Amity couldn't force herself to move, or even to reach out to her in return and she regretfully looked back over her shoulder as Luz was dragged out through the door. The door closed and she felt the possessive hand of her mother on her shoulder as she squeezed her eyes shut. She shrugged the hand off angrily, trying to contain her tears. "You have no right…"
"We have every right." Odalia replied. "We are your parents. Consider this a lesson in keeping deals, Amity. We told you what would happen if you associated with the wrong people."
Amity continued to shrink away from her mother. "Well… well, they're gone now. You can't make me not be friends with them!"
Odalia bent down to look her daughter in the eye and smiled. "Do you think we don't have influence with the Bonesborough News? Or the Park Practice? Are you willing to allow their families to be destroyed for your useless connections? You are a Blight, Amity. Start acting like it!"
Amity turned to her father, who was busy inspecting an elongated skull chiselled out of crystal from Principal Bump's shelf. Principal Bump was watching the exchange between Amity and Odalia awkwardly, and she understood why even her school principal was intimidated by her mother. "I… no. I'm sorry."
Odalia stood up to her full height again in satisfaction. "I thought not. Now I suggest that you get to class and pick up the extra homework that you have neglected these last few weeks." Amity found herself frozen in place despite shivering in fear and confusion. "Now." Odalia said in a terrifyingly calm tone. "We will be speaking with your professors as well, and believe me, we could be using this time to prepare for the presentation tonight instead."
Her shoulders felt heavy, like the survival of her friends, and even her family's livelihood rested on them. She nodded, turned on her heel and quietly left the office before running to the washroom. She burst through the door before finally releasing the tears that were welling up in her eyes and she splayed her hands on either side of the sink. Her skin was hot, and she felt the need to scream despite every part of her not being able to for fear of making a scene.
"Ugh. What's your problem now?" Boscha asked as she stepped up beside her after exiting one of the stalls. "Your new friends break up with you already?"
Amity took a ragged breath, sobbing a few times before finally regaining her composure. She wiped her cheeks and took a breath before taking the time to speak. "Actually, they were expelled for being my friends."
"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard." Boscha replied. "Serves them right though. Being friends with a Blight seems like poison for anyone."
Amity watched through the mirror as Boscha flipped her hair and exited the washroom. Tears were threatening to flow again but she choked them back with a deep breath. Maybe she was a poison. Maybe she had wasted the last month trying to get close to people she never should have.
"No." she said to herself. "Work hard. Stay focused. Three more years and you can join a Coven." she continued, forcing a smile before her thoughts quickly turned sour. "Of course Luz will probably be back in the human realm." she said, taking another calming breath. "But you'll figure out your future then. Maybe if you prove you can work hard while being friends with them, it'll convince mom to let them back into school. You just need to… work doubly hard." she sighed. She took another look in the mirror to make herself presentable and then exited the washroom.
It was second period by now, which meant that she was already late for her Abomination Nation class with Professor Orabas. She raced to her locker, picked up the appropriate textbook, and entered the class as stealthily as she could. The students were quietly taking notes while the Professor magically animated a piece of chalk to mark their lecture down on the board.
Orabas paused long enough to nod at her in acknowledgement and then continued. Amity opened her books and took notes as quickly as she could despite the struggle to concentrate on anything other than the events of the morning. The lecture was further study into the dangers of allowing abominations to gain sentience as they could become notoriously hard to control once they did.
The class ended before Amity could catch up and Orabas placed two more texts onto Amity's desk. "Your parents came to visit me this morning, asking about your grade in my class and suggested that you be given extra homework to stay on task." they explained. "My offer for dream interpretation still stands…"
"I'm fine! I'm… fine." Amity snapped, stacking the extra books on top of each other and cradling them in her arms. The last thing she needed right now was her mother learning what or who she was dreaming about lately. She left without another word and hurried to her Astronology class where she was given another extra text to study to make up for her less than perfect assignments.
Her Biology and Alchemy class didn't treat her any better. Mr. Pectoralis had diagrams of a variety of demons on the board, citing chapter six of Building Better Bipeds as the source of the day's lecture… As well as chapters six of both Bugs and Bones, and Being a Beast. Amity adjusted her already heavy stack of textbooks in her arms and groaned.
