8/26/17

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans

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Cursed

Chapter Seventeen: Level H

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September 13, 2008

He haunts my dreams at night.

Every night I see him- the boy in the Flash costume from the day of Jade and Roy's betrayal. The circumstances are always different, of course, but every night he makes an appearance. In a way I can't describe, my dreams haven't felt the same since he began to appear. My days of looking upon The Flash's heroics with starry eyes are long over, yet his presence has been comforting as the world around me continues to change. Even when I feel like I'm all alone, he's there for me every time I end my day. Sometimes, this small slither of consistency is the only thing that pushes me to get through the day.

But today, change is welcome. Today, I am 12 years old. And even though my birthdays haven't been a big deal since I joined the Junior HIVE Academy, this year I have something to celebrate. After all, it's not every day you graduate to Level H on your birthday.

So maybe the boy in my dreams will understand why I set an early alarm this morning. I was almost too excited to sleep at all, truth be told. The sight of my brand new uniforms, laying clean and shiny on the empty bed next to mine, haunted me as I tossed and turned last night. All I wanted was for today to finally be here, and now today is the day.

I admire myself in the mirror, feeling just a little arrogant. The Level H uniform is different from the uniform the other levels wear, setting us all apart as the highest level of the hierarchy. Unless, of course, you count the HIVE Academy. Graduations may be in December, but it's unlikely I'll make it far enough through the course to make it there. Most likely, I'll have to wait another year. But even if I do, just knowing that I'm a Level H is enough.

After I finish tying my hair into a ponytail, I sling my backpack over my shoulders and leave my room for the first time as a Level H. As I walk through the hallway, younger members of the academy stare in awe, just as I did at their age. You would think I was Madame Rouge! I'm nowhere near her level yet, but maybe someday…

The focus shifts away from me as I enter the cafeteria, as it always does. I have a way of blending in, despite my bubblegum pink hair and ash gray skin. Then again, there are stranger things to be seen here, and there are children with far more unusual characteristics. It's harder for physical beauty to dictate popularity here, though harder doesn't mean impossible.

I get my tray and take a seat at one of the empty tables. The sound of mindless chatter fills the air as I eat my breakfast. It's been a long time since I've been a part of the noise, and for good reason. A few tables away, Baran sits by himself as well. I can't help but feel sorry for him. He would've been in the HIVE Academy by now if Selinda's betrayal hadn't made him depressed out of his mind. With their 14th birthday coming up, this December he'll have no choice. Yet, this wasn't a problem for me. Rather, the betrayals that occurred that fateful day were what pushed me to become more focused, more driven. Now, the only thing I care about is becoming a full-fledged member of the HIVE, and I have Roy and Jade to thank.

Having no one to talk to has it's perks. When you're not talking, you finish eating much more quickly. This usually gives me time to read over my notes before class, although today my plans were set back by a minor annoyance.

And by annoyance, I mean Angela.

She advances towards me, followed by her clique. Over the years, it has grown in both size and annoyance, and some old "favorites" like Seymour have continued to mindlessly serve her over the years. Her lackeys are laughing and pushing each other around as they walk, though Angela's face is stony. It's almost as though my very presence is enough to ruin her day.

"Excuse me Mallory. I don't know if you're aware of this since you don't talk to anyone, but this is our table," she says, hand on hip.

Actually, I'm perfectly aware of that. I just don't give a crap.

"You know you can still sit here right?"

Angela looks as though I just insulted her mother. "Ew, as if! Not even Baran wants to sit by you."

I'm about to sass her back, but something behind her catches my eye- the headmistress walking out of the cafeteria, holding the hand of a young boy. He's probably around the age Jade was, if his height is any indication. The sight brings me back to when I first joined the academy. Back when I was young and innocent, and truly believed that my foster parents would even consider taking me back if I were to return. I know better now. They've probably settled down in Central-Keystone with my sister. The three of them are likely a happy, official family now. Maybe they even took in another (normal) child to replace me, hoping Lissy wouldn't notice the difference. And who knows? Maybe they've forgotten the difference as well.

"Mallory, are you even listening to me?" Angela shrieks, snapping me back to reality.

Seymour tugs on her shoulder. "Um, Angel? Can't we just find somewhere else to sit?"

Angela huffs and storms away, and her clique follows closely behind her. I roll my eyes and pull out my book in hopes of getting at least a little extra study time. However, before I can begin, Baran walks past and hands me a note.

"What's this?" I ask as I begin to unfold the note.

"Headmistress said to give it to you. Dunno what it's about," he says, walking away before I can say another word.

Mallory,

Meet me in my office at eleven o' clock sharp. Do not be late, or there will be consequences.

-Headmistress

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Hi again! Sorry it's been a while. I do have good news though! I'm officially finished writing the outline for this story! If everything goes according to plan, this story should be exactly sixty chapters long. I'm hoping to be finished writing it by this time next year. I also have my writing schedule sorted out, and I'll be aiming to update at least once every other week. Sometimes it may take me less time, sometimes it may take more, but at least it's a start.

In other news, I listened to Taylor Swift's new song yesterday. Those of you who aren't fans can feel free to ignore me, but holy crap! It's Jinx! It fits her so freaking well! Like, maybe it's just because I've been spending so much time thinking through Jinx's perspective, but still. So next time I have writer's block I'll try putting LWYMMD on loop and see if that helps ;)

Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews! I'm glad everyone liked seeing little Wally, and for those of you who are wondering Flinx is most definitely endgame. It'll take a while to get to that point, sure, but trust me when I say it's coming up ;)

Quote of the day!

"It's better than drugs, Jeremy- it's from Japan!" -Rich Goranski, Be More Chill

May the odds be ever in your favor,

Spectrobes Princess