Gaucherie: The Path of Water

The Power of Money

Shay was slowly regaining her consciousness and warmth. The sounds in the background were becoming more and more clean and when she gained enough strength to open her eyes, she noticed Kellan leaning above her with a worried glance on his face.

,,Oh my lord, Shay!" the worries left his face in an instant.

,,How long was I out for?" she asked, fearing the answer. However, judging from the people still standing in corridor, it couldn't have been long. Suddenly, she heard one of the professors shouting from a distance. Shay hoped it was Orika, but as the voice got closer, she realised it belonged to one of her special classes' professor. With the help of Kellan who was quite beaten up as well, she stood up, ready to tell the professor everything, including using her path, despite knowing the punishment.

However, she was unpleasantly surprised by the tall woman who was wearing a tag saying Professor's reaction.

Instead of coming to help Shay and Kellan, she stopped to help Tean out, pushing away Clarys.

,,Tean, are you alright? Do you need my help? What happened?" she started questioning him the second she got to him. At first, Tean was just processing everything, thinking of what to tell her. It wasn't like he was going to get in trouble anyway.

,,Those two attacked me," he pointed at Shay and Kellan, who was currently using a locker to keep himself standing. The frostbites on Shay's fingers disappeared as she came back to her senses, although the ice was still there. Melting, but a huge part of it was still there, serving as a proof to mrs. Dematou, the professor. ,,And that girl can control ice!" he yelled, making sure everyone could hear him.

Mrs. Dematou turned to the boy with his girlfriend, her eyes widened in shock and wrinkled forehead. Did he just? Something in her mind kept telling her nobody would be stupid enough to do that. Her mouth twisted as she took one more look at Tean and then at Shay.

She approached Shay and Kellan. ,,I suggest you see the school nurse. And then pay mr. Koskou a visit," she kind of whispered. The principal? Shay was too stunned to say a word. But all we've done was defending ourselves! ,,Everyone, this is not a free day! Get back to classes. This incident will be taken care of," mrs. Dematou announced and disappeared behind the corner of the hallway.

The crowd began to disperse, as everyone left for class. Soon the only ones left there were Clarys with Tean and Shay with Kellan. Tean acted hurt, holding onto Clarys. She glared at Shay with her eyes full of disgust and then muttered something to Tean. The blonde girl covered her nose and mouth and when they were about to leave, Shay stopped them.

,,No apology?" she didn't mean to say it out loud, it just sort of happened.

,,You should be the one apologising and begging for forgiveness, honey," she said in a bittersweet tone and quickly took her leave together with Tean.

Shay and Kellan were soon the only ones in the hallway and while Kellan was processing everything that happened and the fact Shay used a different path just seemed too unbelievable to him, she was just standing there, her head empty. Kellan had never seen something like that before.

,,We should probably get going," he broke the silence.

Shay agreed.

She took Kellan to the school nurse. He was barely walking, clinging onto her with his right arm draped over Shay's shoulder and they had to stop every few seconds, as he was struggling to breathe properly.

Shay knocked on the nursery's door and waited. The door looked like any other, except for a sign that was hanging on it, saying Nursery.

The nurse soon opened the door with a shiny smile, which in seconds turned into grimace after seeing Kellan.