The next day, when I got to school, I saw an open backpack in the lobby, books strewn over the floor. When I looked around, I couldn’t see anyone. “Hello?” I called.
When I didn’t get a response, I knelt down and started gathering books. I saw that they were mostly ninth grade textbooks. There were a couple fantasy novels and I almost laughed when I saw The Dragon’s Bride. It had been my favourite book when I was ten. I remembered that the first page asked for your name, so I opened it.
“Ciela?” I read the name out loud.
“There it is!”
I looked up and saw a short girl running down the hall. She skidded to a halt in front of me, gasping for breath. “They really got me this time. I was sure it’d be on the roof or something.” She knelt and started picking up loose papers, but she was mostly pushing her dark hair out of her face. “Thanks, by the way.”
“No problem.” I handed the novel to her. “Do you still read that?”
“All the time. It’s my favourite.” She looked up, her eyes sparkling. “In chapter seven, when she grows her wings and starts flying, that’s the best.”
I remembered the scene and nodded. “It’s like you’re right there in the air with her.”
She laughed. “I used to wish I’d find a dragon egg like her, just so I’d get to fly, too.”
She started shoving papers into her bag and I noticed discolouration on the bottom. The marks reminded me of watercolour paints or leaking pens. The rest of the bag looked new, so I was surprised at how far the discolouration ran.
“Thanks for the help.” Ciela grinned as I handed her the last of the papers. “I won’t be late for class this time.”
I tried to smile back, but a nagging thought wanted my mouth to turn the other way. “How often does this happen?”
She shrugged. “Only a handful.” She swung the bag over her shoulder. “It’s not a big deal.”
It’s November. I wanted to remind her. A handful of times in the two months since school started? That was a big deal.
She tried to put a hand on my shoulder, but she just grazed my arm. Standing beside her, it was clear I was at least a foot taller than her, and I was on the short side for my age.
“I can handle it.” She assured me. She turned on her heel and headed toward the stairwell.
I watched her take the stairs two at a time and supressed a laugh. Despite her height, she could jump. I stood where I was for another minute before making my way to my own class.
When I opened the door, I saw Ashley sitting on my desk. She’d been looking out the window, but when she heard the door, she turned. “We need to talk.” She stated.
“So talk.” I walked over and put my bag next to the wall, carefully placing it so the tiara wouldn’t be crushed.
“Daren told me your friend beat him up yesterday.” She didn’t get off my desk, so I stood in the isle to face her. “I know Dawn’s not like that, so I wanted to ask you about it.”
I was surprised she’d come looking before spreading rumors. “Did you want a technicality?”
“I want the whole story.” She gave me a glare before turning away. “I don’t like you and you don’t like me. That’s clear. But if someone’s giving bad info, I want to know.” She flashed the big press badge pinned to her shirt and I knew she was serious.
As the chief reporter for the news club, Ashley always wore the badge. But she only drew attention to it if it was an important issue. With so much info coming her way, I had to admire her ability to filter out what was false.
“It was a standoff.” I told her. “One on one. A fair fight. Although, Daren had no idea Dawn was trained.”
Ashley typed some notes on her phone, all the while frowning. “And that’s all? Why did Daren challenge her? They just met.”
I shrugged and looked away. Since I couldn’t tell her what was actually happening, I had to make sure she wasn’t suspicious. But if she asked Daren, he might say something about the tiara. I had to get her off the trail.
“Dawn mentioned an interest.” I lied. “He probably wanted to see how serious she was.”
Ashley gave me a suspicious look, but hopped off my desk and walked toward the door. “Fine. If you hear anything more about it, I’m sure lots of students would love to hear it.” She closed the door behind herself and I slumped against my desk.
In the past two days, I’d gone from being a blur by the window to a mystical Princess with magical guardians. I had an antagonist sitting beside me everyday. And I couldn’t tell anyone.
“Thank Christ Dawn’s in on it.” I muttered to myself. “I’d probably go crazy.”
I didn’t know what I could do other than hold the power gems, but I was still the princess. I had to protect those who rely on me.
I sighed. “I need to talk to Daren.” I admitted to myself.
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