#elfoyeros

[elfboyeros]

Photogenic

The First Chapter of Brier's Three: Raining Academics. Read about the nerds!

“Ms. Urgent makes seven students that have had to be rushed to the infirmary this year and it isn’t even the end of May!” Sloan huffed.

Sitting at the long meeting table with a few teachers and other staff members, including, Casper, Percy, Georgia, Calvin, a few other healers, the administrator of the hunters and huntress, the housemaster and housemistress over the dormitory, and of course Indigo.

“This has never happened before who can these kids just lose their abilities to perform magic or alchemy,” Percy scoffed.

“Granted this isn’t lasting,” one of the healers mentioned, “Thankfully they are regaining their abilities after a few days.”

“Urgent is different, however,” Sloan hummed with a nod, “She was carried into the infirmary by Mr. Couri, the other students were able to enter the infirmary on their own.”

“That’s assuming Ms. Urgent is a part of this group, she appears to be exhausted,” another healer added

“Appears,” Georgia repeated with bitterness in her voice, “she could very well be a part of this group we just don’t know yet because she’s still unconscious, maybe whatever is going on is affecting her differently.”

“She is fae,” Sloan mentioned quietly, “all of the other students are human.”

“See!” Georgia exclaimed loudly, “Mallory is fae!”

“Ms. Nozadze, please we are just—”

“Mallory is my apprentice!” Georgia shouted, “I have seen how she treats herself! She doesn’t push herself to exhaustion! Mal is an athlete! She takes care of her body and is more concerned about her health than I am about my own! She would just pass out because of exhaustion, I know that!”

Everyone in the room is silent before Calvin looks at Indigo, her hands clasped in front of her as if she praying to the goddess her forehead resting against her fists as she sits at the head of the oblong table, “Angel?” her husband asked curiously, “I know you’re thinking.”

“She will come down, not in a plague or famine, Mother Goddess will come down in curse man will a purge of all mankind of his power,” Indigo recited, “Bridgehid will one day curse all man for their corruptions only gift back the magic and whimsy when she sees that man himself has repented in full.”

“The Goddess’s Canvass Deliberate?” Georgia commented.

“It does sound similar to what we are currently experiencing,” Calvin muttered, holding his chin.

“It could be mere coincidence,” Sloan shrugged, “Remarking of religious hymns to the masses to explain what is happening to their children will only spark fear and create extremely religious and non-worshipers.”

“What if someone is taking the gospel to heart,” Percy remarked, “and doing this to the students because of some wrongdoing that the school has committed against us.”

Everyone fell silent once more. The idea that someone was purposefully doing this to innocent students didn’t sit right, especially when it seemed to be in the name of the saint over the island. No that didn’t sit right with anyone.

Indigo sighed, “It is normal for magical energy and power to ebb and flow when one is young and training, but not like this.”

 “And that’s not normal for alchemists at all,” Sloan added

“Start with those who are extremely religious or those who have studied theology,” Indigo instructed, “Am going to assume everyone in this room does not have a hand in anything if this truly is some kind of repentance. If it turns out that no one within the college is involved, there is nothing we can do outside the college gates.”

Everyone lets out a sound of agreement while nodding, “Keep in mind this is not a witch hunt, we are merely investigating what is happening to our students,” she added, before sighing once more, “You are dismissed.”

On cue, everyone involved left except for Calvin, “Tell me what you really are thinking,” he muttered as she crossed her arms and led her head on her forearm, “Everyone is gone.”

“Why does something go wrong when our kids get enrolled?” She vented, “With Rowan, it was finding out about Duke’s experiments, with Aurora it was the theft of the sacred tools, which we never solved, now with Alexandria and Finnegan it’s only getting worse! It’s like we are throwing them into danger!”

“Maybe we are some kind of bad luck magnet,” Calvin said with a light chuckle.

Indigo groaned, “Don’t say that! This is our children we are talking about!”

“I’m sorry, Angel,” Calvin sighed with a soft smile across his lips, “But these are our children, nothing is going to happen to them.”

“Calvin, they are just like anyone else.”

“No, they are like everyone else, Indigo,” Calvin sighed, getting out of his chair, and making Indigo straighten up, her gaze following him as he walked around her, “They are our children. Aurora is becoming a fantastic healer and she’s only 18, Alexandria is at the top of their class and proficient at the mage craft—”

“The fact that they are so powerful does frighten me a bit,” Indigo remarked, turning her chair to look at him as he stood by the window.

