Chapter 8

" What did the nurse say?" Darelle asked staring out the window, a figure stood behind him amidst the shadows of the dark room

" Just your normal discharge, nothing to be worried about" the figure assured

" Nothing to be worried about you say?, She destroyed her room with a crater sized explosion, how is that not a cause for concern?" he inquired

"She doesn't even recall what happened " the voice said

Darelle sighed steadying himself against his table as he looked out the window and unto the grounds of GOC, with an exasperated breath he said

"And what happens if she does go out of control"

There was silence in the room before Draygon's figure stepped out of the shadows with a stern look

" I'll personally put her down"

✨✨✨

We talked on and on and on until eventually the day was winding down,

" Oh faith I forgot to tell you, daddy says your rooms renovation isn't complete yet so you'll have to stay in mine for some time"

"Not a problem" she wasn't really looking forward to parting was with Stella. For yeh first time in her life, she had a friend and she would be dammed if she would let her go.

I followed her through the canteen a bit, no a lot happy; at what I dint know, but it didn't matter. Slowly but surely I was regaining the confidence I had one had.

We settled down at a table with our trays in hand, surprisinglu they were empty but when I asked her she sai

"Faith your in a school for witches, do you really think there aren't some perks to that"

I simply smiled along with her. Although I didn't quite understand what she meant it didn't matter because I saw the emresult a few seconds later

"Braised pork with cabbage slaw" she said, while I was still debating her reason for saying that, a bring glow emanated from her tray and seconds later, a sweet smell filled my nose.

It was surreal, just lying on the plate - a chunk of pork resting in a bed of cabbage. I immediately felt neglected.

"All those times I begged to eat from Crunchies dumpster, who knew all this awaited me"

Crunchies was a local eatery in Cross River- her hometown in Nigeria. It was an international brand with branches scattered across the 36 states. The time she slept by their entrance just to curry favour with the manager for a slice to eat now seemed bleak and pathetic, but then again, back then it was a struggle for; not jewelry, wealth or power, rather for survival.

I looked down at my plate with excitement and a true sense of happiness.

"I have finally made it" she said

Some would say she was delusional for basing her successes off of the ability to eat properly and without fear, but then again those people never knew what it was like to be fifteen and without a home.

Although she had been in the academy for long, she had never know that such a thing existed, usually a plate would slide through her dooelr at appropriate feeding hours and she would slide it right back whe s be was done.

I asked Stella how it worked and she told me to place my hand on the table; my sigil touchibg it, and then say what I wanted to it.

Now the next crisis emerged

-what did I want to eat- .

Never was I given the opportunity to choose, until now I had always eaten what was available, never minding the tast, composition or expiry date. It was a fierce world, and I needed to be a fierce person.

After much thought I said

"Jollof rice and moi moi "

Stella jokes at my accent and pronunciation, but I didn't mind. She was British while I was Nigerian, little needed to be said about the clear distinction between the two, socio-culturally even though the latter was colonised by the former.

As what happened a few moments ago, teh food appeared. She was a bit worried that the magic may not even know the meaning of -moi moi , but it seemed she had nothing to worry about if she ever thought of ordering -abacha.

They chatted as they are, discussing things if the majocal world as well as their lives

"So where did you grow up?" She asked me

I almost choked on the rice I ate. My life was a sad, miserable and pathetic soap opera, I didn't want to spoil the mood with sad tales so instead I kept quiet and retreated under the façade of being extremely hungry, stuffing my face.

She got the memo and immediately adapted

"Well I grew up in the bright city of London, Manchester to be exact. On a far east corner where the folk liked to call Bombrey" she sipped on her tea "it was the smallest place you could ever imagine, I and daddy had to rough it in an apartment which was no bigger than the size of your dorm room, we had to stay there for our own safety, you see daddy had been accused of something so he had to go into hiding until the truth was unearthed, but even afterwards, I made us stay. I don't know, I had a deep connection to the place" she finished.

