Hey guys. Just going to let you know that I do NOT own Skulduggery Pleasant. I took a few things from the story and manipulated it in a way that it works best for the story! Enjoy, rate, comment, review please :)
My fingers slowly drummed on the soft material of the car seat. I watched rain patter against the window as we drove. My standard scowl adorned my face when we pulled into the school parking lot.
I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Valkyrie Cain. I am 16 years old, and today is the start of my first day at this new school. It's a magic school. My mother and father made the decision to send me here in the middle of the year to live in the dorms. Part of me was excited, another part was upset I had to be uprooted from my home to be sent to live here. I understand exactly why my parents have chosen to sign me up; I'm just not 100% happy about it. The school provides classes for all magic types, including Elemental, which is what I am. I can manipulate the elements, fire, water, earth, and air. It's a pretty neat trick.
"Here we are, honey," My mom's soft voice rang out. I glared up at the huge building. I had to admit, it was beautiful. It looked like a castle. Something out of a fairytale. She looked at me sadly, and gave me a small grin.
"Joy." I got out and pulled my suitcase out of the backseat. After my mother and I finished the formalities with class scheduling and dorm assignments with the office, I hugged my mother tight and we bid each other farewell. I trudged up the stairs to the dorms, manipulating the air to carry my luggage for me as I reached the 3rd and final floor.
"There it is," I muttered when I found my dorm room. I walked in, suddenly greeted by a sweet voice with a British accent.
"Hello! You must be my new roommate. I'm Tanith." Said the girl. She was pretty, and had long blond hair and was dressed in full leather.
"Hi, I'm Valkyrie." Setting my suitcase down, I reached out and shook her hand. Glancing around the room, I took in my surroundings. There were two beds on opposite sides of the room, and according to Tanith we each had our own closet. We made small talk for a few minutes when suddenly Tanith got this excited look on her face.
"It's a good thing you came on a Saturday. That gives me some time to show you around the school and meet some people. " Tanith grinned, jumping up. "C'mon. I'll show you around. The third floor is for the girls, and the second floor is for the guys. I don't understand how they managed to cram everyone in just one building, even with not everyone living here. Ah, no matter." She rambled, earning a small smile from me. We walked down to the bottom floor, which was, according to Tanith, "A place where we eat and try not to kill each other on the weekends." Making our way past the exit door and down the hallway, we came to a set of big double doors. They were wooden and filled with intricate designs that swirled around, almost seeming to slither across the grain. Walking in, we were greeted with the sounds of chattering and shouting, the room filled with about 50 other students.
"You look a little nervous," Tanith glanced at me.
"I am a tad. New school, new people.." I trailed off, blinking as Tanith grabbed my hand and dragged me forward. We weaved through tables and plump looking lounge chairs. All of a sudden, I heard a soft pop, and Tanith and I were suddenly stopped in our tracks by a boy with messy hair that appeared out of no where. A teleporter, I thought to myself.
"Get out of the way, Fletcher." Tanith groaned. The boy smirked.
"I like a girl who's feisty. Say, Tanith, are you still up for a nice midnight stroll tonight?"
"I was never up for anything with you." She glared down at him. He finally noticed me and reached out a hand.
"Hi, my name is Fletcher. Fletcher Renn. And you are?" Just as I was about to reply, Tanith yanked me past him.
"Leaving. Goodbye, Fletcher." I gave Tanith a questioning look. "That was Fletcher Renn. Annoying. Man-whore. Total scumbag, but he can be nice sometimes." With a roll of her eyes, she dismissed the subject. "Anyway, here we…" She trailed off with a large sigh when she saw Fletcher sitting at the table she had led me to. Two other guys sat there, a thin, white, tall looking man in a suit. I blanched a little when I noticed why he was so white—He was a skeleton. I shook off the shock and sat next to Tanith, who had plopped by the other guy, who had all of these scars running along his face.
"Hey, guys. " Tanith spoke, making herself comfortable.
"Who's your friend?" Said the skeleton, nodding toward me.
"This is Valkyrie. Valkyrie, this is Skulduggery Pleasant," She gestured toward the skeleton. "And this is Ghastly Bespoke." I gave them both a small wave. Fletcher sat beside Skulduggery, and had his eyes glued on Tanith who ignored him.
