Flunked (8 page)

As soon as the key turns in my dorm-room door, my eyes fly open. Mother says I have the hearing of a bat.

I lie motionless as the door opens and Kayla tiptoes inside, choosing not to turn on the light and wake me up. Then she bangs into a coatrack.

“
Ouch! Ouch!
” Kayla yells at the top of her lungs. “
Yowza!
”

I turn on the oil lamp at the side of my bed and see Kayla hopping around on one foot. She's still wearing our navy uniform, even though school has been over for hours. I am surprised she doesn't change out of them as soon as classes are over. I do. Her wings shoot out, and soon she's fluttering up and down, holding her aching toe.

“You okay?” I ask.

She holds her breath, then lets it go. “Sorry, roomie. I was trying not to wake you.”

This is the first time I've seen Kayla in our room since I arrived a few days ago. I was starting to think I lived alone. Not that I mind. I almost never had a room to myself for more than thirty seconds in our boot.

Kayla flutters to her bed and sits across from me. She makes a face. “Sorry we still haven't gone on a proper tour of FTRS.”

“It's okay.” I sit up, pushing my heavy quilt from home off me. “I've been exploring on my own.”
It's the perfect excuse to watch ol' Flora and see if there is anything I can use to get out of here.

“I didn't even help you move in.” Kayla sounds like she feels bad.

I shrug. “I really didn't have much to unpack.” This quilt Mother made me when I was a baby, a few pieces of clothing, and a family drawing are all the possessions I own. Kayla looks like she's moved in permanently.

The stone walls in our round room are decorated with colorful designs that Kayla painted, and silver streamers with tiny gold stars hang from our ceiling. They make me feel like we're at a royal ball rather than in a bedroom. Ours is almost at the tip of the turret in the girls' dormitories. (They keep trolls near the bottom level so they can't snap and accidentally destroy the place.) Just getting to the room is a workout (twenty-four floors), but it seems worth the price. My boot was tiny and crowded, and someone was always crying or needing a diaper change. When I walk through this door, the room is mine and mine alone. Well, mine and Kayla's.

“It's a pretty good room,” Kayla says, seeming to read my thoughts as her legs swing off the side of her bed. “I feel safe when I'm in here,” she says softly. “Sometimes I almost think I'm better off staying in here permanently.” I look at her strangely. Kayla holds out a mini magical scroll. I can't believe she owns something so pricy. I wonder if she stole it. “Did you see today's headline?” She pulls the scroll away. “I almost don't want to show it to you. It might give you nightmares.”

I roll my eyes. “You sound like the Wicked Stepmother.”

“
Former
,” Kayla teases. “But seriously. Enchantasia is not as safe as everyone thinks it is.”

Underneath the purple calligraphy and hearts, castles, and flowers that adorn every headline on
Happily
Ever
After
Scrolls
is a much darker story.

Gottie Spotted in Rowland. Harking Family Missing.

“Mr. Harking has been tracking Gottie for the last two years,” Kayla says, explaining the article before I even read it. “I heard Wolfington talking about him once. I think Mr. Harking worked for the school. Now he and his whole family have disappeared.” Her eyes are as big as the moon. “Just for
looking
.”

I feel suddenly cold, and not because castles are drafty. I think of Mother, Father, Anna, Han, Hammish, Felix, and Trixie being taken away because of my spying, and my stomach begins to churn. “I'm sure someone will catch her eventually. Flora said they were trying to bring her in.”

“
Trying
,” Kayla repeated. “I don't think anyone is ever going to catch her.” Kayla floats to her dresser, snaps her fingers, and
POOF!
she's wearing shimmery blue pj's. She looks at the picture of my family Father had a fairyographer whip up for Mother's birthday. It's of my whole clan in front of our boot. Mother packed it with my things. “You're lucky you have such a great family.”

I go to my dresser and look at the picture too. I'm wearing faded green pajamas. They pale in comparison to Kayla's. “Yah, they're keepers,” I say, ignoring the look of Father in the picture. His mouth is curved down in a deep frown. “Do you have a picture of your family?”

