Winged Girl

Chapter 19

"Look at me."
I obeyed.
Mother cupped my cheeks in her hands. Soft eyes showering warmth into my heart.
"Tell me, how old are you now, sweetheart?"
"I'm going to be ten in a few months?" I tried to deliver the smile I hardly could.
"And what day is today?"
"I'm going to school."
"But?"
"It's a different school."
"Right, and?"
"Mom said everything's gonna be different. A good different."
"And do you trust me?"
"Yes. I...do." I answered hesitantly. Nothing we can be absolutely sure of after so much had happened.
"Good."

Mom wound behind me and started plaiting my hair into a perfect French braid. I asked her why she knew how to braid as she has never done so before. She laughed in return and said that she just wanted me to look good on my first day of school. I asked her how she was sure everything that everything was going to be fine and she didn't answer.
"Mom?"
"Yes?" she looked down at me with a soft, comforting smile, my hand in hers as she led me into the sidewalk, closing the garden fence gate behind me.
"What if everything still doesn't work out?"
She knelt down and told me that there is always little good in evil. And I believed her. What else could I do?

Finally, we arrived at the sturdy, iron gates of the school. I stared up at the giant red-bricked building and a shudder was sent down my shoulder blades as the past flitted and seared my mind. Tears welled and threatened to fall but I blinked it back in time.
Mother handed me my schoolbag and gave me and encouraging pat on the back as she bid me goodbye. The flames licked at my pained soul as the memories came flooding back before my dry eyes.
Make some friends. I heard mother call. I looked back and couldn't see her. Maybe just my imagination.
Oh, Maleficent, help me please.
To me, she was almost like my goddess. The one who always looked after me, although she did a really bad job on that. Well, I guess I couldn't blame her, she cursed Aurora and finally decided that she was her true love!
With my heart pounding in my fragile chest, loud enough for everyone who was swarming above me to hear, I neared the doorway and found my group.
   I followed my teacher down the hallways and up the stairs to my classroom after all our classmates were gathered in a line. I had a feeling I wouldn't like this very much. What an awkward situation... Maleficent chuckled. Oh shut up. I shot back blankly.

"Alright boys and girls, choose your permanent seats now, make yourselves at home." the teacher instructed.
I didn't like her very much. She didn't seem like those nice, warm ones we read about in story books. She was just like a commander in wars, ordering people around and doing what she wanted us to do. More of, she was cold. Icy cold. She was the kind that would tell you to go to a counsellor if you go looking for her, saying that you have something that you want to talk to her about.
Sorry, but I hate Americans.

"Hey!" the boy next to me whispered.
I eyed him, not even turning my head.
"Ian." he introduced himself.
"Hi." I answered, continue to stare at my desk, felling his questioning look on his face.
"What's your name?"
"Oh, never mind that." I wrinkled up my nose.
He chuckled and listened to the teacher.
Finally.

Recess came, noticeably quicker than I had expected, and I was feeling a tiny bit bad of being rude to...Ian. Yeah, that's his name. I rummaged around in my bag and found an abandoned price of tissue and scribbled on top with a blue ball pen. I sit next to you. It read. Maleficent :). I slapped it onto his table and left for something to eat.
When I had returned for our first lesson, I saw Ian staring at me. I smiled back at him with a nervous lump in my throat.
"I see you like fantasy." He interrupted the tension.
"Well, it's a long story." I pulled out my chair and sat down.
"You like to think yourself as a fairy?"
"What? No-- no." I denied." No. My name is Maleficent."
"Ah..." he trailed off, leaving me a strange look.
I felt blood rush into my cheeks and I looked away while our-- my new teacher strolled in in a comfortable, relaxed way, which instead, made me nervous as she, in some far-fetched way, resembled Miss Trunchbull. Ah, punch me in the face.

Fortunately for me, Ian didn't talk to me as much, just a few questions on the textbooks our teachers instructed us to read and do. It wasn't hard though. Was it just me? Cliché enough for me to say, the bell saved me.
"Bye, Mal!" Ian directed, surprised as he was so fast to be comfortable with a nicename based on my weird, real one.
"Bye." I smiled sweetly over my shoulder as I flung my school bag over my shoulder.

I chewed my nails as I surveyed the open area for my mother without much hope. I didn't know what to do. Then she found me.
"How was the first day?" failing to hide her anxiety, she questioned.
"Oh it was awfully fine!" I chuckled with relief.
"Well, should we go home now?"
"Yup." I grinned.
Although I wouldn't call that home. Just yet. I added in my heart.