Millennium Academy - The Fractured Shadow - Novel I

Chapter 1 - Vera Gonzalez

The heroine, Elizabeth Storm, faces a mob of angry civilians as she battles the cockalorum town hero, John Sterling. Swords clash furiously. The crowd jeers...

"Vera? Vera!"

"Huh?" Vera jumped, facing a sullen-looking Razzberry Martiez.

"Vera. Class? Homework? Help?" Razz fumes.

"Oops." Vera shrugged, sliding into the seat next to Razz by the desk. Even though they were roommates at Millennium Academy, to visitors it always seemed like two separate chambers.

Vera's bed was unmade, unfinished books strewn about on a rust-coloured blanket and lumpy cushion. Razz's bed, however, was neatly made, with jet-black blankets and a perfectly fluffed pillow. The desks also contrasted, Razz having a perfectly organized school desk in contrast to Vera's rusty workbench covered in tools, blueprints and various other objects. Even the walls looked like they were having war with each other: one side burnt orange, the other, pitch black. Both had towering bookshelves, but the prize for 'Neat Room' obviously went to Razz.

"Seriously? You're having trouble with potions?!" Vera's scepticism must have shown, because Razz flinched.

"Yeah, yeah, but Madame Azurbury wants us to remember - by heart - the ingredients and instructions for the dragonsbane potion! By ourselves! Help..." she drew out the word so agonizingly that Vera couldn't help but pity her.

"Okay, smarty-pants. You know
how to memorize the potion. You already have! The problem is, um..." Man, she was not good with words. "Um, you, uh, just read it over and over again. Until you get it? Um..."

"I definitely need a real tutor." Razz rolled her eyes, but Vera could tell she was joking.

"Ask Emila. And while you're at it, ask her out for me..." Vera stared dreamily off into space for a few seconds, looking rapturously off into nowhere, imagining the glamorous gorgon's dark face.

"Vera. I am never going to do that as long as there is breath in my lungs." Razz shuddered, snapping Vera out of her daydream.

"Dramatic. But why?" Vera groaned, drawing out the word, making it seem more pitiful as it already was.

"You could ask her yourself." Came Razz's reasoning. "Besides, the Evergreen Dance is coming up next Saturday. Ask her to that."

"NoOoOoOo! No. Nope. No. No. No." Vera slinked lower in her chair. "How did we get so off-topic?"

"Your fault. You were supposed to be helping me out here, remember? You're a genius but you cannot teach." Razz reminded her, in that told-you-so righteous voice she used when she was so obviously right.

"I have a one track memory. Did you forget?" Vera crossed her arms and stared at Razz.

"Oh... right." Razz rolled her eyes. "I'll ask Emila to tutor me, since you're a complete fool at it. But I won't ask her out for you. Eesh."

A faraway toll sounded, and Vera jumped up, followed by Razz.

"Oh my wrenches, breakfast!" Vera exclaimed. She dashed out the door, Razz sprinting to catch up.

They ran through the brightly lit halls, occasionally dodging a lone person, who yelled in surprise and indignation, as well as teachers, who shouted behind them to stop running.

Vera and Razz skittered into the cafeteira and made a mad dash for their spot- a round table that already had some of their usual tablemates sitting at it.

Veran, Vera's twin brother, waved at them. His fangs glinted in the light. Since he was a vampire, he had a more sunken look, but it didn't setback the handsome vampire's chances of getting asked to the dance. His black, lanky hair flew in his face as he turned his face hastily to his breakfast.

"Hi, Vera!" Emila's voice called from the other end of the table, "Sit here, I already got your usual."

Vera turned beetroot red, but slid stiffly into the seat beside Emila anyway.

"Hi." Vera said softly. She smiled nervously at Emila and hid her face behind a pile of textbooks.

"SO. Are y'all going to ask anyone out to the dance?" Razz grinned slyly and looked Vera right in the eye, in which Vera responded by looking down at her shoes with great fascination.

"Perhaps. I have someone in mind." Emila replied nonchalantly, flushing.

Vera made a low, grieving noise from deep in her throat. Emila looked around, but Vera stayed silent. Razz coughed loudly and obviously. Vera looked up.

"What about you, Vera? You gonna ask anyone?" Razz persisted.

Vera's eyes bugged out of her skull. She stared at Razz with a what-the-wrenches-are-you-doing kind of look. Razz just raised her eyebrows in anticipation.

"Uh... I..I...um...wl...uh." Vera stammered.

"HUH? Speak louder." Razz answered.

Vera kicked Razz underneath the table, using every bit of force she had right then.

"Well? Are you?" Emila asked, looking at Vera intently.

"I..I..I don't know." Vera shoved a bag into her mouth and chewed loudly to prevent her from answering. "Preternd I din't say nuttin'." She interrupted hastily around a mouthful of cream cheese.

"Fine." Razz's eyes narrowed, and Vera knew they'd be talking again later. A long talk.

"So, what do you guys have next period?" Emila changed the subject, rummaging in her bag for a timetable.

"Spellcasting," Emila noted off her schedule.

"History of Inventresses. Professor Hephaestus. She teaches my Inventing class." Vera remembered.

"Hmm... let me see." Razz pulled out her timetable. "I have Magical Artifacts with Dr. Oddity."

"Dr. Oddity... That name rings a bell..." Vera chewed her lower lip thoughtfully.

"Ghost." Veran recalled, still not looking up from his plate.

Vera smacked him upside the head, the most animated she'd been all morning.

"What in Dr. Oddity's underpants are you doing? You are not a slug! You are Veran Gonzalez and I command you, as your five minutes younger sister, to wake up!"

Vera only did this to relieve the tension off of herself, but Veran looked up anyway.

"Mm." he grunts, then turns back to his food. Awkward.

The bl tolled mournfully.

"Okay, I've got to get to class!" Vera announced. "See ya, Razz. Mila."

Vera was the only one who called Emila 'Mila', other than her siblings.

Vera dashed from the room, followed by a silent Veran.

"Me too. Best of luck with Dr. Oddity, Razz!" Emila followed suit, leaving Razz alone, confused, and totally unprepared for class in five minutes.

Oh, and also going to strangle Vera for her pathetic act with Emila. Definitely.