Chapter One (Part Two of Two)
After that class I had lunch (Our
classes were long and varied. 3 classes in one day and an hour study hall at
the end of the day, but we all had 15 classes 3 classes for each day of the
week.)
Lysander followed me to lunch and I
was a bit creeped out that he was just following me after only knowing me for
about three hours.
“I bet I aggravate you, don’t I?”
Lysander asked me as if he wanted to hear yes. Maybe he did want to hear yes.
“No, not really. You just startle me a
bit. Actually, I’m quite flattered. No one’s ever gone to the trouble of following me before,” I said.
“Oh, don’t worry, it’s my pleasure,” he said. “My pleasure
indeed. . .”
“What’s good to eat here?” I asked.
“I know something pretty good,” he
muttered.
“Huh?” I asked.
“Nothing, I don’t really eat but I
guess if I did, I’d get that just because the cake looks cute,” he said. He was
pointing at a tiny bowl of pasta accompanied with a small piece of cake that did,
yes, look adorable.
I decided to get that just because he
said and he took me in the garden where no one else seemed to be. It was a very
calming environment that had a nice atmosphere.
“This is nice,” I said. “You’re quite
the gentleman.”
“Me? A gentleman!” he laughed and he
continued laughing. “I’m far from it. Truthfully, I’m quite the misogynist. No,
no, even more so I’m a misanthrope. I never really had friends since the first
day I started school here and I've been here since Kindergarten. I have had a
horrible social life. I really don’t understand why they still bother me.”
“They bother you because they need
someone to make fun of. It’s their security blanket.”
“And that is exactly what I like about
you. You have a different point of view. They would say something along the
lines of that I should be lucky to be noticed at all.”
I smiled at him and he smiled back at
me, “Shall we kiss now.”
“What?” I said laughing. “You’re very
umm, candid about your feelings and motives.”
“No, no, I’m always throwing a sexual
innuendo here and there at times, so I am not very candid about my motives!” he
said throwing his hands in the air as if orchestrating a song with passion.
We both started laughing until our
sides hurt and he pretended to wipe tears from the corners of his eyes.
“Kalliope, we’re friends yes?” he
asked me.
“Yeah, we’re friends,” I said laughing
some more.
“Be quiet,” a girl and a boy said
popping their heads out of the bushes.
“Umm, okay,” I said.
“KALLIOPE YOU DON’T NEED T—“ Lysander
started but I put my finger against his lips.
“They’re making out,” I whispered.
“Let’s go take a picture!”
“You’re devious! What will you do with
this picture?” Lysander whispered back, rubbing his hands together. “Lysander
likey!”
“We’ll keep it as blackmail,” I said.
“Or use it as a prank. We pretend to take a picture and then see how they
react. When they find out it was fake, they will hate us!”
“I’m used to people hating me, nothing
hurts anymore!” Lysander whisper yelled.
We both creeped over to the bushes
where we saw their heads pop out. They were not making out, no even worse, they
were lying naked together.
“I don’t want to take a picture of
that,” I said wanting to throw up. I had seen naked bodies before, but on
screen, on film, in books, but in person, that was a whole different world.
“That was not a great sight to see for
a virgin mind was it,” he said to me.
“Not at all,” I said. “How are they
able to do that without getting caught?”
“No one ever goes through here, it’s a
rarity to see people in here.”
“So people come in here—“ I started.
“—to do the nasty, yes. They always
come in here to do the nasty.”
I sighed and I didn’t even want to eat
my cake anymore. “Have my cake Lysander, consider it my first gift to you.”
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Lysander took me to our next class,
which was acting located in Building B. “This is a good class. The teacher is a
bit like Mr. Miller, flamboyant, but she’s reliable. Now, Mr. Miller. . .”
“Do you and he have hatred towards
each other?” I asked.
“Yes, I suppose you could say that.
Don’t tell anyone else, but Mr. Miller and I are, how shall you say, very much
closer than you think.”
“Cousins perhaps?” I asked.
“No, good guess though. My, if we were
cousins, I’d have tried to drop him down a stairwell by now!” he exclaimed
pinching the bridge of his nose.
We entered the room as the bell rang,
which seemed to be the standard routine. Our acting teacher saw me and smiled.
