Happy 10K Celebration! Here's Chapter 32. As always, I hope you enjoy :)
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"There she is! The girl we've been waiting for!" Mrs. Bermingham smiled proudly at me, and I waved to her from across the hallway, quickening my pace towards the conversing group of adults.
Nina's curiosity had gotten the best of her, and she decided to tag along behind me to, as she had put it, "find out what all that cursed hoopla was about."
Mrs. Fleischer and Mrs. Bermingham were clutching their handkerchiefs to their chests, sentimental smiles plastered across their tear-streaked faces.
Author stood aloofly between the two gushing females with a look of polite disinterest on his face.
I couldn't stop myself from gasping in surprise, because he had no spared no effort in dressing to impress his two old teachers. He had disregarded his usual attire for a more refined choice, a checkered sweater vest and a long sleeved shirt. His usual head of messy black hair had been tamed, and he looked like the gentleman that everyone had hoped he would be.
"Oh, Elizabeth! Can you believe how much he's grown? Can you believe how handsome he's become?" Mrs. Fleischer shook her head, dabbing her eyes with the tip of her handkerchief.
"I can hardly believe it." I smirked, nodding my head in appreciation.
"It seems like only yesterday, Author, that you were running around in your lederhosen, causing trouble wherever you went. Time certainly does fly, doesn't it?"
"Indeed."
"Have you missed us at all, Author?" Mrs. Bermingham suddenly asked, and I wondered what his answer would be.
"Terribly."
The indifferent look on Author's face and the monotone of his voice told me that he was definitely lying, and seeing that he was actually trying to spare someone else's feelings for once made me question a lot of things, but certainly did not stop me from laughing hysterically.
"What is so funny, girl?" Mrs. Fleischer asked, a bit peeved by my laughter.
"Oh, it's nothing. Nothing at all, I just-" I launched into another fit of giggles and laughter.
"Nevermind her, Author." Mrs. Bermingham smiled at him. "She's probably just too overwhelmed with joy that you came."
"Not really," I lied, then cleared my throat. "Just a bit tired, I suppose."
My excuse was lost on Mrs. Bermingham, who was already chattering away with Author and Mrs. Fleischer. Now, only Lexie, Nina and I remained in the outside circle, waiting patiently for the two women to finally give him some space.
I listened closely as Author's replies reached one, two, sometimes even three syllables. It wasn't until a solid five minutes later that he finally began to form full sentences, probably much more comfortable that when he had first arrived.
It wasn't until Mrs. Bermingham gestured briefly to Lexie that I noticed her for the first time. Throughout the entire conversation, she had been standing quietly with her hands tucked before her.
The look she had on her face was alarming, to say the least.
Gone were the mature, honest eyes that had gazed into mine only minutes before, and her easy smile and relaxed body language had vanished completely
Lexie's eyes were filled with nothing less than lecherous, flirtatious intent. It became obvious to me that her former disinterest towards Author had vanished, and she had become very keen on his every movement.
For the longest time, her calculated gaze traced his face, his attire, and analyzed his body language for what I deduced was for future reference.
Then, deciding that he was somehow now worthy of her attention, and that he was somehow no longer worthy of being teased or hated, she stepped in and took the reigns from the two teachers, ready to drive us all down the path of her own personal gain.
"Author!" she exclaimed suddenly, and Author acknowledged her presence for the first time with a cool stare. Her voice had a sort of musical quality to it, and I could read her every intention through the way she subtly fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I can't believe nobody has introduced us yet!"
Lexie's happy-go-lucky attitude charmed Mrs. Fleischer, and she immediately apologized for not having re-introduced them.
"Author, this is Lexie Blake. I'm not sure you remember her, but she used to be in the same class as you and Elizabeth." Mrs. Fleischer stared up at Author expectantly, and after a few seconds of careful contemplation, Author shook his head.
"I'm afraid I don't remember you. I apologize," Author said to Lexie.
I laughed internally, completely sure that Author's remark had dashed some water on the flame. I was mortified to find, however, that Author's reply was exactly what Lexie had hoped for, and that Author had played right into her hand.
"Well, I couldn't possibly expect you to remember me after so long," Lexie replied pitifully. "I'm just glad that we'll be able to get reacquainted, and perhaps become very good friends. I don't know why we weren't friends before, but I certainly do regret that. You seem like such a nice person. . ."
The expression in Author's eyes was completely unreadable, and I couldn't tell whether or not he had lied about not remembering Lexie, or if he genuinely had no memory of all the horrible things she had done.
My greatest fear was that it would've been the latter, because if Author didn't remember her, how could he possibly remember all the hell she had put him through? If he didn't remember how much she had hated him back then, how would he realize that she was only being friendly now for very shallow reasons?
