint apologies accompanied by the sound of door sliding open and closed repeatedly. Finally, whoever this person is stood outside of my compartment and flung the door to the side quite brashly.

"Booktheif-Girl!" the boy from the street weeks ago exclaimed.

My eyes shoot wide open in horror as I waves my hands frantically in the air. "You can't just run around saying that!"

"But it's true, is it not?"

"What? No—I mean of course not!" My words seem to fumble in my mouth, failing to gain proper footing.

"It's true, I know, you don't have to lie anymore. Your secret is safe with me," he says gesturing to himself proudly as he closes the door and makes himself comfortable on the bench opposite of mine. The room was quite frankly too small, although, rarely would I ever complain about such a thing, but in this space, the benches were close enough as to where my knees could brush against his if I so desired to do as much.

"I have no secrets."

"Okay. Then what might your name be as you kept it from me last time we met? After all, we are stuck her for the next many long hours. We might as well get to know one another."

"I could simply leave here and find a different compartment."

"You will have no luck in that. You were lucky to find an empty one to sit in alone for a while as it is."

"Where are you even headed to?"

"The same place as you."

"And how might you know where that is?"

"Wild guess."

"Well then, where are we going?"

"To that fancy school, Heartbridge, are we not?"

"Alright, that is true. You must have decent observation skills considering we are the same age and both have similar trunks for our belongings."

"Correct. Now how about that name? Here, I'll go first." The boy sits up straight and clears his throat before continuing. "My name is William-Charles Jude Curtis, and you my fine lady?"

I roll my eyes with a sigh. It can't hurt to play in this beautiful boy's fantasy of an equal world could it? "I am Gwynerie Iona Murphy, but my friends and family call me Gwyn."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Gwyn—"

"I said friends which you are currently yet to be considered as one."

"Yet? Well, fine then. Nice to meet your acquaintance, Miss Gwynerie Iona Murp—"

"Just 'Gwynerie' is fine, thank you."

"Alright, alright... Gwynerie."

"Better."

We sat there in silence for a few moments while I gazed, absent minded, out the window. I felt it hard to concentrate on my own thoughts with the ever-growing awareness that William-Charles over here cannot stop staring in my direction. It is become intense to the point that I feel as though he can now see straight through me and to the seat behind my back.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I'm just wondering."

"For what purpose?"

"You are wonderful."

I momentarily choke. He has gained my full attention now. "I'm what now?"

"Wonderful. Full of wonder," he says thoughtfully. "Your bright, blue eyes against your light, freckles skin. Not to mention you curling, red locks of hair. It's all wonderful, don't you agree?" I'm at complete loss for words. "It makes me wonder how phenomena like this can occur. I understand that flowers can develop a rainbow of colors from pigments in their petals, but how does one explain red hair? Our hair is from the darkest of browns all the way up to grey. The more pigment hair has, the darker on this spectrum it goes, but where does red fit in on this scale? It is all quite fascinating, don't you think?" His eyes are gleaming with curiosity and interest about something that is so ugly, unwanted, and repulsed.

He's genuine.

I recollect my jaw from hitting the floor and manage to stumble out, "I'm unsure. It must be some sort of defect. All some cruel joke or accident, really."

"I strongly doubt it," he leaning back into the bench to glance out the window.

Grasping for something to use to escape this topic of conversation, I quickly say, "I am going to rest for a while."

He nods as I remove and roll up my jacket as a makeshift pillow. I place it on the window and rest my head on it closing my eyes. Over the next few our, not once did I manage to sleep. This beautiful boy's words refuse to allow my mind to rest.

Could I be truly wonderful?

—-—

Upon arriving at the station after the dreadfully long train ride, I basically threw myself onto the platform before hasting my pace. I quickly ask a man reading a newspaper on a nearby bench for directions to Heartbridge. Meanwhile, beautiful boy was once again on my heels.

"Geez, I'm trying to escape you! You know that don't you?" I say brashly whipping around towards him.

"Well, no..." he trails off, "but why?"

