Annalise
Tick, tick, tick.
I could hear the clock in the background. While the teacher droned on monotonously, I was busy doodling a couple of skeletons in the margins of my notebook. It was such a beautiful day outside, but it was almost as if time was deliberately standing still just to annoy me, I discreetly glanced over at the fire alarm and contemplated pulling it in order to bring some excitement to the table. This class was already history in my book. Ancient history, that is. I was bored. When I was bored, I went looking for trouble. It was simply the way I was wired. I was always on the go. The only time I even felt remotely at peace was when I was meditating, or drinking a nice hot cup of pure flour white tea at a coffee shop in Alyncia. I needed danger. I needed excitement. I needed the rush of adrenaline to feel alive, to feel as if I was truly living in this world, and not just existing.
I couldn't fathom which demented fool thought that we needed to know this information. Come on, when was I ever going to be writing with a pencil, or finding myself in a situation where I needed to navigate by using a paper map. Like, an actual paper map?
Feeling restless, I began drawing a picture of Indra Frost accidentally dropping her hairdryer in the bathtub, and quickly pulling the plug before she electrocuted herself. While I was certainly no fashion guru myself, I highly doubted that the old crone had ever used a hairdryer in her life. At least, not in this century, anyway. Even with all the cutting edge technology that we had at our disposal, she always perpetually looked as if she was wearing a bird's nest on top of her head. I vaguely wondered if there were small creatures nesting in there. Mice, or rabbits, maybe? I chuckled wickedly at the thought.
Slam!
I looked up to see Master Frost standing over me with her hands splayed on either side of my desk.
"And what do we have here?" She asked, gingerly taking my notebook off my desk. Before she could see my, obviously, creative endeavors where her face was concerned, and report me for detention or some sort of lame community service project, I slowly shifted my foot over to the desk beside me, and roughly gave it a kick.
"What? Uh, I-I wasn't sleeping," yelled Roger a bit too loudly to be convincing. Oh, please. He had been sleeping, and we all knew it. I mean, it's not as if we couldn't all see the drool that was currently pooling on his desk. It was like a small flowing river that was dangerously close to his textbooks. Unless he was a cow, which could very well be the case, the thing coming out of his mouth was most definitely not chocolate milk, or hot cocoa, fresh out of the microwave.
"Umm, I was, uh, I was, meditating. You know, meditation is good for the aura. It has been extensively proven that the Chinese monks of our human descendants were avid meditators. It's why they had such good chakra balance."
Before he could continue to torture us to death with his incessant warbling, I decided to defuse the situation. I walked up to the chalkboard and begun to draw a picture of a caveman cowboy riding a horse. In his hand, he was carrying a duck that he had killed. Underneath the drawing, I wrote; quack, quack, quack. The whole class began to laugh loudly.
Yep, that was me, forever acting like the class clown at my own expense. Sometimes, I thought that nobody would like me if I wasn't funny or sarcastic, but nobody needed to know that, right? In any case, it was certainly none of their business, and I was sticking to that mantra. Suck that, Frosty locks, I thought. This was my show. I was in charge now.
By this time, Master Frost was positively livid. Her face was turning such an unnatural shade of red that, for a moment, I actually thought that she was about to have a heart attack. Either that, or she was probably choking on her own saliva. Should I get a med drone? I was tapping my feet in contemplation. If she died, her blood would be on my hands. Maybe she was gonna explode? It wouldn't be much fun watching this phenomenon without the popcorn, but I could live with it for the sake of curiosity.
She sighed tiredly. She looked as if she had just aged 20 years. I sighed. Too late to stop now, I thought. I was sorry about the way I was treating her, but I wasn't Sorry enough to stop. I was addicted to the attention. I was a monster, after all.
"Come on, people. Pay attention, will you? Please? This job doesn't pay me enough to put up with your nonsense. Stop it! Stop this foolishness right now. I would send you all to detention, but it wouldn't change a thing. It's not worth whatever sanity I still have left teaching you disgusting little ungrateful brats. Let's pretend like your precious little parents aren't wasting their money sending you to this prestigious institution."
The damage was done. Dragging my feet, I slowly walked back to my chair, purposefully knocking Roger's water bottle to the floor. When he stood up to retrieve it, I swept his feet from out under him. The physical combat classes were the only segments that I enjoyed. I prided myself on knowing more battle tactics than the average person. Mages no longer needed to lock themselves away for hours or days in a trance to learn spells anymore. If they were able to control the aura in their bodies, the very essence of magic would obey their will. Unfortunately, or, fortunately, depending on how you chose to look at it, it meant that we had to be in pretty good shape, both physically and mentally. In addition to this, we also had to be able to use a weapon such as a sword, or a bow and arrow as a counterpoint to magic. I was pretty good at hand-to-hand combat, using various forms of martial arts, along with technological gadgets, and potions, to fight my battles.
