Apprentices: First Quarter

Karma Is a b***h

I keep bugging Kir about what the warrior witches found out about my mother for the whole week, but he tells me nothing. It’s like I’m a fly that he keeps spatting away, time after time. He doesn’t even tell me if they know where she’s located or not. I mean, they surely know that. They wouldn’t risk leaving our safe bubble if they didn’t have the slightest idea where she’s hiding.

I suggest that, but Kir sends me a pointed look and refuses to say anything else. I try not to be offended, but it bothers me a lot. He’s told me so much already, why can’t he tell me if they’re getting any closer to finding her or not? I want to see her. At least that if they won’t let me talk to her.

It’s bothering me way more than I care to admit. I thought I would see her when I snuck out with the warrior witches, but I was interrupted by Marcus. And even if I managed to come with them, I wouldn’t achieve anything. Kir would react to my questions differently if they had found her. That nerve under his eye wouldn’t twitch even once.

This goes on for days, making me realize that I’ll have to come up with different methods if I want to find out something. And I know just how to do that.

It’s Friday and we don’t have many lessons on our schedule that day. I’m already forced to wear a bit warmer clothes, because it’s getting quite cold outside, and the school isn’t heated up properly just yet. I suppose they forgot to turn on the heating system in the right moment and now we’ll have to wait a little before the building gets warmer.

Katie and I are just heading to our magical history class, when she asks me: “What’s up with you today?” I look up at her, pretending that I don’t know what she’s talking about. I shrug, then shake my head for good measure.

“I don’t know what you mean. I’m perfectly fine,” I assure her, playing clueless. But my best friend knows me too well. She sends me a pointed look, like she’s trying to tell me not to act stupid.

“You know what I mean. You’re never this quiet in the middle of the day. You’re hiding something again. Or you’re about to do something that I won’t approve of,” she guesses out loud, making me tilt my head curiously. How does she do that?

Well, I know exactly how. After I revealed that I’ve been lying to them about my dominant element she has me under even closer surveillance than before. She knows me like the back of her own hand. I roll my eyes.

“Don’t worry about it. If I tell you, you’ll try to stop me anyway. It’s better if you’re not involved,” I finally respond, making her gasp loudly. She’s about to lecture me, but she’s interrupted by Mrs. Fritz’s arrival, who greets us cheerfully. I greet her back in the same way, smiling at her brightly.

Katie freezes beside me, probably already suspecting that I’m about to do something very stupid. I mean, I’m not going to say it’s not a stupid plan. But if it works, I’m not going to care about how idiotic it was. What matters is the result, not the way to get there.

I walk straight behind the teacher, already preparing myself for what I’m going to say. But in the last moment, I decide against it. If I offend her, I won’t get what I won’t. I need to provoke her in a stimulating way. Show that I’m passionate about the right things. Just like the last time.

My best friend watches me carefully for quite some time, but I don’t do anything. I sit calmly on my chair, doodling something in my notebook, so Katie thinks I changed my mind. But the whole time, I carefully listen to what Mrs. Fritz tells us, wanting to know exactly what she’s talking about today.

After some time, Katie finally stops stealing glances at me, probably calmed down that I didn’t go through with my plan. Oh, my dear, naïve Katie, if only you knew.

Mrs. Fritz is speaking about not so ancient history today. We finally came far enough for us to learn about the great war. The moment that decided our present and had the three hateful races come together and create the Elite, Lycans and Strigons Joined Seminary. Or the ELS, as our professors like to call it shortly. To sound more fancy.

I raise my hand the moment she starts talking about how we all managed to overcome our differences and are now working together in unison. What a bunch of crap. This will be the perfect subject for arguing about.

“Yes, Miss Pierce?” the professor calls me, allowing me to speak up. I can see Katie stiffening without taking a single glance at her. Oh, yes. s**t is about to go down. I know she’s trying to prevent me from doing this, but before she’s able to come to her senses, I’m already talking.

“I think you’re missing the red line there. We’re not working together with werewolves and vampires because we get along so well. We’re forced into it,” I express my opinion, making Mrs. Fritz freeze. But just for a moment. She’s used to me, speaking up in her class.

“Well, that might have been the case in the beginning, but I think we’re working together just fine now. We’re doing good. Our natality rate has grown in the past couple of decades, doesn’t that say something?” she challenges me back, but I don’t really agree with her.

“Well, no. It just says that we don’t have anything else to do in here than make babies, if you know what I mean,” I suggest, making a few giggles arise in the room. Mrs. Fritz’s expression stays the same, but I can see her turning red. Oof, we’re almost getting there. I didn’t expect that so soon.

“If that’s the point you were trying to make, Miss Pierce … I have nothing else to discuss with you,” she tells me in a calm voice, but her nostrils are already flaring. I shake my head, frowning.

“No, it was just a replica to what you pointed out. What I’m trying to say is, that this whole thing is just a farce,” I continue provoking her. This time, a deadly silence falls upon the classroom, making me realize that I poked into the wasp’s nest. Right in the middle.

