CHAPTER VI:
❄︎ BREAKING AND ENTERING ❄︎
"these powers made me the bad guy"
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•
I walked up the stairs to Miss Dowling's office. Thankfully, she and Callum, her assistant, was not there. When I tried opening her door, it wouldn't open as it was locked. I sighed and looked around to be sure no one was coming, and then I held out my palm. A foggy mist of cool air formed in my hand, taking the form of two small objects. Using them, I began an attempt to pick the lock open. After a minute, I heard the lock click.
"Would you look at that?" I muttered to myself, proud. "I still got it."
"What you doing?" asked a voice.
I stood up quickly, turning around to see Beatrix and Riven. The ice picks I used dissolved as I hid them behind my back. Beatrix raised her brow, interested in my explanation.
"I could ask you two the same thing," I said, looking at them suspiciously.
"Looks like someone's breaking and entering," said Beatrix, walking toward the door.
She smiled, knowing she caught me and pushed the door to Dowling's office open.
"Technically, I didn't break anything," I said quickly, following her inside. "Wait a second... you two were going to break in here, weren't you?"
"So clever," said Beatrix in a sarcastic tone.
"And why are you breaking in?" Riven asked me as he closed the door. "Didn't think you'd be a rule-breaker."
"She confiscated my phone," I answered, slowly beginning to look through her drawers. "She took mine in the morning."
"Hey, if you see a vape anywhere, Dowling took mine last year," said Riven, pouring himself a glass of alcohol.
"A vape?" Beatrix questioned from the bookshelf. "Every time you seem cool, you say something that ruins it."
"It's still weed," he replied.
"So smoke a joint," Beatrix said.
"What you after, anyway?" I asked her. "Test answers?"
"Please," she began. "The tests they give now might as well be written in crayon. I'm looking for the shit they don't teach. The secrets."
Electricity formed from her hands, spreading over the books on the shelf.
"The history of this place is a lot darker than Dowling and the rest of the faculty want us to know," she said. "I want that truth. Don't you?"
"So, wait, you're like some badass Air Fairy who is a history nerd?" I questioned with a small smirk.
"Why?" she said back. "Is that a confusing archetype for you?"
"Least I was pretty accurate," I said, glancing at Riven. "Air Fairies do look like they're planning some type of shit, good or bad."
I opened another one of her drawers and found my phone. I took it out, then spotted Riven's vape. I glanced at him, then closed the drawer. I didn't mind that he vaped, but it couldn't hurt him if he stopped.
"Where'd you learn to pick a lock?" asked Riven.
"My old friend," I replied, proud. "My old teachers always had a problem with phones, so we learned how to pick locks to get them back."
"Someone's coming," said Beatrix suddenly. "Let's go."
I closed the drawer, and followed Beatrix, making sure to lock the door when we all got out. We hid in the shadows against the wall and waited as Dowling's assistant, Callum, passed us. Once he was inside, we walked down the stairs to the cafeteria.
"So, I'll see you later," I told them, starting to leave.
"Why don't we hang out?" said Beatrix, a small smile on her face.
"Now?" I questioned.
"Come on," she said, walking up to me. "Just us girls," she added.
Beatrix
There was no doubt about it. Beatrix had seen what happened at the orientation party. She was just as powerful as she heard she was. She could be even stronger. Beatrix knew she was trying to take control of her magic. Demi needed a friend, and Beatrix needed to gain her trust.
Beatrix showed her to her dorm. It was just them two, her roommate elsewhere for lunch. She smiled, seeing a look of relaxation on Demi's face when she sat down on the bed.
"So you ran away?" Beatrix asked to spark up a conversation. "Family problems?"
"Didn't exactly have the most ideal adolescence," Demi replied. "People expect so much."
"Where'd you go after?" Beatrix asked.
"The States... on Earth," Demi answered, and Beatrix raised her brow, interested. "I stayed there until Dowling found me and brought me back."
"Who'd you stay with?" Beatrix asked.
"Is this some sort of interrogation?" Demi asked, standing up.
"I'm just asking," Beatrix defended, her hands up surrender-like.
