Disclaimer: I do not own SGE.


Chapter 1: The Misunderstanding


"Is she serious?" asked Millicent, brushing out her long, red hair from one side of the picnic bench. On the other side of the bench sat Chaddick, Tedros and Beatrix, the latter of which was practically in Tedros' lap as he struggled to eat around her shoulder.

"Seriously crazy, that's for sure," said Beatrix flippantly. "I can't believe you even tried to talk to her, Tedros." The 'her' was Agatha, and Tedros would have spoken aloud to remind Beatrix the name of their classmate if he wasn't already a few seconds away from getting up and leaving the conversation altogether. "You know that she's more interested in her curses than any princely boy she encounters."

"You think Tedros is a prince?" asked Chaddick, meeting Tedros' eyes with barely disguised amusement. Tedros said nothing, blinking at his friend in the hopes that Chaddick would take Beatrix off of him. No such thing happened.

"He's certainly prince-like, wouldn't you agree, Millicent?" twittered Beatrix.

"Of course," said Millicent obediently.

Tedros, on the other hand, wasn't feeling very princely at all, and sorely wished that he had the ability to go home for lunch period instead. His… talk with Agatha had been the most gossiped about occurrence at school for the last three days, and if he thought that it would have settled down by now, he was gravely mistaken. Agatha refused to speak with him, Hester was giving him the stink eye, and everyone seemed intent on mentioning his somewhat public attempt at a conversation with the ever-mysterious Agatha. Because he assumed she would be thrilled to talk to him. Because who would say no to Tedros Pendragon?

Agatha, apparently. Agatha, who currently sat with her friends under the huge willow tree at the halfway point between Bonum Academy for Gifted Students and its sister school, Malum Reform Institute. Both schools had seemed to follow a similar trend in its students, with Bonum hosting clever, rich, and beautiful students while Malum was given the cunning and rambunctious students. Given the girl's dark hair and even darken interests (she lived in a graveyard for Merlin's sake!), everyone was surprised to see that she had been placed at the bright Bonum Academy instead of Malum Institute. Even her mother, a successful alumna of Malum Institute, had been surprised, certain that her daughter would be placed at Malum just as she had years ago. But Agatha broke that tradition.

Agatha had broken a lot of traditions once she started attending Bonum Academy. She was the first to request a change in the girls' curriculum, the first to advocate for some of the staff's working conditions, the first to turn Tedros down with a scowl and a warning to stay away from her. She had also been the first student to bridge the gap between both sister schools, not just keeping in close contact with her actual blood sister, Sophie, but with the girls that Sophie was rooming with as well. They'd all become incredibly close over the last few months.

But breaking tradition created a great deal of backlash. Other Bonum students were intent on labelling Agatha as a social outcast to explain her friendships outside of school, but Agatha wasn't alone at Bonum. And that was the start of this particular problem, Tedros supposed grimly. Because Agatha was friends with a cute Bonum student named Kiko, who was in love with Tedros' friend, Tristan, who was more interested in Beatrix, who (as it turned out) absolutely detested Agatha.

Beatrix had been ardent in her attempts to bully Agatha out of the system, and once it was very clear that Agatha was not an advocate of Kiko's romantic interest in Tristan, the bullying against her worsened from other Bonum girls, not approving of Agatha's personal dislike of Tristan.

Tedros himself had been a little miffed at Agatha for not supporting Kiko's romantic endeavours. Tristan was one of his best friends, and he had found himself hoping, foolishly, that the comments of the other girls would get through to Agatha. The only problem was that the comments weren't encouraging; they were just downright cruel.

Not only was she called ugly, but she was also nicknamed the "Witch" of Bonum Academy, being called a variety of unsavoury names that belittled her looks and character. Many other students, without understanding Beatrix's vendetta, called her similar obscenities, disliking how she stood out and feeling like she was tarnishing the reputation of the school.

Tedros hadn't participated in such childish bullying, but he also hadn't denied them, which made him just as bad in Agatha's eyes. She'd basically said as much during their fight since it was one of her crowning points on why they should stay far away from one another.

