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Summary: Calista frets over what sort of title her professors at Hexley Hall will give her, but while she waits, she learns from Cedric why he never received one of his own until Sofia came along. (Part of the Beyond Enchancia Series. Takes place over two years after the show's ending.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First.
A/N: For my fellow Calista fans, this one's for you. 😊 Also, thank you to those of you who gave me encouragement on the Amber/Desmond story. I'm glad my romance skills weren't absolutely desolate; however, I'm still going to stick with my primary skills for the most part. Haha. Oh, Mr. Shortman92, I forgot to tell you from "Autumn Lullaby." I wrote the song. Lol. That's why it's not a familiar tune, I guess. :D
*Third Story/Episode 3*
Cedric glanced up from some of his paperwork he'd been completing (a documented list of every book and type of potion in his collection, per request of the Conjurors' Board) and glanced toward his niece, who was currently working on yet another assignment. He frowned thoughtfully as she kept her head lowered, her hair brushing against the table and falling into her eyes as she furiously worked on whatever assignment she'd been given. "Calista?" He lowered his quill, setting it and the paperwork aside.
No answer. The little sorceress was always so absorbed in her lessons from her classes at Hexley Hall that she hardly recognized outside conversation or distractions. In a way, she was a lot like Cedric in that respect. He'd apparently done much the same when he'd been around her age.
"Calista," he tried again, reaching over and gently placing a hand on her unmoving one.
"Huh?!" She glanced up, startled by the sudden interruption. She smiled shyly toward Cedric, who appeared a bit taken aback by her reaction. "Sorry, Uncle Ceddy… I guess I kind of forgot you were here."
He gave her a sarcastic smirk as she giggled. "Yes… Never mind that it's my workshop or anything." He retracted his hand, clasping both of his together. "What are you working on, my dear?"
"Just another assignment. Professor Pepperdine told my potions class that we were to come up with a list of necessary ingredients for making about ten different types of potions, and then we were to indicate their uses."
"I see." He smiled. "Do you need any help?"
"No, thanks. I've got it." She noted the slightly disheartened look on the sorcerer's face and sighed inwardly. She'd asked her uncle for less and less help the last few years, and she wondered if it was beginning to make him feel unneeded or something. She offered him a soft smile. "Besides, I've learned from the best! You and Mummy have always taught me well, Uncle Ceddy, so I'm prepared for just about anything they throw at me." Her face then fell a bit.
"Calista?" he asked, noting the change in her features. "What is it?"
She sighed. "It's just…" She set her pen down and twirled a section of hair around her fingers. "Title Presentation is coming up soon, and…"
Cedric smiled, realizing her concern. "And you're wondering what sort of title your professors will bestow upon you, hmm?" Seeing her nod, he shook his head. "Calista, whatever title they give you, it's bound to be a wonderful one. After all, you're a bright girl. You pick things up rather easily and quickly. You are the smartest in your class, from what I gather. And you're one of the most popular students in your class."
She scoffed. "Second, actually. That wretched Cybil Marie is the first, with her wavy blonde locks and her fake smile. She's a nightmare, honestly, when she is away from the professors and her little group of followers." She rolled her eyes. "One of these days, I'm going to 'accidentally' hex her for her rotten attitude."
"You know as well as I do that hexing people gets you nowhere." He shrugged. "Except an extended stay in detention. And whoever this Cybil Marie is, she's not worth your time. Besides, there's a saying I've become aware of recently: people will always remember how you made them feel. Make them feel happy, Calista, like you always do."
She grinned, lowering her hands to the table. "Thanks, Uncle Ceddy. I'll try." She tapped her fingers against the table as she pondered something. "Mummy said that your professors never gave you a title when you were at Hexley Hall." She frowned as he shook his head. "Why?"
