Outcast (Original Story)

Chapter Four: No Longer in a Dark Closet ~Gwen~

The Headmaster finally let us out of the closet, told us to meet him in his office, and apologized for any inconvenience. I was just relieved to be let out to care about 'inconvenience'. That word sounded like a big understatement anyway. It seemed weird to say that, "Oh yeah, me and two other elves just got called by three completely different elements, got shoved in a closet for what felt like an eternity, and shut down the rest of the ceremony. What an inconvenience."

The Headmaster cleared his throat. I felt another nervous pang. Would we be kicked out? Yelled at? Asked to leave our homes?

"I want to apologize once more for the long wait, as you can see we weren't quite expecting the results we had today." I gulped, trying to force the lump in my throat down. "We are trying to keep the calling going so that the other elves won't have to wait until the next equinox to be called, we would like you to attend North Star just as any other student," he said. The words barely registered in my head before Zeldon blurted,

"So we're allowed to come?" I noticed his knee was bouncing rapidly. Headmaster Rieson nodded.

"As I was saying, the check-in day will be two days from now and will be just like any other year. If you don't have any questions, you can make your way back to your homes and families." That was it? Without saying anything else, Headmaster Rieson stalked away, most likely working on fixing the mess we made.

I struggled to hold back my tears as the three of us, the three elves who would forever be known as the ones who messed up the Calling ceremony, walked back to the main entrance in silence.

I peered out from behind a pillar and saw my family standing near the entrance of the academy. I nervously stepped out to greet them, while noticing that neither Zeldon nor Aylee's families were there.

"Gwen!" Mom cried, running forward. She wrapped me in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, a lump pushing against my throat again.

"Don't be," she answered, her voice choking with emotion. More regret swarmed through me. I was causing her pain. Dad hadn't said anything, he stood further back, frowning deeply.

"Those people looked mean," Willa commented anxiously, reaching for my hand.

"At least your hair stayed put," Holly told me. But it sounded like she was only trying to break the awkwardness.

"What happened?" Flint asked.

"I don't know," I answered, my voice quivering, trying to look anywhere but my family. It didn't work. I caught Terran's gaze, and he quickly looked away.

For the first time in his life, he hadn't said anything. His face had been contorted in a strange expression. A mix of shock, embarrassment, and confusion. A lot like Dad's expression.

I heard quick footsteps and Aylee's voice. "Bye Gwen," she mumbled, and then she and Zeldon hurried past us, walking quickly through the doors. I was almost envious that they could just leave right away. All I felt like doing was going home and never showing my face again. But I was stuck in the main entrance of a school. I cleared my throat.

"Um, the Headmaster said we can come back in two days-"

"They're letting you stay?" Terran blurted, looking almost disgusted.

"Yes..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say or where to look. I settled on my shoes, noticing all the tiny scuff marks on the black leather.

"That's great," Mom said, trying to look happy for me but I could see through her mask. For once my siblings were quiet. Flint and Holly were also staring at the floor, and Willa still clung tight to my hand.

Another terrible silence passed. I cleared my throat again.

"Is...is that okay? If I go to North Star like we planned?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from quivering.

"Of course," Mom said, trying to look eager again. "We might have to figure some things out, but we'll make it work, right? Tom?" she asked, looking towards my Dad. He nodded stiffly but didn't acknowledge me. My stomach squirmed slightly at his face and cold actions.

Would I never be enough? I saw the faces he had made when I hadn't shown any signs of magic, he would watch as I struggled to produce any spark, and turn away in disappointment. Now it was ten times worse.

"Can we go home now? I'm hungry," Flint complained.

"That sounds like a plan. How about we have rice cakes with mint tea?" Mom suggested, looking over at me and smiling slightly. Normally rice cakes and mint tea were my favorite foods, but I didn't have any appetite. Nonetheless, I nodded numbly, following my family through the doors that had changed my life.