"Tedros? Are you listening?"

Tedros blinked away from the willow tree he'd been staring at and glanced at Beatrix, who was still half in his lap. She was looking at him like he was crazy -in fact, the whole table was looking at him like he'd grown a second head- and maybe he was crazy for throwing looks at Agatha and her friends in broad daylight.

But he couldn't help it. Tedros wanted to shout at himself. Why couldn't he help it?

"Tedros," said Beatrix again, this time squeezing at his wrist so he'd focus on her. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah, of course." He not so gently pushed Beatrix off his lap and stood up, holding his half-eaten meal tray. A walk could help him get his mind off things."Just not feeling too hungry. I'm going to go return this."

"But you didn't even have that much!"

"As I said, I'm not hungry," grumbled Tedros, striding away from the table and returning to the cafeteria. He spared one more glance at the willow tree before heading back into their school and tried to stop his racing heart. Because one look was all it had taken for his eyes to meet Agatha's dark, bug-like ones, watching him as if she'd known about his inner turmoil the whole time.


The Boys and Girls dormitories were in two separate wings of the school, and it was one of the greatest blessings Agatha had ever known. She had her own dorm room, which was quaint, quiet, and far away from any meddling boys. In classes, she often heard about the outrageous things some of the Bonum boys were up to, some of which were so stupid that it just made Agatha happier to be far away from them. Sophie was always quick to say how much better dormitories could be if the Boys and Girls dormitories were closer, but Agatha could never buy into it.

Another huge plus about her rooming situation was that the Girls dormitory was on the side closest to the cafeteria. It made her stress driven late night runs to the kitchen easy and nearly undetectable. Or at least, so she thought.

"Well, well, well. I didn't peg you for someone who breaks curfew."

Agatha sighed and turned around to glare at the newcomer. "I didn't peg you for someone who breaks curfew either, Tedros, but here we are."

"Here we are," he echoed, leaning against the threshold of the door. Agatha tried to look around him, but he left little to no space for her to escape from. Seeing that she was outmuscled for the moment, she crossed her arms and took her spot on the other side of the kitchen.

"What do you want, Tedros? I'm assuming you're not here for the chocolate chip cookies?" She held one up to him.

"Did you bake them?" he asked instead, his face wrinkled with suspicion.

Agatha took a huge bite of the cookie in her hand and chewed it dramatically. "Why? Afraid it's been poisoned by the witch?"

"No, of course not." He stuck his hand out petulantly. "Give me one."

"Excuse me?"

Agatha could practically see Tedros grind his teeth. "I mean, can I please have one?"

"And they call you a prince?" She threw him one of the cookies, which he caught with ease. Tedros nibbled at it before taking a bigger bite.

"Thanks."

"For the insult?" challenged Agatha.

"For the cookie," Tedros clarified, not rising to the bait. He finished the cookie off in two bites and looked at her expectantly. "It was good."

"Thank you?" Now it was Agatha's turn to look suspicious. She threw him another cookie with more care. "What are you doing here, Tedros?"

Tedros' eyes stayed on the cookie. "I wanted to talk to you, actually."

For someone who wanted to talk to her, Tedros was doing his best to avoid her eyes. "I thought I told you to stay away from me."

"You did-" he fidgeted with the cookie in hand, "-and I was fine with doing that."

"Until now, apparently."

"Look, Agatha, I just don't want to fight you about this, and I think there are more things that we need to talk about."

"I beg to differ." Agatha pulled another cookie out of her Ziploc bag and turned it in her hands. "You and I come from different worlds, Tedros. You said as much for the first day we met. I don't care how much Sophie thinks you're charming or how kind Kiko believes Tristan is, I am not interested in people who get their kicks out of making fun of others behind their back. At all. I much prefer face to face confrontation if anything, which if that's what you're planning, you should get it over with so that I can go back to eating my cookies."

"I'm not here for the reasons you think," Tedros said hurriedly. "I just want to talk."

"About what? About what happened last week?"

"Well, yeah, but-" he looked up at her finally, but Agatha was quick to cut him off.

