"Celia, are you sleeping in my class?" asked Mrs. Roberts, throwing a menacing glare in her direction.
"No." said Celia, trying desperately to cover the inevitable yawn after her nap.
"Well, if you weren't sleeping, then you can refresh the class on what I just said about your term paper." said Mrs. Roberts
"Ummm... You said... I couldn't hear you." said Celia, turning red at her fib.
"For those of you that didn't hear me, it is due next Tuesday." said Mrs. Roberts, still glaring at Celia. The bell rang; students quickly zipped up their backpacks and shuffled out the door. "Ms. Leonard, my class is not nap time. I will be deducting ten points from your participation grade." said Mrs. Roberts to Celia, who grimaced when she heard her teacher.
"At least now it's brunch. I wonder where Sandra and Julia are." Celia said. She often talked to herself. It sometimes worried her teachers, but she was perfectly sane - just a little eccentric.
"Hey Celia! Whatcha doin?" it was Julia. Julia stood out from the crowd because she was 5'11'' and had bright pink hair; not red, pink.
"Hey Jules, I was going over to the computer lab to work on my PowerPoint presentation for English." answered Celia.
"Oh yeah, that thing. I had to do mine last week. Well, see ya third!" said Julia.
"Okie Doke, bye." said Celia, and she was off to the lab.
~*~
Celia walked downstairs to computer lab G. She liked this lab because her school had recently received grants from the district for all new iMacs. Lab G had the purple ones. Celia's favorite color was purple.
She walked to the lab desperately wishing she were someplace else. She wanted to be anywhere but school. She wanted a different life. As she stepped into the room, she suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded. She fainted.
When Celia awoke, she was being revived by someone she didn't recognize from her school. He looked to be about sixteen with dark, wavy hair and dreamlike green eyes.
"Are you okay? You've been out for about ten minutes. Kel and I here brought you to the healer's wing." said the tall, dark youth. The Kel he referred to was Keladry of Mindelan.
"I'm fine, I have a splitting headache though." replied Celia. Wait just a second, healers? What the heck? Celia looked at her hand, her eyes then traveled down her wrist, arm, and legs. She wasn't wearing her tight pants and pink shirt anymore. She was wearing some kind of light blue, lacy gown.
"I guess you fainted in the hallway, the floor isn't too soft. What happened?" asked the young man again.
"I don't know what happened! I was walking to the com -..." Celia hesitated. If these people were who she thought they were, then they're not going to know what a computer lab is, much less anything about traveling through parallel universes to find yourself in the setting of a book you read two weeks ago. Celia could figure that this tall, hansome young man was Nealan of Queenscove; Neal to his friends. Kel was the only girl page. Where was Daine and Numair? Alanna? George? King Jonathan? She was more excited than scared. She liked this series of books. Was this a dream? She never hurt herself in a dream before. Yikes, the headache hurt. She felt her head. Her hand rested on a none too attractive bump on the side of her head. She grimaced. "I was just walking. I am a guest and I must have gotten lost when I was trying to find my room." said Celia. Drama class was beginning to pay off.
"Really? You must be new because I didn't see you at court last night." said Kel suspiciously, peeping up behind Neal's tall shoulder.
"Uh - yes, I arrived this morning as sort of a... ummm...surprise to court." said Celia, faltering at these last words. When she read the books about Alanna and Kel, she had a certain empathy for them but really truly wanted to be a lady.
"Be careful what you wish for, I guess." said Celia softly. She wondered at the funny looks Neal and Kel gave her when she realised she was talking to herself again.
"Be careful what you wish -?" said Neal. "Ummm... yeah whatever. Kel, you told Roald and Seaver we'd be up here taking care of her ladyship - what did you say your name was?" said Neal, changing the subject.
"Celia - Lady Celia of... Bolshevik," said Celia, the Russian Revolution still fresh in her mind from history. " I don't suppose you'd have heard of it. Bolshevik is a small fief outside of...uh..." What was the name? "Carthak."
"Yes your ladyship, Lady Celia. May I be permitted to escort you back to your rooms?" asked Neal, his flirty side showing again. "Oh yes, you had forgotten the way. Let us go and ask one of the servants, they'd be happy to help a lady as lovely as yourself." said Neal. Celia felt her face getting hot, she blushed at the drop of a hat. Just then, Prince Roald, Seaver, and Merric walked in.
"Oh Neal you must show me the gorgeous mysery lady!" said Merric, not realising that Celia was still in the room.
"Shut up, you dolt!" said Neal, tersely, through gritted teeth. All the boys had a good laugh at that. Even Celia permitted herself to laugh at Merric's foolishness. Where was Kel? It didn't matter, she liked flirting.
