Fell On Black Days (A School for Good and Evil Fanfic)

Bloody Briar

"Bloody Briar?" Anadil asked skeptically. "That's where I'm going to tutor you?"

"Best place I've found in this crappy town so far," replied Hester. "No offense."

Hester had discovered the Bloody Briar on her first day in Briar Glen. She had been walking down the street, listening to some death metal when she smelled something strange; a mixture of greasy food and roses. The combination may sound disgusting to most people, but to Hester, it smelled like Heaven (or Hell, take your pick). She led Anadil inside, although she seemed hesitant.

The inside was a mixture of antique and modern, with ornately carved wooden ceilings and furniture, but shiny, greasy equipment to give the place a less pretentious feel. There were only a few people inside when they came in, and Hester was able to find a table easily, sitting across from Anadil and dropping her backpack on the floor.

"You again," came an accented voice. Hester grinned.

"Chuck!" she exclaimed, shaking his hand. "It's nice to see you again too!"

He smiled tightly. Maybe he was still mad about last time, when he'd lost a game of billiards to a girl. And that girl, obviously, had been Hester. He eyed Anadil. "Who's your friend?"

When Anadil didn't speak, Hester stepped in. "This is Anadil Beaumont. She's my Calculus tutor."

He nodded, taking a hard look at her. "So you're Harmony Beaumont's daughter, eh? No wonder she doesn't let you outside. You look awful."

Anadil ground her teeth.

"That's enough, Chuck," Hester said. "Just get us a couple of Cokes."

Anadil glared at his back as he walked away.

"What was that about?" Hester asked, following her gaze.

"Calculus," she reminds, pulling out the textbook.

"Right..." Hester says. "And what is it we're going to learn today, oh wise tutor?"

"There's not much you can learn," said Anadil. "Your problem is that you don't give a damn, you said it yourself. And there's nothing I can do about that. I don't even know why you came back."

"Mostly to avoid my step-mother," Hester admitted. "But also because..." she trailed off, wondering what she should say. 'I think you're cool and I want to be your friend' not only sounded stupid and juvenile, but also odd given that she'd met the girl yesterday. "Nevermind," she finally decided to say.

"Because you're alone?" Anadil suggested. Hester tensed. There was something in the matter-of-fact tone in which she said it that made Hester feel like Anadil could see right through her, perhaps all of the way into her cold, dead heart.

At that moment, Chuck came back with their Cokes, and Anadil pushed a few random Calculus worksheets over to Hester while she worked on her own homework, her silky white hair falling like a curtain over her face. Not that Hester noticed that, given how totally focused she was on her math homework. She desperately wanted to say something else, to learn more about this mysterious girl, but she couldn't bring herself to pry, especially when she didn't want anyone to see the skeletons in her own closet.

Eventually, just as it was getting dark, the two girls left the Bloody Briar.

"So, what did you think?" Hester asked.

"It was...quieter than I expected," said Anadil, her eyes fixed ahead. "Our server was an asshole though." She looked at Hester. "But it was a nice change of pace for me."

"Hey, girlies!" Hester spun around, hands out to find two men standing behind them, hands on their hips. The taller one smiled, his violet eyes flashing. "You got any money to help two fellows pay for a drink?"

"We don't, actually," Hester snapped, turning around to leave before they started any trouble. A hand clamped on her shoulder.

"Are you sure about that?"

Hester froze, not sure whether to try and bolt or punch the guy in the nose. Luckily, someone else made that decision for her. The man's hand flew off of Hester's shoulder with a yelp of pain, and Hester turned around to see Anadil behind her, fists and legs flying as she dodged around the men, landing hit after hit on them as their blows barely glanced off of her. Hester joined in the fight, swinging her fists at one of the men as he clumsily attempted to block and parry.

Eventually, the two lay groaning on the ground, Hester and Anadil standing above them.

"Don't mess with us again," said Anadil coldly, stalking off into the night. Hester looked at her in awe, speechless at her skill. She had been right when she first met Anadil, that this was the kind of girl who could beat you up and not feel a thing. Smart, unique, and a badass. Not much could compete with that.