She was wearing a 1920’s flapper girl costume as if it were no big deal and she
went to the front of the room and crossed her legs, most likely to display
that—which I do believe is strange for a teacher of all people to do—her legs
were long and sexy.
“So we have a new girl I heard,” she
said grinning with her hands folded underneath her chin. “What should I do to
initiate her?”
She walked around in circles
formulating an idea in her mind and then she stopped at pointed towards the
back of the room where I was sitting with Lysander and she curled her finger to
tell me to come up on stage. My second time center stage and I was still a
nervous wreck.
“So why were you accepted to this
school?” she asked me.
“My singing talents,” I said.
“Oh,” she said with a chuckle. “Well,
I hope your stage presence is just as good when you’re acting as when you’re
singing. Mr. Miller did come tell me how you did so well during your song. I do
trust his word, so let’s see if he was right about you. If not, he’s in for a
big laugh after school.”
I didn’t know what she meant by “big
laugh” but I considered it to be a challenge. I would not let the handsome
teacher Mr. Miller laugh at me and I would not fail in front of anyone!
“So my challenge?” I asked.
“Oh, I like that. You think you’re
ready?” she asked.
“Ready!” I said.
“Alright, let’s say you’re only
limited to saying words using half of the alphabet, so you can choose A through
M or N through Z, which would you like?”
“A through M, please,” I said.
“Alright, I get the other half,
whichever of us fails first by using a letter in the other person’s half loses.
Got it?”
“Got it?”
“Alright, I’ll begin,” she said and
then clearing her throat she looked at me and touched my shoulder, “Not today!
You need to stay out of this town!”
“But I didn't do anything. . .
incorrect!” I said.
“Yes, you've ruined our town. You've stained this town out
of your own will!”
“I know, but couldn't you forgive me
for doing such a thing. It’s dreadful knowing I hurt everyone.”
“You’re nothing but a witch who should
scald on the stake!” she yelled at me with such passion as if she actually
meant it that she did not realize she had said ‘a’.
“But Ms., I am a champion, Ms. has
lost!” I said.
“Time out, I didn't lose!” she said
appalled I would even mention the word lose to her.
“Yes, you said you’re nothing but A witch who should scald on the stake,”
I said “And you said that whoever used a word from the other person’s half of
the alphabet loses, so what now?”
“I guess you win, rightfully so. Good
show, good show!” she said with a bitter sound upon her lips. It was obvious to
me that she did not like the fact that she had been defeated, by a singer no
less. Someone who didn't even want to be in the field of acting had beat her at
her own game.
She continued teaching, but had a
horrible disposition now. She pretended like everything was fine, but once
class ended she called me over to her and as everyone left she looked at me and
asked, “What’s the big deal?”
“What?” I asked.
“You beat me. No one ever beats me,”
she said.
“Well, maybe it was high time you
lost,” I thought in my head, but out loud I said, “Mm, I guess I was just
lucky.”
“Oh, hmm, luck seems about right.
Yes, lucky indeed. You can go now,” she said pointing at the exit. “Don’t be so
lucky next time.” She was laughing now as if she somehow defeated me, but I was
simply saying what she wanted me to tell her. It was nothing more than that.
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It was finally study hall, where
everyone was able to hang out exactly where they wanted. Technically, school
was not finished yet, but people acted as though it were. We couldn't go out,
but we didn't have to be under the supervision of anybody.
“Kalliope, what did Ms. Morgan tell
you?” he asked.
“She said something about never
being beaten before and that I was just lucky,” I explained.
“Yes, she’s a very, how shall I say,
person of great discontent when she does not receive things her way,” he said.
“It seemed so,” I replied.
“Don’t take it personally, maybe
she’ll take you under her wing,” he said.
“I wouldn't wish to be under her
wing. She seems to me to be a horrible woman with hatred in her heart,” I said.
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After study hall, I left Lysander
and walked to the dormitory. I was given room 303, simple and easy to remember.
Third floor, third room! I walked in and saw my room buddy. It was not Piper,
thank goodness, but a meek girl with glasses secluded in the corner with a
thoughtful look on her face.
“Hello?” I said unsure if this was
the right room.
She looked up from what she was
doing and sighed. “Are you my new roommate?”
“Yes, I’m Kalliope,” I said.