"Because, as I've said to you already, people like you and me simply do not mix." I turn around again and begin briskly walking in the direction that the man pointed in. I notice William-Charles hesitate for a moment, but he quickly recovers and falls into step next to me.

I lost track of how long we were walking for, but I was beyond grateful upon reaching the front gates with the name of the school entwined into the metalworking. The entirety of the trek was accompanied by beautiful boy's nonsensical talking. By now I am three seconds from ripping his tongue straight from his mouth so he is unable to speak again.

I take a deep breath, ceasing to walk. "Okay, William-Charles, will you please let us have silence for two moments?"

He winces slightly. "If you will, call me Charlie." Based on the sudden change to a serious tone in his voice, I decide to grudgingly oblige. "But, as you wish."

"Thank you," I breath out.

After a few moments of silence, Charlie stops me by placing a hand on my forearm. "What did you mean by 'people like you and me'?"

I stop in my tracks and turn to him, finally giving him my complete attention. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what is the difference between you and me?"

"You are the way you are, and I am the way I am."

"Now you are just speaking in riddle. I genuinely would like to know what you mean," he's says with a hint of seriousness in his tone.

I sigh. "Well..." I struggle for a moment to find the words to use before giving up and being flat out with him. "You are beautiful. I am not. How do you not realize this?"

This seemed to take him aback for a moment before he frowned. "What makes you so sure that you are not beautiful?"

I reach up to my head, scrunching a lock of my red curls in my fist. "Um... Red hair?" I gesture to my face. "Freckles?"

"So?"

"Everyone is quite aware that having red hair and freckles classifies me as ugly, am I wrong?"

"Maybe not, but I don't believe that those things classify someone's beauty."

"Oh really? Then what might you say dictates the beauty of a person?"

He took a moment to ponder on this for a moment before saying, "I don't know actually..."

"Then you cannot say that I am not--"

"But," he cuts me off, "this does not mean I can't recognize a beautiful person when I see one."

It took me a short moment before the realization that he was referring to me suddenly came crashing down on my world. I felt heat rushing to my cheeks, but it was quickly replaced by a cold breeze as I shrugged him off. "You need glasses, my friend."

"So we're friends now, are we?" He says with a smirk gracing his voice.

I ignore him as we had been having this conversation right out in the open out in front of the school. There are students dressed in their uniforms all around the area, walking in and out of the propped open doors.

"You also kind of said that I'm beautiful. Not the word I would have used, but works just the sa--"

"Don't push it, William-Charles."

"I thought you agreed to not call me that," he whines, feigning hurt.

"And I will continue to honor that agreement so long as you seize to annoy me," I say in my most sickly-sweet voice possible to which I recieved a nice glare.

Through the doors, we stepped into an open room full of colored windows like those one might see in a church for the rich. There are elder students directing the new students without uniforms towards what looked to be a large room full of comically large, ornately dressed, dining tables. By this I mean that each table could sit around 25 people. I quickly take count of how many tables. Eight, excluding the one raised on a platform at the front of the room.

"Wow, Charlie. Look at the drinking goblets. They aren't made from metal. They are made from glass! They sparkle and shine don't they? Wow..." I gush grabbing his arm. "Oh! And those dining chairs! They all are the same at each table! I wonder why different tables have different designed chairs..."

A small chuckle escapes his lips in reaction to my childlike excitement over what he must think to be the simplest things. "They are just tables, Gwynerie."

"Nooo! They are beautiful tables." Saying it out loud makes me realize the childishness of what I'm saying. They are simply tables, and it does make sense for them to be to the standards that they are being that we are in a school for beautiful people. Sudden dread dawns on me causing my face to fall.

To my luck, Charlie notices. "What now? Notice a stain on a table cloth in this perfect world?"

"Actually, I'm wondering something..."

"What is it?"

"Well, I don't--" I cut myself off before deciding to say, "Actually, don't mind it." I'm aware that I divulged my own thoughts to this person (who is basically a stranger) earlier, but I am unsure of whether I would like to do that again with something more serious. For now, I believe it will be best for me to keep to myself my worries about whether the school will expel me for my looks when the finally realize how I am.