Calvin chuckled, before looking at the window, seeing their son crouched near a small pond feeding ducks, “and Finnegan, your son—”

“My son.”

“Your son is becoming a fine young man,” Calvin replied, “He is becoming a great mage thanks to you, and he’s becoming quite the protector.”

Indigo sighed, “He also worries me.”

“How do you think I feel?” Calvin joked, “You all worry me!”

Outside next to one of the ponds on the expansive Bridgehid campus, Finnegan is still feeding the ducks, making sure one of his mother’s many loves in the world is happy and healthy. He doesn’t hear the camera shutters, he doesn’t realize that there is a very tall lanky guy taking pictures of him from afar, as he has never figured out his mother’s sixth sense of knowing when she is being watched and when people are around her. So, he doesn’t realize that his photographer friend inches ever closer, continuing to take pictures of him.

“Has anyone ever told you, you are tremendously photogenic~”

He jumped at the sound of the voice, honeyed, masculine, and light, hitting the center of his eardrums while also being on his level. Looking at the source Finnegan is met with deep buttercup yellow eyes and an ivory face, brown hair dipping into the photographer's face.

“Hi, I’m Bonnie,” the photographer said.

“… Finnigan.”

Bonnie smirked, camera in hand as he continued to stare at Finnigan in the crouched position, “How did you get that scar on the corner of your lip?” he asked, reaching to touch Finnegan’s face attempting to touch his scar before Finnegan grabbed his wrist halting his Bonnie’s movements.

“You’re too close,” Finnegan stated before letting go of Bonnie’s wrist before he stood up.

Focusing back on the ducks, he can still feel Bonnie behind him, hearing the shuttering of his camera, “Do you like ducks?” the photographer asked.

“Not necessarily,” Finnegan muttered.

Bonnie hummed continuing to take pictures, “So who’s making you feed the ducks?”

“No one makes me,” Finnegan scoffed, “Maman likes ducks, so I feed the ducks.”

“I am assuming that maman is mother?”

Finnegan hummed softly, nodding, before standing. His gaze once again met Bonnie however he was at eye level with the dirty blonde’s chest. He is extremely tall, which caught Finnegan off-guard, after taking in his height the mage boy walked away.

“Hey, wait!” Bonnie called following behind him.

“I have to get to class!” Finnegan huffed.

The two boys walked down the stone paths around the outside of the school building, “There aren’t a lot of classes during the summer, what class do have at noon?”

“It’s a magical weapons training class,” Finnegan answered, before turning to look at Bonnie then swiftly turning away and walking faster, “Why the hell am I even talking to you!”

“Oh, you’re going to a weapons class?! Perfect, I was asked to take pictures of the summer classes for the school’s website.”

Finnegan rolled his eyes as it became more obvious that he wasn’t going to be left alone. Even once on the weapons field, even with the students on the turf with him, the instructing of his educator, and the thoughtful gaze of his father he could still feel Bonnie’s camera lens on him as if he could hear the shuttering of the camera itself. The fact that Bonnie was there, watching him specially, sat in the back of his brain eat away at him, causing him to make mistake after mistake.

“Finnegan?” Calvin called as his son packed up his things at the end of class.

“You should really have some kind of grip on the training spears if we keep using them we’ll start getting—” Finnegan turned to face his father while speaking only to stop when his face placed his large hand on his forehead, “Papa?”

“Are you okay? Do you feel alright?”

Finnegan clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, “I’m fine,” he scoffed pulling his father’s hand off his forehead, “Just… being stupid.”

“You’re allowed to make mistakes, son,” Calvin remarked, “There is no need to be perfect.”

Finnegan gave his father a small smile, “I know but…” he paused seeing Bonnie over Calvin’s shoulder still taking pictures, “Papa, I have to go!”

The mage boy grabbed his things before racing inside with a quick “Love you, see you at home!” thrown at his father.

Racing down the halls of the college with his school bag hitting his side as he did everything to get away from the tall boy with a camera, finding his way in front of his mother’s office door, before swinging the large doors open.

