Gemstone Academy

Chapter 7

"She has a point, Lilia," I said.

"Don't agree with me it's weird," Blair said to me.

"I'll agree with whoever is right!" I said.

Lilia giggled. "Only you two would argue about something you agree on!"

"That is also true," I said.

Blair rolled her eyes, but she had a hint of a smile on her face. I think she secretly liked us. Why else did she keep hanging around us?

"Good afternoon class!" Headmaster Krail said coming into the lecture hall. "I teach How to Run a Country and we will have fun this year."

"Oohh this just got more interesting!" Lilia whispered.

Headmaster Krail taught this class? No way. Since when do Headmasters actually teach?

"In this class, we go over a lot of things you need to know to be able to run a country. Like, speech, languages, and economics. We will study a lot of issues that countries go through and how to deal with them. But let's start with what makes a good leader. So, what does make a good leader?"

The class was silent. A lone hand raised into the air in the front row. It was the same kid that always answered questions in every frickin class we had. At least we already knew who the smart know it all kid was.

"Yes, Thomas?"

Blair groaned.

"Know your people," Thomas said.

"Yep. What else? How about you, Reagan?"

"Um, you should be smart?"

"Something she's not," Blair mumbled.

"That wasn't nice!" Lilia hissed. I held in a laugh. We had only been in class a week and I could already tell Reagan wasn't very bright. She never knew the answers when the professors called on her. And the way she talked didn't help her case either. There was now way around it. She was a complete air head.

"Yes. intelligence is important. What do you think, Elizabeth?"

Oh shit. That was me. "You should be confident."

"Why?"

What do you mean why??? What the fuck?? He didn't ask anyone else why. "Because no one is going to want to follow someone who doesn't believe in themselves."

"True. But you don't want to follow someone over confident, now do you?" The headmaster asked raising his eyebrow at me. He directed that at me?

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said crossing my arms.. Whispers amongst the students broke out as they looked between the headmaster and me. Ugh. How annoying.

He smiled. "Right, moving on."

"What a crock," I said.

"Yeah, he was totally calling you out," Blair said.

My question was this: how did he know I was overconfident? Did he do research on me or something? I guess he might've. I mean he was the headmaster. I bet he looked into all of the students he had. Well, if that was true, then he was wrong. I am not overconfident. Just because I want the thrown over my brother does not make me over confident.

For the remainder of class Headmaster Krail had us write an essay about leadership. It didn't take me long to write, I was actually a decent writer, so then I just sat there doodling on my paper.

With five minutes of class left Headmaster Krail had the papers collected. Thank goodness because I was getting antsy just sitting here and was starving. I've made it all week without my stomach making a dying whale sound in class, I didn't want to break that record now.

"So, now I think you all need a homework assignment," Headmaster Krail announced.

"Ugh. Shoot me," Blair groaned while leaning back in her chair and shutting her eyes.

"You will pick an object that represents royalty, and then write an essay about its history. Okay, you're dismissed."

"What a stupid homework assignment," Blair complained when we got up to leave.

"Why's it called homework anyway? We don't actually go home," I said.

"Ohhh. Maybe they could call it dorm work!" Lilia said making Blair scoff.

I laughed. "Leave it to you, Lilia, to come up with something like that."

👑👑👑

I was sitting with Lazarus in the court yard on Friday afternoon. It was beautiful outside today. It wasn't too hot and there was a cool breeze. When someone thinks of a perfect day, this was it.

I was watching the willow tree leaves across the court yard from the bench Lazarus and I were sitting on. He was reading a book for his War Strategies class and I had just finished my etiquette homework, which was writing a paper about vintage clothing. Gack. Why that was important I will never know.

"Does etiquette class get any better?" I asked Lazarus.

"No, but I don't have etiquette anymore because I'm a third year," Lazarus said.

"What do you have instead?"

"Gym."

"Well that's much better than fuckin etiquette."

Lazarus flinched when I swore but didn't say anything about it. "Don't you have another essay to work on?"

"Yeah, but Lilia is using the book I need for it right now."

"You're writing about the same thing?"

"No. The book has a lot of different stuff in it."

Lazarus nodded and went back to his book. I watched his eyes look over the yellowing pages of the old book. The slight breeze was tousling his hair.

"You know... I think I'll come stay with you this Christmas," I said.

Lazarus looked up at me with his eyes wide. "Really?"

"Really. Especially since I don't think my family likes me very much right now." And I didn't really like them right now either.

"I don't think that's true, but we will be happy to have you. And I look forward to it."

Lazarus went back to his book and I leaned back on the bench. This place could be awesome when you weren't in classes. Too bad that's the point of this place.

Oh well. I have free time until Monday.