The Children of When (Complete)

Chapter 13: Miss Poppycock

Raff sat at breakfast, shovelling food into his mouth. The previous night's little adventure had left him starving. He smiled at his bacon, the hand holding his fork still tingling from the memory of holding Leah's hand for so long.

"I know you're hungry, but the goofy grin over the bacon is making me nauseous," Belle chuckled, winking at him.

Raff groaned as he felt the heat rising in his cheeks. I've really gotta get a handle on this blushing thing.

He scowled, annoyed at Belle for bursting his little bubble of happiness. "So I like bacon, bite me!"

That's when the happiness bubble completely evaporated, slid to the floor and was squashed beneath the feet of Jack, who was sitting down opposite Leah with his breakfast.

"'Morning all! How did the horse choosing go yesterday?" Although he'd said all, it was quite obvious he was only addressing Leah.

"Umm, yeah, it was great. We were all happy with the horses we got." She beamed at Jack, making Raff feel like he had been punched in the stomach.

Leah and Jack proceeded to chatter happily to each other, totally excluding everyone else from the conversation. Raff was glaring miserably at his plate when Belle kicked him under the table. He turned to her with another scowl, and nearly fell off his chair when he saw her face.

"So Raff, aren't you excited about Gift control classes today?" She was actually batting her eyelids and tilting her head! At first, Raff thought she'd totally lost it, and then he grinned, as it dawned on him what she was doing.

"Yeah, I am actually. 'Gotta be better than old Kafoops' history class. I was reading some of the handbooks in my room last night. Can't wait to find out more about how the Gifts actually work." He grinned at Belle.

Right on cue, Leah choked on a mouthful of food. She knew full well he hadn't been sitting in his room last night reading. He stuck his hand in the air and 'high-fived' Belle as they both burst out laughing. Leah and Jack were looking at them puzzled, which made him laugh even harder. When they finally stopped laughing, Raff sent Belle a grateful look.

As they were leaving the dining room, Leah sidled up next to him. "What was all that about?"

"All what?" He deliberately avoided making eye contact.

She stopped, hands on her hips. "You know exactly what I'm talking about," she huffed. "You so were not in your room reading last night!"

Raff had stopped now too, ignoring the other students trying to get past as they blocked the doorway. "Oh that...?" Her eyes were shooting sparks at him. "I didn't realise you were listening, you seemed way too busy making goo-goo eyes at Jacky-boy!"

Raff turned and walked off, linking arms with Belle as they headed for Gift control classes. At the sound of Leah's footsteps behind them, his stomach did backflips as she slipped in between them and linked arms.

"Sorry guys. I didn't mean to be rude. Jack is okay, but I'd much rather hangout with you guys." She jiggled her arms, shaking them both until they grudgingly forgave her.

"So, I guess we'd better get a move on then." She dropped their arms, and turned to walk backwards in front of them. "Raff, I know how much you... ummm... can't wait to find out more about how the Gifts actually work?" she mimicked. She poked out her tongue, spun around, and ran off laughing towards the classrooms.

Raff scratched his head, as his eyes followed her departing back. I will never understand girls!

* * *

Miss Poppycock was, without a doubt, the kookiest woman Raff had ever come across. She wore an outfit that was such a riotous mismatch of bright colours it hurt his eyes to look at her. Throughout the entire lesson, she floated around the room, making random vague suggestions to students about whether their outfit matched their eyes or clashed with their skin colour. But he had to admit, she knew a lot about Gifts and how they worked.

"So, where was I? Ah yes, wings. It is common for all fairy types to develop wings, and contrary to popular belief, they can be quite difficult to control." She looked pointedly at the girl they had seen on their first day, the one who had complained about not being able to control her wings. "As I was explaining to Helvetica yesterday, your wings will often respond to your emotions. If they feel you are trying to flee, they may anticipate your needs and take control of the situation. You must, therefore, learn to practice control over your emotions, in order to control your wings."

Raff knew he should pay attention; the stuff Miss Poppycock was saying was probably important. But he was bored. Belle and Leah sat on either side of him, listening intently to every word Poppycock uttered. He sighed, trying to focus his attention on how to control wings, instead of thinking about riding Rogue off on some heroic quest. He failed dismally!

After what felt like an eternity, the lesson was finally over. Amidst the scraping of chairs and chatter, Miss Poppycock clapped her hands for attention.

"Don't forget, tomorrow is village day. Please remember to pick up your credit notes from Dominic, in the main building, before dinner. There will be no-one available to hand them out tomorrow, so if you forget, it will be your loss. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your day." She waved her hand to dismiss them from class.

"What's a credit note?" Belle asked Leah as they were walking out.

Leah shrugged. "I've no idea. I guess we'll have to find out off Dominic this afternoon."