“Finnegan?” Indigo asked concerned, seeing her son out of breath and disheveled in her office doorway.

“MAMAN! I need you to kill someone!”

Her office was devoid of anyone but herself and the cat familiars apart of their family, who were cuddled up on one of the chairs in front of her desk.

“Miel, I would do anything for you, but can you tell me what’s going on?” Indigo inquired.

Finnegan stepped into her office before sighing and beginning to explain what had happened in the past couple of hours, “There is this boy with a stupid camera, he says he taking pictures of the school and the summer class, but I know he is taking pictures of me! He-he-he’s weird! Asking me questions and following me around! He’s even taking pictures of me and dad just having a conversation! GRAH! I need him to leave me alone!”

Indigo snickered, before Finnegan stared at her with an intense gaze making her clear her throat, “What’s his name bébé,” she asked.

“Bonnie,” Finnegan answered as his snow-white cat familiar nudged his hand for pets, “I don’t know his last name.”

“Bonnie Olsen-Nielsen,” Indigo read aloud looking at the file on said student on her computer, “He’s a senior, he moved here in the spring and started on campus, he is in the media club.”

Finnegan groaned, “Can’t you do something about this Maman?!”

“Miel…”

“Maman!”

“It is odd that he is taking pictures of you, but have you asked him to stop?” she pondered, “and not in your little passive-aggressive way that keeps you from making friends, have you actually asked him to stop?”

Finnegan thought for a moment, “… No…”

“Ask him to stop, and if he doesn’t come back to me.”

“Okay, Maman…”

Finnegan hung his head while leaving Indigo’s office waving goodbye, with his familiar following him, and leaving his mother with a pitiful, “I love you.”

Surprised, that he was able to get off campus without running into Bonnie or feeling his presence taking pictures of him while he walked home. Everything was grand until he reached home and saw that lanky photographer in his parent's yard taking pictures of the plants lining the side of the house.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”

Bonnie turned to a look at Finnegan seeing the rage on his face before pointing to the cottage, “You live here?” the senior asked.

“Yes! Why the fuck are you here?!” Finnegan shouted, “What the hell did you do?! Figure out where I live and come to my fucking house?!”

Bonnie looked at him confused before he continued, “my goddess, why won’t leave me alone! Why are you even taken pictures of me anyway!? I get be that interesting a subject to follow me to my own home and continue to take pictures of me!”

“Now hold one—”

Finnegan let out a villainous chuckle, “Oh and the taking pictures of me with my dad! That’s just fucking creepy! I’ve never understood what the obsession with camera is! It’s all so creepy, do you really—”

“I wasn’t taking pictures of you and your dad!” Bonnie exclaimed with a shocked expression.

“Quoi?” Finnegan asked quietly, his face becoming hot as Bonnie welling handed over his camera.

“Take it, look for yourself,” the photographer said before Finnegan took the camera apprehensively, “I was taking pictures of the college’s architecture. You and your father may have been in the photo, but I didn’t take them like that on purpose.”

Finnegan looked through the camera roll seeing the images of the college’s beautiful dark sculpting of Queen Anne architecture, he and his father cut off from the frame, “I do admit my actions are often creepy, and I was taking pictures of you without permission earlier, but I didn’t take picture of you and your father.”

Finnegan sighed, flipping through more of the camera roll and seeing pictures of the plants on the side of the house, “I also didn’t know that you lived here,” Bonnie added, “I was just on my way to see my mom at the church, then here this beautiful house cover in all this foliage, I got all little too excited and just started taking pictures.”

The mage boy sighed sulking over to the pouch steps hanging his and resting his arms vertically against his knees, forehead resting on his forearms like he is praying, “Fuck, I’m sorry.”

“I apologize for being creepy,” Bonnie chuckled.

“I’m sorry for calling you creepy,” Finnegan groaned.

Bonnie chuckled again before leaving, “I got attacked.” The mage boy called as the photographer descended the stone path leading up to the cottage.

“Mhm?” Bonnie hummed, looking back at the boy on the porch.

“My grandparents had taken everyone to one of the cabins near the edge of the forest,” Finnegan began before Bonnie approached the porch to listen to the story about to be told, “I don’t remember how but Alex and I got too close to the forest and something reached out of the woods. Papa did save me, but I was already bleeding.”