We follow a line of other first-year students to a drop off our trunks to a group of men with tall, golden carts to take everyones things to where I assume to be our dorms as they were assigned. As I reach the front of the line, a woman at a sort of desk asks me my name before looking up to meet my eyes. Her facial expression goes from one of shock to one of light disgust as her lip curls up into a sneer.

"Gwynerie Iona Murphy."

"Leave your trunk to the side. You will find them in your room later on."

"Thank you," I reply, but she only gives me a 'shoo' hand gesture in response.

I notice that the room's dining tables are beginning to fill with students already as a line of, who I assume to be, professors enter and take their seats at the head table. A gorgeous woman with a beautiful fur jacket is sat in the throne at the center of the long table. The only students yet to be seated are all clearly new students like me and Charlie based on their clothing.

One of the men from the table of professors stands and bellows, "Please, everyone, take your seats and be silent. New students may take a moment to find their seat labeled with their name. Boys will be sat on the left side of the room, and girls will be sat on the right side."

I briskly walk around the four tables, scanning for my name to be embedded in beautiful cursive into the metal rim on one of the chairs as it was for many others. While walking, I realized I was receiving many dirty looks from the girls already seated, although I could not tell whether they were disgusted by my looks or my franticness. Most likely a combination of the both.

I glance to the boys side of the room to see Charlie gliding down into his chair. I mentally screech that the beautiful boy was able to find his seat so quickly. Suddenly I catch a glimpse of my last name, Murphy, on a chair to my right. Glad that I had finally found it, I quickly sit down.

After the last few people find their seats, the woman in the throne stands and begins to speak with a soft voice. "Hello, everyone. It is good to see our old students back her again for another year, I am also glad to have seen that our incoming students this year seems to be the most we have had since the opening of the school." The woman spoke so quietly that it was beginning to be almost impossible to hear her. I lean forward, but to no avail.

"I am Headmistress Gloria Helmbridge of Heartbridge, the school for the most rich and intelligent. In the future, new students, we may change seating at random. This is done to test your manners. I would like to address that rushing to your seat is improper and I would not like to see that at our next meal." She pauses before continuing. "Everyone's schedules for the first semester will be in your rooms. I hope everyone enjoys our beginning of the year feast. When you are finished, please wait to be dismissed to your dorms."

—-—

I glance down at the paper that was handed to me as I exited the dining hall. Girls Dormitories, East Wing, Room 802. I'm honestly curious as to why the rooms go past 800 when there seems to be only around 200 students in the school. They must have started at a weird number...

I notice the room numbers approaching 800 before I see my own at the end of the hall. When I enter I am shocked. Not only do I have the entire room to myself, but it is at least triple the size of my house back in Tirmar. I walk over to my large bed and pick up a letter with my name written on it in beautiful calligraphy. I open it and begin to read.

To Miss Gwynerie Iona Murphy,

We are proud to welcome you at our school for your substantial knowledge. We hope you settle in quite easily as we are aware of what background you come from. Below is your daily schedule for the first semester. Be sure to be timely and not miss assignments as there will be repercussions.

7:00 AM - Trumpets will sound outside dormitories for the first quarter of the hour to wake all students. You will have the hour to dress in your uniforms and prepare yourself with whatever you may need for the day's schedule.

8:00 AM - All students are expected to be seated in the dining hall for breakfast. Reminder: No running. Even if you are late, it is most proper to walk calmly with dignity.

9:00-10:15 AM - "Self-Presentation, Etiquette, and Grace I" with Professor Leila Anderson

10:30-11:45 AM - "Literature I" with Professor James Montgomery

12:00 PM - All students must be present in the dining hall for our midday meal.

1:00 - 2:15 PM - "History and Business I" with Professor Milda Grass

2:30 - 3:45 PM - "Mathematical Sciences I" with Professor George Branch

4:00 - 5:15 PM - Attend your club activity of choice

5:30 PM - Head to your dormitories to prepare for dinner. There is a dress code for this daily occasion, and each student will find formal attire in their rooms.

6:00 PM - All students are required to attend our evening meal.

9:00 PM - CURFEW. Any students outside of their own dormitories after the curfew will receive repercussions.

