Conform or Suffer: The Darkness of Beauty

Chapter 17 The Dragon Keeper's Second Mother

The University of Sassy and Wayward Fae

*

Quig sprinted out of his lonely apartment, and his lanky legs outpaced the students. He hurried past other professors as they stood by pastel-colored vending machines, and waited for containers of breakfast salads or cups of soup to fall through the slots.

He entered the main building and stood beside the mail locker outside his and Grew-Ella's classroom.

Students hurried around him as he gathered his mail and opened a small package from his grandmother, slipping his sparkling artisan nuptial bracelet and the brown paper into his pocket. 'Loving her is a pointless dream. I should sell it after Gratitude Day,' he thought. "No, it's for Grew-Ella," he accidentally said out loud.

Two older students approached him with a handful of his novels, which he signed. Only one spoke, while the other said nothing.

The talkative woman waved her book around. "My granddaughters love The Dragon Keeper's Second Mother. Ann Lane was fantastic in the TV adaptation." The woman suddenly frowned. "She shouldn't have dumped you in such a public way."

"I'm seeing someone." The words, 'stop lying to yourself,' rattled inside his head. He felt the bracelet in his pocket.

The shyer woman giggled and finally spoke. "Winning literary awards must be amazing despite your new status."

The talkative woman laughed. "His first book was published when he was twelve after ninety rejections. Critics panned his writing, but they forgot the age of the author."

"I completed my first novel at nine, but I wasn't ready. The only reason my second novel did well was the media labeled me a problematic author, and people started burning my books. The ban drove up sales. I can't prove it, but I believe my former publisher paid schools to ban me. Sadly, my new editor is pro-cancel culture," he said.

"Saying status and beauty laws should be eliminated isn't problematic. I bet you're surrounded by admirers," the more talkative woman said.

He struggled to speak, but words finally came. "Many of my fans left with my status change. Ann's aunt Lana claimed I insulted them. I haven't heard her whine since the storm. She is probably too embarrassed."

"Vex ordered her Lana's mother executed in a Kill Home for an offensive joke Lana posted," the quieter woman said.

"Oh, I hope not. Even she doesn't deserve that." His lips quivered.

The talkative woman shrugged. "You could have received reject status."

"But her mother didn't do anything." He awkwardly waved goodbye to the women and entered the classroom.

Grew-Ella ran behind him. She rushed inside and hurried down the steps, meeting him at a rotating-joint desk in the auditorium-style room. Hundreds of velvet chairs were lined up behind long tables.

Students meandered to their assigned seats.

After a brief lecture on how to describe properly, students critiqued each other's writing in silence and found three things they enjoyed and four issues that required improvement.

Quig wrote in neon chalk across a massive blackboard.

*

Students, complete your poem before the holiday weekend. Use your assigned critique partners for editing.

Professor Quig Curie-Lock and Professor Grew-Ella Eliot

Announcements crackled over the intercom. "Classes after 9:00 a.m. will be suspended or go online this Friday because of the holiday."

*

Grew-Ella turned on a bottle-shaped desk lamp. Mechanical Tiger-Ghost moths fluttered inside the glass. She pointed to the exits. "When you hand in your assignments, use one exclamation point at the end of a sentence, not two or three. This isn't a congratulatory message."

Another announcement blared. "Note to all professors, you may date each other, but students are not your private dating pool."

Students exited the classroom.

Quig and Grew-Ella sat at their joint desk, and they graded a few papers by the glow of the lamp.

Grew-Ella stretched. "After classes, I'm heading to bed early, or I'll sleep through your sister's breakfast."

Chase barged into the classroom and ran down the steps. "Don't date Quig. Zill could be tossed into a workhouse if she doesn't date a broken elite. Stop being selfish." He grabbed her chin. "Come with me. I promise it'll be better."

Quig pressed a gold button under his desk. "Leave, or security will toss you out. Hundreds of guys would help Zill."

Chase stared at Grew-Ella while talking to Quig. "It's so cute that you're not stuttering. Grew-Ella can either come back to me or end up with Stanton."

"She isn't being selfish, and why are you pretending that Grew-Ella and I are a couple?" Quig touched the bracelet in his pocket.

"I'm dating Grew-Ella for her own protection. You don't know how rich Avery-Joy's ex is, and what he offered for me to hand her over. I'd never do that."

Grew-Ella didn't speak, but she clutched the lamp on her desk.

"No, you're trying to force her to go with you." Quig pressed the security button again.

"Dot is exaggerating." Chase left when security arrived.

"Add Prince Chase Vice's name to the banned list. He threatened Professor Grew-Ella," Quig said to the guards.