A Second Chance

The Austere Academy Part Two

ASHLYN'S P.O.V

"Who can't be beat?" Carmelita shouted at the whole school, with that fake smile she nearly always had on. I have to say that I think she was the one person who annoyed me more than Mr Poe did.

"A dead horse!" The students shouted back at her. I wasn't paying much attention to what was going on because Olaf had lifted me up onto the school mascot with him. He was acting like a cowboy with a lasso.

"Who can't be beat?"

I couldn't help laughing at him and wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head against his back.

"A dead horse!"

Olaf looked down at my frowning. I simply looked up at him and smiled and held him closer.

"Who can't be beat?"

As I held him closer, I could feel him make a small content humming sound, that made me smile again.

"A dead horse!"

Olaf unwrapped my arms, got off and helped me off.

"I love the energy. I love it!" Olaf shouted in kind of Texan accent, as all the students cheer him. They seemed to like cheering a lot.

"Okay, everyone, settle down." Nero called desperately.

"Settle down? Do you hear what Vice Principal Shapiro just said?" Olaf asked the students. I smiled a little.

"Nero." The principle corrected.

"Settle down. How often hear those words come out of people's ears and into my mouth. Settle, a word which here means settling for less, and down, my personal least favourite direction. Let me tell you a story." Olaf said walking off stage and into the aisle of children. I looked at hi confused for a moment not doing anything. Then I followed him. "Some years ago, a woman came to us. She needed our help. Coach Genghis and Miss Beaufort, she said to us. I'm a failure. I have no job. My love life is in the pits. I can't seem to lose these last 20 pounds. I bet that describes just about every one of you, am I right?" Olaf said pointing at the students. I kicked him gently, in way, to silent tell him off.

"Um, they're schoolchildren." Nero pointed out

"Exactly." Olaf shrugged.

"And what did we say to her? Do you think we told her to settle down?" I said sweetly in my fake French accent, cutting Olaf off before he could say anything.

"Answer her, pippity-squeaks! Do you think we told her to...settle down?" Olaf shouted slowly when no one said anything.

"Probably not!" Carmelita and the white-faced ladies shouted.

"Probably not!" The students shouted afterwards. 'Dear Lord.' I thought, 'These students are like sheep.'

"Probably not, indeed. We told her to stand up. We told her to actualize and incentivize. We told her to keep her eyes on the stars and feet on the clouds. Do you know what happened?" I asked. I was now stood next to my siblings and looked down at them and give them a quick smile. Before I could continue Olaf interrupted and looked at my siblings too.

"She died in a mysterious fire." Olaf sneered maliciously at them. I shut my eyes and bit the inside of my cheek, holding back tears. It dawned on me, with all that had been happening recently, I hadn't quite realised that I will never see my parents again.

"Wait, what?" Nero asked confused. Olaf held my hand again and walked back on stage.

"Settling down is what losers do." Olaf continued ignoring Nero.