Chapter 2: The Teal Hair Girl.
"That's an echo, gentlemen. Just a little somethin' we have here in Louisiana. Little "parlor trick," don't worry." - Dr. Facilier
"Are you sure this will work?" Asks a girl. She had bright sky-blue eyes, shoulder-length curly dark brown hair, fair skin, and rosy cheeks. She looked like she could be a living doll. She was wearing a yellow dress with red polka dots.
"I'm sure. The curse will sneeze right off!" Replies Fascienne. She handed her the potion. The girl drank the potion and sneezed after she swallowed it.
"I hate you Fia." She said, She pressed her nose, surprised that it didn't grow from the lie. "How did you do it!?" She asked astounded.
Fascienne smiled. "Voodoo." She said, the daughter of Facilier quickly woke up from the dream. "Gross." She said to herself. It was that same dream. She was in some room that looked like a lab; giving a doll-looking girl a potion. That had supposedly cured her of some sort of strange curse. She had never seen this girl before. Was she on the Isle? She didn't look like someone who would live on the Isle. Was she herself on the Isle? That room looked too nice; and most importantly, was she friends with this girl? She did say she hated her, but she acted way too friendly and she herself was friendly with the girl. Fascienne did not like the dream. The dream made her feel strange inside. Fascienne Facilier was not friends with anyone. Unless you counted Aqua. But that was different.
Aqua is Fascienne's seahorse. She's beautiful and fun. Fascienne found Aqua one day at Ursula's Fish and Chips. She found her in a jar full of fish bones and intestines. Fascienne wasn't sure what the workers at the restaurant were planning to do with her, other than cook the seahorse; so she brought her home and put her in a tank free from fish parts. Other than that, Fascienne hated the thought of friends. It made her feel sick.
Fascienne got off her squeaky bed and picked up some clothes that were scattered on her floor. Fascienne liked leaving her clothes on the floor. It was easier to pick an outfit and go. Fascienne picked up a gothic teal top, black fishnet gloves, and black distressed leggings. Perfect.
She looked at her cracked mirror and started combing her hair. Her hair used to be purple, but she dyed it blue after hearing about what Mal did to Mad Maddy's hair. When Mal left the Isle, she stopped dyeing her hair, but the color made it turn into a teal color. She didn't mind it. It made her feel unique. Honest John's son had once told her that she looked prettier with blue hair because it matched her eye color. Johnny was such a flirt.
Fascienne put on her black headband with a miniature top hat with a teal feather sticking out; black and white combat boots and left the house. She couldn't stop thinking about the girl in her dreams. She's been having this same dream for weeks now. The dream lingered in Fascienne's mind like an elusive fog as she navigated the Isle's gritty streets. The mystery of the doll-like girl and the potion troubled her. It was an oddity, a puzzle piece from a realm beyond her usual schemes and sly maneuvers. The teal-haired daughter of Facilier was not accustomed to such mysterious intrusions into her subconscious.
"Hey Fia!" A boy with a fox-like face, red hair, brown eyes, tanned skin, and charismatic grin; walked toward her. He was wearing a green shirt, blue jeans with holes, and worn-down gray combat boots.
"Hey, Johnny." Fascienne didn't mind being called "Fia"; it was easier to say than Fascienne after all, and quicker.
"I swiped you a blueberry muffin." Johnny said, tossing a muffin to her. Fascienne talked to Johnny; only because they were good at pulling schemes together. Johnny being his charismatic self would distract the individual by talking to them while Fascienne being so quiet will pickpocket anything they had on them. Sometimes they switched. Fascienne would give a fortune to the person while Johnny would pickpocket from them. It was double the earnings that way. The fortune that was paid for and the items that were pilfered. They're a perfect duo.
"You couldn't steal anything less moldy?" She asked.
"That was the least moldy one. There was one all blue-greenish and white, and puffy. I bet if someone ate that one they would taste nothing but mold." Johnny said.
"You are gross." Fascienne bites into her expired muffin.
"I was just describing it." Johnny eats a moldy blueberry bagel that he swiped for himself. "Something wrong Fia? You seem bothered by something." He asked. Fascienne wondered how he could tell. Most of the time she carried a deadpan expression. From her monotone voice to her rarely smiling. Even if she was happy she wouldn't show much expression.
"Since when were you worried about me?" She asked.
"I was just asking." He said.
"It's nothing." Fascienne answered. She hasn't told Johnny about the dreams either. They were merely stealing partners and nothing more.
"It is something." Johnny said.
"And you can tell how?" Asked Fascienne.
"Your face looks more furrowed. Not sure how to explain it." He said.
"Just stuff with my dad." Fascienne lied.
"I get what you mean. My dad keeps telling me to steal something that would get us off the Isle. Like that will ever happen." Johnny said. He rubbed the back of his head. "You know…Queenie Hearts is having a party-"
"I don't do parties." Fascienne said curtly.
"Come on." Johnny said.
"Why do you want to go?"
"Well because…I guess I want to dance with you?" He said in an unsure tone. Fascienne looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Being the daughter of Facilier, she could tell when someone is lying or being deceitful. With the way his eyes were, he was not kidding.
"We're just stealing partners, Johnny." Fascienne said.
"I know. But you're the only one here I like to be around. I do like hanging out with Gibson. But I like wasting my time with you more." Johnny felt a little awkward saying that. But relaxed a little when he saw that Fascienne didn't seem to care.
"I guess I'll go."