Mrs. Fritz is so stunned that she just blinks at me for a while. “Excuse me?” she then finally manages to get out of her mouth, completely shocked that I dared to say something like that. I know. I could be expelled for talking like this. But am I saying something that’s not true? No. Not really.

“Oh, come on. We all know that werewolves and vampires can’t stand each other. They keep fighting whenever they get the chance, and it already shows in kindergarten. I mean, it’s not any better at our very top. The Strigons and the Lycans can’t stand next to each other without jumping at each other’s throats. That’s why our Elite is always in the middle, so they don’t kill each other. And they don’t like us that much either. We’re only useful for doing magic. If we weren’t so powerful, they would never agree to creating a joined school with us. Don’t be so blind,” I finally add the cherry on top.

The whole classroom is so silent that you could hear the needle drop. But it doesn’t last very long, because Mrs. Fritz suddenly turns as red as my favorite lipstick, pointing her finger towards the door. “Miss Pierce, OUT! And don’t you dare move until I finish my class!” she shouts at me so loudly that probably the whole high school hears her. Along with the other three buildings and the residences of our leaders.

I just shrug in response, picking up my things in a deadly silence, then walk out of the classroom. But not before saying: “You know I didn’t lie.”

As I plop myself down on the bench in front of the classroom, a feeling of déjà vu takes over me. Ah, the last time this happened, I knew so little. And had so much less to worry about.

I lean my head on the wall, hoping that this worked. I need to get to the Warrior Headquarters, one way or another. This is my only shot at succeeding. After all, Mrs. Fritz is the person who got me in the first time. Who’s to say it can’t happen twice?

I wait patiently, hoping that I played the right cards. But as the door opens before the bell even rings, I realize it isn’t a good sign. Mrs. Fritz never ends class early when she’s in a good mood. Which can only mean one thing. I’m screwed.

Katie shakes her head slightly as she passes me by, making me shrug. I’ll explain later. Maybe she’ll understand, maybe she won’t. I’m not going to hope that she will, because I know I can be very hard to understand.

But the truth is, my life looked a little different than my classmates’ since I was in kindergarten. They had parents to call at the end of the day. I didn’t have that luck. All I had was my aunt. And she wasn’t always available either.

As the door closes, I’m finally met with a very furious Mrs. Fritz. She’s trying her best to hide it, but I can see the anger screaming at me from her eyes. I’m in for a treat. Great, huh?

She motions for me to stand up and follow her, refusing to even speak to me. I walk after her, realizing that we’re not heading towards the Headquarters. Of course not. I went too far. I should’ve seen it coming.

Instead, we stop inside her cabinet, and she makes me sit down, while she paces around the tiny space nervously. “You’re putting me in a really difficult position here, I hope you realize that. What you said in front of a classroom, full of students … It’s not something to be taken lightly. And the moment the word gets to our leaders, you’ll be facing serious consequences,” she speaks up, her voice sounding completely distressed.

“I only told the truth. Everyone is whispering about it, why should I be punished for saying it out loud?” I ask calmly, making her stop pacing for a moment and narrow her eyes at me.

“Because our leaders aren’t to be messed with! There’s a reason why they’re the ones running this system!” she bursts out, running a hand through her perfectly styled hair. Well, it now looks like she ran a marathon in the windiest weather possible. “I … I have no other choice now. I have to do something that will satisfy them,” she suddenly says, her eyes holding a frantic look.

“What are you trying to say?” I ask carefully, already fearing that I’ve gone too far. What if I have to scrub the whole building from the top to the bottom now? Ah, I really should’ve thought this through. Maybe Mrs. Fritz would give me detention in the Headquarters if I only asked for it. But let’s be real, that would be a little suspicious and there’s no way she’d grant my wish.

“I … I’m going to punish you for what you said … You’ll spend this Sunday in the Strigon Residence … And you’ll do whatever the leaders will want you to do for them,” she finally says, making my jaw drop. She didn’t just go there. For f**k’s sake.

“Mrs. Fritz, you can’t be serious, the Strigons?! I won’t get out of there alive!” I burst out, suddenly realizing how badly I screwed myself over. The history teacher shakes her head in a merciless way, refusing to fall for my protests.

“You should’ve thought about it before you sticked your tongue out. I’ll tell them about your misstep myself. It’s up to you to make sure they’re satisfied with your punishment after you leave the Residence,” she tells me in a serious way. “And please, don’t say something that will anger them furthermore. You’re already walking on thin ice.”

“Okay, I get it, I brought this upon myself! But why vampires? Why not the Lycans? Or the Elite for f**k’s sake?!” I ask, shaking my head in disbelief. She’s sending me to be punished by the hands of my own blood. And it isn’t a pleasant feeling. It’s like she’s just told me to walk into the lion’s den.

Mrs. Fritz stares at me pointedly. “Because we both know who will be offended by your words the most. And let’s be honest, spending time with the Elite isn’t exactly a punishment, is it?” she remarks, making me clench my jaw. I know she’s referring to my connection with Kir.

I avert my gaze into the desk, suddenly feeling very disappointed with myself. I should’ve just snuck into the Headquarters, whenever I found the chance. This really was a stupid plan. The most idiotic of the century.