"Perhaps." Author's disyllabic reply elicited an award winning smile from Lexie, who was swinging back and forth in a charming, almost childish way.
I was practically seething with annoyance at what was happening before me when Mrs. Bermingham completely thrashed Lexie's perfect plan.
"Oh, you two are so adorable! Author, Lexie used to pull lots of pranks on you. I'm surprised you don't remember!" Mrs. Bermingham tittered, a gleam of mischief in her eye.
When Lexie realized that her safety was being threatened, she quickly tried to change the subject.
"Oh, but that's all in the past. What matters now is—"
"You kids were so silly! Remember that time you carved a swastika into a tree, Lexie, and blamed Author for it?" Mrs. Bermingham laughed again, and Lexie paled.
"I m-mean y-yes. That was pretty stupid of me. B-but we were kids, right Author?" Lexie looked up at Author, with the last bit of hope that he didn't remember anything hanging by a thread.
But it was too late.
The subtle extension of his neck and the way his eyes narrowed as he looked down at her told me that he remembered.
Maybe even everything.
"But, Lexie's right!" Mrs. Bermingham said suddenly, seeing that she had righted what was wrong. "It's all in the past. It doesn't matter now. Lexie's a changed girl!"
There was shame, embarrassment and anger in Lexie's eyes, and she clenched her fists by her side, then let all of it out with a heavy sigh.
"You're right," Lexie replied, forcing a smile. "I did some terrible things, and I apologize for it. Not that it matters though."
The fact that she had apologized only to casually dismiss her own apology irked me to no end.
"Well, what do you all say we get out of the hallway and go to the conference room? It's much more comfortable down there."
Mrs. Bermingham's suggestion was met with agreement on all sides, and she gestured for everyone to go ahead of her. When Mrs. Fleischer had safely led everyone else away, only Nina, Mrs. Bermingham and I were left behind.
"Did you do it on purpose?" I asked, smiling.
"Of course I did it on purpose!" Mrs. Bermingham sighed, then scratched the back of her head. "I really do believe Lexie has changed, but that doesn't mean I was going to let her worm her way out of an apology that easily."
"I know." I nodded. "I was a bit scared for a minute there that she was going to get away with it, so thanks for that."
"It's no problem." She patted my shoulder, then stepped forward. "Let's go ahead to the conference room. . ."
Mrs. Bermingham's voice trailed off as soon as she looked over her shoulder and saw Nina still standing behind us.
I turned around to discover that the source of Mrs. Bermingham's confusion and bewilderment was the foreign expression on Nina's face.
It was unlike any expression she had ever worn before, and the gentleness and vulnerability it held fascinated, yet terrified me at the same time.
It was one that I could identify with, because I too had worn in long ago as a child.
Her eyes were filled with stars and wonder, and her usually pale cheeks were painted with a bright pink blush that made her look completely different. Her lips were parted slightly, as if before everyone had gone, she wanted to say something, but the words did not come out.
Nina was absolutely starstruck, and both Mrs. Bermingham and I knew in that moment that the only thing that would come of this was trouble. I had no idea how Nina would react to these feelings, but I knew that we were all beyond escape at that point.
"Nina? Are you ok?" Mrs. Bermingham asked gently, walking over to her.
Nina remained silent, as if her mind had taken her to a place that was beyond our reach, where she couldn't hear or see us.
"Nina? Are you sick?" I tried, but Nina remained silent.
"I'm afraid that this could be a very bad thing." Mrs. Bermingham sighed, then looked at me with sad eyes.
"Why do you say that?" I asked nervously, though the answer could already be found by the distant, almost comatose look on Nina's face.
"Nina has a tendency to. . . get carried away by her emotions," she explained, placing a hand on Nina's shoulder.
"Has this happened before?"
"It has. And it was an absolute disaster last time. We hired a male teacher once who was about thirty years old. Both Mrs. Fleischer and I thought that it was good that she finally found a teacher she could actually get along with, but after two days she just. . . completely flew off the handle."
"Flew off the handle. . . how?" I asked uneasily, suddenly very scared.
"Oh, it was actually kind of funny. At least, it was at first. She went around claiming him as property to other students as her property, and wouldn't leave him alone. She followed the poor man everywhere he went, until one day, he decided to quit."
"He quit?" A wry smile had formed on my face.
"That he did." She laughed, then sighed. "That wasn't the only time it happened, either. We soon found out that Nina had a tendency to senselessly attach herself to older males. It's a terrible habit that's quite unfitting of a young lady such as herself."
"Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better," I replied sarcastically. "Do you think she'll do the same with Author?"