What had started with a bright smile now ended with a teary contour looming over her face

"I know you must think I'm foolish for wanting to stay in a pig sty* she questioned with her gaze fixed on her tea

"Are you kidding me, I get you completely, there is no shame in that, who am I to judge you when I myself...I my..self"

"It's okay Faith, you can tell me when your ready, no pressure" she placed her hand on my back with a gentle shake to pull me from my closet of despair.

I didn't know what to say, she had just shared her most important secret with me and yet I couldn't share the same with her.

No, Faith, she is going to think your ungrateful and insensitive, tell her, just tell her.

But the words couldnt come out

"Hey it's time for our next class, finish up quickly or we will be late " she smiled giving Faith a nudge

"Alright I'm almost done" I answered and proceeded to finish my food as fast as I could.

We got up ready to go, but as we walked towards the exit, a familiar face brushed past her, turning to confirm who it was and I was rather disappointed to see the boy with the British accent

I took Stella's hand and continued to the door

"Hey wait!" His voice called from behind

"Faith what's going on?" Stella asked

" Nothing, I'll tell you about it later" she replied hurrying away from the canteen

✨✨✨

I had dragged her far enough before realising that I had actually dragged her through the halls while everyone stared at us in disbelief. I felt quite bad, but I just couldn't help it. I couldn't being myself to debate ideas on racist comments with Stella present. It would make her know who I truly am, and maybe she may not like it

"So willy wonks, is this the famous chocolate factory you were so intent on showing me" she exaggerated her hands spreading open to reveal a dead end.

"I'm sorry I.. I'll tell you later" she lowered her gaze afraid that Stella was going to lash out, but no matter how long she looked at the ground, the shout never came.

Instead when she looked up, she found Stella speedily typing her way on a rectangula contraption which she could only imagined to be a magic phone.

"Oh I'm gonna get Brian for this" she said in a firm tone.

Finally realising my stare, she put it back into her bag before dragging me along the very same hallway we had passed not too recently

"Let's hurry, Professor Andrea may be beautiful, but you would be a fool to think she cannot feed you to her plants for being late"

So we hurried down the halls and down the stairs, causing quite the commotion. I marveled at how we didnt manage to hit anyone in our high speed sprint, but we didn't.

Admist the wind hitting my face from running so fast, I caught myself smiling and laughing at the ridiculous stares of anyone we happened to sweep past. For the second time since being around Stella, I felt free.

Professor Andrea was the professor in charge of Magical forestry or whatever Stella had called it. She was a talk and slender woman, probably in her late forties but she looked to instead be in her twenties. At which Faith was finally certain that magic was in play bacause two weeks back when Faith had first entered the garden; which was were her class was held, she had introduced them to a variety of specimens.

One of which was the acclaimed "tears of youth" otherwise known as Evershade. A flower with properties akin to age reversal, although temporal. But I thought differently, like in Nigeria, not everything was made known to the public so as to not attract unwanted conception. The same concept applied here, the fewer who knew of the permanent solution, the less the competition. But by that alone, the already existing completion had been increased by one, and hopefully two if Stella shared the same premonition. Although I didn't think she would need it.

We barely made it on time being among one of the last people to enter the class. Out of curiousity, I looked around to see those in the class, in that this was the only class in the academy she knew of which had only a handful of people in it, twenty to be precise. The pressure of the crowd had been replaced by the presence of light chatter amongs seatmates, so she could stand to take note of those who were studying with her.

Regretting it immediately, she turned back to leave the clas because she had spotted a familiar face, but the worse part was that he too had spotted her.

Mark, the only person she could currently attribute as being among Jack's descendants. Although from a prettier bloodline, but still with the residual trait -bad to the bone.

Stella who was still oblivious to our encounter simply dragged me into my sit from where I spotted another problem. The guy who mad the mistake of thinking of friends as well as the epicentre of the afore mentioned racism debate soon entered the class and much worse, not only did he sight me, he also took the seat right next to me.

Inwardly I hated Professor Andrea even more. First for hoarding her beauty secrets and second for also housing two abnormalities she had hoped to avoid throughout the rest of her stay at the academy.

Hell, open your gates now or forever keep them shut