"Owww, Annalise, you broke my nose! What's wrong with you, demon girl? Ever since that incident in the third grade where you pushed me into a mud puddle because you were bored, I thought we both agreed that we shouldn't associate with each other anymore. Not that I enjoy your company on a good day, let alone, a bad one. You're a menace to society. I don't know why people like you aren't locked up in jail yet. This kingdom is seriously screwed up." said Roger, holding his nose with one hand, while rescuing his textbooks with the other.
"I didn't push you. Well, yeah, I did, but it was an accident. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not perfect. Considering what a disappointment you are, you, of all people, should be more sympathetic to my plight," I pouted. "And your nose isn't broken. It's bruised, I think." I rolled my eyes, and started to reach for him to check, but he stepped out of my reach, and slapped my hand away.
"Don't touch me," he growled. "You're a monster. You better make sure that my nose isn't broken, Annalise. I have a photo shoot, and some upcoming advertisements that pay really well. Also, not that it's any of your business, but I paid 10,000 gold for this beautiful nose of mine. Don't be jealous, ghost whisperer. We all know that you're secretly in love with me. Admit it. All the girls are. You're not the first, and you won't be the last." He finished with a smirk.
Conner laughed. "Hey, Annalise, do you think that maybe you could set me up with Riley to go on a date? I want to right my wrongs, clear the air between us. I know a great guy who can keep you company in the meantime, fresh off the graveyard. His name is Haunted Frank. Sure, he's about 70, but he still has all his baby teeth and a, mostly, full head of hair. Promise." He snickered.
"A.C. and I will be married after graduation," sighed Allison, a dreamy expression on her face. "We'll have a nice pink house with a garden of beautiful twinkle roses in the back. And a wolf pup. We need to have a pet, for company, but also for protection. Our kids are gonna be named Anderson and Addison. We're gonna need a maid. Kids are seriously gonna mess with my beauty sleep. I'm gonna be a famous fashion designer. I'm glad the Crane family is major rich, makes life so much easier."
Judging by what little I knew of Alistar Crane, marriage was the last thing on his mind. Poor Allison was gonna be left sobbing at the alter with only her shadow, and a wooden sword for company. She was better off proposing to a rock instead. At least she would have something to crawl under in shame, or to throw at the wedding guests in justifiable anger if she was feeling particularly generous that day.
"I'll bring you a basilisk as a wedding gift," I said, patting her shoulder sympathetically. "It can entertain the guests, improve the ambiance. It's all the rage right now. I read this in the Alyncian Press."
"Thanks, Annalise. That's nice of you." Alison replied. She smiled. Pretending to adjust my laces, I nimbly dodged the bone crushing hug that she tried to give me.
Roger yawned loudly.
"Ugh, can you two morons hurry up and get married already? The rest of us are actually trying to learn something here." muttered Marik Stewart, glancing out the window with a sigh.
"Stop it, Annalise. This is stupid." Said Roger. "I wouldn't marry you if you were the last girl on earth. Besides, I already have a girlfriend, and she's much cooler than the likes of you. She got me this great job at this super innovative company. Just wait until you see me in action. I'm gonna blow your minds."
I rolled my eyes, trying to stifle my laughter.
I wasn't going to dignify that with a response. Instead, I threw my hands up in exasperation. I resisted the urge to step on his foot for good measure, but barely. Besides, he had already gotten back at me for the incident in third grade by putting pepper berries in my drink. Thankfully, I had caught it before it could do any real damage, but that was a serious crime which was punishable by the law. If anything, he should be thanking me right about now. I was keeping his dirty little secret in the closet. Sure, I was using it as leverage without his knowledge, but the devil was in the details, right? I could've died. What if I had been allergic? I could've died. I was the victim here, not him. Plus, he needed to get his money back, because his nose was hideous, much too big for his face, if you ask me.
Not to mention that, if his nose had been broken, considering the band on modern technology in this class, short of someone collapsing and losing a lung or a kidney, I don't think that lady Frost was feeling generous enough to make any exceptions on our behalf to summon any sort of medical responders to save our lives. I get the sense that she wouldn't have minded if some of us dropped dead tomorrow. I couldn't blame her, though. We were awful, and we knew it.
In fact, we relished it. This became such a norm that we didn't even question it anymore. I didn't even know why we were hating on this poor woman in the first place. What did she ever do to any of us? I was always an outcast growing up. I should have known Better. If it wasn't for school policy, she probably would've removed some of us out of the equation ages ago. If I was in her position, I know I would have been severely tempted to do so. Unfortunately, death by teacher was not on the syllabus this year, or any year, for that matter. Her only crime was existing, and we were making her existence a miserable one. Just because we could.
