Hate to Apathy

A Speech

During the next few days, more students came to my school. In total, there were 187 students. I liked that. It was a good number. Perfectly denoting what crimes I remembered. But I digress. Once they had all arrived, I told them I would give them one day to hang around, make friends, explore the grounds, and generally just relax before classes began. I decided this was a good thing to do from the book I was reading at the time: "An Autistic Person's Guide to People". Despite it being for autistic people, it was still useful.

     Some students were like the Warrens in that they didn't have very wealthy backgrounds, others were like the Ortizs in that they were wealthy, spoilt, and didn't want a uniform, and then there were all sorts of grey areas in between. One student that stood out quite a lot was a seventeen year old girl. She was a sand worm monster. She made me realise I would have to make special rooms for some people of a particular species.

The day after I had them relax and socialise, I announced that I would make a bit of a speech. It would be at 12:00 in the assembly hall. I went to the designated place and waited backstage. I glanced out every now and then, checking whether or not the place was filled up. Once I thought each place had a bottom in it, I walked out onto the stage. The room went quiet. I strode over to the microphone and stood before it with a straight back.

'Before we start,' I said, 'is everyone here? Those who are not here, raise your hand. No one? Good. For those who are here, make sure to tell those who aren't here what was told at the start. Now, let's get this over with.

'This school is designed to maximise your knowledge so that you may become a god in the field you choose. This will vary from science to magic to combat. It even includes cooking and other manual or household jobs, if that's what you're into. I doubt it, but it's an option. I recommend you all try a few lessons of everything to learn what you're into. After a month, I'll let you drop any subjects you are bored of or think isn't useful for you.

'Now, I'm afraid that I forgot to take into account some of the monster's peculiarities. Let me assure you that things are being modified so as to maximise everyone's comfort. For the moment however, I do realise that some things will me impossible to do inside, so for the time being, all lessons will be done outside, excluding cooking and other subjects that require things like stoves or saws, seeing as these can't be moved from their rooms, or powered once they were. Hopefully, everything will be ready by the end of the month. Until then, please try not to go into the main building. If you need me, call me on one of the landlines in each of your rooms, or see me in my office. Number 1 will automatically send you through to me on the phones, and there are signs telling you where my office is.

I then explained to them the rules I had told the Warren and the Ortiz twins, the intolerance for discrimination, and all the other good stuff.

'Right. You all get the rest of the day off to solidify any social groups that may have formed. After a week, I would like each of you to have gotten into a little group. Whether that group be 3 to 12 people, I don't care. I've read how being completely alone is not good for people's mental health. Now, get out. Socialise. Have fun.'

After that, I exited the room via the backstage. I went to my office and sat in the chair and began reading the aforementioned book. Unfortunately, it wasn't long until a student came in. It was a female student, and was a sight monster.

     'Yes?' I asked.

     'Umm. Hello. My name is Elisabeth.' She introduced herself.

     'Okay?'

     'Are you aware I am part of the royal family? The undead royal family, that is.'

     'No, I didn't know that. Your point in telling me this is?'

     'I'm afraid that monster students will make fun of me because I'm part of the "family that failed", as we have been dubbed.'

     'I've stated clearly that no discrimination is admitted. Presently, it is merely a fear. Come to me if it becomes a reality. I'll sort it out. For now, make friends with other undead or humans if you're precarious around monsters. Will that be all?'

     'Yes, sir.'

     'Very well. You are permitted to leave.' I turned back to my book.

     'Shouldn't you also be socialising?' I stared directly into her eyes.

     'I've seen far too many things to be affected by mere loneliness.'

     'Like what?' She seemed curious. I saw no reason to hide it.

     'I've seen an infinite amount of people die. I've seen innumerable deaths, horrific wounds, despair, loathing, suicide, genocide, torture, and worst of all, the silence after everything is dead.'

     'Oh.' She didn't seem to understand the full scope of it. 'Well, I still think it would be best if you spoke to people.'

     'It would be weird for a headmaster to be friends with his students.'

     'You're the same age as them, if not younger.'

     'I'm over half a millenium old.'

     'You certainly don't look it.'

     'That may be, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm about thirty times older than a lot of these people.'

     'But who else are you going to talk to?'

     'No one.'

     'That won't do!'

     'Two things. Don't be so loud, and it'll have to do.'

     'I think you're just scared.'

     'Think what you want.'

     'I also think you don't know how.'

     'How to what?'

     'How to talk to people.'

     'I'm talking to you right now.'

     'You're having a dialogue with me, but you're not actually talking with me. This is business. We're not getting to know each other. What I mean ism you don't know how to make friends.' She seemed triumphant.

     'Fine. How about we both try to go out and make some friends, eh? That way, you'll be satisfied with my amount of socialisation, and you'll have a few friends.'

     'Good.' She walked over to me and took me hand forcefully, then pulled me through the door and outside to socialise. She was very strong...