Chapter 35: First Day of School (Part 2).

Agatha and Chaddick were trying to contain their laughter, while Tristan seemed to have lost all color since the other boys arrived.

— Anyway—Rhian began turning towards Agatha—you don't have to worry, Tedros, Tristan, Chaddick and I will be in the same group as Jacob—tried to reassure her.

As Rhian expected, after hearing this news, Agatha breathed a little easier.

True, fifteen to four was still a depressing percentage, but at least there would be someone sensible to attend to any accident or better yet to prevent it.

Seeing that, Agatha was calmer, and after reassuring the girl a little more by telling her that they would be aware of the boy and that they would not allow any foolishness to be committed.

The 3 boys returned with the group of princes they were originally with.

Agatha, Tristan, and Jacob talked about unimportant things again.

Agatha and Tristan talked about how nervous they were about their first classes.

The boy was horribly afraid of the first day of fencing, and Agatha could only watch the first class of her schedule, without having the courage to look down at the next.

He had spent the night between nightmares about the beautification class.

In all the nightmares, only the failed attempts of Sophie's options were repeated, with the spectacular conclusion of her becoming a redhead by her friend just a few days before.

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On the school side of evil, Sophie and her new friends were more than happy while eating breakfast, to Sophie's surprise, a very similar meal.

The dining room was splendidly adorned, with a somewhat gloomy tone that reminded Sophie of all the anime and vampire and demon books she had read.

Dark but elegant.

I almost expected to see all the students of evil arriving in tuxedo-like uniforms along with long, beautiful black dresses.

But in their place were those robes that, unlike in the original book, were not threadbare but rather stiff, yet for Sophie they were still appalling.

Aric and Japeth agreed with her.

They saw no difference between the women's and men's uniforms.

Aric and Japeth wore new original Sophie brand designs.

Aric had a sleeveless leather shirt snug to his body and jeans in military boots.

Japeth wore a shirt rolled up to his elbows with a suit-like leather vest and dress pants with snake leather loafers.

Adam was happy with a loose V-neck shirt, jeans and the new boots tailored to him that Sophie had managed to sew for him.

A kerchief tied like a sash pushed her golden curls back from her face.

He looked like a pirate dressed in black, especially if you put together the small wooden sword tied to a belt also made by Sophie.

Sophie had worn tight jeans and a loose tank top that day, while keeping her hair in a high tail, complete all with comfortable sneakers.

I wanted to be as comfortable as possible on the first day, I didn't know why, but I sensed that there were still surprises, and I was as anxious as I was afraid to receive them.

Followed by the four friends by the 3 witches, they all sat together and began a lively, if very sarcastic conversation with several fights in between the boys and the 3 witches being mainly Hester against Aric.

Anadil and Japeth intervened from time to time to back up or remove sharp objects from their friends, reminding them that murder was illegal on school grounds.

While Dot, Adam, and Sophie entertained the conversation and bet cookies on who won.

At the end of the round to go to class, Adam had kept almost all the cookies after having almost always bet on Japeth.

Sophie had mostly bet on Aric.

That happened to him, forgetting that "the snake" not only had the skin, he also had the tongue.

In shaving class.

Sophie couldn't help but be surprised again when there was no doubt that the one who would teach that subject was Callis, Agatha's mother.

He was even more surprised when to prove a point at the beginning of the class or to impress, he undid all the incantations, potions and different methods, which he had used to disguise himself in Gavaldon.

Then he turned and wrote in large letters "SHAVING CLASSES" on the stepped on.

— Why do we need to be ugly? — I ask your students immediately afterwards—can anyone answer.

Before them was a beautiful woman with short olive brown hair, big and beautiful eyes, and tanned, shiny, freckled skin.

Everyone opened their eyes like saucers.

— Because it makes us fearsome—Hester replied.

— wrong, Sophie ran out of fear to a master of good yesterday and was one of the most beautiful girls in the area—quickly dismissed Callis.

— Because it makes small children cry—Anadil said.

— Incorrect, even if they were uglier, I don't think they can scare the only child in the room - Callis ruled out again.

Everyone turned to Adam with grunts and shouts to prove otherwise.

But the boy looked at them bored with a sweet smile and a mischievous look that made them the scared ones.

— It doesn't count like that - Hort complained—that child isn't normal.

— You plan to conduct a psychological study every time you meet a child - Japeth asked disdainfully.

Hort fell silent.

— Because it's easier to get ready in the morning? — Dot asked, as he mixed juice with chocolate.

— Wrong and stupid! Callis said in a dismissive tone. It is traditionally believed that—only when they renounce the superficial will they be able to deepen. Only when you renounce vanity can you be yourself! — that is what an ancient professed of disfigurement would tell you.

Callis imitated a masculine and theatrical tone.

Sophie recognized the words and was sure she was referring to her predecessor, Professor Manley.

Callis began to write and draw diagrams on the blackboard, but of all what stood out most was the word written right in the middle of all the recipes and spells, which not only included disfigurement, some embellishment was read.

He had written in large letters the word "ORIGINALITY".

— BUT! — I exclaim as he turned to class—I have heard and seen most of the students at breakfast and four of the most awake—I point to Sophie and her group—are more graceful than many good students, having said that, what is the point of fear?

Everyone looked at each other until Japeth answered.

— It's no use – Japeth replied relaxed, as if commenting on the weather.

— Correct! — I proclaim Callis with a singing voice.

Everyone, including the one who answered (it was a mockery, not a real answer) stared at the teacher with surprise.

— This class has always been called disfigurement, but the truth is that the purpose is not to alter our appearance in a harmful way, but in a way that we can take the greatest possible advantage, your previous teacher had the belief that we needed to be ugly to avoid vanity and be able to think clearly, I believe that appearance has nothing to do with how you use the brain.

Callis began to state her point of view with confidence, seemed determined to eliminate all ancient beliefs and renew this subject completely.

— Appearance is just another weapon that we can use, either to scare—he said pointing to Hester growling at the blackboard with the beautification formulas—as if to manipulate—he pointed this time to Sophie's group and the boys who offered him their most charming smiles.

The whole class trembled when they saw them.

The scary thing was that they knew they weren't up to anything good, but they still wanted to get closer.

— Beauty does not have to be good, many deaths, wars and suffering have been caused because people are unable to resist the temptation of a beautiful appearance—continued the teacher -Today's class will consist of seeing how original a magic method can be without the need to arrive at any formula.

— I want to see what you can do with what you have and with what you know so far to create a unique image, in other words, surprise me - Callis concluded with a theatrical gesture.

All the students looked at each other a little lost.

But four students had bright eyes thinking about all the possibilities.

These were of course Sophie and her group.

Adam could only think of the possibilities of costumes and different jokes he could apply in this class.

Japeth and Aric, the truth, were going more or less the same way and no, they were not being more mature in their thoughts.

Sophie decided to do something between complicated and simple.

He began to bring out the materials that the truth was not much more than some polish, false nails, a File, and snakeskin.

A malicious smile crossed his lips as he thought about starting this year with a real show.