☕️ Paper and Joy 🕯️

Chapter 7: The Hunt for Glory

"Assignments everyone!" The woman sang in the large classroom as everyone sat up in their seats and walked over to the large desk at the front of the room. Because I was just visiting for today, I didn't need to hand in an assignment so I watched as everyone else shuffled over to the front.

The light through the window became more intense as the day went on and morning bled into afternoon.

I watched as Lily, Oliver, and Skylar walked in a group to hand in their papers, having small talk as they wait in the queue of students. I was the only one still sitting in the back of the room like an outlander with my burgundy sweater and fluffy black hair. I felt like a freak without a uniform.

I looked up as the line shortens and students go back to their chairs to grab their messenger bags, chatting as they pick up books and paper.

They do look heavy I thought as I watched a tall girl pick up a textbook with the title The Feline Opinion. The book had a picture of a majestic grey tabby with a green emblemed hat that almost looked like a beret except it had a fluff ball hanging off the back of it.

What a strange cat, why is it wearing a hat?

The the tall girl quickly stuffed the book into her identical brown bag and hurried off with her friends, smiling and laughing.

"Tiana!" I hear Lily shout as she climbs up the wide stairs to the third tier of the classroom, Oliver hanging behind her. I notice that Skylar is chatting quietly with the bodiced teacher whom I've come to know as Mrs. Bluebell. Her name does not match her look one bit. Her aggressive demeanor is challenging.

"Yes, Lily?" I say to her softly, noticing how shiny her blonde hair is.

"I wanted to let you know that our next class was replaced with an assembly where one of the headmasters will be speaking!" She beamed, "I can't wait for you to see how incredible they are, they're so smart!"

"Headmasters?" I say, I've never heard of them before.

"That's right," Oliver chimed in, "they make all the decisions for the school and even for Cupa Village, kinda like the mayors."

They must be very important.

Lily and Oliver grabbed their brown messenger bags from where they were sitting and started walking down the aisle. Oliver gestured towards me to come so I stood up, brushed my jean skirt, and looked up. Just then I saw Oliver as if I was looking at him for the first time.

I never really realized how cute he was. Fluffy brown hair and all-knowing brown eyes as soft as a doe's. The way he stood, his presence so gentle.

I could feel my face getting hot.

I quickly readjusted and followed them.

...

We walked down the long hallway of classrooms and windows. As we paced down the wood floors, I noticed how intricate the designs were in the building. Some of the windows had the most beautiful mosaics on them. Pictures of glass representing a king and a queen. Others representing a single girl in a bushel of beautiful flowers, her long hair flowing in the wind. I can feel myself smile as I marvel at their gorgeous details.

We all seemed to reach the end of the hallway as we stand in front of two double doors, both the size of towers. They had shacks of metal that made them look secure and stable, like a medieval castle. Two large hoops hung on each door, probably meant for flags.

Then we all stopped, the doors were not open. All of the students grouped up together at the entrance of the mysterious, important room. I was at least touching seven other people huddling against Lily. As we stood, waiting I noticed loud conversations hushed down to dead whispers. Then, everything was silent. Only the shuffling of our collective feet occupied the crowded hall.