"Look, Tedros-" she fixed Tedros with her dark eyes, "-I appreciate that you didn't tell Professor Dovey about my… chat with Tristan."

"You mean that chat where you told him that if he ever broke Kiko's heart that you'd punch him in the mouth?"

Agatha squirmed at the unfortunately accurate reminder. "Yeah, that one."

"It's not like I don't understand why you did it," explained Tedros, "but everyone has got faults. Tristan likes Kiko, I know he does. Sure, he likes Beatrix too, but that's just because she's pretty. A lot of guys like Beatrix."

"Like you?" Agatha nearly stabbed herself out of mere frustration. Why was she asking that question? Why did she feel so eager to know the answer?

"No." Tedros' answer was quick and instinctual. The thought seemed to genuinely put him off. "No, I don't."

"Right."

"And Tristan and the guys are rude to you. I'm not exactly the poster child for politeness either, especially when it comes to you, but I'm working on it. I want to work on it," Tedros said firmly, taking a couple of steps towards her. "Please? I want us to start over."

Agatha studied him carefully. She could see the nervousness itching under Tedros' skin and wondered what the source of it was. "There is something else that you want though," she mused aloud. "Something that you think you can get from me. What is it?"

"You mean your friendship?" offered Tedros weakly.

"You don't want my friendship," said Agatha dismissively, "so what is it that you actually want from me, Tedros?"

"Look, I'm just trying to understand why I feel the way I feel." His cheeks went red with what must have been frustration. His eyes were on the cookies in her hand, the tiled floor, the empty baking tray resting on the drying rack; anywhere but her. "And I thought, somehow, crazily, that if I talked to you, maybe it would clear itself up to me. Do you know what I mean?"

"Feelings, huh?"

Agatha looked at his red cheeks, the colour burning his neck and the tips of his ears. His nervousness in her presence, his desire to reconcile. This wasn't frustration, she realized. This was embarrassment. Yes, she knew what he was here for, Agatha thought firmly.

"Tedros," Agatha said slowly. "Are you trying to use me to get to Sophie?"

The look of pure shock that took over Tedros' face was almost comical. "What?" he choked out.

"So it is," said Agatha, feeling something in her settle down, relieved. Everything still made sense. Nothing was wrong. "I have noticed that you've been looking over at Sophie a lot. You were even staring at her today at lunch."

"I-" he began, brows knitted together in confusion.

"I'm not surprised. She's pretty, almost popular in a way." Agatha chuckled awkwardly. "You've talked to her before right?"

"Yeah, but-"

Agatha carried on, the words tumbling out of her mouth without any filter. "It kills me to say this, but we both know that she likes you. A lot. And while I don't think you're the best guy, you're not the worst. Dating Sophie is an ordeal I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, but if it's what you want, then go right ahead."

"Agatha, please-"

"She's high maintenance, picky, and she's convinced you'll make her happy. Which, ideally, is what we'd all like. But if you break her heart?" She came close enough that her black clumps bumped into his baby blue slippers. She could see him swallow thickly. "You already heard what I'd do to Tristan. I'd do far worse to you."

"I think I get it, thanks." Tedros stared at her a moment longer, first her hair, then her cheeks, then her eyes. He held her gaze carefully, as if he was trying to make something out of it, before breathing in deeply, expression easing into something more like understanding. "I must like her. That explains a lot...It makes a lot more sense." Even Tedros looked relieved as he took a step back. "I mean, I could never…"

"Never what?" asked Agatha curiously, but Tedros just shook his head. Agatha held back a number of following questions, keeping herself in check. If Tedros didn't want to talk about it, then he didn't have to.

"So," said Tedros, shoulders going back in a familiar pose for confidence, "we can try, then."

"Try?"

"Try to be friends." She raised an eyebrow, and he clarified with, "For Sophie's sake?"

Agatha contemplated his offer and stuck out her hand. Sophie was her best friend, Sophie was her sister. She would do anything for her. "Of course. For Sophie."

He shook her hand, eyes managing to sparkle even in the dull, fluorescent light of the kitchen, and for half a second, she wondered if she'd just made a terrible mistake.