Rell and The Rose

Ch. 14, New Girl

Rell

Every story I'd ever heard of high school replayed in my mind as I ran. Lorcan had talked about it often. High school was a place where teenagers learned new skills, made friends for life, embraced each other's differences, and often burst into coordinated song and dance.

I couldn't wait.

It was easy enough to find the high school, and the seven mile run was nothing. There was a spectacular expanse of flat black rock in front of the school, and beautiful yellow beasts regurgitated students to the side of the school.

I made my way through the parking lot, trying to take in everything at once. A silver pole flew a proud flag with red and white stripes and tiny stars. The automobiles were every shape and color, the students even more diverse. There were girls who were tiny, with hair straight as a broom's bristles, boys tall and large enough to be men, students with streaks of colors in their hair, and clothes every color imaginable. Some of the boys looked like they'd just rolled out of the bed, while some of the girls looked like they'd prepped for a ball.

I'd imagined being welcomed into a grand, glowing center for learning, possibly by a splendid feast with jesters and dancing, or even a spirited hunt through the woods. At the very least I expected some sort of formal introduction to whoever ruled the school. But as I crossed to the front door I was decidedly ignored, except for the cool stares of a group of girls with strangely dark eyes, like they'd just emerged from a mer pool.

I stepped inside the entryway and paused. A bell sounded from somewhere inside the room.

Once, long ago, I'd watched a sorcerer enchant an entire forest of trees, so that they'd pulled up their roots and chased me. I'd only been saved by Poxel lighting one of them on fire.

I didn't know a bell could also hold such magic, but, almost as one, a flood of students began to pour into the school behind me.

I stood frozen, until a girl with purple hair, shoved by me and I was swept into the crowd. I spun, confused, but there were so many other students, and no one was paying attention to me. I bounced between them like a nymph caught in a raging river, not sure where to swim. Some called out to each other, others stared at their magic mirrors, bumping into me and muttering a quick "sorry" without even looking at me. I wasn't sure how I made it out of the flood, but suddenly I broke out of the flood and found myself before a room labeled "Main Office."

Deep breath, Rell. You've passed the first test. I took a deep breath, shaking away the confusion, fixed a new smile on my face, and opened the door.

The room contained no guards, no trolls or dragons, but instead a single heckled looking woman with thick glasses and graying hair, sitting behind a wooden structure that was either a desk or some way to hide her weapons.

"Can I help you honey?" she said.

I stepped forward with a confident smile. "I'm Rell of the Great Lands of Antarctica. I'm new."

She blinked twice, and then looked down at some sort of wide glowing contraption before her. "Oh yes, I got a note that you'd be arriving. Here's your class schedule. Do you need any help finding your classes?"

I gave her my most confident smile. "I've tracked beasts my whole life, and lived in the Dark Castle with more rooms than a dragon has scales: I am fully prepared."

Again she gave me that strange look, but I was already leaving with the schedule and map in hand. Class 1: English. Room 34. I examined the map, smiled, and then set off to find my very first class. The school had a strange smell, both dirty and clean at the same time.... Though the dirty scent seemed to be winning. The immense hallways, so busy one moment, were almost magically abandoned the next. But this time I suspected the magic bell had great power.