Here's the next chapter. Sorry if it seems a little short. Please review.

Chapter 17 – Encounters

Summer's POV:

It had been weeks since the 'accident' and head was fine and my arm was pretty much nearly healed up. I didn't need the cast anymore, but it was still a bit sore. It was a Friday afternoon. Most of the kids were looking forward to going home and seeing their family and friends again, but me? I had to stay another dreaded day in the academy for detention.

I entered the King's Room and sat down in my normal place next to Olivia and Tancred. Everybody else was there already and I could tell I was a bit late. I felt everyone's eyes on me and immediately blushed. After a few moments, they started to turn back to their work. I quietly shuffled pieces of paper around roughly.

"Ow!" I yelled, as I automatically yanked my hand away from the papers. I just got a papercut. Great. The cut was only small and there wasn't as much blood there as there had been when the 'accident' happened.

Everyone looked up, and it was like a sea of faces looking up at me.

"Sorry." I whispered and blushed again as everyone turned back to their work yet again.

That was when I noticed him staring at me again.

After everyone had gone home I went to the library to get a book, hoping that could defeat my boredom. There was absolutely nobody here apart from one or two younger students and a few staff members.

I grabbed a book about the history of the Red King and sat on the floor, leaning against the bookcase. It wasn't long before I actually started getting into the book, until somebody interrupted me.

"Hey."

I looked up to see Manfred smiling down at me. He went to sit opposite me on the floor.

"Hi." I replied back.

"How's your arm?" He asked, looking now at my arm.

"Fine, it's pretty much almost healed up."

"And your finger?" He asked with a smirk.

I blushed. "Fine." I laughed nervously and looked down, letting my hair fall to cover my face. I got that from my mum. She always hid her face with her hair when she was embarrassed. It was a bit of a habit.

I sighed, as I started to miss her. I hadn't seen her or Amie in weeks, probably months! We only got to spend one day together because of detention, but that wasn't enough. I really missed them. Even if without the detention, its just two days, it still counted.

"Are you okay?" Manfred asked.

"Yeah…well…no actually. I just miss my family."

He looked at me with a guilty look.

"Listen, I'm sorry about the detention thing. You don't have to stay in every Saturday anymore. I was just being an idiot."

It took me a while to really register what he was saying. I didn't think he'd ever lift this detention thing.

He was being so…nice ever since the 'accident'. I didn't know if he was just feeling guilty or if he was genuinely being nice. But it wasn't just me he was nice to, it was other students. He didn't punish them with his endowment anymore and he usually let them of the hook with things he never would have let them get away with before.

"Really?" I asked, half disbelieving what he had just said.

"Yeah." He replied.

"Oh my God, thank you!" I yelled, excitedly.

I went to hug him, which startled him a bit, but he lightly returned the hug.

I pulled away and shot him a big smile.

"I have to go now. But thanks. I really appreciate it." I said before I jumped up and walked back to the dormitories.

The next day, my mum and Amie picked me up and we went ice skating together. Mum thought we should do something as a family and Amie suggested to go ice skating and I just agreed, because I was just thrilled to be with my family. By Monday my arm had completely healed and there were no traces left behind of the 'accident'. The rest of the week went by really quick and soon the weekend came by again.

Review now please. And I promise that the next chapter is more…exciting shall we say. Muwahahaha!