The Annual Convention & the New Student

Ellie Noir #2 Part 1

"Alright class, turn your Math textbooks to page 54."

The whole classroom sighed including myself over the mutual dislike of math and textbooks. Fortunately though it was only a week till Thanksgiving break, and there hadn't been a threat in sight since Halloween night...when Tessa died.

I tried to forget as I opened my book when I heard running from down to hallway and a kid ran into the classroom in a rush and once he stopped in his tracks I recognized his long black hair and green eyes.

Mark Palmer.

"S-sorry I'm late Mrs. Umbrin." He stammered.

"It is alright...but just this once since it's your first day." Our math teacher said, she was skinny and had tan skin and long black hair. "Take one of the empty seats please."

In my math class our desks were grouped together in groups of four, and since Devin moved to another class, I was the only one in my desk group. In a lonely island of one if you will.

Interestingly enough Mark could've sat with Trixie and her dedicated followers as they had a spare seat but he sat in my desk group right next to me even. Probably out of pity, since I'm convinced the only people who don't do things out of pity for me are my Mom and Autumn. And I have a horrific secret to hide from the latter.

"Why didn't you sit next to Trixie and her friends?" I asked him quietly.

"Is that who they are? Well, I didn't think I'd fit in with them and I didn't want to be in a crowded desk group." Mark explained. "D-do you want me to move?"

"No no, it's fine. I thought you were pitying me." I admitted. "Sorry, I'm Ellie Noir."

Did I just flip a switch or hit a nerve in him? The second I said my name his eyes lit up and something...changed.

"M-mark Palmer." He introduced himself.

Several classes later I went to Mythology class where me and Toby were still not talking to each other and I was still holding a bitter resentment for myself for my secret from Autumn, especially talking to her everyday and sitting next to her everyday. And it seemed Mark was also in this class and sat on my right side while Autumn sat next to me on my left.

"I'm excited for the unicorn section of the semester aren't you?" Autumn turned to me eagerly. "Look what I drew!"

Autumn passed me a picture of a dark unicorn with a purple wispy mane. She looked at it with me and gave a sigh, her smile slightly faltering.

"Me and my Aunt Tessa used to watch My Little Pony together." Autumn sighed. "Her favorite character was Princess Luna. It's very hard sometimes y'know?"

"Yeah." I agreed, choking down my guilt.

"But it's been our thing too, so maybe you can come over this week so we can get started on Season 6?" Autumn asked.

"Of course." I smiled.

"Um...did Mr. Linsky do the griffin section yet? It's my favorite creature." Mark admitted.

"I'm afraid we already did." Autumn replied.

"The Mythology textbook has it as Chapter 3 though." I added in.

"Oh, thank you m'la...er, Ellie." Mark corrected himself. Was he just about to call me his lady? That felt familiar somehow...

Once the bus dropped me off at my neighborhood and took off, I began walking back and saw an Owl butterfly flying with an envelope. I recognized her of course from last year as Millie, one of the Protectors of Rio. And the envelope could only mean one thing: the Protector Convention was coming up.