A Decision
"Ivie wake up!" that was new_ nobody ever said that to her.
She opened her eyes "Oh hello Olivia"
"Where have you been all week? Hurry up we're gonna miss breakfast!" said Olivia frantically.
Ivie leaped out of bed she was already dressed as she hadn't changed yesterday but she looked a mess_ A ripped T-shirt with burn holes all over it, her jeans weren't much better, not to mention her hair it was a rat's nest and her lip-stick was smeared she had cuts and burns all over her body_ she didn't care she was hungry, very hungry as she hadn't had food or water for a week, not since her oatmeal at 6:00 AM on Monday it was now Friday and she was literally starving.
"Aren't you going to clean yourself up?" asked Olivia sounding surprised
"Nah I'm starving" said Ivie "come on Liv"
"If you say so" and the two ran down to breakfast where Olivia picked half a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of milk where as Ivie had an extra big bowl and a huge glass of water. Olivia's eyes widened when she saw how much Ivie had gotten "Gosh Ivie are you okay?"
Ivie drank the whole glass of water and swallowed several bites of oatmeal before saying "No I'm not okay I've been starved since Monday morning before the sun was up and haven't been able to sleep since Sunday night_ to put things simply I have been miserable since I arrived at school this Monday plus Charlie_" something crossed Ivie's mind "_ are you dating Charlie?"
"Yeah I_" she realized something "_yeah sorry Ives." She finished softly.
"Plus I_" she didn't figure it'd be appreciated if she told Livvy about her debt.
"What?" asked Olivia
"N-Nothing" Olivia was persistent
"It can't be nothing_ you're stuttering" she insisted
"I was going to repeat the whole Charlie situation then I realized I'd already told you." Said Ivie matter-of-factly
"Okay then" said Liv cheerfully and it didn't come up again that day and every time she got the chance Olivia snuck Ivie some food to help fill her stomach and Ivie ate as much as possible_ minus the meat (Ivie was a vegetarian) _ and at tea you wouldn't believe how many biscuits_ or as Ivie would say 'Cookies'_ she ate. Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, Amy Cahill Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood sat with her and Olivia at dinner_ they had been enrolled in Drama_ Clarisse La Rue sat with Asa Pike_ who had returned to the Bloor's side_ Idith, and Inez Branko_ go figures.
Ivie explained the entire story to Olivia's new friends_ excluding the wristbands and debt of course_ they all listened in amazement and horror as she described it.
"So why didn't you fight back with your power?" asked Livvy
"I-I was in slight shock in the beginning and once I was over it I was too weak to use my powers." Apparently that was good enough for Olivia. After tea came one last class and then dinner.
At dinner she had the same company as tea_ the only difference was the setting which, as opposed to the Purple Canteen was now the Great Dinning Hall_ and she still had no clue what she was going to do to pay her debt.
After dinner they all went to the King's Room_ the unendowed that were connected to magic also went.
Homework went well enough_ the first half-hour anyway_.
"Rowan!" barked Manfred
"Yes sir?" she said this in a nonchalant way but on the inside she was screaming in fear.
"Have you studied your French, Chinese, and Japanese Miss Rowan?" he sneered
"Only my French and Japanese sir but I'm not certain it will be necessary."
"No? Then have you practiced your sewing?"
Everybody was staring at Ivie as this was a rather unusual series of questions for the talents master to be asking.
"I haven't practiced in a few years but it isn't necessarily essential either." She started pulling at her tangly hair.
'Then have you practiced serving somebody?"
"No but it may not be necessary"
"One of those things is necessary Miss Rowan but no matter_ go clean yourself up you have thirty minutes to get cleaned up and come back dress in your nicest clothes_ preferably a dress in fact dress like it's a very formal ball_ and do your hair as if you were going to prom now get going take your books with you and you know why you're getting dressed up so there's no need to tell anybody else." Everybody's eyes got wider in shock as Ivie gathered her books miserably.
"Yes sir." Ivie rushed out of the room with her book bag.
Thirty minutes later she stepped into the King's Room with her hair in an elegant bun tied with a purple ribbon and she was wearing a glittery black dress that stopped just above her knees and shiny purple low heeled shoes.
"Come with me Rowan" he snapped "Dannielle you're in charge until I'm back."
"Yes sir" said Dannielle and Ivie followed Manfred out of the room.
Manfred led her into Dr. Bloor's office where Ezekiel was sitting in a wheelchair, Dr. Bloor sat in the big chair behind his desk, and Manfred went to stand behind his father's chair.
"So have you made your choice?" asked Manfred
"I-I'm not sure."
Ezekiel then sneered "You're going to have to choose quickly girl to put it simply your choices are:
Work for me,
Work for Manfred, or
Work for Venetia.
"I'll help find the endowed around the world with Manfred." She said grudgingly
Manfred smirked "Then you'd better add Chinese to your list of languages." Ivie glared at him and sighed "Yeah I guess so where are we going first?"
"Japan, then China, then Australia, and lastly France" said Dr. Bloor
Ivie nodded and sighed "And how long in each country?" she asked
"Three months in each country" said Dr. Bloor and Manfred obviously couldn't resist the urge to say "So you have three months to learn Chinese." Ivie decided to ignore the sarcasm in the remark and nodded "Yes sir"
"We leave Sunday at 6:00 o'clock AM_ think you can handle that little girl. Probably no seeing as you were late to breakfast and hadn't even cleaned up a bit."
"I usually wake up at five AM actually but I hadn't gotten any sleep since Monday so I accidentally slept in, it won't happen again sir."
"Okay then you'd better get back to your homework." She only had thirty minutes left but she went anyway. Big mistake. Everybody wanted answers and had about a million questions here they are:
"Where you two making out?" (Dorcas)
"Why did he have you dress nicely?" (Olivia)
"Why did he ask about your French?" (Charlie)
"Are you two going to have a wedding in France?" (Olivia)
"Wait he also asked about your Japanese. Why?" (Joshua)
"Don't forget Chinese. What was that about?" (Idith & Inez in unison)
"What did he want?" (Emma)
"Did you kiss him?" (Naren)
"Did he kiss you?" (Annabeth)
"Why did he ask about your sewing skills?" (Dorcas)
"Why did he ask if you could serve well?" (Ron)
"Ezekiel wanted me" she said slowly it wasn't lying but it wasn't the whole truth either.
"Why did you have to dress nicely?" persisted Olivia
"Because of my previous attire I don't know."
The chimes rang and Ivie sighed with relief and went to bed. She dreamed about China_ and learned Chiniese overnight.