A Claim to Magic

The Tests

CHAPTER EIGHT

The tests were easy, at least, Corrie thought so, though, some of the other thirteen year olds were just sitting at their small tables and chewing on their pencil erasers.

They had started the test twenty minutes before, they hadn't even left the cafeteria, Mr. Kohnsondole had just waved his hand in the air and the tests had flown, quite speedily, towards the beginners. And they had begun.

Corrie was finished, it was still an hour and a half before they were supposed to have the tests completed, but Corrie was finished. She glanced around the cafeteria, the older kids had left, probably off to their dorms, Corrie did not believe that school had really started yet, it was only August twenty-third, still break for about a week, Corrie guessed.

Corrie spotted, on the other side of the cafeteria, Betsy. She was sitting in a group of kids that looked like they had no idea what they were doing, chatting with a boy and a girl, they both had blonde hair, Corrie thought they looked like twins. She couldn't be sure. She saw Betsy glance her way and quickly turned around, pretending to be still working on her test, but stealing looks at Betsy every so often. Betsy was still looking at her, she was motioning with her hands, Corrie thought that she was just talking to her maybe-twin friends, but then she realized she was waving. She jerked her head up, she had thought that Betsy was mad at her, she did, after all, have the right to be, but here she was, waving! Corrie flashed a smile and waved back, but her sister had already turned away, looking slightly dejected.

Corrie frowned at her own stupidity, Betsy was never mad at anyone, let alone Corrie. She grimaced and looked back towards her sister, this time hoping to meet Betsy's gaze, but Betsy had returned to chewing on her pencil, staring down at her paper with a look of dismay plastered on her face. Corrie wished that she could go and help Betsy with her test, she wished she could just walk over and whisper the answers into Betsy's ear, then Betsy would have a chance at getting into a good house, Corrie knew it.

"Are you done?" Corrie jumped at Elizabeth's voice.

"What? Oh, yes." Corrie whispered back.

"I'll cover for you." Elizabeth said. Corrie turned around, confused.

"what?"

"I'll cover for you, so you can go help Betsy." When Elizabeth said these words Corrie felt, in spite of herself, a grin spread across her cheeks, she had a friend.

"You're the best." She stated, "I would love it if you would cover for me."

Elizabeth smiled back, "Great, go when I say."

After about a minute Elizabeth leaned over and whispered to Corrie, "Go, you'll only have a minute." And she raised her hand and started yelling something about a huge spider.

Corrie hurried towards the table where Betsy was sitting, almost completely unnoticed, everyone was looking towards Elizabeth, where she was stuttering and shaking, trying to explain to Mrs. Kohnsondole why she had screamed.

When she was only about ten feet away from Betsy's table, someone spotted her, it was the girl from the plane. She smirked, and up rose her hand.

"What is it?" Mrs. Tellanston asked, her eyes on the girl from the plane.

"This girl is trying to sneak out of her seat." The girl stated. When Mrs. Tellanston looked towards Elizabeth the girl's smile widened, she was obviously glad to be able to get someone in trouble, she seemed like that type of girl.

Mrs. Tellanston's head turned back towards them, and, addressing Corrie, she asked, "Is this true?"

Corrie was about to answer when the girl interrupted, "Of course it's true! She's not in her seat is she?"