Honestly, I thought the Circus of Talents was a volunteer kind of thing. Apparently, it's based on ranks, and considering I'm class captain, I have to participate.
Again, class captain really isn't as big of a deal as people make it out to be. You get a badge, and that's it. I didn't think I'd get class captain since me and Tedros both won the trial. Turns out my points were higher than his.
The Circus of Talents kind of scares me because no teachers are allowed in meaning well who knows what's going to happen.
All the students, including myself, made their way into the hall. Everyone dressed quite fancy well except the nevers. I still had my jar stuck to my side. There is no way I'm going to win this without it.
I awaited for the challenge to begin. Bea and Millie were blabbering on about well. Apparently, the princes were planning on asking the princesses out to the snow ball tonight.
The snow ball, I think it is ridiculous how if a girl goes by herself, she's immediately failed. Honestly, I couldn't give a fig if I fail as long as I have fun with my friends. That's all that I care for.
"You two are ridiculous," I said.
"Are we so wrong that we just want our princes to ask us now rather than later?".
"I'm sure it can wait. This is pretty big,"
"Oh, Hildy, don't be such a worry wart good wins every time." Beatrix checked her teeth in a small pocket mirror.
"That streak can easily be broken, and we can't have that."
As I was about to say something, a final princess glided in. All eyes turned to her.
"A new student in the middle of the school year?" Someone muttered.
"Impossible"
The princess was probably the prettiest one here. Her hair was ebony and up in a bun, revealing her wide brown eyes, smooth pale skin, and the truest smile I had ever seen on a princess.
Her dress had a velvet train trailing behind her. a beautiful midnight blue with glittered golden leafs. I almost thought a real fairytale princess entered the room.
The princess walked up to me and asked, "Is this seat taken?" Stunned, I thought for a minute who she was, and then it hit me.
"Agatha?"
"Uh, yes," she nervously smiled.
"H-how did -"
"Groom room"
"I'm so sorry I didn't recognise you go ahead take a seat."
Agatha sat on the left of me with Kiko. I turned to see Beatrix asking me the same question everyone else was asking. "Who is she?" She whispered.
"Agatha," I whispered back
"No way, but I thought -"
Before Beatrix could protest, the doors flung closed, shocking everyone in the room. "SETTLE DOWN STUDENTS," the fairy screamed, which is kind of shocking for a fairy to do that.
"Uh, thank you, fairy. Welcome students to the Circus of Talents. As you know, The Circus of Talents is between the students and the Headmaster no teachers allowed -" the wolf began.
"And of course the fairies and wolves so you bunch to kill eachother'" the fairy blabbered out.
"Do you mind!" The wolf turned abruptly to the fairy. The fairy stayed silent this time. "As I was saying yes, there are no teachers allowed, but that doesn't give you a reason to misbehave. Understood, " the wolf finished.
Everyone nodded their heads in confusion. Why is the wolf acting nicer than the fairy, I thought, as did all the others.
"Tonight will consist of 20 duels. we'll start with the tenth rank ever and never to the first rank ever and never.
The school master shall pick a winner each duel whoever loses will be publicly punished, " the students searched, turning their heads for even a glance of the headmaster.
The wolf rolled its eyes and continued. "At the end, the student with the most impressive talent, according to the school master, will win the circus of talents crown and, of course, the theatre of tales for their school," the wolf finished
The evers burst into chants:
"OURS OURS OURS,"
The nevers joined in as well. "NO MORE NO MORE NO MORE"
"ENOUGH! Any more questions, you can keep to yourself. If you need to go to the bathroom, tough luck, you need to wait until the show is over. The Circus of Talents begins now, "
The first went past evers, won all the duels so far. I patiently awaited my turn, squeezing the jar tight to my chest. Suddenly, I remembered Agatha beside her.
"Sooo Agatha, what's your talent?" I awkwardly asked.
"Talent right, uh, does wearing makeup count."
"Well, no, you need some sort of talent to present. No princess will ask you if you lose," kiko joined in.
Agatha's face saddened. I gave Kiko the look. "Don't worry Agatha, you'll think of something cmon What else can you do?" I comforted her.
"Uh, I can just call a bird or something," she replied.
"But there are no windows," Kiko said.
~♡~
The first few went very well for the evers. The next pair were
"PRESENTING NEVER MAGNUS OF THE NETHERWOODS," the wolf announced loudly.
His talent made me sick to my stomach
"PRESENTING NEVER RAVAN," the wolf announced.
Ravan performed his talent, signalling his bunk mates to start playing the drums. "His talent is dancing?" Agatha laughed. I focused on the performance "no, not dancing, keep watching," I pointed to her.