“Your dad sees rather intimidating; I can’t imagine being that creature that attacked you made it out alive.” Bonnie chuckled, sitting next to Finnegan.

The mage boy let out a laugh, “Believe me, my dad is only intimidating in appearance… unless he has a sword in his hand… or you try to hurt maman.”

Bonnie smiled before handing over his camera once again showing Finnegan a picture of himself and a man with a similar appearance, “My father died in April. I think the reason I am obsessed with photography is because of him,” the senior explained, “He told me: “If you find something beautiful don’t hastate to take a photo,” he said that’s how he met my mom and even though they didn’t stay together long all the pictures he took of her were worth it. So, again, apologize for taking pictures of you without your permission,” Boonie flips through his camera roll before showing Finnegan a picture of the young mage in his weapons class, “but like I said, you are very photogenic.”

Finnegan smiled, his cheeks becoming flushed, “It’s good,” he muttered.

“Can I put it on the school’s website?”

“Sure,” Finnegan shrugged.

“Ya’ know,” Bonnie remarked, standing up from his seat next to Finnegan and looking upon the picture he selected, “You look like a prince like this.”

“What does that make you the court jester?”

Bonnie laughed walking down the stone backward, “Does that mean I’m your court jester?”

“It depends on how you jest,” Finnegan joked.

“Then the next time we shall me I shall aim to entertain,” Bonnie relayed with a bow, “Sweet Prince~”

 Finnegan laughed, “Go visit your mom, creep.”

“Until next time, Finnegan.”

“Goodnight Bonnie.”

[elfboyeros]

Brier's Three

Raining Academics

So I didn't expect this to come out at all, but I did it. Yes, I did give away the plot of Bridgehidien Forest, I'm sorry. This is a start to Brier's Three the little story about Indigo and Calvin's children and their Shenanigans, please and enjoy and of course, read about the nerds!

“Come on! Come on!”

“Simon, give it a break!”

“No! I need to see if I’m at the top of the dean's list!”

“It’s just a list.”

“It’s not just a list—”

“If you two are going to argue, can you please do it outside of the rotunda!”

Three students within the glided rotunda, one an academic, one a sportsman, one a child of worship. Simon, Mallory, and Bridget.

“AH! HA HA! FINALLY!” Simon exclaimed quickly clicking the email that had just arrived in his inbox, “Couri… Couri… Couri-DAMN IT!”

“I take it you didn’t make the dean’s list,” Mallory laughed.

“The Bookstone kid is at the top of the list!” Simon groaned.

“Which one? There are three of them.” Mallory remarked.

“Can you two not do this while, I’m praying,” Bridget muttered, kneed in front of the largest statue of the goddess Bridgehid in the cupola used to hide the entrance to the catacombs under the store as sort of an open secret, but also as a capital of worship for the more religious students on campus.

“How did Alexandria get to the top of the list! They barely pay attention in class!” Simon groaned.

“I will never know peace,” Bridget sighed.

“They're probably at the top because of Mrs. Bookstone,” Simon huffed through gritted teeth.

“Oh, come on!” Mallory groaned, “They are not on the top of the dean list just because their mom is the dean!”

“Then how did they end up at the top, Mal? They do nothing in class, how are they an academic genius?” Simon vented.

Bridget huffed and finally got up dusting off her skirt before heading toward the exit and passing her friends on the way, “Are Aurora and Finnegan on the list?” she asked quietly.

Simon quickly skimmed the list, “Not that I can see.”

“Then there is no favoritism,” Bridget retorted as her friends followed her out of the dome and across the paved walk to the main campus under cloudy skys, “Alexandria, regardless of what you believe, must be a rather distinguished academic if they are at the top of the list.”

Simon groaned pulling at his hair, “I don’t understand!”

“Maybe it’s something you don’t need to understand,” Mallory chuckled, following him into the main building.

“GOOSE!”

While slinging into the main foyer, passing their fellow students before hearing that familiar voice piercing their ears, the small dean’s list with the goofiest smile ever waving at the person who seemed to be their academic rival.

“My name is Simon,” he grumbled, passing Alexandria and their siblings and leaving Bridget and Mallory behind to go to there respective classes.

“What the hell is his problem,” Finnegan asked mumbling.

“Simon’s always been standoffish,” Florian mentioned, an arm around Aurora’s shoulders, “Don’t take it personal, brother.”