The lunch bell screamed and Amity found an empty classroom to sit in with her stack of books. After passing Principal Bump wiping his eyes on the way to his office, she had found a vending demon to grab an assortment of snacks and set to work. She couldn't shake the guilt she was feeling at having gotten not only Willow expelled, but Luz and Gus too. They certainly hadn't been a part of any deal, though she supposed her mother probably had some kind of clause stating the deal extended to anyone not approved by her. She was regretting not paying attention to the minutia of the everlasting oath spell as an eight year old.
She opened her Abomination Education 201 text from the class she missed this morning, taking note of the chapters that had been assigned for study. The material was covering compression of abomination material in order to conveniently transport an abomination made from custom ingredients. Amity had seen her father carry a massive amount of the purple sludge in a cylinder on his back for when he knew he would be needing it away from the manor or factory. If she could master this skill, she would bet that she would be able to just carry a jar or flask around to keep her custom abomination in; possibly even keeping the container in an extra dimensional space like her scroll.
Time flew by and she realized that her Magical Defence Techniques class was on the other side of the school. She slammed her textbook shut, noting the fashionable Abomination Coven head witch on its cover, and stacked it with her other books. It would be faster to exit the school and go around, rather than navigating the halls, and she raced as fast as she could to the front doors with her cargo.
The stack of books wobbled to and fro until she reached the front steps of the school and they toppled, clearing Amity's view of where she was going. She crouched to try to pick it up, instead dropping another, and she sighed in frustration. She managed to grab one of the books and pile it back onto her collection before noticing Luz standing alone at the foot of the stairs, looking forlorn. Reluctantly, Amity acknowledged her, unable to directly meet the human's gaze. "I'm… I'm sorry. I was a coward in there." she started, recalling the events of the morning again. "But my mom…"
Luz stepped up to her, holding an arm uncomfortably. Her sagging shoulders, dragging feet, and sad eyes made Amity want to reach out protectively and tell her that she would fix this, just like they had in Willow's mind, but she truly had no idea where to start. "Hey, I get it." Luz said, her eyes turning back to meet Amity's. "You're scared of her. But I'm not, and I need you to take me to her. She seemed open to talking things through."
Amity frowned. "No… No, Luz, you don't have to do that." She knew this was a bad idea. At best, Odalia would probably trap Luz in some kind of deal like she had Amity. At worst, her parents might find some way to use a human in their weapons development or sow fear in their investors that humans would be coming to their doors.
Luz looked down at the remaining book on the ground and bent down to pick it up. "Yes, I do. Willow and Gus don't deserve this." she said, offering the book back to Amity in a pleading gesture. "So will you help me, please?"
The consequences for both herself and her new friends of interfering with her parent's plans flashed through Amity's mind. Her mother had already threatened Willow's and Gus's families and their livelihoods. She had no idea how they would retaliate against Luz and Eda, whom not only had no official livelihood to ruin, but were the Emperor's most wanted. It would just be better for everyone if she stayed out of it. "I… I can't." she admitted. The school bell screamed, signalling the beginning of the next class. "I have to go." Steadying her books, she gingerly accepted the book Luz offered and balanced it in the crook of her arm before turning away and slogging toward the next class.
Again, she was late. She fumbled with her school texts, not having had the time to return to her locker to ease her load, and straightened them in embarrassment as the already congregated class watched. She cursed her own blushing skin as she fell into line, awaiting her assigned sparring partner. She could faintly hear Chadraham whispering to his nearby classmates and laughing, undoubtedly repeating news of her breakdown in the washroom earlier that Boscha wouldn't hesitate to spread.
Despite her tired and sore arms, Amity was eager to let off some steam and sort through her growing frustration with her parents. Unfortunately, due to her late arrival, she was paired with Solis, whose sole aspirations were little more than getting through each day in one piece, rather than actively striving to become more than a Not Dog vendor.
