For Now | Dreaming Trilogy | Book 1 (HEAVY CONSTRUCTION)

Shyanne | Mr. Crowning

Fear is weakness, and the weak are nothing. Dad's voice rang in my ears.

Phoenix had stolen the power straight from under Mrs. Harde's feet.

"Very well, Miss Lucis," The principal said, looking back at Phoenix - apparently Miss Lucis. "Looks like you're the only logical culprit then."

Phoenix didn't look surprised. She stared evenly back, jaw set. "Yes, ma'am. Aren't I always?" Her tone dripped with acidic sass her smile only living in the cheeks and lost in the infuriated eyes. She oozed sarcasm.

I stared in awe. I'd never known anyone to so politely disrespect someone.

"No," Shane started. "It was me."

With widened eyes, I looked over at Shane. His eyes were fixed on Phoenix, who looked about as confused as I felt. My confusion dissipated as one thought washed over me: all of us couldn't have done it.

Jael looked down at me as she said, "I did it."

Trying to ignore how the hell we'd all thought of the same thing at once, I nodded and turned back to Mrs. Harde as I repeated Jael. "I'm such a troublemaker," I added with a smirk.

Phoenix's eyes scanned around the room, her face almost unreadable except her eyebrows, which expressed all the confusion and shock in the world.

Her silver eyes widened as she finally got the idea we'd all had together. "You see everyone who enters this building, Harde," she said breathlessly, as if the shock had stolen her air. "How could four teenagers have snuck in without you seeing? Unless, of course, you're getting too old to be our principal. I'm sure Mr. Crowning would back me on that."

Mrs. Harde seemed ready to explode. Her lip and right eyebrow twitched in unison as her chest heaved in rage. Her nostrils flared.

Shane smiled at Phoenix, and I could swear she smiled slightly in return.

"You are sly...," Mrs. Harde mumbled, as if considering what Phoenix had said. "I'm still calling your parents though. Well, for Miss Crowning and Mr. O'Rins. I'll call the new home for you, Phoenix." Mrs. Harde said 'home' like it was the worst insult she could think of. Phoenix winced, finally looking away, so I knew it probably was.

"Wait," Jael said, raising a hand as Mrs. Harde tried to leave. The headmistress slowly sat back down, waiting for Jael to continue. "You don't need to call any parents. I'm sure you don't want to meet Mr. Crowning on such nasty terms."

Mrs. Harde took another deep breath, eyes trained on her desk as she tapped her fingernails, thinking. "Fine." With that, the demon headmistress stood up from her red chair, and walked out of the room, practically leaving steam in her wake.

"Phoenix, are you okay?" Shane asked, immediately moving from his perch on the wall to stand beside her.

Phoenix gulped and shook her head, shaking away bad thoughts. A look I'd recognize anywhere. "It's nothing," she grumbled. She took a deep breath, and said with more confidence, "I'm fine."

The lie was visible from a mile away.

"You sure?" Shane pressed, raising his eyebrows out of view behind his curly bangs.

Phoenix nodded. "Shane, I'm fine. I still don't want your pity." The sadness which had previously inhabited her pale face dissipated, fury rushing forward to take its place. She set her jaw and scowled at Shane, making him step back with his arms raised in defeat.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Damn."

"I can't believe I got in trouble...,' I whispered to myself, mostly to alleviate the awkwardness and anger that festered between the two. "And on my first day."

Phoenix chuckled, which was a welcome surprise to me. "Yeah, welcome to Nalu Academy, beauty queen."

I looked up with a relieved smile. I was infinitely glad that the two weren't going to kill each other.

"At least we avoided punishment," Jael mused aloud, staring pensively out of the three large windows.

I laughed quietly, looking down at my lap. My palms had four, bleeding marks each - one for each of the fingernails I'd dug into them. "Yeah. Nothing like using my Dad's big name to get out of things..."

Jael turned around, kneeling in front of me. She looked up at me with a kind smile and those big, blue eyes. "Shyanne," she took my hands gently, examining the cuts. "Do not be distressed. This is not how your junior year will go."

I bit my lip, looking away for a moment. Jael's eyes drew me back. "I hope not."

She smiled comfortingly. "I promise it will not."

"Yeah," Shane butted in, already bouncing back from Phoenix's cutting words. "Mrs. Harde will probably forget about all of this in a week."

Phoenix snorted, staring up at the ceiling with her feet propped carelessly on the once spotless desk. "Speak for yourself."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She didn't answer, just stared up like she saw something we didn't. Shane glanced upwards, too, as if to make sure there was nothing up there. He caught my eye, and shrugged as if to say, "I don't know either."

Jael tilted her head. "Does Mrs. Harde treat everyone so rudely?"

"No," Phoenix replied. "It's just me."

Confusion flashed over my face as I tilted my head in reflection of Jael. "Well, why don't you tell your parents?"

Phoenix suddenly shot all her attention and fury onto me. Her feet dropped to the floor, and she stood up to face me. Her eyebrows dove down to shadow her silver eyes, fury spiralling out of her. "Are you fucking stupid?"

My shoulders instinctively curled up around me as I took a cowardly step backwards. "S-Sorry?" I sputtered, confused and afraid.

"The new fucking home, Shyanne. Foster home. I don't have parents anymore," she snapped, marching forward until she loomed threateningly over me. "They're fucking dead."

I turned away, looking desperately to Jael for help, but for the first time ever, she didn't rush to my aid. "I-I'm sorry!" I cried, feeling the innate urge to curl up in a ball and cry. Her rage reminded me suddenly of Dad's. "I didn't-"

She cut me off with a wave of her hand. "I know you didn't!" She bore into me for a moment more with her glowing eyes, before realizing what she was doing and stepping away from me. "Look," Phoenix said, softening her tone to a near whisper. "I didn't mean to snap, okay? Just..." She gulped, looking away. "Just don't mention it, okay?"

I nodded, looking down at my quivering hands. I closed my fists again, too tightly, as I closed my eyes. Dad's screaming filled my ears, and I felt small again. Afraid. Weak.

You're a perfect girl.

Phoenix evoked the same fear in me as my father.