Chapter 3: Still sick?
Cornelia walked wearily into the school. If she had looked ill before her doctor's appointment 2 weeks ago, she now looked unhealthy and on the brink of death. Her naturally pale face was bone white, her hair was limp and kept falling in her face, and her eyes were haunted and slightly sunken. Her thin arms clutched the heavy textbooks to her chest, as if they were too heavy for her to hold loosely and she walked slightly bent over.
Will shut her locker and frowned over at Hay Lin. "Is Cornelia dying?" She asked suddenly. "She looks awful!" Her dark eyes watched Cornelia pass lifelessly down the hall. Suddenly the girl paled, winced, and took off running into the bathroom. The girls who ran out of the restroom just after Cornelia entered confirmed Will's suspicion that her friend had indeed been sick.
Hay Lin frowned. "I don't know, but I bet Elyon does." She said suddenly. "And I just happen to know that Elyon is visiting this weekend." Her dark eyes sparkled with knowing mischief. "I say we go find out just after school."
"I'd love to, but I can't." Will sighed and leaned against her locker. "My mom grounded me, so I have to go straight home after school and write a sentence 500 times."
Irma walked up in time to hear the last statement; She began to spin the combination and frowed ruefully. "Well, what sentence is that?" She asked curiously.
Will's face turned as red as her hair, and she turned away. "I'm supposed to keep that a secret." She muttered. "But I'll tell you one thing--I'm going to get married as soon as I turned 18 if only to run away from my mom."
"Who will you marry?" Taranee teased. She shut her own locker. "Caleb?" She knew the couple had been dating for about 3 months now, and she was obviously thrilled about it.
"Hopefully." Will agreed brightly.
"Hopefully what?" Cornelia asked. She pushed back her mane of golden hair and yawned. Her eyes were half shut, but she managed to look slightly alert as she briskly unloaded the books in her arms.
"Hopefully you'll get better soon." Irma replied, frowning. "Really, Cornelia, I think that doctor made you feel worse instead of better!" She watched Cornelia pause and stare misty eyed into her locker.
"I think so too." She muttered. "But I think that soon that problem will be fixed." She flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder and turned to look at her friends. "I have a second doctor's appointment today."
Will frowned. "I hope he makes you feel better." She said offhandedly.
"I think he will." Cornelia agreed. She waved and walked away, leaving her friends dumbfounded.
Sometime later
"Elyon!" Cornelia called as she walked in the throne room. A piece of paper was in her hand, and her face was, for once, radient as she looked at the young queen. "I discovered what it is."
Elyon dropped her armful of books (directly onto a servant's feet) and dashed over to her friend. "Already? I thought you were only in the 3rd month!"
"No, the 4th." Cornelia replied eagerly. She pointed at the small black, gray and white form on the paper. "It's a girl."