Each pair of students went through their drills and a quick sparring match, followed by a critique from their peers and Miss Jenkinmeyer. As Amity and Solis were called to their duelling positions, she rolled her shoulders, trying to calm herself. Solis seemed nervous, as usual, despite the encouragement from his friends in the class. He took his position, trying his best to look confident, and Amity stood across from him, flexing her fingers in anticipation.
The events of the day still had her emotional, and all of her repressed anger toward her parents was bubbling on the surface of her mind. The moment Miss Jenkinmeyer said, "Go!" she lifted her hand in a fist before Solis was able to begin drawing a spell circle. A massive fist instantly grew from the floor, punching Solis into the ceiling hard enough to shake the dust from the cracks between the stone.
"Sorry!" Amity shouted, cupping her hands over her mouth. The pillar of abomination mud descended, gently lowering a stunned Solis down to the floor. "Are you okay?" she asked, still keeping her distance from him as Miss Jenkinmeyer approached and helped him to his feet.
Solis staggered to a standing position and put a hand to his head, reinflating it with a concentrated breath. But it wasn't him everyone was looking at. It was her, and as the class fell eerily silent, Amity could hear Chadraham whisper, "Boscha said she was going soft."
An assortment of giggles ran through the students and Amity felt herself blush, but she forced herself to stay despite her embarrassment. "There's no need to apologize, Ms. Blight." Miss Jenkinmeyer said once she made sure that Solis didn't need medical attention. "But perhaps we should pair you against someone a little more challenging next time." The dismissal bell screamed and the students began filing out of the room to their next class when the instructor approached Amity. "Your parents came to visit me this morning."
Amity heaved a sigh, ready for the next assignment of more homework that she would have to carry with her. "Yeah, they said they would be. I'm sorry about that, Miss Jenkinmeyer. I'm supposed to double my homework until my grades improve again."
"I'm afraid your mother wasn't particularly happy with what I had to say." the instructor announced, causing Amity to frown. "Your father however, was quite impressed."
"He… he was?" Amity asked in surprise.
"Oh yes. He was quite attentive to what I had to say, and I'm sure you're aware how much of a challenge that can be." she chuckled, flashing her new teeth. "I remember your parents from my classes quite well from when they were students here. While your recent attendance could use some work, you remain the top of my class. Your recent improvements and adaptability have made you quite formidable. Your mother insisted I give you more homework but I have none to give you. Instead, I told her to allow you to continue studying however you have been." she smiled, placing a craggy hand on Amity's shoulder. "No amount of homework can compare to real world experience, and I've gotten the impression that you've been receiving an abundance of that lately."
Amity could feel her eyes begin to water and she mustered a smile. She knew that Miss Jenkinmeyer had even taught Principal Bump and was nearing retirement soon, so Odalia's usual intimidation tactics were likely ineffective on the old demon. She had been teaching since the Savage Ages and had seen it all. Hearing such words of encouragement that Amity hadn't heard anywhere else was monumental. "I have, and I will, Miss Jenkinmeyer." she choked out, nodding before turning away. "Thank you."
She picked up her books with a grunt, twirling a free finger to magically open the door when Miss Jenkinmeyer let out an exasperated huff. "Ms. Blight! You're an abomination student! Act like it!"
"Huh?" Amity said, turning to face the instructor. The elderly woman gestured at the cumbersome stack of books that she was carrying and growled. Amity looked down at them and rolled her eyes in disbelief. Her morning had flustered her so badly that she hadn't even thought of summoning an abomination to carry her books for her. She drew a small spell circle again that translated to a larger one in the duelling area. "Abomination, rise!" she ordered, conjuring an adult sized, three eyed, pink and purple mud creature from the circle that awaited her orders. "Thank you, Miss Jenkinmeyer!" she shouted, handing her stack of books to her new companion.
The old demon shook her head and waved her away, moving to prepare herself for her next set of students as Amity left the room with her abomination in tow. She pushed through the growing crowd of older students that were collected outside of the room, including her own siblings. "You're going to be late again, Mittens!" Edric commented, pointing at the time displayed next to the bell in the hall. Snickers could be heard reverberating through the crowd at the nickname, and Amity growled at her brother.
"Have fun watching the door at the sale again tonight, Ed." she replied. "Is it as boring as it looks?"