"No." said Celia, trying desperately to cover the inevitable yawn after her nap.
"Well, if you weren't sleeping, then you can refresh the class on what I just said about your term paper." said Mrs. Roberts
"Ummm... You said... I couldn't hear you." said Celia, turning red at her fib.
"For those of you that didn't hear me, it is due next Tuesday." said Mrs. Roberts, still glaring at Celia. The bell rang; students quickly zipped up their backpacks and shuffled out the door. "Ms. Leonard, my class is not nap time. I will be deducting ten points from your participation grade." said Mrs. Roberts to Celia, who grimaced when she heard her teacher.
"At least now it's brunch. I wonder where Sandra and Julia are." Celia said. She often talked to herself. It sometimes worried her teachers, but she was perfectly sane - just a little eccentric.
"Hey Celia! Whatcha doin?" it was Julia. Julia stood out from the crowd because she was 5'11'' and had bright pink hair; not red, pink.
"Hey Jules, I was going over to the computer lab to work on my PowerPoint presentation for English." answered Celia.
"Oh yeah, that thing. I had to do mine last week. Well, see ya third!" said Julia.
"Okie Doke, bye." said Celia, and she was off to the lab.
~*~
Celia walked downstairs to computer lab G. She liked this lab because her school had recently received grants from the district for all new iMacs. Lab G had the purple ones. Celia's favorite color was purple.
She walked to the lab desperately wishing she were someplace else. She wanted to be anywhere but school. She wanted a different life. As she stepped into the room, she suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded. She fainted.
When Celia awoke, she was being revived by someone she didn't recognize from her school. He looked to be about sixteen with dark, wavy hair and dreamlike green eyes.
"Are you okay? You've been out for about ten minutes. Kel and I here brought you to the healer's wing." said the tall, dark youth. The Kel he referred to was Keladry of Mindelan.
"I'm fine, I have a splitting headache though." replied Celia. Wait just a second, healers? What the heck? Celia looked at her hand, her eyes then traveled down her wrist, arm, and legs. She wasn't wearing her tight pants and pink shirt anymore. She was wearing some kind of light blue, lacy gown.
"I guess you fainted in the hallway, the floor isn't too soft. What happened?" asked the young man again.
"I don't know what happened! I was walking to the com -..." Celia hesitated. If these people were who she thought they were, then they're not going to know what a computer lab is, much less anything about traveling through parallel universes to find yourself in the setting of a book you read two weeks ago. Celia could figure that this tall, hansome young man was Nealan of Queenscove; Neal to his friends. Kel was the only girl page. Where was Daine and Numair? Alanna? George? King Jonathan? She was more excited than scared. She liked this series of books. Was this a dream? She never hurt herself in a dream before. Yikes, the headache hurt. She felt her head. Her hand rested on a none too attractive bump on the side of her head. She grimaced. "I was just walking. I am a guest and I must have gotten lost when I was trying to find my room." said Celia. Drama class was beginning to pay off.
"Really? You must be new because I didn't see you at court last night." said Kel suspiciously, peeping up behind Neal's tall shoulder.
"Uh - yes, I arrived this morning as sort of a... ummm...surprise to court." said Celia, faltering at these last words. When she read the books about Alanna and Kel, she had a certain empathy for them but really truly wanted to be a lady.
"Be careful what you wish for, I guess." said Celia softly. She wondered at the funny looks Neal and Kel gave her when she realised she was talking to herself again.
"Be careful what you wish -?" said Neal. "Ummm... yeah whatever. Kel, you told Roald and Seaver we'd be up here taking care of her ladyship - what did you say your name was?" said Neal, changing the subject.
"Celia - Lady Celia of... Bolshevik," said Celia, the Russian Revolution still fresh in her mind from history. " I don't suppose you'd have heard of it. Bolshevik is a small fief outside of...uh..." What was the name? "Carthak."
"Yes your ladyship, Lady Celia. May I be permitted to escort you back to your rooms?" asked Neal, his flirty side showing again. "Oh yes, you had forgotten the way. Let us go and ask one of the servants, they'd be happy to help a lady as lovely as yourself." said Neal. Celia felt her face getting hot, she blushed at the drop of a hat. Just then, Prince Roald, Seaver, and Merric walked in.
"Oh Neal you must show me the gorgeous mysery lady!" said Merric, not realising that Celia was still in the room.
"Shut up, you dolt!" said Neal, tersely, through gritted teeth. All the boys had a good laugh at that. Even Celia permitted herself to laugh at Merric's foolishness. Where was Kel? It didn't matter, she liked flirting.