FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

0830 HOURS

LOCATION - ALEXANDRIA MEMORIAL CORNER, GAYLORD ACADEMY, PLUTO

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They said her eyes used to capture the light and melt into pools of dark honey. They said her smile would send shivers through your body and that no one would be able to look at her and do evil. They only spoke good about her and if anything, bad was said, no one would believe it.

She said anything was possible.

What she said was true, yet we could not bring her back to life.

No one spoke to me as I stood in front of the little memory corner they had created for Alex. They glanced me and a few tried to give me their condolences, but they would say my stony face and they would back away.

They would see my pain and they would not be able to speak to me. Strong emotions had a habit of creating fear in people.

I did not feel a thing as I looked at the pictures or I felt everything – too much – and that I was maybe numb to the emotion.

A hand gripped my shoulder in a comforting gesture. I turned around slightly, just enough to see the black hair atop of Eli's head. Licking my lips, I turned back to her picture.

"How are you," he asked. I shrugged, my hand curling in my pocket around the note Alex had given me before she died. I had been carrying it, with me for the past week.

I took a deep breath and then turned to face Eli. Immediately my guard went up, his expression conveyed the news of something bad.

"What happened," I asked. His eyes caught mine and I could see him contemplating whether he should tell me. I tilted my head the side and pursed my lips.

"Black," I said, grabbing one of his hand, "Do not even try lying to me, too many people are lying to me already."

"You'll find out soon enough," he said, a hand running through his hair, "I'm appointed heir instead of Jack."

I blinked at him for a second, the words still processing. My hand dropped his and I took a step back, "Heir?"

"Yes."

I did not know what to say. He was the second child, why would they make him heir. What is wrong with jack.

"Do you want that?"

"No."

"Is Jack, alright, is he ill?"

I didn't need to be an empath to see the pain he carried as he shook his head. I could see all his dreams slowly began to dissipate from him. The lump in my throat began to carry more weight.

"You'll be fine, Eli," I said, trying my utmost to believe it myself.

"yeah," he said offhandedly and closed his eyes. I sighed, like he needed more of reason to be sad.

"Its crazy how much you can miss someone," a voice said. I turned and noticing who it was, ran to him and hugged him.

'I can't Ty,' I said.

'I feel our pain, deep breaths,' he said, his arms tightening around me. I took a step back and my eyebrows shot up as I saw him closer.

"What happened to your skin," Eli asked, a slow grin spreading. I bit my lip, trying to find the humour in the prank I played on Ty, but I couldn't.

"I put grondleberry in your drink yesterday," I said with a smile. His skin had become loose and wrinkled, turning a horrible grey colour.

"I figured, you did something," Ty smiled, ruffling my hair.

I sighed and fished in my bag back for the cure, "I wasn't gonna make you beg for it," I said with a wry smile, "But you know... I can't."

Ty wordlessly took the vial from my hand and swallowed it.

'You'll be back to normal in a few minutes.'

"Shall we go the hall, for Marybelle's speech," I asked.

"Go," Eli said, "I'll stay here for a few minutes, I'll meet you there, I think our allotted seats are just a few seats away from each other."

I nodded and walked away. Ty followed me. The hall like always was packed. We found our seats and sat down, we had no conversation topic to speak of, so silence prevailed.

"The Lamborn," Ty said, turning his face slightly.

"It is was it is, Ty, ignore it."

He understood I did not want to speak of it and did not say anything after that. The grandfather clock ticked away in the centre of the room and as it struck nine, I felt the elemental cuffs on my wrist loosen.

I looked down, fingering the lock, removing the cuff. I looked to Ty, who had done the same.

"I guess, our time is over," Jaz said from behind me. I turned and smiled as the feeling rush of my element appeared again. It was intoxicating and I hadn't really understood how much I missed it till now.

Small sparks began shooting out of Ty's fingertips and the students in front of us gasped. I quickly held his hand allowing them to hit me.

"Calm, Ty, " I whispered, "It's fine."

He took a few calming breaths and the sparks stopped just as Marybelle took the stage. She began to speak but my head had began to swirl with thoughts.

A few minutes later she read out the prefects this year and then with a smile, paused.

"As I assume, we all are aware, last year six of our students participated in the Venatio and broke the long streak the Imperfectus had over us," she said. I tensed. My head stared in front of me, trying to find Michael.

She continued speaking about the venatio. The pleasant way she relayed the events was what that got to me. If it wasn't for Jaz's hand on my shoulder, I would have blown her up with the element coursing within me.

"Sapphire Western," A voice said beside me. I turned to face the girl speak to me. She was a reporter for the sectioni I paper. I turned back.

"Would you describe the hunt to me, please."

I did not respond.

"Do not bother her," Jaz said to her. The girl looked at Jaz and then turned back to me ignoring her.

"Don't you dare ignore her," I hissed, still not looking at her face.

"I am sorry," she said, "Please, just one word."

I shook my head and focused on Marybelle, "A special thanks to all those who participated. We will also be hosting a memorial for Alexandria Zelda."