As Ravan repeated his "dance" one other head popped out, following another and another. Ten, until ten heads popped out, sticking their tongues out at the evers breathing fire. "Who can beat that?" Ravan laughed.
Nevers burst into cheers, including the fairies, surprisingly. It is strange not to see the wolves cheer for their own school, but the fairies cheer for the opposing side.
"PRESENTING EVER CHADDICK," the wolf announced.
The boos began as he made it to the stage. Calmly, he took a deep breath, despite the insults of the nevers, drew his bow and lunched an arrow. The arrow whistled past the nevers' ears and boomeranged through the walls. The hall went silent before the evers burst into cheers of victory once more.
Suddenly, Ravan was yanked by an invisible force. Evil lost, so they pay the price. Ravan grew a snout of a pigs nose, a tail and ears.
"Evers wins," the wolf grinned. Shockingly, the wolves were more proud than I was. Evers won well Chaddick won, I should be proud shouldn't I? But the punishment didn't seem fair to be fair. Nothing in this school really is.
As Class Captain I was last but Sophie, who is evil's Class Captain, was nowhere in sight does this mean I automatically win?
Time went by swiftly before I knew it. The second last pair went up.
"Presenting Never Hester," the wolf announced. This competition lasts hours, so I saw no point in paying attention. Neither did some of the other ever girls. But they desperately wanted their princes to propose or ask them out.
"Hey, Hildy," whispered Giselle
"Gigi, congratulations, by the way on your win against Magnus."
"Oh, thank you, Hildy. Good wins every time, so it wasn't that hard, " she showed off, flicking her hair back.
I smiled, still I felt pity for the nevers they're talents are creative and overall out of this world. Then good sings a song or shoots an arrow, and they win. Looking back now, it isn't fair.
"Whats your talent, Hildy?"
"You'll see. You will know once you see it," I said, taking a glance at the jar on me lap.
"Is that jar part of your talent?".
"Yes, it is." I looked up to the stage. "I didn't think the Circus of Talents would last this long," I groaned.
"Won't be long now, here comes Agatha," she pointed out.
Agatha nervously walked centre stage, staring at her feet and then the audience. A few moments, everyones attention went to Tedros tackling Brone, who was about to cast spells on Agatha. Suddenly, the hall broke into a battle arena evers and nevers, throwing bits and bobs at each other.
While the wolves were beating up the nevers and fairies attacking evers.
"Why are the fairies attacking us!?" Giselle cried in panic as she batted a fairy away with a book.
"Why are the wolves so aggressive to us?" Magnus attempted to run from the wolf. "YOUR SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING US," the never yelled at the wolf who proceeded to beat him.
As I was backing up a fairy bit, my behind. I slapped it whilst getting up, yelling, "GET OFF OF ME." it jingled aggressively at me. "How dare you, this isn't how a fairy should act - OW MY HAIR." I was interrupted by another two fairies pulling my hair.
Suddenly, a familiar golden haired prince came to my rescue and kicked the fairies that were pulling my hair.
"Are you okay?" He offered a hand. "I'm alright now, thank you, sir." I pushed his hand away.
Before he could say anything, Agathas' voice echoed throughout the hall. "HEY"
"SIT DOWN," she commanded. Everyone obeyed her command without a second thought.
"We think we know who we really are but we don't. We know we are either good or evil. We can determine that by a beautiful princess and an ugly witch. "
Agatha faced down bending to a fairy, the fairy that but my behind, that was standing by the stage. "But what if there was an in-between?"
There was a silence that filled the air between the two. Agatha smiled at the fairy. She thrusted out a hand, slowly standing up straight. All the fairies and wolves fell down, but then a blue ghostly spirit began floating upon their bodies.
Amazed, frightened and shocked. Everyone stood up to get a better look, including me. The students began to mutter aloud
"They're people?"
"Some no more older than us"
"And some way older than us,"
"They've been here this whole time?"
"How can this be?"
"What happened to them?"
I stared at this woman. She had the old never girls uniform. Poor thing she must have been here since the headmasters were first appointed.
I noticed all of the ghostly students had the letter F on their uniform.
"They never left?" Tedros asked.
"No," I answered, still looking up. "How could they anyway eternal punishment for failing because they couldn't fill this schools impossible expectations?"
"You're right, Hildegarde. If you fail, you become a slave for the other school, " Agatha continued on the stage.
I walked away from my seat trapped in thought.
I can't stay here. None of us can three fail, and we're punished with eternal life. These people never even gotten the chance to say goodbye to their family. They never got a chance at a normal life. They-
Suddenly breaking my train of thought, there was a loud knock on the door.