The Invisible Princess of Everglen

Chapter 7: The Worst Punishment On Earth

"Alvar, you are excused," Alden said sharply.  Alvar shot Biana a quick, apologetic look as he got up, flickering in and out of sight as he usually did.  Biana had a feeling he'd be listening in anyway, silent and invisible.

Vanishers were terrible eavesdroppers.

Once the door slammed shut, Alden turned to Biana, plopping down in the same chair Alvar had just been sitting in.  He regarded her with a very strange look--not angry, not even disappointed. He almost seemed curious.  "Biana," he said after an uncomfortable moment of silence.  "Would you like to tell what's going on?"

No, Biana thought aggressively.  No, I most definitely would NOT like to tell you what's going on.  In fact, I hope I never have to.

But those thoughts never actually made it past her lips.

"What do you know?" she asked instead, her voice weak.

Alden hesitated.  "Well... Fitz came to me yesterday and told me that you had been bullying Sophie.  I didn't want to believe all of it, Biana.  But I don't think it's... below you."

That got her fired up real quick.  She stood up, glowering down at her father with a sudden burst of rage.  "I have not been bullying anyone," she snapped through gritted teeth.  "Whatever Fitz told you is a lie."

But inwardly, Biana knew that she had been a jerk.  She'd never said nice things about Sophie, and whenever she hung out with Maruca (which wasn't often these days) she'd gossip about the brown-eyed girl.  Biana had flashed dirty looks at her, sneered, and went out of her way to avoid actually speaking to Sophie.

But... that wasn't bullying, right?

"What did Fitz say exactly?" Biana asked, feeling quite tired after her outburst.  Alden quietly regarded her, as if he didn't know where to go from here.

"Uh... well... he said that you had been talking about Sophie behind her back.  Openly glaring at her.  Acting like you were better than her.  Is this... true?"

Biana put her head in her hands, curls of dark hair falling around her face.  "Kinda," she mumbled through her fingers.

Alden sniffed.  "That's despicable, Biana.  I can't understand why you would do such a thing, but I'm putting a stop to it."

"What are you going to do?" Biana muttered.

"I want you to apologize to and befriend Sophie," Alden responded simply.

That was nowhere near what Biana had been thinking.  She sat up, hair flying.  "What?  You want me to befriend her?"

"Yes," Alden replied.

"But... but... she doesn't even want to be my friend!  I can't believe this!  She hates me, Dad.  She's never going to be my friend."  And I don't know if I could stomach it, she added to herself.

Besides, Sophie would see right through Biana's friendly act.

"Well, you're going to try.  And if she doesn't want to be your friend, and I can't say I blame her, then you will continue to be kind."  Alden stood, as if the conversation was done.

Biana didn't know what to say.  She couldn't argue.  Her dad would probably tell Fitz to make sure she did what she was told.  But there was no way Sophie would want to be friends with her, now that Biana had been so snotty.

Alden was almost out the door when he paused to add something else.  "And if I ever hear that you're bullying students again, the punishment will be far worse."

I have no doubt, Biana thought grimly.

As soon as her door slammed shut, Alvar reappeared in the corner of her room, glancing around as if to make sure Alden wasn't there.

"Your eyeliner is smudged," he said, grinning.