"It's complicated. In fact, aside from my current title given to me by King Roland, I never actually had one until Sofia began calling me 'Cedric the Sensational' a few years ago." He chuckled at the recollection. "What you must understand, Calista, is that when I attended Hexley Hall, the professors only gave titles to those stand-out students who either excelled at academics and sorcery, or who demonstrated some personality trait they deemed title-worthy. I…was a rather shy, introverted child, so I didn't exactly stand out from the crowd. My sorcery skills were subpar and, if I had a good day, a bit on the average side. Nothing about me was 'sensational' or 'great' at that time. I had to wait a long time to earn each of those titles."
"I think that's silly," Calista argued, frowning. "It wasn't fair to give titles only to their favorites, or whatever was actually going on. You deserved a title like anyone else."
"It's all right, Calista," he assured her, chuckling at her perturbed look. "As I said, it was a long time ago. Things are different now."
"There are plenty of names they could have given you," she insisted, still annoyed. "Cedric the Civilized, Cedric the Sincere, Cedric the Sweetheart…"
Cedric blushed a bit at the last title. "I…don't know about all of those, Calista." He laughed. "I appreciate them though."
She smiled at his uncertain nature. "But you're all of those, Uncle Ceddy: civilized, sincere, and so sweet! I know plenty of others who would agree with me, especially Sofia."
"Sofia?"
"Of course! She told me all about what happened in Mahiya and on the journey you guys took this summer." She smiled as he glanced away. "It was sweet of you to do everything you did for her, Uncle Ceddy. Getting her a new wand, helping her feel more comfortable away from home, and taking care of her when she felt sad… If that's not 'sweet,' I don't know what is."
"Well, I appreciate it, Calista," he laughed softly as he looked back toward her. "But…for now, let's focus on you. I have a few titles already. And I'm sure yours is going to be wonderful."
"Sensational," she corrected, grinning.
Cedric rolled his eyes. "Clever."
The next day, Calista was sitting in an assembly that had been reserved for her class. All of her classmates were around her, giddily discussing what their new titles would be. Some of them had theories; others hadn't given it much thought. She fell somewhere in between. She was excited to find out what she'd be called, but she didn't have a clue what her professors had decided on.
Among her classmates were two of her friends she'd now known for a while: Adelina and Casper. Adelina was a few months older than Calista and kept her lengthy chocolate brown curls tied back into a half ponytail, a few pieces dangling next to her ears. Her sky-blue eyes stood out against her fair skin (her father was of Spanish descent while her mother was Danish). She seemed to favor darker shades of purple and maroon, which accented her outfits beneath her Hexley Hall robes. Casper had a similar shade of hair to Adelina, though his was far straighter and cut just to his neckline, with bangs that fell into his eyes. He also had a light tan, but what set him apart was his pair of different colored eyes: the right one an earthy green and the left one blue as the ocean. It had been the subject of much ridicule when he was younger, and even now some bullies still picked on him about it. However, he didn't let it get to him. He couldn't change it, and besides, he knew it made him unique.
"Are you guys excited about our titles?" Adelina gushed as she sat between Calista and Casper, her Spanish accent evident as she spoke. "I've been waiting for this since I was a niñita! My papá told me this is to be a moment of happiness for us all."
"Depending on the title we are given, Addie," Casper corrected, his English accent similar to Calista's. "My grandfather told me not to get my hopes up. After all, as he said, 'A title in school holds no water in the real world.'"
Calista eyed her friend curiously. Casper lived with his grandparents, who had taken him in and raised him as their own after the boy's parents had mysteriously disappeared when he was three years old. His grandfather was a strict, no-nonsense old wizard who held a high position on the Conjuror's Board. His grandmother was a retired schoolteacher and enchantress, and she was much kinder than her husband and offered Casper all the encouragement he needed. "And what does your Grandmum say?"
"Grandmum says I can be whatever I want to be," Casper responded, smiling thoughtfully. "I need only put my heart in it."
"And there you go," Adelina told her friend with an encouraging smile. "Keep your nose up, Casper!"
Calista giggled at her friend's misstatement. English wasn't her first language, so she'd had to learn it through much practice and immersion in the school setting over the years. However, idioms were her weakness. "That's… 'Keep your head up,' Addie."