“I wonder why he never wants to talk to me,” Alexandria muttered with a frown, “I just wanna be his friend.”

“Maybe you could ask Aunt Georgia, how to make friends,” Aurora mentioned.

“Good idea!” they yelped, before running down the mage hall, “Thanks Aurora!”

“This isn’t going to end well, is it?” Florian asked, looking to his girlfriend to which she shrugged.

“It’s a gift from the goddess,” Finnegan joked, before heading down the hallway to his class, “they’ll leave us alone for the day.

Alexandria checked Georgia’s office, unable to find her there she searched through the mage wing of the college to find their magic genealogy teacher.

“Auntie Georgia? You here?” Alexandria entered the great mage’s classroom seeing their mother’s former student and their adopted sibling’s partner socializing, “UNCLE ELIAS!”

“Hey Alex!” He exclaimed as Alexandria ran up to him and hugged him.

“Where’s Rowan?” Alexandria asked with stars in their eyes.

 “In the infirmary, along with Nemo and Elle.” Elias sighed shaking his head.

“Did something happen?” Alexandria asked concerned.

“The normal hunting trio shenanigans,” Georgia giggled, “Do you need something, Alex?”

“How do I make friends,” Alexandria asked.

Elias and Georgia both laughed, “You’ve never had a problem with making friends before, Alex, what makes this any different?” Elias chuckled.

Alexandria let out a little groan, “It’s this guy named Simon—”

“Goose?” Georgia asked.

“Yes Goose,” Alexandria nodded, “I think I’ve done something that makes him not want to be my friend and I have no idea what to do.”

“I have found it easiest just to talk to other when trying to make friends,” Georgia mentioned, “If that isn’t working you may want to talk to Elle or Rowan.”

“Huh?”

“That does sound like Elle and Rowan,” Elias stated, with a little laugh.

“Aunt Elle and Rowan didn’t get along?” Alexandria asked, a confused tilt to their head.

Elias and Georgia nodded, “when they first met, yes.” Elias explained, “All over something that seems so trivial to them now. I bet if you asked them what to do, they would both say to just ask him what’s wrong.”

Alexandria nodded with a smile across their face, “Just talk to him, okay, I can do that I can talk!” they remarked before running toward the exit, “Thank you both!”

“See you later Alex,” Elias called.

“Describing Elle and Rowan as simply not getting along is an interesting choice,” Georgia remarked.

Elias shrugged, “How else would you describe it,” he chuckled.

“The terrifying summer when Elle was still processing her abuse with Duke caused her to pull Rowan into a dream state to conferment them about not remembering her when they were not experimented on as children and put us all in danger in the forest,” Georgia relayed.

“Yeah, they didn’t get along,” Elias joked, with a chuckle.

With the advice from Auntie Georgia and Uncle Elias, they marched to their Magical Chemistry Lab and immediately found Simon there, “Simon!” they exclaimed, approaching him at his little lab table.

“What do you want?” he scoffed.

Alexandria sat down next to him, “I’m sorry if I have done something, or offended you somehow,” they apologized, “But I would like us to be friends so if we could restart and become friends—”

Simon laughed, “You think we can just restart? Re-introduce ourselves and everything can be fine!”

“I was kinda hoping—”

“How do you expect me to be friends after everything?!”

“Everything? What did I do?!” Alexandria questioned.

Simon scoffed out a laugh, “What didn’t you do!”

He left the lab table moving to one in the back of the room, before class started leaving Alexandria upset, confused, and unwilling to pay attention in class. With the summer semester giving them only one class for the day they sat dejected with their brother at a cafeteria table as he ate his lunch.

“I’ve been trying to think about what I have done, and I’m just lost!” Alexandria sighed, head resting against their arms, “I mean what could I have done!”

“Been annoying?” Finnegan questioned.

“Finn, you’re not helping!”

Finnegan swallowed the food in his mouth, “Look I doubt you did anything—”

“Then why is he mad at me!”

“Because you are you!” Finnegan retorted, “You are friendly and caring to a fault, you are tremendously talented, you are the child of Indigo and Calvin Bookstone-Corals, your brother is an asshole, and you are powerful. Simon probably hates you for many reasons and no reason at all.”