*Exceptions to curfew include school-wide events such as our winter ball, and if a student has written approval from a professor or the Headmistress herself.

*Repercussions include a determined amount (based on the level of misbehavior) of disciplinary courses that will be attended from 7:00 - 9:00 PM. Students rill receive a pass to allow them to return to their dorms after curfew.

*Students are not permitted to enter a dormitory hall that is of the opposite gender.

*There will be a maid or butler that will clean your room every Sunday while you attend the mandatory school assembly after our midday meal.

*Students may visit the city on their free days, Saturday and Sunday. On these days, students may miss the midday meal, but they may not miss a required event such as the weekly school assembly.

*On free days, students are not required to wear uniforms, but still are required to wear presentable clothing throughout the day and the formal attire for dinner.

We hope you also had no trouble gathering the required materials that you needed such as the books and stationary. Tonight you are encouraged to head to the main courtyard to join one of our student-run clubs. Afterwards, we expectWe wish you the best of luck at our fine academy.

Headmistress Gloria Helmbridge

The first thing that stuck out to me the most was our requirement to wear special attire for supper as that has never been a requirement for me in my lifetime. Not to mention, never have I owned more than two different outfits.

I notice something shining over on the vanity across from my bed. I walk over to see a coin on top of a piece of paper that said, "For the preservation of our students' beauty we supply them with a weekly gaunt for buying products and clothing in the city." I honestly couldn't believe what was simply given to me. Never in my life have I even gotten to set my eyes upon any coin greater than a yent, let along a whole gaunt.

For a moment, I roll the coin around in my hand before placing it back on the desk and dressing myself in one of the first-year uniforms in the closet. I decide to unpack the few things in my trunk when I got back to my room at curfew.

I slip out of my room and down the stairs to the entrance of the girls' dormitories. I make my way towards what I believe to be the main courtyard. It is lit up by strings of mini lanterns as the sun is beginning to set.

"Gwynerie!" that familiar male voice calls.

Spinning around in the direction of the voice, I see Charlie running towards me. The white uniform with blue trim beautifully accented his light green eyes and dark brown hair.

"Hey. Want to look for a clubs together?" I ask.

"Sure! Would you like to maybe join a club together?"

"I... don't know about that, Charlie. I doubt we have even close to similar interests?"

"Well, then what did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking of looking for a book club of sorts..."

"Great! I love to read."

"Really? You like to read?"

"Yeah, yeah. You know that one about the... whale! Or was it a shark..." his eyes cloud with confusion for a moment and I can't help but giggle.

"You don't like to read, do you?"

"No, no! I do! I'm just not all too good at remembering what I've read," he's says with a half-smile while scratching the back of his head. "Besides, I don't really care for what club I'm in. I would just like to be in whichever one you choose to be in."

"Mhmm, sure."

"Wow, you really are going to ignore a guy's attempt like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Nevermind..." he waves me off as I give him a questioning look before dropping the topic. "Oh! Look, look! They have an astronomy club!"

"Oh, sounds cool." What was all of that about not caring and just going to join my club? This beautiful boy is something.

"Want to join this one? It might be so much more exciting than books."

"I knew you didn't like reading!" I point an accusing finger at him, satisfied that I had caught him.

"Hey, I could still like reading, but that doesn't mean that astronomy could be a more exciting club activity than reading is," he points out. "In all honesty, I enjoy reading alone than in a group with deadlines. Astronomy and stargazing is always better in groups because you get to discovery the universe together. Doesn't that sound fascinating to you?"

For a moment, I'm almost startled by his honest passion. It was something I hadn't seen yet from him. "You make a very convincing argument..." I pretend to ponder for a moment before smiling genuinely and saying, "Alright then. If that's what you really want--"

"Great! I'll sign us up!" He chirped, cutting me off.

Before I had even finished my sentence he was already writing our names down. Once again, the boy has forced me to laugh against my will which I feel like is not something a stranger is able to do. Then again, I get he's not really a stranger anymore. I believe I even called him a friend earlier on accident... Geez, he has me all mixed up.

This beautiful boy... He really is something.

Something special.