"Yes!" Edric replied with a grin before thinking. "Wait…" he added before being lightly smacked by his twin sister in the chest.
Emira rolled her eyes at her brother before turning to Amity as the rest of the students entered the classroom. "Mom said they were starting early tonight to show off Dad's big new project so she wanted us to go to the factory as soon as we're done today."
"Oh. She didn't say anything to me about that…" Amity said in surprise.
Her sister shrugged and the next period bell screamed. "Better get to class, Mittens. Mr. Kahn isn't very forgiving of late students." Emira giggled along with Edric as they left.
Amity growled and started to sprint down the hall to her next class before stopping and looking back at her abomination that was slowly plodding along, trying to keep up to her while it carried her books. "Come on!" she shouted, running back and taking it by the arm. She tried to pull it with her to little effect, and decided to take her Lore book and notes from the stack in its arms and continued to class.
The creature would follow her at its own pace at least, and she slid up to the door a few minutes later. She fixed her hair, took a breath, and entered the room as quietly as she could. Much to Emira's credit however, Mr. Kahn took notice of her immediately and stopped his lecture, waking several students in the process. "Ms. Blight! Welcome to class. I'm glad you found the time to honor our Emperor's historical account." he said dryly, eyeing her with disapproval as she took her seat. Amity was blushing brightly as all eyes were on her yet again and she opened her text to the page number listed on the board at the front of the classroom.
The remainder of the lecture revolved around how toward the end of the Savage Ages, wild magic became far too dangerous to continue to wield. There was an entire chapter in the text about how the city of Patella was blown off the peak of the Knee due to the misuse of magic, and it was often considered the turning point in Boiling Isles history that caused Emperor Belos to take a stand and lead witches and demons into the Coven system.
Amity found herself daydreaming despite knowing she had half of a class to catch up on. Luz would have been in her beginner Abomination class right now if she hadn't been expelled. She flipped the page in her notebook, finding scribbles from a week before of Luz and herself in overly dramatic scenarios and sharing last names or what she thought spending time in the Human Realm would be like. Despite how she felt though, she knew Luz was only interested in being friends and she crossed out the experimental names with a sigh. Still, having friends like Luz, Willow, and Gus would be an improvement over Boscha, and she was confident that eventually, her feelings for Luz would subside over time.
"Amity?!" Mr. Kahn called, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Noceda!" Amity called back. Her eyes went wide and her face flushed in embarrassment as snickers rippled through the class.
"Pardon me?" the snake-like instructor asked.
"I mean, no… I see… ya?" she stammered, pinching her lips together to keep from embarrassing herself any more.
Mr. Kahn looked confused for a moment before shaking his head. "I'll ask again; What can you tell the class about the Golden Guard?"
Amity hesitated for a moment, searching her memory for what she had read about the prestigious position in the Emperor's Coven, as well as her brief experience in the position thanks to Jinn. "Well, they are considered the Emperor's most trusted advisor and enforcer of his will. Their crest and staff are unique and handed down from guard to guard."
"Yes, and?"
"Uhm… they're considered the best of the Emperor's Guard?" she added, struggling to recall any more details.
Mr. Kahn frowned and pointed to another student that let out a bark and a growl. "Exactly." the instructor said. "You'd do well to pay as much attention in class as Barkus, Ms. Blight." he said as the next dismissal bell screamed. As the first students reached the door, it opened to reveal Amity's abomination waiting outside with her stack of books, groaning regretfully. "If I may have a word?" Mr. Kahn asked before Amity could rush off to her next class.
Amity sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, already aware of what he was going to say. "Yes, Mr. Kahn. I'm aware that my parents have probably asked you to assign me extra homework." she replied, her words coming out far more sarcastic than she had intended.
The reptilian demon raised his brow and his tongue flicked out in quiet irritation. "Indeed they did. Though I'm worried about your recent attendance, and your lack of attention in my class. In fact, many of your teachers have expressed concern about your behavior over the last few weeks."
She suppressed her argument about being the top student only a month ago and how other students got away with far worse behavior. She saved the school and several students from the pixie infestation for crying out loud! "It's turned into a bit of a rough start to the new semester, sir. I'll try to do better." she finally said, choosing her words carefully.