Kayla's eyes flash, and immediately I wonder how I've said the wrong thing.

“I don't have a family,” she says flatly. “Rumpelstiltskin took them from me.”

“What?” I try to understand. “Why would Rumpelstiltskin want your family?” Just saying his name out loud sends shivers down my spine. His name rolled off Kayla's tongue like she's said it a thousand times before.

Kayla's button nose scrunches tight. “He doesn't need a reason!” she snaps. “Sorry. It's a touchy subject.” She stares out our tiny, stained-glass window into the moonlight. “The last time I saw them was the day before I left for FTRS,” she says quietly. “Mother asked me to go to the village to get rolls for my last dinner at home. She said the dinner was to celebrate the beginning of my new life.” Kayla rolls her eyes. “I hated her for saying that. I told her FTRS was her way of trying to get rid of me, and she denied it.” Kayla looks down at her nails, which have sparkly blue polish on them.

“We had a huge fight, and when I came back, she was gone.” Her voice is hollow. “She, my sisters, the hollow tree we lived in, the garden where we grew turnips. Gone. As if none of it—or us—ever existed.” Kayla slumps against the wall 'til she looks like a crumpled dress on the floor. “When I tried to find them, a peddler told me he saw Rumpelstiltskin make them disappear.”

I'm too stunned to speak. I sit down next to Kayla, waiting for her to cry. She doesn't. I'm not a big hugger, but at a moment like this, it seems appropriate. I awkwardly put an arm around her and squeeze. “I'm so sorry.” I mean it.

“Thanks.” Kayla pulls away from me and traces a yellow starburst on the wall with her finger. I have a feeling she painted it. “It's been three years now.”

Three years without a family. Without a home. How did she survive? “You've been here that long?” No wonder this room looks so lived in.

“I was on my own for a while.” Kayla's face has an eerie glow in the low light. “I tried to find them, and to survive, I sold illegal goods like the fake handbags I'm always selling to Flora's foolish daughters, Azalea and Dahlia. Eventually the dwarf police caught up with me and sent me here.”

Hearing Kayla's story makes me want to write to Anna. I wonder if she's doing okay without me. Do she, Trixie, Han, Hammish, and Felix have enough to eat? How could I have let myself get caught and mess up their only chance at having a decent meal every night? Han is probably so hungry that he's crying. I'm so mad at myself. I—

“Do you hear violins?” I ask.

Kayla groans. “Yes. I should have warned you.” She quickly stands up. “Our downstairs neighbors, Eunice and Beatrice, like to practice their violins at bedtime.”

I listen to them play. “They're pretty good.”

Kayla gives me a look. “You say that now, but you won't in a few days.” She stomps on the floor loudly. I join in. “Keep it down!” The music stops, and we high-five. Thankfully, Kayla is smiling again. Our conversation about her family is seemingly forgotten.

Then the violins start again. They're louder.

Kayla growls. “They wouldn't!” Her wings appear almost instantly.

I wince as Eunice—or Beatrice—begins to play off key. I'm not sure if it's on purpose. “They're making a stand.”

“Well, we're not going to let them get away with it.” Kayla grabs her wand and grins mischievously. “Miri has to be asleep. So how do you feel about a little dance party?” She flicks her wand, and loud music fills our room.

I grab Kayla's hand and stomp away, the two of us spinning in a circle 'til all my worries disappear.

“Good morning, class.”

“Good morning, Professor Wolfington,” the entire class says in unison.

I can't help staring at my history professor—and not just because he's a wolf man who could eat me for breakfast. I still can't get the image out of my head of what happened last week. Professor Wolfington
leaped
two whole stories to stop Jax. I tend to avoid people who could kill me with one furry paw–I mean, hand! I can see the Wolf's forearms bulging through his ruffled dress shirt right now. He must work out.

“Since our three-part assembly
Magic: The Good and Evil of It
took the place of class last week, I haven't heard about your weekend.” Wolfington walks around the classroom. “What did you all do?”

A teacher caring about our lives outside class? Wow, this place is different.

