There was silence as the entire room turned in unison to look at Phoenix. "Well, Master Radford, you shouldn't have told that new Drama nitwit Madame Pritchard that I would be green for her!" She declared silkily, relishing the looks of dismay and horror on his face. "Just because I go out with you on a few dates, doesn't mean you can determine if I will do something I have refused to do. This is what you get for going behind my back; for setting me up. You laugh behind my back, now we laugh at yours. So now, Master Radford, enjoy your time being 'Wicked'!" Phoenix cried triumphantly. The class began to applaud.
Rose remained hidden at the rear of the class, her back against the wall. After just 30 seconds, she had become old news. She was invisible. No one looked at her, no one spoke to her. She was just there, watching.
And so she watched.
The green Master Radford had fled from the room. The other students had continued to laugh and chatter amongst themselves, and there, right in the centre, was Phoenix.
Rose studied the girl with interest. It was quite obvious. She was The Girl. The One to know, the one who everyone else wanted to be. She was surrounded by giggling girls and chuckling boys, and they were all looking towards her, talking to her, adoring her.
By her clothes, hair style, and general appearance (never mind the hair colour), Rose would have said that this was the last person who would be popular in any school in the Emerald City. And yet, here she was. Right in the centre of the crowd. Rose had the ability to read appearances like an open book, she could perceive emotions from even the most hidden of faces. She had only been in this remote village of Elmsglade for a couple of days now, but whilst the differences between this quirky little place and the capital of Oz were monumental, the basic rules regarding fashion still applied.
Phoenix wasn't dressed in the most expensive silks and velvets. Her arms weren't hanging with bejewelled bracelets, her fingers weren't weighed down with heavy rings, and no expensive pendent hanged from around her neck. She wore a simple dress in the darkest of reds, emphasised by the almost impossible shade of her hair. The colour was natural, there was no doubt about that, but it was swept out of her face in the most simplest and careless of fashions. The dress wasn't hooped or padded, and material looked to be of simple cotton, which clung to her thin frame rather too elegantly in Rose's opinion.
Rose gave a little start. Phoenix's eyes had locked on her. Rose quickly looked away, intimidated, and slightly ashamed. She hadn't intentionally meant to stare at her, but she had been too curious. She had never been in this situation before. For four years, she had worked to keep on the top of the food chain, but never since she started school, had she ever had to climb her way up from the bottom. Here, everyone knew everyone; everyone knew what everyone was like, everyone knew everybody else's passions and impulses. Except for Rose. If she needed any hope of gaining some status, she would have to act soon, and hard.
Never had Rose looked someone in the eyes who made such little effort to be where she was.
Phoenix looked away from Rose and towards the door. It opened.
Rose looked round in confusion as the chattering students suddenly quietened, dispersed, and found a reassigned desk to sit at. She watched in amazement as a large grey suited Cat walked round to stand at the centre of the class, and survey the room with his keen eyes.
It wasn't that the teacher was an Animal which amazed her. Since Glinda's rule, Animals had all the same rights of humans. In Emerald West, Rose had been taught by a Dog, an Elephant, several Falcons and even a Squirrel, but never had the mere entrance of any teacher elicited complete silence from a class.
The Cat's face grew warm as he spotted Rose and beckoned her forwards. He held out a paw for her to shake, and said in a low but not unfriendly voice, "Welcome. I presume you are the new student, Miss Roe Gray? My name is Mr Simon, I am the English teacher."
Rose corrected her name. Mr Simon smiled and gave a slight nod, but he didn't repeat it. Rose felt slightly put out, but kept it to herself.
Looking over the class again, Mr Simon addressed them. "Is Master Kris here? I believe I saw him this morning walking to school." Several students began to snigger to themselves. Phoenix's expression remained neutral, but her eyes were bright with guilty memory. Others gave her sneaky little glances.
Mr Simon regarded the class. "Would this have anything to do with the vividly green young man who was running through the corridors a few minutes ago?" he asked, with a playful smile, looking primarily at Phoenix. There was another pause. Several more students began to gleam with suppressed laughter. Rose watched them, slightly confused. Wasn't the name of that green guy something else?
Mr Simon shook his head and turned towards Rose again. "Since we have a desk free, you can sit at Master Kris Radford's place for this lesson. This will also be your form room, apparently, so you will be allowed the use of one of the lockers. Your form tutor will probably give you the key during afternoon registration. I'll see that an extra desk is added for you later today."