“You sound like mom,” Alexandria giggled.

Finnegan rolled his eyes, “she would probably say the same thing,” he remarked, “I don’t get why someone would hate you, but I’m not Simon and if he doesn’t want to be friendly with you then it’s a lost cause.”

Alexandria huffed chin still digging into her arms crossed in front of her, “and his loss,” Finnegan added.

Alexandria smiled, “You’re a good little brother, you know that.”

“Did you have to add the little part?”

“Yes, because you are my little brother!”

“We’re twins!”

The pair bickered back and forth before Mallory approached the small cafeteria table, “Hey, Alex, congratulations,” she remarked, sitting down with them.

“Congratulations for what?”

“The dean’s list,” Mallory answered.

“What about it, it’s just a list,” Alexandria remarked with a shrug.

“Alex you’re at the top of it.” Mallory added.

“Wait really?!”

Finnegan sat his phone in front of his sibling, humming in agreement. Alexandria looked at the PDF in front of them seeing their name at the top of the Dean’s list for the spring semester and Simon’s name right below it.

“Shit,” they muttered, “Mal, where is Simon?”

“He was going to the dorms, I think,” Mallory answered.

Alexandria jumped up and raced out of the cafeteria running through the grass as it started to drizzle, “SIMON!” they yelled as they reached the dorms, while he was descending the steps small porch connected to the entrance.

Panting with their hands on their knees, Simon looked at Alexandria in disgust, “What do you want?”

“You’re mad at me, I get that—”

“Clearly you don’t, you are still attempting to talk—"

“Will you shut up for five seconds and stop interrupting me!” Alexandria bit back still panting looking up at Simon, “I’m sorry that I made the dean’s list, I understand that school is important to you, and I never wished to upstage you in any way. I would like nothing more than to sit down and chat with you and get to know you better beyond just knowing that you are an intelligent person who deserves to be on the top of the dean’s list. We don’t have to be friends, but I hope we can get to that in the future.”

When Alexandria finally straightens up, they aren’t greeted with the empathic gaze from Simon rather he looks at them with angry eyes, a defined scowl, and narrow eyes clearly angrier than when they started talking.

“You’ll never understand,” Simon tsked as it began to rain, “This is more than just not being the best! I don’t hate you because you are the best, I hate you because you clearly don’t try—”

“I work hard—”

“NOT AS HARD AS I DO!” Simon shouted, “EVER SINCE I WAS LITTLE, I HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO BE THE BEST, LIKE MY PARENTS WANT, I’VE GOTTEN THE TOP GRADES, I HAVE SACRIFICED HOURS OF MY TIME AND LIFE TO BE THE CHILD MY PARENTS CAN SAY THEY ARE PROUD OF! I WAS THE BEST AND I AM THE BEST!”

“Simon—”

“But that changed! I came to college like my parents wanted, and I met you and thought at first things would be fine, you wouldn’t be a threat, and I was still the best at one of the best schools in the world. Yet, you are not only one of the children from this untouchable family, but you are one of the most intelligent people in this entire school!” Simon clarified angrily before running his fingers through his hair frustratedly, “I first thought that Mrs. Bookstone or even Mr. Corals was pushing you to be better than the rest of us because you were their kid! Yet they don’t care! You don’t care! The work is secondary to you, what your grade is doesn’t matter, you sit in class day daydreaming, but still answer the question right if you are called on! I hate it! I hate you, and I hate myself for hating you! I have no logical reason to hate you! You are always smiling, you care about the people you don’t know, you are a friend to the world and here I am thinking with my emotions and hating you just because you are better than me! I’m supposed to be the best, that's what I’m for! My parents made me to be the best!”

His tears mixed with the rainwater soaking his skin, leaving Alexandria more upset than they had been. They only stared at him, shocked at his explanation, shocked at his inference, shocked at his hatred. They open their mouth, yet nothing is vocalized, before saying, “I’m sorry.” Before leaving him. They went home, without telling their siblings, and locked themselves in their room for a while. Simon's words repeat in their brain while also trying to think of some kind of solution.

Calvin sighed, in the comfort of their bed with his head in her lap as she carted his fingers through his long ebony curls, fingernails grazing his scalp, “Is there something wrong with Alex?”