This classroom is the prettiest one I have class in. No creepy gargoyles staring at me while I fumble for an answer. This room reminds me of a church with its stained-glass floor-to-ceiling windows showing famous moments in Enchantasia history. There's one of Ella's wedding, one of Rose awakening from her slumber, and a picture of Rapunzel in her tower. I could stare at those windows for hours…and at those brass rings holding back the velvet drapes. If those babies are real, I could fetch a pretty penny for them at Arabian Nights Pawn Shop.

“I had a really nice weekend, Professor!” says Maxine. She's so much larger than many of my classmates that her knees barely fit under her desk. “My friends and I had a picnic near the remains of Galmour Castle.”

“Like you have any friends,” I hear Jocelyn mumble from across the classroom.

That witch really gets under my skin.

“Excellent, Miss Maxine!” Wolfington says. “Anyone else?”

A pretty raven-haired mermaid in a fish tank holds up a mirror. I watch as words magically appear on it. It says: “Went deep-sea fishing and found where Prince Harrison's ship wrecked. I am going to write my next report on him.”

“Good, Miss Clara!” Professor Wolfington says approvingly. “If you want to write an essay for extra credit, you can. I won't be assigning another paper for two weeks.”

A pixie sitting on an oversized desk glares at Clara. She's had her hand up for a while, but I'm not sure Professor Wolfington saw it. Her hand is pretty tiny.

“I went canoeing down Quarry Cannon,” says a gnome in a pointy hat that has funny fake ogre ears glued to the sides. “That guidebook you gave me was awesome. Who knew how many sites were left over from the Troll War?”

Why is everyone here kissing up to the Wolf? Are they that scared of being eaten? Or do they genuinely like the guy?

“Good, Mr. Helmut,” our professor says as he strolls row to row. “Finding something that helps you mellow out is an important tool—and look at all you learned at the same time. We all need anchors.” Another hand shoots up and Wolfington smirks. “Ah, Mr. Ollie. What wisdom would you like to share with the class today?”

“I have more of a question than an announcement of an extra-credit kiss-up paper,” says Ollie, who happens to be Jax's roommate. Short and stocky, with dark skin he says he got from so many days on the high sea (rumor is he was a stowaway on a pirate ship), what Ollie lacks in height he makes up for in friendliness and storytelling. Jax says he's really good at magic tricks. (“It's how he landed in this place,” Jax says. “He was always making people's things disappear into his pocket.”)

“When you say anchors, do you mean metaphorical anchors or actual anchors that we can haul around as good luck charms?” Ollie asks. Half the class groans. “Anchors are pretty heavy.”

Before Wolfington can answer, Miri's mirror starts to make noise and glow. I notice everyone in the class sit up straighter.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

“Sorry to interrupt, Professor.” Miri's voice comes through loud and clear. “The headmistress needs to see Helmut immediately.”

The gnome's face drops. “I didn't do it.”

“Do what?” Wolfington asks calmly.

“Break into the cafeteria last night and eat two apple cream pies,” the gnome says. The follow-up burp doesn't help his case.

“Funny, I see things differently,” Miri chirps. The mirror begins to glow a rainbow of colors and then an image fills the screen. It's Helmut clearly picking the lock to the kitchen, and yep, there he is digging into a pie. He's a fast eater. Helmut hangs his head.

Whoa. Miri is such a tattle tale.

“Helmut sighs and grabs his books. “Sorry, Professor Wolfington.”

Wolfington straightens Helmut's hat on the way out. “Good luck, Helmut. So, anchors. I mean figurative ones, Ollie.” Ollie nods, and Wolfington stops at Jax's desk. “How about you, Mr. Jax. How was your weekend?”

Jax mumbles something and then goes back to doodling in his notebook. I wonder if Wolfington bought my story about Jax trying to sneak outside my first day here to get my notebook. Somehow, I don't think you can pull one over on the wolf man like you can on mousy Professor Grimes from our recent assembly, “Your Life, Your Career in Enchantasia: How to Find a Nobel Profession That Is
Legal
.” She let half the school go to the bathroom at the same time! They never came back to the great hall to hear the rest of the lecture.

