High School Diaries (A Throne of Glass Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

Celaena walked down the stone tiled floors of the corridor, Chaol strode beside her, a hand on the strap of his loosened backpack.

"Is there anything interesting left to see?"

"What else would you care to see? We've already seen the classrooms, auditorium, labs, sports ground, basketball court, swimming pool, indoor gymnasium, and the roof even if it wasn't allowed. Unless you want to go to the headmaster or staff room."

She crossed her arms. Their class teacher, Theodus Brullo, a stocky balding man in late fifties had assigned Chaol as her escort, tour guide, unwanted first friend to help her with all the tasks. She didn't want it and that feeling was mutual. But she never wasted an opportunity and used this school tour to look for hidden places and nooks, somewhere she could come for peace. Her own safe haven in this hellhole.

This school, apparently had no secret hideouts. Whatever was there, was open to everyone. On top of that, there we CCTVs. Man, this school was lame.

Or it was just her partner, Mr. Goody two shoes who didn't know about the other side of his school, the thing Adarlan was actually known for, that tainted it's red and gold, wyvern embedded flag. She missed the stag on green and white over this sparkly emblem on the uniform. But the person beside her sure wore in with pride, as they made their way outside again.

"Where's the library or any garden?" Chaol didn't reply. She huffed a breath.

They were silent for a few minutes before an
explosion sounded nearby, then another.

"What is that awful noise?" Celaena said.

The Vice Headboy led her through a set of doors, and he pointed up as they entered into a garden.

"The clock tower," he said, his bronze eyes shining with amusement, as the clock finished its war cry. She'd never heard bells like that. From the garden all across the school ground, completely seperate from the sports and academic block, sprouted a tower made of inky black stone. Two gargoyles, wings spread for flight, perched on each of the four clock faces, soundlessly roaring at those beneath.

"What a horrible thing," she whispered.
The numbers were like war paint on the white face of the clock, the hands like swords as they slashed across the pearly surface.

"In the whole first year, I wouldn't go near it," Chaol admitted.

"You'd never see something like this in a garden, forget the school premises. What the fuck is it?"

"The current headmaster had it built around his appointment."

"This headmaster?" Chaol nodded. "Why would he build such a wretched thing?"

"Come on," he said, turning as he ignored her question. "Let's go."

She allowed herself to be dragged from the garden, away from the shadow of the clock tower towards the silent hallway.

"What place is this?"

"Headmaster's block. And don't say anything right now." Chaol whispered through gritted teeth.

Celaena suddenly halted.

"What," she breathed, "is that?" She pointed at the oak doors, her eyes widening at the dragons that grew out of either side of the stone wall. Four-legged dragons
-not vicious, bipedal wyverns like those on the school emblem.

"The library." The two words were like a shot of lightning.

"The . . ." She looked at the iron handles. "Can we-may we go in?"

The Vice Headboy opened the doors reluctantly, the strong muscles of his back shifting as he pushed hard against the worn oak. Compared to the sunlit hallway, the interior that stretched beyond them seemed formidably dark, the cold from air conditioners adding to the aura, but as she stepped inside, lights and fans came into view, along with black-and-white marble floors, large mahogany tables with red velvet chairs, mezzanines, bridges, ladders, railings, and then books-books and books and books. She'd entered a city made entirely of ink and paper. Celaena put a hand against her heart. She'd found her heaven, other things be damned.