She shrugged. "I knew this." She laughed.
"Move aside, weirdoes."
The three friends glanced up as they noticed a girl standing at the edge of the row, her arms folded and her eyes narrowed. Behind her were three other girls. The leader had long blonde hair parted perfectly down the center and piercing turquoise eyes. Her lips were constantly twitched into a smirk, which unnerved them all.
"Just go around us, Cybil," Adelina insisted with a scoff as she put her feet onto the chair in front of her, her arms now folded across her lap. "We are not moving."
"That's Cybil Marie," the blonde corrected with a small snarl before placing her hands on her hips. "And this is our row."
"I don't see your name on it," Adelina challenged, standing up and glaring at her.
Calista grasped her friend's sleeve and tugged her back down. "Besides, you don't need the whole row for this event, Cybil Marie. There are only four of you, and this row is already nearly filled with us and other students."
"Did I ask you, Skunk-Head?" Cybil Marie scoffed before tossing a glare toward Casper, who shrunk back. "And of course, your little friend Dual-Eyes won't challenge me." She rolled her eyes as she waved toward her friends. "Let's go, girls. We'll find a better place to sit, away from this trio of disappointment." She stalked off, her giggling friends following her.
"I don't like her," Casper grumbled as he sighed.
"No one in this school does," Calista assured him.
"I think our teachers should title her Cybil Marie the Cynical Maniac," Adelina told them, a smirk on her features. "If she insists on using two names, then she should have two negative titles. It would suit her perfectamente."
Headmaster Zeldon walked onto the stage and held up his hands, silencing the crowd and garnering their attention. He smiled. "Good morning, boys and girls." He nodded as they echoed the greeting. "I'm grateful you have all attended our Title Presentation today. After much thought and deliberation, I'm quite sure we've selected some suitable titles for all of you. So without further ado, let's get our presentation started."
Calista swallowed nervously but smiled as her friends took her hands, waiting patiently with her. While she was nervous to see what title she'd get, she was also highly anticipatory of the event. It was only a matter of time now…
"MUMMY! UNCLE CEDDY!" Calista practically burst down the door to Cedric's workshop as she entered, startling the two adults who had been sitting at his worktable and chatting with a few cups of tea. "I got my title!"
"Really, Angel Face?" Cordelia asked excitedly as she turned to face her daughter, who was obviously elated with the news. "Come sit with us and tell us all about it."
Cedric conjured another seat and helped her up before conjuring a cup of hot cocoa for her. "What happened?"
"Well, first of all, let me tell you what Addie and Casper got for titles: Adelina the Adventurous (because, let's face it, she likes adventures more than anyone), and Casper the Kind-Hearted (because he is just that)." She beamed. "I thought those names were perfect."
"Yes, yes," Cedric began, waving one hand as Calista sipped her cocoa. "That's all very well and good, and I'm happy for your friends, but what about you?"
"Patience, Ceddy," Cordelia laughed. "You're almost as anxious as she was last night."
He shrugged as he folded his arms.
"Are you ready then?" Calista set down her cup and smiled. "You are now speaking to Calista…the Charismatic."
"Charismatic?" Cordelia smiled.
Cedric smirked at his sister. "It means 'fascinating and captivating,' dear sister."
She scoffed and tossed her brother a pointed look. "I know what it means, Cedric." She then smiled happily toward her daughter. "Mummy is proud of you, Calista! That's a perfect title."
"For once, I agree with your mother." Cedric chuckled as the girl hugged him. He returned the hug. "And I know you'll live up to the title."
Calista giggled as she nodded. "I'll do my best!"
The end
(Next Story/Episode 4: Like a Tree)
Ending note: For any who've read my stories with Angel in the past, you'll probably recognize her title. Angel briefly nicknamed her Calista the Charismatic in my story "Pulled" a few years ago. 😉 Yes, it was on purpose. :D And yes, it's possible that Angel will make a reappearance before this series is done. 😊 By the way, I'm curious… What title do you guys think they gave Cybil Marie? Or rather, what title would you give her? lol