“Kalliope Shaundrey?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“Alright, that’s your bed,” she said
pointing at the corner. “If you have any questions please make them quick and
intelligent. I’m Teagan Thompson by the way. You might see my name held up in
the Hall of Fame in Building D. Maybe then you can ask me some questions, but
for now, please don’t bother me.”
“Of course,” I said setting my stuff
down at the bed she told me was mine. I was a bit intimidated by her, but I’m
sure that was just her personality. It wasn't like Piper, who purposefully
intimidated people.
I sat there awkwardly and she stared
at me. “You know you could do something. There’s lots of neat things to do
here. You just have to explore. I know because you’re new that you think
everything’s a little strange, but trust me you’ll become as strange as what
you think is strange right now, so get used to it.”
“A-alright,” I said and I decided to
get out of there because I had absolutely no idea what she was trying to tell
me by saying that I need to explore. I simply took it as my cue to get out of
our room so she could have peace and quiet.
I didn't know where to go, so I just
kept walking and sure enough my walking helped, because I bumped into Malerei.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” I said.
“What are you doing?” she said.
“Trying to find your room?”
“No, no. I found it already, but I
don’t know what to do. The girl in there seemed to want to be alone, so I took
it upon myself to go.”
“Oh, hmm, well I know what you could
do,” she said.
“What?” I asked.
“There’s like a whole recreational
building, Building F. Did they not tell you about it?”
“No, they only said there were five
buildings not including the dormitory,” I said.
“Well, Building F, basically has
places where everyone can practice and share their talents with each other. I
always go to the Poetry Peace though. I don’t like writing it, but listening to
it helps me relax. I’m going there right now, wanna come?”
“Sure,” I said. I followed her down
to Building F which was past the garden and past all the other buildings and in
fact, it wasn't even in the school. It was separated from the school. It was a
building called, Easy Entertainment.
“Easy Entertainment,” I said out
loud.
“It’s got a cheesy name, but the
shit in there is awesome,” she said. “Excuse my language. Well, ha, we’re teens
should I be saying sorry for that.”
“No, not at all,” I said.
“And you hang out with Lysander, so
that shows for something,” she said.
“Huh?” I asked.
“Well, Lysander’s kind of a pervert
just warning and he used to always say a bunch of bad words at a time. A total
rebel, still is.”
I didn't reply, I simply smiled
knowing that that was definitely how I envisioned Lysander to be.
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I looked around, there were tons of
little hang out spots in there directed towards all the different fields taught
at the school. She took me to Poetry Piece and everyone was not snapping, but
clapping.
Up came a boy, with half white half
black hair. He didn't have a piece of paper and then he came to where we were
at the back of the room and he started talking into the microphone.
“New girl, new girl
Not sound or sweet
New girl, new girl
With the killer voice
As heard from inside
She might be a new girl
But she isn't trying to hide!”
Everyone clapped and I clapped
politely, too, but I saw no reason for him to do that. Malerei was clapping out
of sincere appreciation I could tell and she looked at him as though he were a
perfect genius. He, I think, was far from that.
When Malerei and I left, she said,
“You got a poem by the one and only, Devin Ingleheart.”
“Is he like, special here?” I asked.
“I guess you could say so,” she
said. “He’s absolutely hilarious. I don’t know how he comes up with that stuff,
but he’s there every day and he never has a poem in mind, he just looks at
someone and makes one up.”
“Oh, has he done one for you?” I
asked. I assumed this is why her face lit up when talking about him.
“No, not yet,” she said. “He usually
never comes where I am, this is the closest I've been to him.”
“Do you have a fascination with him?”
I asked.
“Oh, it’s much more than just a
fascination,” she said as we walked out of the building. She took me back to my
room and said good bye.
“Did you have fun?” Teagan asked me
when I entered the room.
“Umm, yeah,” I said.
“Well, enjoy it while you’re here,
because once you leave you’ll wish you’d have had even more fun. That’s the
kind of affect this school has on people,” she said.
“Yeah, I’ll make sure to make this
the two best years of my life,” I said as I fell onto my bed and fell asleep.
This was going to be a good two years. It might be a little horrible, because
of the hurtful people, but as long as I have friends by my side, I’ll always
have fun.
