If You Trust Me - An Onward Fan-Novel

◊ Chapter 18 ◊

Previously on Onward...

Sadalia, Althea, and Kagar find a weak and beaten Ian on the floor of their wrecked history classroom, and help him back up on his feet. The young wizard then informs his friends about Gedeon and the S.S. Medallion, while also voicing regret over turning them away. Despite the elf's friends forgiving him for his actions, Ian isn't so sure he can forgive himself.

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◊ Breakdown ◊

The young wizard stared down at his feet as he sluggishly walked himself home from school. He felt like an absolute mess. He'd never been more humiliated in all his life.

After being treated with bandages and ice packs by the nurse, Ian was escorted to the main office for a short conference with Principal Pipplemell—where she downright chewed him out for destroying her school...again. She was overreacting, of course. But even still, she sure could yell loudly and harshly for being such a tiny gnome!

Thankfully, the elf wizard didn't have to suffer through her tireless reprimanding alone. He was joined by his friends, and Ms. Traven—who all stood around Ian as he sat opposite the principal at her desk.

Their overall meeting didn't take very long. However, it did end with the young elf getting suspended from school for the rest of the week. The last thing the principal wanted at any cost was for the teenage wizard to be anywhere near her school while what she called "a major ruckus" got investigated, which included the still-damaged security room and the now equally wrecked history classroom.

While Ms. Traven, Kagar, Sadalia, and Althea all tried to vouch for Ian—by explaining that what he really set out to do in their history classroom was to stop a criminal from escaping with a talisman—the young elf denied their insistence, and accepted the principal's penalty.

As unfair of a punishment as a suspension seemed, Ian believed in his own misery that he very well deserved it. He simply couldn't bear the idea of walking back into his school again, only to be called a failure by his peers. He needed a break from it all, and a suspension—though drastic—was how he felt he was going to get it. The only thing that really made him dread it though, was his family.

After thinking over his discipline for a bit, the young elf had eventually made it to his street of Pennybun Lane, where he ran into Gedeon's wanted poster for what had to be the third or fourth time tops. Taking a glance at it each time, Ian could see that it was indeed the rogue wizard who had deceived and attacked him today. But that didn't make him feel any less aggravated.

Stopping himself in front of the latest poster he saw that was attached onto a telephone pole, the frowning young elf looked left and right in the area around him to make sure no one was watching him. Then letting out a frustrated "grrr!" he tore off the wanted poster, and aggressively crumpled it up into a ball. After throwing it hard on the ground in anger, Ian began panting heavily in and out through gritted teeth. But then his breathing slowed as he soon thought of a much better idea.

The young elf knelt down, and picked up the poster. Keeping it crumpled into a ball, he then stuck it inside his backpack. Afterwards, he continued to make his way home.

Very shortly, Ian made it to his house. While he didn't see his mother's car parked in the driveway, he stopped when he noticed that Guinevere the Second was—which, to the young wizard, meant that Barley was home. 

Ian stood there hesitantly for a moment, his mind flashing back once more to when he and his brother used the Disguise Spell during their last quest and when he had inadvertently called his brother a screw-up—leading them to a fierce argument. He sighed sadly.