"Well, she's certainly displaying all the signs that she usually does before she creates a huge mess like she usually does."
"Why doesn't she attached herself to kids her own age?"
"Because, you filthy cow, kids my age lack the sophistication and intelligence necessary to properly engage me in any sort of conversation."
I jumped at Nina's sudden reply, and Mrs. Bermingham rolled her eyes.
Somewhere in the middle of our conversation, Nina had returned to earth.
"Now, listen here Ms. Hopkins." Mrs. Bermingham squatted so that she was eye to eye with Nina, who was glaring daggers at her. "I want you to promise me that you will leave our guest to himself. I will not have you engaging in your usual foolishness while he's around."
"What do you take me for? Some kind of whore?" Nina asked haughtily, and I felt myself die a little inside at her use of such an unorthodox word.
"Watch your mouth, young lady. I'm simply advising you against pestering or attaching yourself to our guest. He does not wish to be disturbed."
"How do you know what he wishes or what he doesn't wish?" Nina implored, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. "Did you ask him if he didn't want my company?"
"Author doesn't want anyone's company," I said pointedly, trying to bring the point across. "It wouldn't be a very good idea for you to. . . fly off the handle with this one."
"Be quiet, wench."
"Young lady—"
"I'll do what I please how I am pleased to do it," she muttered, glaring at me as she did so. "It's not your place to tell me who I can and can't associate with. I won't even let the teachers here do that!"
I was appalled by how blatantly Nina could disrespect Mrs. Bermingham and I, only to receive a firm talking to, or an exasperbated sigh.
Finally realizing that talking would get her nowhere, Mrs. Bermingham let her go. Nina, realizing that she had won out against the authority, scampered down the hall after telling us that she had a "date with destiny."
"God, I sure do miss the good old days." Mrs. Bermingham placed her hands on her hips. "Sometimes I really feel like a slap on the arm would do her some good."
"Or a slap in the face. . . like the one you gave Author after the roof incident." I joked, then quickly made it clear that I wasn't serious in case she had interpreted it otherwise.
She smiled.
"I forgot about that. I definitely don't regret that I did it, though. He could've gotten you killed!"
"I know." I smiled easily, because the fear of death was so far back in the past.
"It still baffles me how you could've been fond of someone who had the capacity to kill you," she teased.
"It baffles me too, but it's all in the past. And hey, if it makes you feel any better, he hasn't tried to kill me since then." I grinned.
"Well, that does make me feel a little better, I suppose." She laughed, then shook her head.
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By the time Mrs. Bermingham and I arrived at the conference room, Author was already engaged in conversation. Mrs. Fleischer continued to bombard him with many questions, while Lexie sat on the far end of the table, fiddling nervously with a lock of her hair.
Mrs. Bermingham's earlier stunt had put a huge damper on her ego.
Nina, who was seated beside Mrs. Fleischer, had already set her predator-like gaze upon Author, beginning what would become a week of hell of all of us.
She was staring at him with wide, penetrating eyes, and was hanging on to every syllable that came from his mouth.
It could've been considered cute if Nina herself wasn't completely devoid of innocence. Her brain was keen on things that a girl of eleven should've been completely ignorant about, and she had no reservations about making sure that everyone around her knew it.
". . . and I'm sure Elizabeth told you that we're trying to keep the school from shutting down," Mrs. Fleischer said, and her sudden mention of my name startled me.
I shuddered under Author's accusing glare, laughing nervously.
"I may have failed to mention it," I replied. I really wanted to tell her that if I had mentioned it, Author might not have come, but I decided to keep that extraneous detail to myself.
"Well, we're certainly trying our best. Hopefully this talent show is a success so we can get the funding we need."
"I see."
"We've been really short on help lately. Luckily for us, your friend Elizabeth over there has agreed to help. Isn't that wonderful?"
"Charming."
"But there's always the fear that we might not pull this off, you know? We don't even have anyone to play the music yet."
"How unfortunate."
"Unfortunate, indeed! Which is exactly why, mein junge, I want to ask you for help. I understand you might be busy, but we would really appreciate it." Mrs. Fleischer smiled at him.
Author sighed and then, by some kind of evil sorcery, managed to actually look regretful.
"I'm afraid I must decline."
With Mrs. Fleischer, it was never as simple as just declining, and Author must have known that better than anyone else.
"Decline?" Mrs. Fleischer stood up suddenly, aghast by his words. "Why, it's just for one day, Author! Couldn't you spare a day?"
Author remained calm, seemingly unphased by Mrs. Fleischer's oppressive energy. I had not discovered yet that Mrs. Fleischer still held the same kind of power that she did as when he was still a little boy.