“Not that I am aware,” Indigo answered, “Georgia did say there was a kid that they were trying to be friends and get along with, I doubt they didn’t come to dinner because of that. Knowing Alex they are probably studying.”

Calvin sighed once more turning his in such a way that allowed him to wrap his arms around Indigo’s middle, “I don’t like it when they don’t eat,” he mumbled like a toddler.

“I don’t either.” Indigo cooed.

There is a knock on their bedroom door before they can continue any kind of conversation, “Mom, can I talk to you?” Alexandria asked opening the door a crack.

“Of course, Alexandria,” Indigo cooed before patting a place on the bed, “Come here.”

Alexandria climbed into their parent's bed, before at their father and mother with a crestfallen gaze. Indigo placed a hand on their arm rubbing their skin with her thumb, “Tricker, what’s wrong.”

“Can you take my name off the dean’s list,” they croaked.

“Alex,” Indigo mused, sadly, “You worked and studied so hard.”

“Sunflower, you deserve to be on that list just like anyone else,” Calvin added softly.

“I know,” Alexandria choked, “but there’s this guy—”

“Is he bullying you?!” Calvin retorted quickly becoming a protective father with his chest puffed out before Indigo rested a hand on his thigh.

“Who is he?” Indigo asked calmly.

“Simon Couri,” Alexandria sniffed, “His parents wants him to be “the best” and force him to get the top grades, and I know because I’m not top of the list he’ll get in trouble for not being the best.”

Indigo and Calvin side-eyed each other before Indigo said, “Tomorrow morning, I’ll put him at the top, so it looks—”

“No! I want to be off it!”

“Alexandria?” Calvin sighed as Indigo wiped their tears with her thumb.  “I already know I work hard, and I know you are proud of me regardless of my grades, I have nothing to prove to anyone,” Alexandria explained between their crying, “Simon needs this, and I just wanna help him.”

Indigo and Calvin sighed, “I will take your name off the list first thing tomorrow,” Their mother replied, “Alright?”

“Thank you, Mommy,” Alexandria yearned, hugging her.

“We are incredibly proud of you Alexandria,” Calvin added rubbing their back.

“I know, Daddy.”

Revised Dean’s List

Apologize to all the original dean’s list for the past Spring Semester in the May 20th email shared with you. The revised dean’s list is enclosed with this email. For any other news or information about upcoming events is in the Bridgehid College newsletter sent out on May 19th on the Bridgehid College Website.

Regards,

Indigo Margot Bookstone-Corals

Dean of Bridgehid College for Magic and Alchemy.

“Look at that,” Mallory muttered in an extremely tired tone while sitting next to Simon on the porch of the dorms, “You are not the top now.”

Simon stared at his phone wide-eyed, his name was now on the top, as if that truly mattered in the grand scheme of things. Although Alexandria’s name is no longer on the list, however. He never expected them to go so far as to get his name moved up the list or even remove their own.

“Why did they do that?” he muttered.

“Why don’t you ask them,” Mallory mentioned pointing to them across the yard where Alexandria was talking to Professor Kowalski.

He got up from his place on the dorm steps and ran over to them as Percy dismissed herself off to do whatever she did when she wasn’t teaching, “Oh hi Simon,” they remarked as they turned around to face. Looking at him with a large, friendly, smile.

“Why did you—”

“To help you,” Alexandria interrupted, “And before you say: I don’t need your help.”

Simon looked at them with narrow eyes when they did an impression of him, “I have nothing to prove to anyone,” they added, “My mom and dad allow me and my siblings to pursue the things that we enjoy. They are proud of me yes, but if I were to get just average or even below average grades that’s not something they are concerned with.”

They describe the kind of parents he wishes he had, the parents that love their child and take an interest in their child’s happiness regardless of their accomplishments and achievements.

“It’s very obvious that your parents aren’t like mine.” Alexandria continued, “So I got the list changed. Not for you to be friends with me or for you to feel like you owe me, just because I know it would help you out.”

Simon let out a little laugh before letting out a genuine, “Thank you.”

Alexandria continued to smile at him before getting ready to leave him, “Hey,” he called making them turn around, “Do you maybe want to study together sometimes?”

“Sure.”

Simon was able to walk to the dorms with a smile, only to lose it once he was faced with Mallory lying unconscious at the bottom of the steps. “MALLORY!”