ALFIE'S POV
My worst nightmare has been realized.
School is starting again.
You know, if there was a zombie apocalypse, we wouldn't have to go to class. My friends should really start to listen to my theories more often. I bring up some valid points.
I try to keep an open mind, knowing that this is the last year I'll have to go to boarding school. It's senior year, I have a girlfriend - what could go wrong?
"Alfie! Ready to walk over together?" I hear a pleasurable voice utter from behind me.
"Sure thing, Willow."
She skips merrily in front of me, dragging me by the hand. I would do anything to get out of school, but I guess Willow will help me get through the day.
Inside, I head to my old locker and shove my bulky bag inside. I stand back, admiring the dingy, dank metal locker. It is filthy and dismal, but it has so many memories stored within - memories of the years I spent at boarding school, the times I almost died during a Sibuna task, the pranks I pulled with Jerome.
The bell sounds, interrupting my train of thought. I scowl, slugging my way to first period World History/French. I hate double periods.
The classroom looks the same as ever. The walls are still grey, the mood is still depressing. The only thing out of place seems to be the teacher…
Where Miss Andrews used to stand is a tall, slender woman with long, chocolate ringlets. She looks completely the opposite of a teacher, with smooth, tan skin and a perfectly angular nose. Clothed in a magenta form-fitting dress, she looks nothing like a boring old educator. She's a beautiful woman in the height of her youth.
What's she doing teaching high school?
"Bonjour, la classe! je m'appelle Madame Kahn."
"Bonjour Madame," the class answers in unison.
Madame Kahn begins to babel on about French influence in English history and blah blah blah. Even with a face like that (did I just say that?), I am so used to dozing off and feeling bored in class. To keep myself entertained, I imagine her as a zombie - which, to be fair, isn't exactly far from the truth - eating the succulent, juicy, meaty brains of Mara and Fabian, the sour brain of Jerome, and the sweet brain of Willow.
I wonder if I'm on target with the flavors.
"Before we conclude our lesson," Madame Kahn begins. "I want to see you utilize the French skills your prior teacher… ah, Miss Andrews…. taught you." She stumbles on the word Andrews as if it leaves a sour taste in her mouth.
"Would anyone like to introduce themselves in front of the class in French?" she asks.
To no one's surprise, Mara's hand shoots up in the air. She strolls confidently to the front of the room and recites a conversation with Madame. I don't take my eyes off of Kahn;. She's beautiful, but something about her seems… bland. When she speaks, she keeps her mouth in a thin, pursed line. Her eyes are filled with boredom, like she would rather do anything else but talk to us.
I continue to observe Madame Kahn - and I know I'm drifting off when I see her eyes change color.
It may be because I'm getting bored of the class - even with a teacher like Madame Kahn - but I swear I see Kahn's light grey eyes turn to a boiling dark crimson. The bell chimes, and the occurrence is erased from my mind temporarily.
When the Sibuna gang gathers in the corridor, the thought returns to my mind.
"Hey, guys," I say, interrupting a conversation about Patricia's summer with Eddie in Paris. "I'm sure Patricia had an amazing time flaunting around in the land of mimes and cheese, but I have something actually relevant to share."
Fabian, Patricia, Joy, Eddie, KT, and Amber turn to face me. Four of them have an irritated look, but Amber, just arriving back from fashion school and having been deprived of Sibuna for months, is eager to hear what I have to share.
"Did you guys see Madame Kahn's eyes change color, or was that just another 'Alfie Mishap.'"
Fabian eyes me skeptically. "What, Alfie?"
"So none of you think that it's weird that we have this hot new teacher who seems way too young to be a teacher and is there out of nowhere, but you find it mental if I say her eyes change color. Um hello, we've faced weirder!" I scream.
"Well, he does have a point…" KT agreed.
Amber replied, "It wouldn't be the most far-fetched thing we've ever seen. We'll keep an eye out tomorrow, ok?"
I nod my assent and make my way in the opposite direction, when I crash straight into a door.
A door that had definitely not been there five minutes ago.