"I have prior engagements," he told her, reaching his record amount of syllables for the day.
Instead of pleading, Mrs. Fleischer said something quickly and angrily in German, which was followed by what I assumed was a question.
Author heaved a sigh, and before I knew it, the two of them had left the room.
Nina, Lexie and I were left alone, and the tension between Nina and Lexie grew thicker by the minute.
"What did she say to him, Nina?" Lexie broke her silence, crawling out of her brooding depression.
"Why on earth would I tell you that, you cow?" Nina straightened up in her chair, preparing for the incoming assault.
"No need to get antsy with me, you retarded racoon." Lexie spat, an alarming amount of contempt in her eyes.
"Lexie, that wasn't neces—"
"At least I'm not a mangy cow with massive udders!"
"Anything is better than being like you."
"If you had nearly as much brains as you did silicone, then maybe you'd actually be intelligent!"
"At least I don't look like some cheap, five dollar hooker!"
"At least I don't act like one!"
"Your face looks like you spilled black paint all over it! What, do you eat glue too?"
"At least I'm not a whore like you!"
"Oh, not a whore? Tell that to the last three teachers who had to quit their jobs here because you wouldn't stop throwing yourself all over them!"
"Go jump off a bridge, you stupid cow!" There was a slight waver in Nina's voice.
"I will, as soon as you grow some tits, pancake chest!"
The weakest of Lexie's insults seemed to have the most effect on Nina, because she clamped her mouth shut, stood up from her chair and kicked the table as hard as she could.
I flinched, but Lexie remained rigid, as if Nina hadn't done anything at all.
Without another word, she stomped out of the room, leaving Lexie and I sitting alone at the table. Lexie sighed, then rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath.
"That was a horrible thing to say, Lexie."
"What was? The part where I called her a racoon, or the five dollar hooker bit?" Lexie laughed bitterly, without a single ounce of remorse in her tone.
"All of it! How could you laugh about something like that? She's just a child."
"Well, she certainly doesn't act like one!" Lexie snapped, slamming a fist down on the table. "If she wants to talk trash to me like an adult, then I'm going to damn well treat her like one."
"You shouldn't."
"It's what she wants, Elizabeth." Lexie glared at me, annoyed by my lack of understanding. "That's what that stupid raccoon does. She draws you in, spews her bullshit at you, and waits for you to take the bait."
"Then why take the bait?" I asked incredulously.
"Because eventually you just can't help it." Lexie combed her fingers through her hair nervously. "She doesn't want anyone to stoop down to her level. She tries to bring herself up to yours instead. She's a snake."
"Lexie. . ."
"She's a slimy little witch, always trying to act like she's years above her age, like she knows every damn thing! I hope one day she trips and falls right off a cliff." The venom in her voice disturbed me.
"Can't you at least try to get along with her?" I glared at her.
"Try? What are you, an idiot?" Lexie spat, then looked regretful when she realized that a bit of her old self had slipped out. "Sorry, I didn't mean that."
But I was already getting up to leave.
"I didn't mean it, Elizabeth. I was just saying that. . . I tried, but she wouldn't let it happen. She kept insisting on being a bitch all the time and so I—"
"She's a child, Lexie." I sighed, turning towards the door. "It doesn't matter what she does or says. If you treat her as anything more than what she is, she'll start to believe that she's your equal. I think you created this problem yourself."
"You don't know what you're talking about." She sniffed, turning her head away from me.
"Maybe I don't. All I know is, you two need to work things out fast. After all. . . it seems both of you have got your eyes on the same guy."
Not even I was sure of where this snarky remark had come from.
Lexie stiffened then looked at me with wide eyes.
"What did you say?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, and the mortification on her face was almost laughable.
"I'm going to go find Nina."
"Are you saying that she actually thinks she can pull the same stunt a fourth time and not pay for it?" Lexie laughed, a look of pure amusement on her face.
"I'll be back soon."
With that, I left Lexie to her own inner turmoil, and set off to find Nina- the accursed 'raccoon' who acted way mature than she actually was. . .
Only because everyone else let her.
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Whoooppp. I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter as much as I did.
Ok, so I'll be posting the first of two chapters of the Vladlena side story later today, and if I can find the time, the second chapter should be up between tonight and Monday. If it isn't, it would be because something came up and I wouldn't be able to and if that happens, I am so so sorry. Somewhere this week I'll be posting the chapter that continues from this one, and hopefully I can finish this 'saving the school' arc soon enough. So:
Poll: Whose side are you on? Nina's or Lexie's? (I think we can all agree that they both have issues they need to work out XD).
Anywho, feel free leave a vote, comment if you wish. As always, thanks for reading.