"You're a skeleton." I blurted out, immediately regretting it. I felt blood rush to my face. Tanith snickered, and Skulduggery let loose a low chuckle that sent chills down my spine.
"That I am." He responded, inspecting his sleeve before wiping off lint that wasn't there. I cocked my head to the side, staring at him for a few seconds.
"I guess you see something new every day." I mused, peering into his eye holes. "So what is life like here?" This time, Ghastly spoke up.
"Not very different from your average school, I presume. You go to classes to strengthen your magic skills, go to the standard English, Math, and Science classes, and try to figure out what you want to do with your life." Ghastly shrugged. " I, personally, would like to be a professional tailor, like my father."
"I'm studying to be a detective." Skulduggery said proudly, holding his chin up high.
"What about you Tanith?" I asked.
"Hmm. I'm not sure. I'd like to fight crime.. Something freelance. I don't like being tied down."
"I'll do anything as long as you're in my future, baby." Fletcher finally spoke up, gazing at Tanith. She rolled her eyes, and I saw Ghastly glare at him out of the corner of my eye. Trying to get the attention away from herself, Tanith turned to me.
"So, Valkyrie. What kind of magic are you?" She asked.
"Elemental," I responded, which this time earned me an eye roll. "What?" I asked, curious to what would have brought that response.
"Both Skulduggery and Ghastly are elemental. I'm an Adept, and as you saw before, Fletcher here is a Teleporter. Natural born, in both magic and annoyance." That earned a groan of protest from him and a snicker from Ghastly and I.
"What can you do with your magic?"
Tanith pondered that for a moment before answering. "Well, I can do a few things, but my favorite is being able to climb on walls and ceilings."
"Seriously? That's badass." I said, impressed.
"What, a walking, talking, breathing skeleton isn't impressive?" Skulduggery quipped, crossing his arms.
"Well, I wouldn't necessarily say you're breathing…" Skulduggery tilted his head at me in a way that I knew, if he had eyes, they would be staring at me, very unamused. I smiled at him as he shook his head.
"Youth these days."
"Hey, I doubt you're much older than I am. " I frowned.
"I may be in the skeleton of a 19 year old, dear Valkyrie, but I assure you I am many years older than you are."
I shrugged. "Well, I can't say you look good for your age." Tanith giggled.
"That's the good thing about this school. No matter how old you are, they let you in." She said. "Skulduggery is the only one here that has aged a few hundred years, however."
"Though, with my façade," Skulduggery interrupted, " I can look 19 again."
"Façade?" I asked, confused.
Skulduggery reached up and loosened his tie, pulling down his shirt to reveal his collarbone. It was adorned with an intricate tattoo. "This is a façade tattoo. All I have to do is touch this and it transforms me back into my full human body for however long I wish. I have to admit, though. Being a skeleton does have its perks. It's unnerving looking in the mirror and suddenly being a full human again, no matter how handsome the man looking back is." I blinked at him for a moment.
"I have to admit, that is pretty impressive." Skulduggery nodded, satisfied.
A few hours later, Tanith and I headed back to our room, bidding everyone farewell.
"So, what do you think of everyone?" She asked.
"Well, if everyone is as nice as Skulduggery and Ghastly and you are, I think I'll be alright."
"I can't guarantee that. There are a few people you could stand to stay away from." Tanith thought for a moment. "Fletcher, for one." I laughed. "I promise, I'll take care of you. The teachers are nice and mostly everyone stays out of your way if you just don't bother them."
I considered what she said for a few moments. "Well.. Alright."
"Trust me, Val. Monday will come and go and I assure you, everything will be okay." I smiled at her, thankful for having a roommate that wasn't crazy.
I lay down in bed shortly after, Tanith snoring softly in the bed across the room. I had settled down, moving all of my clothes into the small closet and recapping on the day.
So, I thought to myself. In one day, I moved schools, met a girl who can walk on the ceiling, skeleton-man who can turn himself back into a person, and a wanna-be tailor with scars all over his head. Not to mention a Teleporter who seems to be struggling with rejection.
Yeah. It was a pretty normal day…