She allowed her the name to echo in the hall. From the seats in front of me, I saw Michael get up. My eyes widened as I watched him, storm toward Lady Marybelle.

Ty's hand gripped mine and I watched Michael, hoping that he would not do something wrong.

His fist shook next to him and then with an abrupt movement, he whirled around and disappeared through hall doors. Everyone had there head turned towards the door but mine remained forward, chin upward.

Pride was a real emotion than rooted deeply within my blood.

"As we can see, Alexandria will be greatly missed."

I had to ground my feet on the floor to prevent myself from standing and yelling. I satisfied myself by closing my eyes and girding my teeth together.

"Would you say one word," The girl next to me pestered again, I opened my eyes and turned to her.

"I told you to shut up," Jaz said to her, seeing what I was feeling. I turned to Jaz and shook my head.

"It's fine," I said and then turned to the girl, "Love."

She did not say anything. She did not understand what I meant to form a response.

"We loved with a love that was more than love," I said and then smiled looking to my fingers, "It is a quote said by an earthling, their souls love like nothing you know of."

I turned away and stood, just as Marybelle finished speaking. I hadn't waited for her to grant permission for us to leave so I was one of the first to do so. I hadn't seen Eli walk into the hall and that troubled me.

'Black, for heck's sake where are you,' I hissed into his mind. As I reached the door the guard stopped me.

"Year Three student," he asked. I nodded.

"Please go to Room 600 at 12 00 today."

I gave him a long look and then nodded, confused. I went directly to the memorial of Alex, but he was not there.

'Black, where are you, do not do this to me.'

I knew that he could not respond, yet I hoped he would open his phone and call.

'Did you find, Eli,' Ty asked. I shook my head.

'Are you with Michael, right now.'

'Yes,' he responded.

'Ask him where Eli might be right now, I've check all of his places and I don't know him well enough at school at know where he might be.'

I could see Ty ask Michael and he didn't need to talk, for me to understand where he might me.

'I got it, I will go there and then we'll meet in Room 600.'

'Okay.'

I walked as fast as possible to the room but then as I reached it, I couldn't bring myself to open it.

'You are inside the room aren't you,' I whispered, 'If you want, I'll leave.'

This room was Alex's, Michael's and Eli's common room before, they had done everything together. This was where they planned everything. This is where they first became friends.

I got ready to leave but then the door opened a crack. I paused and watched as the crack revealed his eyes rimmed with red and then the rest of his face.

"Phye," he said and then no more, his whole body crashing into mine. His arm wrapped around mine and I felt his body shudder. I hugged him tightly, combing a hand through his hair.

"Shhh, we'll get past it, right," I whispered, "We are royalty, we are leaders, we keep our chin up, Black."

"But Alex," he murmured into my hair.

"I know, but we cry and then we wipe our tears and we fight. We both know that there's a lot everyone is hiding. We know that Alex knew she was gonna die, yet she did it. We know that she must have had a reason."

I took his shoulders and pushed him back, so I could see his face.

"Look, she choose this whatever the reason, we respect her choice," I said, "Right, Eli."

His eyes hesitantly met mine, the green of the iris shining brightly with tears. My fingers rose and I touched his chin, pushing it up slowly.

"You have a reputation to uphold, Black, uphold it."

A small smile flitted across his face and he reached up to his eyes to dry them. But as his hand reached up, I stopped them.

"No," I said, "do not wipe your tears, show them your pain and then show them that just because your hurt, it doesn't mean you stop."

Eli's eyes lowered down, back to me and he watched me for a long moment. He did not say anything, but I could see his eyes gaze the aura around me.

"Come on," I said, "we have to go to Room 600."

"For what?"

I explained it as we left the room. The bell for the morning class would go in ten minutes, so the corridors were filled with students, and none of them would stop staring at the both of us.

I felt myself tense. People I had known. People I had called friends, I could not speak to them. I couldn't find it in me to smile and joke with them as I had done before, and they had grown curious.

'Sapph, whatever you are thinking, do not,' Ty's voice breathed into my head. I shook my head, determined to say something.

I stopped walking. Eli stopped and looked to me.

"stop," I said. My voice was quiet yet the students around me stopped. I knew they had expected me to get angry. They would not see me angry, but I would not remain silent either.

"Leave me alone, I owe you nothing. I do not want anything. I want to get through this year, so leave me alone. Leave my friends alone. Do not look at me, do not look at them. If we want to speak, we will and until then don't you dare provoke us" I said calmly. I allowed my gaze, to travel along these people who were my friends. These people I knew.

I nodded and then turned to Eli.

"Come, we'll go."

As we walked passed the crowd that still hadn't moved from their positions, I felt Eli itch to ask me something.

"Ask," I said, not looking at him.

"It's not a question, just a statement," he said.

"Okay."

"You aren't the girl I met in the corridor anymore," he said and then looked away, "You've changed, it's frightening."

I did not speak allowing his words repeat in my head, but then before we entered the room, I turned to him and shrugged.

"Haven't we all changed."

*OOMPA LOOMPA*