"Why are you talking to me?" Demi questioned.
"We both have strong magic," Beatrix said with a smile. "We should help each other out."
"With what?" she asked.
"Let's start with this," Beatrix smirked. "What are your thoughts on Riven?"
"What are you talking about?" Demi asked, confused.
"If we don't talk about the hot guys around here, then we go straight back to your history," Beatrix said.
"You love history, don't you?"
Beatrix smiled and said in a whisper, "And I bet you don't like to tell it."
Beatrix smiled and went on saying, "I have a lot of questions, starting with Silva's reaction to when he found out you arrived. What made you come back here, how you ran— "
"Okay, okay," Demetrie said irritably, and Beatrix smiled smugly. "What do you want me to say? Riven's not bad looking? I'm pretty sure the entire school thinks that."
"Oh, come on, give me more," Beatrix said eagerly. "He freaking hot."
"Then you can have him," Demi said in a defensive tone.
"Maybe I just might... " Beatrix said with a mischievous smile.
Demi looked away, and it started to snow above her. She still had no clue why Beatrix wanted to befriend her, and she had no idea why she was using Riven as a topic to get close to her. Was she really that into him?
"Interesting," said Beatrix. "Does it snow every time you get jealous?"
"When I'm annoyed or anxious... yes," Demi said without knowing she said it, and when she realized she groaned. "It's not like that!"
Demi
By evening, after dinner, I went back to the suite. Stella wasn't there and neither was Bloom. When I asked about their whereabouts, Musa didn't have a confident answer but knew they were likely getting ready to get the Solarian ring back for the jealous Light princess.
As I laid in bed, I wondered about Beatrix's intention. It was clear to me she was up to something. I wasn't stupid. Though she screamed rebellious, teenage girl, there was a fun side to that rebelliousness. One that I loved, actually. We had been pulling pranks on other students all day.
I knew if any of the suitemates knew I hung around Beatrix, they'd disapprove and say they were my friends. They weren't – not really. I was definitely not friends with Stella. We were simply thrown together. We're acquaintances – colleagues coming together because of a threat.
Besides, if they found out what I did, they'd probably turn me away. They're all too good for that.
The next morning, I woke up to Aisha shaking me.
"What have you been doing?" Aisha asked, her face scrunching up. "Smells like smoke in here. Don't tell me you were smoking."
Aisha was a reason I was cautious with what I said. I had to keep my secrets to myself. She disapproved of anything that wasn't right. What I had done was most definitely not right.
"Morning to you, too," I said with a displeased tone. "What time is it?"
"Time to get up," Aisha said, pulling the covers off me. "Same clothes as yesterday?"
"I was tired— "
"Pranking people?" she said knowingly, crossing her arms. "I know you and that girl Beatrix were messing around. Your power leaves some frost."
"Well," I said, standing up. "You are quite the Nancy Drew. You know, if you're going to lecture me about magic, don't."
"I think you're surrounding yourself with bad people," she said.
"And what's your definition of 'bad people?'" I asked, looking at her.
"Riven smokes and he drinks," she said in a "duh" tone. "Beatrix is trouble."
"There is no such thing as good people and bad people," I told her. "If you want me to give you an example – Sky. He's all righteous, but he's flawed – ignored me for a year."
"Look, just... hurry and get ready," Aisha told me. "We need to catch you up on the plan."
"Yes, Mother," I muttered.
I showered and changed into my outfit for the day, going with the color scheme of black. Before leaving, I made hot cocoa, putting it in a travel mug. As Aisha, Musa, and I walked toward the cafeteria, Aisha began explaining what was going to happen.
"Terra's making some Zanbaq," she went on. "It'll subdue the Burned One. We think it's gonna be at the barn."
"And so, um, why are we helping?" I asked. "It's Stella's fault, really. She's taking no responsibility for it."
"Well, as much as I agree," Musa said. "If the staff or Stella's mother realizes the ring is gone, it'll be blamed on us so... "
"You can freeze it, can't you?" Aisha asked. "Lock down its hands and feet while it's subdued?"
"Maybe," I replied. "Just tell me when."