“Isn't that correct, Miss Gillian?”

Fiddlesticks. Wolfington is speaking to me now, isn't he? What would a wolf man ask me the first five minutes of class? “Yes, I'm sleeping great. The pillows here are fantastic.”

“Pay attention, Cobbler!” Jocelyn says, and someone laughs.

I play with the collar on my white shirt. “Uh, the mattresses are kind of firm, but…” Kayla, who is sitting two rows ahead of me, shakes her head ever so slightly. The professor's blue eyes go right through me. “That wasn't the question, was it?”

Wow, werewolves smile! “I said, you're pretty new to our school having only been here a week, correct?”

“Oh! Yep. Brand spanking new,” I say. Jocelyn sighs loudly.

“Well, then, Miss Gillian, maybe you will have a fresh take on what we were studying before all our assemblies this week. Oh, and students, don't forget tomorrow we have another assembly on behavior for Royal Day: ‘Finding the Prince and Princess within Yourself.'” Professor Wolfington ignores more groans and goes to the blackboard. A lesson appears on it. “Last week we were discussing how the princesses came to power.”

Er…was I placed in the right grade? “My last class was in glass slipper making.”

Professor Wolfington sits on the edge of his desk. Through his shirtsleeves I can see a lot of hair. “Take your time.” Jocelyn makes a loud clicking sound with her tongue that I assume is supposed to sound like a ticking clock.

“I…” Professor Wolfington waits patiently, but I can picture him running warp speed toward my desk and hanging me on a hook at the back of the classroom.

“Anyone would be a better ruler than those airheads.” We all turn around. My thoughts exactly. I'm surprised to see it's Jax who said that. An ogre pounds his hands on his desk in agreement and the desk cracks.

“Interesting sentiment, Mr. Jax.” Professor Wolfington strokes his beard. “Ruling isn't a popularity contest. It requires tough choices that are right for a whole kingdom. Do you think the princesses are capable of making them?” Jax looks away. “Anyone?”

WOOO-OOH! WOOO-OH! WOOO-OH!

An alarm goes off overhead with such intensity that I have to cover my ears.

Headmistress Flora's voice comes over the intercom. “Students, this is an evacuation drill.” A gnome muffles her cry. Why is she so worked up over a drill? “Report to your assigned stations at once and wait for further instructions.”

Professor Wolfington claps his hands. “Okay, students, you heard the headmistress. Go to your assigned stations immediately. Do not panic!”

Some good that instruction does. Everyone in the room begins to freak out. A troll boy is crying. The sea creatures shoot downward out of their tanks. Jocelyn strolls out of the room calmly, while the pixie flies out and leaves her book bag behind. I spin around, unsure of what is happening or where I'm supposed to go. Nobody told me anything about an assigned station. I look desperately for Kayla, but she seems to have disappeared. Why does a drill have everyone in such a tizzy? We had fire drills at trade school all the time. You're used to it when your school has a thatched roof.

“Hey, Jax, what's with the drill?” I start to say, turning to look for him, but he's gone too. Humph. Some friends I've made, leaving me to fend for myself in this empty room.

But on second thought…

Miri is probably occupied with everything going on. The Wolf is gone. I look around to make sure no one else is watching, then head to the velvet drapes and slide off two brass rings. What the heck? I'll take two more. The four fit in my two skirt pockets, but they do weigh the pockets down a bit. Who cares? These babies will feed my brothers and sisters for a month. I slip out the classroom door and enter total chaos.

Ogres are running at top speed (for them). Fairies are flying, even though it's against the rules. Two trolls thump by me carrying a desk lamp and a gold trophy. I begin heading toward one exit when the hallway disappears in front of me. A troll next to me starts to cry. “We're trapped!” he says.

