Back at the Start (02)

Your phone buzzes with a text from Izzy:
Yo, are you ok? I heard some jock shoved you into a locker?!?

The bell rings as Preethi sighs sadly. Ms. Goodrick enunciates in a clear tone, "Alright everyone, let's settle down. We have a lot to review today." She quickly hands out a quiz assessing everyone's ability to identify a statistical population. She reminds everyone that the material was in the chapter reading she assigned yesterday.

Izzy texts back:
Oh good, I was worried about you. I heard about it from Chloe Schmidt.

Chloe is in full diva mode today, and her stream has been extra active. When you scroll through, you find a few videos Chloe has posted from different parts of the school day, each one brimming with that exaggerated energy Chloe always brings.

The first video of the day is where Chloe gets into what she really loves - her makeup. In a post from earlier that morning, she’s promoting her latest look, a "glam but natural" style she claims is perfect for a school day. The camera pans across her perfectly contoured face, eyeshadow in warm bronze tones with a subtle shimmer, long lashes, and a soft, peachy lip gloss. "Okay, so everyone has been asking me how I get this look, and it’s super easy," she says, applying a final touch of highlighter to her cheekbones. "I call it my ‘Back-to-School Glow,’ and it’s all about looking fresh but not like you tried too hard, you know? Remember, it’s all in the blending, babes!"

Her second post is a quick lunchtime commentary where she’s absolutely tearing into the school’s food. "Okay, so like, can we just talk about this for a second? This is supposed to be pizza?" She holds up a sad-looking slice of the cafeteria pizza, making an exaggerated face of disgust. "I don’t know who approved this, but they should be fired. Honestly, I’m just gonna start bringing my own salads. It’s the only safe option here, babes."

The latest video is all about the hallway fight that happened earlier. Chloe’s voice is dripping with drama as she recounts the moment Jules got shoved into a locker. The camera shakily zooms in on the aftermath, which is simply an open locker, while Chloe’s commentary is breathless. "Oh my god, you guys! Can you even believe what just happened? Teddy literally shoved Jules right into the locker! Ugh, the drama at Leavenworth is real today!" Chloe, of course, centers herself in the chaos, flipping the camera back to her face to make sure her reaction is captured in perfect lighting.

"Why are you staring at your phone?" Galinthias asks, her sudden appearance pulling you away from your musing. "You missed three questions on the quiz, were those on purpose? If not, should I help you with them?"

Galinthias peers over the quiz pages from her perch on your shoulder, "Question four is B. A parameter describes a characteristic of a population, while a statistic describes a characteristic of a sample. Also, you shouldn't have dallied with that young boy in the hallway. It's going to become a problem for you."

The little ferret makes a soft tsking sound, "Teddy is of no concern, Juliet. You should have done more than bleed him. My worry is for the other one, the one you aided. I sense a darkness around him. It will become a problem."

"No, not a vampire. He's a mortal, but his future is clouded and dark," the ferret answers ominously.

Ms. Goodrick comes around to pick up everyone's quizzes, then she reviews the answers on the whiteboard, her back to everyone.

"Yes, powerful auras can be read," Galinthias says in her teacherly voice. "It's something I can show you, Juliet. Would you like to learn? It's more valuable than these... statistics."

Galinthias makes a soft pleasant sound low in her long throat, "Good. I'm very happy to hear that, Juliet. We still must attend class and succeed, as both your mother and the great Hecate wish you to graduate from this high school. We can begin your lessons on magic after these classes have ended."

This, of course, will cut into your social life. Speaking of which...