Invincible

Chapter 8 - What it means to be a Lady

All these classes seem useless. They are about manners and how we have to behave. We have separate classes for behaviour in public and private. According to the Teachers, we'll never get a moment to relax until we've given birth. Some of the girls are even training to be midwives to their owners. Every week, the subject of class changes.

The first week my group was learning Luvah, then manners, and now we're learning about giving birth and raising children. Lyra is horrified by the videos they show of births that have gone wrong. Sometimes women have to be cut open to save the child.

At the end of every week, we farewell the old girls, and welcome new ones. Mariline left last week, leaving Em, Lyra and me at the table in the back of the cafeteria. Whenever we walk into the room, eyes all move to us. When we welcome new girls, they all stare at my translator. Some have dared to make conversation about it with me, but mostly they just stare.

"Can you believe we only have one more week here?" Lyra asks, reaching over the table to steal some of my bacon.

"Then we get to go be baby machines and mistresses," Em says. "Can't wait."

"It'll be more exciting than watching movies about all the ways carrying a Luvah child can go wrong." Lyra says, finishing her food then leaning back. She rests her hands behind her head, bumping Em in the process.

"So you can go carry one?" The translator's volume is set to a quieter volume than in class. It still catches the attention of a few girls sitting close to us. Some of them look over at us, others shift in their seats.

"Very funny." Lyra sticks her tongue out, and the bell thing rings. She smiles, gathers the empty trays, and stands.

I follow her, Em by my side, and we go to the last day of class. Next week we have to spend Monday and Tuesday taking exams, Wednesday teaching the younger girls Luvah, and Thursday in the spa. If we fail our exams, then we don't get to leave. No one fails, though.

*

Headmistress Annora is teaching the class today. The curtains are pulled, blocking any sunlight.

"Welcome to your final days of classes," she smiles at all of us as we file in. "Today, I will be showing you the dangers you may experience in some places, and how to counter it."

Lyra looks over at me, and I shrug. We sit in our usual seats, three in a horizontal row. Lyra in the middle, Em closest to the door and me by the window.

Headmistress Annora pulls the movie screen down, and I can hear Lyra muttering about having seen enough blood for the rest of her days. The Headmistress hears, and frowns at her.

"Relax girls, this is not a birthing class. It's a self-defence class."

Everyone's eyes snap to the Headmistress, and she nods at us. Lyra glances at Em, then me. I shrug. Then I sign, 'I don't know,' to her and she nods.

Teaching Lyra and Em some signs was one of the best choices I've made since finding the smashed window. We can now communicate without the hassle of the translator. Others watch us with confusion, thinking we're crazy.

"As a human at the sides of influential Luvah, many of you will face controversy. Some will receive death threats, and Luvah will carry those out. You all need to be able to defend yourself," Headmistress Annoras eyes fall on me for a second, then continue roaming the room. "I'm going to show you a film that will teach the basics of defending yourself."

She claps her hands and the lights turn off. The film starts playing, and at first it's just people talking. A man and a woman. Some of the things they say are interesting, talking about the old world. How women felt unsafe walking the streets at night, and how the U.S. had one hundred mass shootings in only sixty-four days.

Then the man starts teaching the woman how to flip him over her back. They're fighting on mats, but it must still hurt to be thrown onto the ground. Other people wait in the background, and they start trying the move. The teacher moves around the room, showing everyone how to do it correctly.

"Lets hope you all never have to use any of this, but I fear you may," the Headmistress turns the lights back on, and clasps her hands. "Our world is a controversial place."

We all leave the room, Lyra and Em waiting behind to fall into step with me. We don't talk on our way to the common area. Pretty much all the other girls are already in there, some talking about leaving, others talking about the film.

"What do you think, Lyra? Planning on receiving a few death threats?" A girl with red hair asks.

Lyra is known for people just not liking her. She can seem a bit much, but because Em and I don't feel like talking that much, she fills the silence for us. In the three weeks she's been here, a few people have tried to harass her in the common area or in the cafeteria. They spill their food on her, soup especially, and blame her.

She still tries to make friends, but Em and I are the only ones who stay.

"Oh, get a life, Abigail." Em says, flicking her hair away from her face in an act of defence. The same girl with red hair has tried to make Em leave Lyra, but Em stays.

"I'll have one in a week." Abigail sneers, tightening her ponytail and smoothing down her eyebrows.

"We all will. You'll be a very small fish in a very big pond. I wish you the best of luck." I type, and as usual, everyone stares when the robotic voice blares from the speakers.

"Indeed. I'd focus on making friends, Miss Abigail," Teacher Oralis says, stepping into the room.