The Last Light Keeper

Chapter 3: Friendly Fire

"Good morning," he greeted while taking his seat.

"Hi," Aster responded. "Your face looks better."

"You can't even tell that yours got burned. Also, you didn't mention this would itch like hell."

"Yeah, that part didn't hit me until later last night," Aster laughed.

Professor Ara came dancing into the room moments after the bell rang. She sported a huge smile while greeting her homeroom class. "Good morning, my lucky clovers. How was everybody's first day of classes?"

Aster didn't look around to confirm, but she felt like the eyes of her classmates were all fixed on her. She lowered her gaze, unwilling to tell details of her first day.

They spent the homeroom discussing the importance of time etiquette as a Keeper in training. Aster thought it seemed like Professor Ara made a point to glance at Sebastian a few times during her lecture.

Once the bell rang, everyone jumped up. Sebastian gave a nod as he raced out the door, and Sorbit accompanied Aster on the walk to Biology. Professor Hep lectured the entire period and didn't really say much to Aster, basically treating her like any other student. Which is all she could've hoped for. There were times Aster found herself zoning out, her mind racing to a million different places. But all in all, she found herself enjoying the lecture.

Aster's heart raced as she walked down the cellar steps to the basement, the home of the Potions classroom. Aster hadn't done anything wrong, except maybe not look at Professor Heathcliff while he was talking. But she was scared. She had never been in the presence of someone so strict and mean. Would he punish her and Sebastian? If they had done the potion right in the first place, none of that would've happened. If Aster had been making eye contact from the beginning, he wouldn't have yelled as he was holding the willywog serum. Her mind continuously played out different scenarios, all terrifying her. Maybe Nelly had a point after all about staying back at the cottage.

Aster twiddled her thumbs as she waited in her seat for the bell to ring. She kept her gaze at her desk, but she could sense every pair of eyes on her as each student entered the classroom. She wondered if they all noticed her wounds were completely healed, while Sebastian still had marks indicating the accident. Then, she wondered if her new friend was ever even going to show up, and if she was going to have to face the wrath of Professor Heathcliff alone. She was ready to bolt out the door just as Sebastian scurried in a second before the bell sounded. Aster let out a sigh of relief as he climbed to his seat.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Aster's pale appearance. "Are you okay?"

"No," she shot back quickly. "I didn't think you were going to come, I was deciding if I should just make a run for it and drop out."

Sebastian laughed. "Relax, I wouldn't do that to you."

"Why are you always almost late?"

"There are only a certain amount of minutes in a day," Sebastian replied. "I don't plan on wasting a single one. I always account for enough time to make it to class."

Before Aster could press for a better explanation, the wooden door flung open. It hit the wall with a thud, causing Aster's heart to sink to her boots. Professor Heathcliff's face looked far worse than what Sebastian and Aster had looked like. The burns from the serum had blistered, and the patches of affected skin were glistened with a bright red color. He must've not seeked any type of treatment yesterday. It made Aster sick to her stomach. She and Sebastian exchanged uneasy glances. Now all eyes really were on them.

"Class," The professor greeted. "I apologize for our abrupt dismissal yesterday. I was surprised at how you all managed to clean up after yourselves. Now, open textbooks to chapter three."