Rose thanked him and sat down in the only remaining free seat. Mr Simon pulled down a clean blackboard and wrote the title of a topic, 'Poems- the form of the Quell'. The lesson started.
Rose glanced around her. In front of her and one seat to the left the unmistakable red hair of Phoenix. It was swaying slightly as the girl began to write notes. Since when do popular girls make their own class notes? She saw her smile sideways at a friend when Mr Simon had his back turned to write a spelling on the board. Rose's mood became even sourer. She glanced right and saw the girl beside her give her a stony look. Since the person to her other side was in a frenzy writing, Rose leaned in, and tried to engage the stony girl in conversation.
"He called me 'Roe'. Don't you think at this day and age, teachers should be able to get their students names right?" Rose whispered. She actually quite liked the Cat, but this would serve nicely as a way of asserting her independence of thinking, an undeniable trait of anyone with any status of 'popularity'. She was the leader; they were the sheep. And anyway, weren't teachers the 'enemy'?
The girl just studied her reproachfully for a moment, before choosing to answer her.
"He's a Cat. They have trouble with the 'zz' sound" she replied simply. She then gave Rose a look which plainly stated that this was the end of the discussion. Rose persisted.
"What about this girl, Phoenix? Is she always in the centre of the crowd, or was it just a special occasion today? I mean to say, that dress…"
The girl turned in her seat to glare at Rose loathingly. "Phoenix is my friend. She's a nice girl; who cares what she wears?" she spit out with venom.
"Yes, well there are some of us with taste, and of course, some of us even have money..." Rose retaliated, her features contorted with annoyance.
Mr Simon cleared his throat. From the front of the classroom, he was looking directly at Rose as if there was nobody else in the room. Everybody else stared in her direction as well. Her little conversation had carried quite a way. Mr Simon slowly shook his head; the meaning was obvious. Phoenix was giving her the most unusual of looks.
To her right, the girl looked murderous.
The class went on. Rose started making her own notes (something she hadn't done in a long time), and she dismissed the conversation she had had with the pathetic girl.
At the same time, the mind of said pathetic girl was swimming in a sea of anger, and every time the conversation echoed inside her head, it just served to encourage the intensity of the flames.
Something has to be done, she thought darkly. She tenderly rubbed her arm where a large bruise was forming, the result of being forcefully shoved into a desk just 15 minutes previously by the self-contented brat sitting just next to her.
Something has to be done. And for the love of Lurline, I'm going to be the one to do it.
Stay tuned for the next chapter- its going to be the stony girl's revenge… and the first part of the explanations you've been waiting for- Rose's previous school. Subscribe to my Wicked forum to get all the up to date news on when its going to be here (you can find the forum via my profile page).
For those wanting a few more explanations- like why Rose's surname is Gray, how she came to move out of Oz and to this distant land, what was the deal with the green boy from the last chapter, all of those questions will be answered as the story goes on. Trust me, there is a good reason for these little quirks, and you will find them out when I am ready.
I have a little question to ask. I've had a suggestion to use the Book spelling of Pfenix. I think it is a nice idea, but I am open to either spelling. But what do you as readers think? Reply on my Wicked Forum.
Yet again, I do not own anything, I don't own the book (though I do own a copy of it now), I don't own the musical, blah, blah, blah. You get the picture. It's not mine, don't sue.
Now, thank you to those who have reviewed. (I do this every chapter, if you wish for a review not to be commented on, just ask.)
To ClarkeWithAnE, I'm glad you find this 'ok'! Thanks for the addition to your favourites page, I am honoured. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.
To ChocolatStar, Thank you so much for that dazzling review, and encouraging post on my forum. I really cant thank you enough. You are most kind. I hope I continue to impress, keep reading to find out!
Miss Elphie, Yep, Frosties are brilliant! Don't worry, the story is not done, not by a long way.
Dorothy Gale, re read the first chapter. I have put in most of the info you need to know throughout it. If you still find it confusing, tell me what is still 'muddled'. As for Rose's last name, there is a very good reason, which will be revealed in the next section.
Maureen is me, yep, this story is probably going to be very different from your 'post musical, next generation' story. I hope you do continue, I would like to see if I do create a very individual piece.
Actor, thank you very much for reviewing. You are very very kind! Yes, Glinda will make an appearance. You will first see her in the next 'section' of the story- after about another 2 or 3 chapters, I'm not sure.
Thank you also, Kittycutie, for liking the chapter enough to add it to your alert list.
Again, thank you to all who reviewed, thank you to all who read, and a big thank you to anyone who enjoyed it. Visit my forum to find out the expected next update time.