"You've been on a fast track to joining the most prestigious coven there is. Even you could become the Golden Guard if you keep at it. I've heard the current one is the youngest one to reach the position so far."
Amity couldn't help but remember the few seconds that she had held the position by way of her wish, and been subsequently petrified. She forced a smile after shaking the image from her mind. "Here's hoping…"
"At any rate, here is your extra homework." he added, dropping three more large tomes in her arms. "I suggest you read through them for our next class."
"Yes, sir." she said. She exited the room and placed the next texts onto the current stack that her abomination held and extracted the next book she would need for Abominations! Style vs. Substance. It was written by the current head of the Abomination Coven, a man named Darius Deamonne, that looked vaguely familiar. "I wonder if dad knows him…" she asked herself. Fortunately, the class wasn't as far, and she reached her desk with a moment to spare while her companion took a position beside her. Professor Homunculus was already writing notes on the board before the students were all in attendance, and Amity hoped that she remained his favored student and would go easy on the extra homework.
The professor had a special eagerness to hand out extra homework unfortunately, and despite her performance at designing and reshaping her abomination, Professor Homunculus gleefully placed two more texts onto her growing stack for her remaining Abomination classes.
Amity left the classroom and arrived at her locker, glaring in resignation at the number of texts and notebooks cradled in her abomination's arms. Some were beginning to stain pink and purple from being held by the creature for so long and it groaned apologetically. "It's okay." she sighed, taking the texts it had been holding the longest into her own arms to keep them from getting any worse. Her notebooks already had a lilac tinge to the pages, but her parents wouldn't approve of the books that were paid for becoming ineligible for a return deposit.
The walk home was long with the heavy books weighing down her arms, but surprisingly not as lonely as usual as she bounced her scattered thoughts off of her abomination that plodded along beside her with intermittent groans. "I'd be surprised if Willow or Luz ever want to talk to me again. How can I be such a coward? I nearly tore apart the school for my mother's approval and a stupid badge! I'm a Blight! I shouldn't feel like a people pleaser!"
The abomination growled a response.
"Yeah, but I was so close to having a group of friends that were nice to each other, y'know? And now even my old friends hate me. I felt so alone leading up to Grom Night. I pretty much had nothing left to lose, but then Luz and I had that dance…" she smiled and closed her eyes as she awkwardly twirled with her cargo, "I was able to finally stand up to Boscha in the Grudgeby game and Luz carried me to the infirmary…"
The abomination groaned a question.
"True, I could have just gotten an abomination to help maybe. I… I was pretty out of it though. I felt kinda bad with how tired she must have been but it felt like I was being carried by a hero. And then watching her on the crystal ball as she escaped the Emperor…" She trailed off as the abomination continued to follow, making the odd acknowledgement as she rambled on.
"You know what? I am a Blight!" Amity announced as she climbed the stairs to the manor and the door opened at her approach. "As soon as the sale is done this week and my grounding is done, I'm going to tell mom and dad that it's time for me to be more independent. To choose my own friends, and my own future!"
She handed the books she was carrying to her abomination and wordlessly instructed it to carry them upstairs to her room. She heard the rattling of plateware as the abomibutler was on its way across the otherwise quiet living room. Now that the weight of her homework was off, she felt exhaustion begin to set in. She stretched and yawned, unclasping her cowl and absently holding it out for the abomibutler to take care of as she left the foyer. "Mom?! I'm ready for the show tonight."
A note that was clipped to the hearth beneath the family portrait that hung hauntingly above the fireplace caught her attention. She pulled the parchment from its place curiously and repeated it aloud. "We found a replacement?" she asked, confused. They wouldn't use an employee; they would ask for extra pay. But who would be stupid enough to volunteer to demonstrate abomination based weapons…
She gasped and spun, finally acknowledging the abomibutler's presence. "Did anyone come to the house today?!"
The large creature groaned; its usual sagging, monstrous features having been manipulated into a more cute, if still sagging, whiskered feline visage. Amity growled, knowing exactly who would be stupid enough to volunteer to demonstrate Blight Industries weapons.