The Royals of Glacia

Chapter Two

By the end of the month, all the talk of Astrid being weak had died down. On the other hand, people had started giving her wary looks as if she were dangerous, an animal. They thought that she was going to explode at any moment with another breakdown like that first day of school. They seemed to know something about her that she had yet to figure out. I wish they would tell me.

One morning, a kid approached her and said, "You're scary. Did you know that?"

Astrid gave her a strange look and the girl backed away. She held up her hands, as if she was surrendering for some reason, and shakily said, "I didn't mean to make you angry. I'm sorry, ma'am."

Astrid lifted one eyebrow at the kid's back as she walked off. Why would these kids talk to her like that? What had she done to make them afraid of her? She had been giving off angry looks, but that was because she didn't want to be at school. She didn't even realize she was doing it! Had she done something else terrible? Was she a monster and didn't even know it yet?

Ms. Lancaster noticed how the other kids acted around her and called her out into the hallway one afternoon when they came in from recess. "You're scaring the other students. I don't know what's going on, but I need you to stop doing it, please."

Astrid was in shock that her teacher was blaming her for this. She had no clue what she was doing to scare them! "But, Ms. Lancaster." She took a step back. "I'm not doing anything. I don't talk to any of those kids, and I'm just here because I want to learn."

"Be quiet and do not argue, Astrid Arthur." She slapped her wrist and pointed a finger at her. "If you are truly smart, you will go back in, sit down, and keep your mouth shut the rest of the day. A lady is not outspoken. Is that understood?" She was wagging that scrawny index finger at Astrid.

Astrid had to fight so many temptations to mock her. She wanted to scream that she wasn't saying anything in the first place, so not being outspoken wouldn't change anything. She wanted to tell Ms. Lancaster that maybe she should try not being outspoken. Maybe she should try caring about more students than just the rich ones that sucked up to her. Astrid knew better. "Yes, Ms. Lancaster." She knew that she couldn't stand being walled up in a room full of spoiled kids any longer. She turned around and looked down the hallways; there was no one in sight. She could run, and Ms. Lancaster wouldn't be able to catch her. There was no possibility she was as agile as an energized child. Astrid couldn't stay in this class, couldn't stay with this witch standing in front of her, with the witchlings sitting in the room.

Astrid closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady her heartbeat. She needed a clear head to make it out of this. "Goodbye, Ms. Lancaster," she stated quietly, and then took off at a dead sprint.

Her boots slapped against the tile floor. A few kids leaned out of their classroom doors, trying to see who was making so much noise. Ms. Lancaster was screaming for someone to catch that crazy girl, but there was no one that could think rationally enough to reach out and do it. The redhead from the playground stepped out of his classroom with a dumbfounded expression. Astrid slowed down for a split second and he hopped beside her, grabbing her hand and matching her pace. He led her out the door, out into the middle of the city, amid the chaos.

"What do you think you're doing?" He stopped and turned her around, shaking her shoulders. He was gasping for breath. He hadn't worked out in a while.

Astrid stiffened and had to restrain herself from grabbing his arm and tossing him across the street. No one had touched her before, at least in her memory. He isn't going to hurt you, she reminded herself.