TFDoW - Day Six - Secret

Instructions

(You might understand this better if you read Day 5's writing first) Day Six - Secret As a very strict rule, I don’t like talking to people. They always ask too many questions, even if they’re the social-politeness type. That girl, Vanadine or whatever, didn’t seem like she felt comfortable asking me questions, but more like she felt obliged to be friendly. She was one of the newer students, a first year, who hadn’t yet learned that if you talk to the traveling methods professors’ son that you won’t always get the reply that you asked for. As I stomped away from the circle of chairs, I silently devised a plan of how to get my books back later, as well as how to brush off my parents’ inevitable questions of “Where are your homework books?” Vanadine and her creepy yellow eyes and weird pale markings and goth black hair had ruined my day. I headed through the bookshelves to the center of the library, my favorite place to hang out, and which had unfortunately been picked by a group of Hindu demigods as a good place to collapse, and then start a fake battle in. “Out!” I shouted in my native language. “This isn’t battle school—it’s a library! Take your astras and GET OUT OF HERE!!” The group quickly scattered, a few staying behind to put things back in order before rushing off to rejoin their classmates. One tall, blue-scaled naga slithered up beside me and gave a pleased hiss, scaring off the remaining students before climbing up next to me on one of the loveseats. “So, Aquarius?” the naga hissed. “What’s happened to ruin your day this time?” “First-year student thinking she could be friendly with me,” I replied grimly in English, absently tightening the bracers around my arms. “Some hybrid or something. Definitely part Mark, she had the right sort of facial markings, but her hair was black, so I guess she could be part human or part Durest. She was reading . . . lots of books in languages that don’t share universes. Probably part Lost Cities elf, a polyglot.” I glanced over at my friend. “What do you think, Whill?” Whill snorted, briefly baring his fangs in irritation. “You’d think they enjoy annoying you,” he grumbled. “First-years are clueless, don’t let them get to you so easily. Show them your teeth only if you have to. Don’t risk a fight.” “Wise advice,” I said, pleased. I stretched and leaned back, folding my arms behind my head in attempt to get comfortable. “Why don’t we head up to the towers? Or maybe down to the tunnels? Anywhere, really. I’ve just gotta get back here at some point to retrieve my books.” Whill gave me a confused side-eye and I explained casually, “I had to make a run for it, didn’t have the time to grab ‘em.” Whill opened his mouth to say something back, but he stopped and motioned with his tail to a line of bookcases to our right. Standing in a huddle were three girls—Vandine, and the twin sisters of two old friends of mine, Gaea and Amphitrite Glyde. Ever since Gaea and Amphitrite’s brothers had gotten themselves expelled, we had been enemies, constantly arguing and shoving each other in the hallways. From the twins’ sharp, jolting gestures, I guessed that Vanadine had told them about me. Then I noticed something that made me do a double take. Vanadine was carrying a stack of books, the exact same ones that I had left on the table and not bothered to grab during my hasty getaway. She had obviously been trying to return them to me, but the twins were attempting to discourage her. “Guess I’d better go stop another fight,” I muttered, jumping to my feet and heading over to the three girls, Whill in tow. “Hey, leave off,” I said as I came up behind Gaea. “She’s just trying to help me stay out of trouble.” Gaea spun on her heel to face me, angrily pointing a dark finger in my face. “You listen here, sir,” she growled. “If you dare to speak to Vanadine like that again, I will personally go to your parents and recount every single thing you did to Ampha and I since you got our brothers expelled. It was your choice to sit near—“ “Gaea, it’s fine.” I glanced over at Vanadine, who was attempting to resettle her glasses on her face without accidentally dropping my books. I took a careful half-step forward and motioned to the stack of books. “Let me help you with those,” I said in my best gentle voice, sliding one hand under the bottom book as Vanadine eased them into my arms. Everything would have gone perfectly, if it wasn’t for that sneaky, deceiving, fiendish Amphitrite Glyde.