Dragon Rings

Chapter 2: Joelle (Unedited)

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TeamDragonRing here! Thanks for your support with our first part! Sorry it's taken so long.We've been busy with our own separate stuff. But we've started up again! Please vote and commet. Also tell us if we have any spelling/grammar mistakes. We do that. Thanks again!

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I sighed as Sammi and I hurried down the hall. Breathless, we slid into their seats as the bell rang. "Wow. Next time remind me to not forget my binder." I muttered. Sammi nudged me, grinning. "I thought you learned that lesson last time, Joell." I rolled my eyes, digging through my binder, when Sammi poked me in the side. She pointed to the teacher's desk.

Rolling my eyes, I glanced over and cursed, realizing our teacher wasn't there. A sub, with gray hair and a scowl stood at the head of the class. Oh no. This wasn't going to end well. It never ended well.

The gray-haired sub walked up to the board and grabbed a piece of chalk. "Hello class. My name is Ms. Duran. You would do good not to forget it." Ick. She had one of those scratchy, gritty, whispery voices you only see on T.V. But I really didn't care about that right now.

I quickly scoped out the class room and sighed. Nope. This was not going to end well at all. Ms. Duran just started to call out names when the door creaked open. Damn it.

Lunima, my twin, stalked in, her black hoodie over her face. As she took her place, the sub cleared her throat and looked at my sister, a irritated look on her face. "Excuse me, Ms...?" The class grew still as tension grew. They all knew what was going to happen. Oh, this is just perfect. Lunima just sat down and opened a book, obviously not caring. The sub, however, still glared at her.

"Lunima Fire." Ms. Duran rapsed, checking her name on the list. "Well then, Ms. Fire, can you tell me why you're late?" Lunima just shrugged and I held my breath, hoping that maybe the teacher would over look the- "Ok then, Ms. Fire. Can you at least tell me why you're wearing a hoodie inside?" The sub asked, her voice dripping with malice.

Lunima just shrugged again, her eyes glittering under the shadows of her hood. I inwardly groaned, glancing between the sub and my twin. The other kids were grinning or snickering, though a few were rolling their eyes or sighing. They knew what was coming, as always. "Then Ms. Fire, you will have no problem with removing your hood?"

Lunima stiffened and the tension in the room reached its climax. I shut my eyes and put my head down. Don't do it, Lunima. Just show her the pass. Don't do it. But Sammi shook me, and with a sense of dread, I sat up to watch Lunima's reaction. She just stared at the teacher, her hood still obscuring her face. Then, slowly, she reached up and pulled her hood off.

Ms. Duran's face paled and she took a step back. "Mercy.." She whispered. Lunima glared back, her pale skin marred by one thing. The giant scar stretching over her right eye. It was black on pale skin, and it stood out even more. The eye it was crossed over was a pale, blind blue, so different from the glittering green eye. The white hair with death-black tips did nothing to relieve the sharp effects of seeing her face, only illuminated the darkness of the scar.

The sub stumbled to her seat and sat, seeming overwhelmed. Lunima jerked the hood back over her face, glaring defiantly from underneath. Snickers and murmurs broke out in class, and Ms. Duran did nothing to stop it.

Lunima loved to be dramatic.

Eventually the class got to their feet and started talking with their friends, heedless of the rules. A wide berth was left around Lunima, who was simply reading. I stood, and, indicating Sammi to follow, sat beside Lunima. My twin's eyes flicked up for a moment, then went back down to her book. Turning to Sammi, I asked, "Have you done your algebra yet?"

Sammi shook her head. "Have I ever done it before? Besides, looks like Ms. Duran's in la-la land. I can do it now." I snorted with a twisted amusement and secretly wondered how my friend got such good grades when she didn't ever do, well, any work.

I twirled my hair around my finger, a bright pink that Lunima said looked ridiculous, and began to sketch in my notebook. I already had done my homework that morning before work, so I had free time on my hands. Briefly contemplating going over to Aaron Mandrake, resident Romeo of the class and someone I could definitely get with if I wanted, I instead flipped to another piece of paper and began drawing a picture.

It had been haunting my dreams for weeks now, and I was confident I could replicate it perfectly. After twenty minutes, it began to take a definite shape. Never drawn this well before. I thought, wondering why my dreams would create such a vivid picture.

Well, at least it still looks cool. Even if it is a drawing. I reached over and snagged Sammi's bag, where she kept her coloring pencils. She didn't mind. Fishing out a black, I colored in the glittering scales and razor-sharp horns. Then, with a red, I drew in the eyes, intelligent and dark.

"Whatcha doing?" Sammi asked, looking over at the drawing. Quickly covering the picture, I stumbled over my words. "N-nothing, just drawing. Just a dumb drawing. Finished with your paper?" Sammi sighed and went back to her work, muttering something about strangling whoever invented math. Not for the first time, I was thankful for her easy-going and naive nature.

I blinked. Why had I covered up the picture? It was just a stupid drawing. Why didn't I show Sammi? Briiinnngggg!!! The sounding of the bell jolted me out of my wandering thoughts. Quickly shoving the notebook into my bag, I stood up. It was just a drawing.

Lunima watched me, finally looking up from her book, and I knew she knew something was up. Twin telepathy or whatever. I also knew she wouldn't push me about it. She respected my privacy, even when I didn't respect hers.

She stood and walked out while Sammi was still putting her work away, tapping the back of my head as her way of saying I'm on to you.

Slipping out of the room with Sammi behind me, chatting away to Star, who met us before fifth as always, I couldn't get the image out of my head. It was like it was burned into my mind. The sketch.The thing that had been haunting my dreams with an unsettling sense of familiarity.

The giant black dragon with the malevolent red eyes.