“Oh, for Pete's sake, someone tell Miri to shut off the magical hallway mover!” I hear one older girl say to another one. They're dressed in beautiful, matching jade-green dresses, so they're not students, and they seem to be in charge. They're directing students to a new exit that just popped up in a stained-glass window. I realize I've seen these girls' pictures in Flora's office. They must be her daughters, Azalea and Dahlia. Kayla said they are student teachers here—and two of her best customers for her fake bag business.

Dahlia puts her hand out in front of a cute boy. “Where are you going, Geoff? You can use my exit if you want instead of going all the way to your station.” She giggles girlishly and I roll my eyes.

“Thanks, Dahlia!” Geoff's voice is sickeningly sweet, like taffy. “That's a nice dress.”

Dahlia blushes and her rosy cheeks turn downright purple. “Oh, this ol' thing? Aren't you sweet!”

“Dahlia!” Azalea yells. “He can't use our exit. He has to go to his station.” Geoff sighs. “All of you, get a move on.” As everyone moves like cattle to the window to exit, I notice Flora slip down a new hall that just appeared. Why isn't she evacuating?

Ouch!
A troll knocks two girls and me down as he pushes past us to get through the window exit first. I shake myself off and get up, but the two girls burst into tears.

“Zeus, geez! Chill!” Azalea reprimands the troll. “We're all leaving, but you…”

That's when I make my break for it.

Too bad I'm so loud. When I run, the brass rings in my pocket clink together and the sound echoes through the hall. I cringe, thinking Flora will hear me. At the same time, I'm worried she'll get away—which she does. I have to find her.

“What are you doing, sticky fingers?” Jax asks, appearing out of nowhere. He's got his arms folded across his chest like he's just been hanging out, waiting for me to run by him. “You're supposed to be at your evacuation station—and what's that you're hiding?” Jax's violet eyes look disapproving.

I shove the rings deeper in my pockets. “No one told me what my station was.”

“It's listed in your welcome pack,” Jax says.

“Yeah, I didn't read that,” I admit. “What's everyone so worked up about if it's just a drill?”

“Sometimes drills aren't drills here,” Jax says. “Last time the alarm went off, someone thought Gottie had gotten onto school grounds. They said she was looking for that Mr. Harding who just went missing. They never found her, but it shook a lot of kids up. Now when they hear drill, they think we're being invaded by evil fairies.”

Interesting. I wonder if that's why Flora wasn't evacuating. Is she looking to see if we've had a break-in, or is she
letting
someone break in? Hmm…I could use some good intel to my advantage. Two new hallways pop up behind Jax. I need to get down one of them and find Flora.

“I guess I should get to my evacuation station then.” I start to walk away. “See you outside.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I see that look in your eye.” Jax sizes me up. “You're not going outside. What are you up to?”

“Nothing,” I lie, holding my hand on one pocket to keep the brass rings from clinking.

“You can tell me,” Jax says, leaning against the door to a room with a sign that says: Archery—Don't lose an eye! Announce yourself before entering. “I'm trustworthy.”

I snort. Seeing him standing there in his crisply pressed uniform with a dress shirt underneath his vest instead of the usual tee everyone else is wearing, I don't believe that for a second. He looks too perfect, like he's hiding something. “You still haven't told me why you were trying so hard to escape one minute and then seem perfectly at home here the next. You haven't tried to escape again since I got here,” I accuse him.

Jax raises an eyebrow. “How do you know that for sure?”

“I guess I don't, but that doesn't mean I trust you.” I sniff. “I've got things to do on my own.”

“You sound like Kayla,” he mumbles. I move to walk away. “Better lose the loot. The noise of those brass rings will give you away before you even get where you're going.
If
you get where you're going.” He stares at the ceiling. “Not many people know how the hallways move like I do.”

I take two of the brass rings out of my pockets. Jax motions for me to take out more. Ugh. I remove the third and leave the fourth safely in my skirt. One can't do any harm. I drop the three of them in a bin of arrows near the door. Someone is going to be really happy when they score those beauties. “Fine,” I say begrudgingly. “If you really want to know, I'm following Flora, okay? She seems sketchy, if you ask me. First she's in the woods, and now I've caught her going down a hallway instead of evacuating.”