Sheesh, didn't she ever smile? She could certainly give me a run for my money in the ice queen department, that's for sure.
Then again, maybe there was nothing much in her life to smile about. That's something I could understand. I was like her, once upon a time. Come to think of it, she was always alone. Didn't she have any friends? She was always sad and gloomy. I felt sorry for her. I really, really did.
Master Frost handed us our assignment packets for our new job internships. When she got to my desk, I gave her a sweet smile. "Have a nice day, master frost. By the way, you look lovely today. Red is so your color. It totally makes your eyes pop! Riley has a great stylist on speed dial. Strawberry blonde would seriously complement your skin tone, you know? Let me know if you're interested, OK?"
"no, thank you. I think I just might retire early. I seriously need a drink." She muttered bitterly before quickly leaving the room.
"I'm sorry. You deserve so much better." I whispered softly, but she was already gone.
"Hey, Annalise. Do you want to hang out, like, let's have lunch together?" asked Meril, bouncing up behind me, and motioning to her twin brother, Hector, over her shoulders. "Isn't Riley's birthday coming up soon? We should go shopping together."
"I can't. Not today. I have something to do. Sorry, maybe another time?" I made it sound like a question, because, honestly, I had no intention of spending more time with the terror twins than I absolutely had to.
"Hot date?" asked Hector, taking my books from me, and stacking them neatly in my locker. For a second, I thought I had seen a dark look come across his face, but it was there and gone so quickly, that I wasn't sure if I had only imagined it. I glanced up at his expression, which held his confident trademark smirk as always. I guess I was more tired than I thought. After this, I was going home to take a much deserved shower with a nice cup of hot tea for good measure.
"Hey, listen, lunch was a bad idea. Just forget it, yeah? Besides, we both need to fit into our dresses, right? For the party, I mean? It might be hard for you to find clothes, considering how athletic you are. We might have to get you something that is custom made, but you always look great in all your outfits. Not like me, obviously," Meril said, flipping her hair with a little laugh. "I always end up looking like a walking tomato on steroids." she added before I could answer Hector's question. She was fishing for compliments, and I wasn't gonna give her the satisfaction of pretending to play her twisted little game. Not today. Besides, Hector was just as muscular as I was, if not more so.
Not for the first time, I wondered why I was even friends with these people, but, I already knew the answer to that question. Us monsters, well, we had to stick together, after all. And if I had anything to say about it, our world would have one less monster when I was done putting my plan into place.
Revenge would be mine, I thought. It was only a matter of time. I wouldn't always be at their mercy, I promised myself. I wouldn't always be a monster.
"Come on, Annalise," yelled Riley in the distance, frantically gesturing to me with her freshly manicured hand. Today she was wearing hot pink nail polish. Such a girly girl, I thought, feeling amused. "The car is here. If we're early, mom says we can have snowbread for dessert if we complete our chores on time. It's toffee flavored, your favorite." She blew me a kiss. I scowled, covering my mouth in order to hide my smile.
Hector started waving to Riley.
"what are you doing?" hissed Meril, angrily slapping his hand down. "We, don't, talk to the prissy little pretentious Princess, remember?"
Hector pulled her hair playfully. "She's a total babe, though. Not as hot as you, of course. He winked at me
Gross, I thought. He could murder me in my sleep. I could always kill him first, though.
I groaned. I was ready to put this day to rest. The sooner, the better. I sighed.
Waving goodbye to the twins, I quietly headed for home.
"And where do you think you're going, young lady?" My mom was blocking the door to my room. "You're not going anywhere. You have chores to do. You're cleaning out the Griffin cages, today, like, right now. After the way you treated Master Frost, you should be ashamed of yourself. I raised you better. I'm disappointed in you, Annalise."
I side. "I know, mom. I'll make it up to her soon, I promise. Besides, I realized the error of my waist today in class, so I don't need to be punished, right?" I laughed lightly.
"Nice job, honey. You still have work to do. Be thankful that I'm not letting you use your hands. You're getting to use technology, and I know how much you love your technology." She smiled warmly at me. I scowled. So much for going surfing, I thought with a pang of regret.
I can't believe that my mom was punishing me. Me? I'm a princess. I shouldn't be punished for my indiscretions. OK, yeah, I was a bit mean to Master Frost today, but, who cares? I thought resentfully, knowing that I was only blowing off steam. I was wrong. I knew that. Still, I hated This job. What's the point of having a stable master if he wasn't going to do his job? I bet Indra's parents didn't make her clean Griffin cages when she was a kid.