Johnny smiled. "Great! I'll swing by your house tonight." He said. The two enter Dragon Hall. Johnny headed to Evil Schemes and Nasty Plots. Fascienne headed to Weird Science. Fascienne sat in Weird Science class. The class used to be taught by Yen Sid. Until her father discovered the Anti-Heroes Club. He disbarred the group and replaced Yen Sid with Varian. His daughter Valerie is at the top of this class. When Fascienne dyed her hair blue the other students talked about how they looked like twins. Fascienne often saw her and Gaston's daughter, Gabrielle, together. It wasn't really surprising. Valerie loved science. Gabrielle loved to read. Both were book-smart.
How ironic it is that a child of Gaston loves reading. Gabrielle's head was always stuck in a book. Even if students were talking in the halls, or being loud in a classroom nothing ever seemed to break her concentration while she read. If she was not reading she was talking to Valerie. Fascienne did not read much. Her mind was too constantly all over the place for her to sit down and read a book. Plus all the books here were either damaged or had missing pages. Fascienne wondered how Gabrielle could read the books here. Maybe she used her imagination on what happened in the story.
Fascienne was making a voodoo string doll out of twine while listening to Varian talk about alchemy and elements. Keeping her hands busy is what helped her pay attention in class. Her doll-making had gotten her in trouble a lot. Especially during Gothel's classes. She believed she wasn't paying attention to her. The only teacher who didn't seem to mind it was Varian. Although Fascienne could tell that he gets somewhat creeped out whenever he saw them.
Another thing the Varian did that other Dragon Hall teachers didn't do was that he gave you detention for being bad. She had seen Mad Maddy, Anthony Tremaine, Ginny Gothel, and the Gaston Twins get detention the most. This had caused some minor clashes between him and her father for disciplining the students. She sometimes heard them arguing with each other whenever she walked by the Headmaster's office. This unfortunately caused Valerie to get bullied. Because she's the daughter of the teacher who gives detention.
"Can anyone besides Valerie tell me if two atoms of the same element are identical?" Varian asked. No one answered. "Fascienne. Can you?" He asked. Fascienne paused on making her doll, having to think for a moment.
"No. Two atoms of the same element can be different if their electrons are in different states." She answered. Varian smiled.
"Excellent. Can anyone tell me if water can stay liquid below zero degrees celsius?" He asked. There wasn't an answer. "Class, this is so simple. You should all know this by now."
"Yes, water can stay liquid below zero degrees Celsius." Gabrielle answered timidly.
"That is correct." Bells rang across Dragon Hall as Claudine Frollo pulled down on them. Time for the next class. "Remember the test is tomorrow." Varian said as the class began heading out. "Good luck with your answers. And remember no cheating!" As the last student walked out, he looked toward the front door. "You know what happens to people who cheat at science..." He trailed off, waiting for someone to say it, but nobody did. "...they get detention and have to clean toilets until April!"
Fascienne walked through the hallways towards her next class. She passed by Valerie who was walking to class with Gabrielle. Valerie was wearing a dress today. It was brown and light blue and had a steampunk style to it. She was wearing black Victorian boots and her goggles were on her head as always. Gabrielle was wearing a raggedy red dress and brown boots. Her blonde ponytail was neatly tied in a red bow. Fascienne walked into Selfishness 101. Mother Gothel, as always, was fashionably late as she calls it. When she got to her seat she glanced around and noticed that the seats were full. Most people were sitting in pairs or small groups.
Next to her sat a girl with extremely curly black and white hair and dark skin. She had on a white shawl with black spots, a pearl necklace, a black tattered dress, red fingerless gloves and red boots. It was Mandie De Vil. The daughter of Cruella and the hunter who killed Bambi's mother. She was at the top of this class due to her vain personality. She was so vain that she will talk to you while looking at her cracked compact mirror. When she caught Fascienne staring she raised an eyebrow.
"You look like you've seen a ghost, dear." Mandie said as she put her compact back in its case.
"I hope you mean that in a good way." Fascienne said.
"I did, I was making a joke out of it. You know, daughter of Facilier? Ghosts?" She said.
"Oh right." She said. Mandie laughed as she turned away and turned on the front view camera on her phone taking selfies. Fascienne sat in silence for a moment wondering whether to speak to her. She decided against it. Mandie would probably be annoyed if she spoke anyway. Suddenly Mandie stopped her posing and spoke again;
"Did you do the homework?"
"You mean the selfies? I did." Fascienne answered.
"Can I see?" Mandie asked, Fascienne showed Mandie her cellphone. Mandie flipped through the selfies.
"You know what you need? Makeup. You have good bone structure, a bit of contouring and highlighting will help show that." Mandie said.
"Why would I put on make up? I think I look pretty without it."
"You do, which is why you need makeup to highlight your features. Using teal or sea green will help bring out your eyes." Mandie explained. "Also trim your eyebrows a little. You have naturally long eyelashes, so mascara isn't necessary." She added, she handed back her phone. Fascienne stared at her reflection using the front view camera. Mandie was right about her eyes. Her eyes were a vibrant blue. Her eyelashes were longer than normal. Fascienne never noticed how thick they were.
"Why are you being nice?" Fascienne asked.
"I'm vain sweetie. Not evil. Besides I like giving fashion and makeup advice. After I graduate Dragon Hall. I want to open my own salon here and be a beautician." Mandie explained.
"What do you think about my outfit?" Fascienne asked, Mandie looked her over.
"It's...beautiful. You could use some gold jewelry. Looks nice with your skin tone." She said. Mother Gothel enters the class.
"How many times do I have to tell you do not come on time? Be fashionably late." She said. "Anyway, let's get started." Mother Gothel started lecturing on the importance of selfishness.