My frustration had reached its peak as I continued to clean the griffin cages with the help of the high-tech cleaning drones. These advanced drones made the task more efficient, but today's mess was exceptionally disgusting. I muttered angrily to myself while i adjusted my wristband's settings to increase the cleaning power of the drones, directing them to focus on the most stubborn stains and odors.
"These griffins sure know how to make a mess," I grumbled. My voice was tinged with barely disguised irritation. I couldn't help but wish the griffins were more considerate of my efforts.
The cleaning drones, equipped with tiny, flexible scrubbing arms, responded to my commands. They worked diligently, tackling the accumulated grime with expert precision. I begrudgingly acknowledged their effectiveness, but my frustration still simmered hotly beneath the surface.
I approached the cage occupied by Thunderstrike, a feisty male griffin who seemed particularly agitated by the buzzing sound of the drone. His feathers were ruffled, and he emitted a warning screech, revealing his sharp beak and talons. Fully aware of Thunderstrike's nasty temperament, I cautiously walked towards his cage, holding a tray of cookies as a peace offering. "Easy there, Thunderstrike," I said soothingly. "I know you're not a fan of these drones, but they're helping to clean your home."
Unfortunately, Thunderstrike wasn't in the mood for diplomacy. He lunged at one of the drones, his talons narrowly missing it. My heart raced as I pulled back my hand, narrowly avoiding an injury. The griffin's aggressive behavior further fueled my anger.
"Fine! Be that way!" I snapped, my temper getting the better of me. "Maybe I should just leave your cage a mess, huh? See how you like that!"
But even in my frustration, I couldn't bring myself to neglect the griffins. I took a deep breath, calmed myself, and with a few taps on my wristband, adjusted the drone's settings to ensure they stayed clear of Thunderstrike's cage. I returned to my task, determined to finish the job, even if it meant dealing with some unruly griffins.
As the cleaning drones continued their work, I couldn't help but admire the majestic creatures, despite their mischievous tendencies. I knew I had a long way to go in both school and griffin care, but I was determined to prove myself, not just to my mother, but also to the creatures I had grown to love.
However, Thunderstrike's agitation continued to escalate. He lunged at one of the drones again, tearing through the nets meant to restrain him. Oh, dear, I was now facing a loose and angry griffin. I felt my heart pounding with fear.
Desperation and adrenaline fueled my next actions. I activated my wristband's emergency signal, alerting the palace security personnel to the dangerous situation. Even though I was fairly confident that I could take him in a fight, I wasn't going to take any chances. Somebody could seriously get hurt if I screwed up, and death by Griffin was not on the agenda for me, but in the moments that followed, it was only the two of us in a tense standoff. I could feel the weight of responsibility and my mom's expectations pressing down on me. I knew I had to regain control, but it had to be done without harming Thunderstrike.
With a blazing fiery flame of challenge burning in my eyes, I activated my wristband's magical interface, projecting a shimmering magical barrier around myself. The transparent energy shield acted as a protective barrier between Thunderstrike and me. I spoke confidently, hoping to calm the agitated griffin through a combination of magic and firm resolve.
"Thunderstrike, we do not have to fight," I said, my voice carrying the weight of authority. "We can work together to keep your home clean."
But Thunderstrike, fueled by his feisty nature, saw the shimmering barrier as a challenge. He let out a piercing screech and lunged at the magical shield with all his might. His sharp beak and talons scraped against the surface, creating a series of vivid sparks as the magical energy absorbed his attacks.
I clenched my jaw, determined not to give in to my fear. I tapped into my wristband's control panel again, and the cleaning drones responded, positioning themselves strategically around Thunderstrike's cage. They deployed nets of soft, flexible silicone plushes that were designed to gently restrain the griffin without causing harm.
Thunderstrike, momentarily caught off guard, struggled against the nets and began to squawk in agitation, flapping his wings in a fierce updraft that almost knocked me clear off my feet. But the drones, guided by my expert control, held firm.
Still behind my magical shield, I kept my voice calm and soothing. "Thunderstrike, it doesn't have to be this way. We can coexist peacefully. Please, calm down."
Slowly, the griffin's rage began to subside. His feathers settled, and he stopped struggling against the nets. It was as if he sensed that the battle was futile.
I took a step back, deactivating the magical barrier. I approached Thunderstrike cautiously, offering him a cookie from her tray as a gesture of peace. The griffin, still wary, accepted the treat with a more subdued demeanor.
The cleaning drones continued their work, now unimpeded by Thunderstrike's aggressive behavior. I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. I had managed to diffuse a potentially dangerous situation through a combination of futuristic technology, magic, and my determination to care for the griffins.
As I resumed my cleaning, I knew that earning the trust and respect of these magnificent creatures would be a challenging journey, but it was one I was willing to embark on. With a deep breath, I continued my work, ready to prove myself to both my mom and the enigmatic creatures I had grown to love.