Artwork

Serena opened her backpack and got out her schedule. She put the schedule in her pocket, closed her bag and walked to the Language Arts room, following the maps that were scattered around the school. While she was walking, Serena studied the school's overall atmosphere. She didn't like the atmosphere, but she didn't exactly dislike it either.

As she wandered the seemingly endless halls of the giant school, she came across several students skipping class. She scoffed in their presence and continued on her way. Finally, after ten minutes, she approached the door to the Language Arts room. Reaching for the handle, she hesitated, not wanting to face everyone after what had happened.

Serena closed her eyes, reminding herself that she's supposed to be fearless; she turned the doorknob and somewhat violently opened the door. She took a quick deep breath and reluctantly walked in. Class had already started by the time Serena got there. When she walked in, a girl was talking and she immediately stopped.

Everybody turned their heads to the door. Some glared, some stared and some just whispered to each other. She (tried to) confidently walk down the stairs and to the teacher. "Late Ms. Serena? I guess I should've expected that from you."

"I was trying to find this room, I thought that my tardy wouldn't count." Serena tried to mask her slight anger.

"Why wouldn't it count? You're late. It counts."

"But it's the first day, it shouldn't count because I was trying to find the classroom!" Serena didn't try to hide her obvious anger that time.

"Silence! Take your seat." Serena was going to blow up at her teacher, but decided against it. She picked the choice that wouldn't potentially get her expelled. Serena furiously walked to the second to last row without a word and plopped down in a seat. After she was settled, she slowly started to get the feeling of a familiar presence behind her. Serena slowly turned her head around to look at the person behind her.

The person was a guy with short and straight brown hair, blue eyes, and to Serena he had the cutest smile. When it became apparent that the boy was about to look back at her, Serena faced forward. "Okay, as I was saying before we got rudely interrupted," he said, glaring at Serena, "today's class will be about introducing yourselves, State your name, your parents, and what kingdom you rule."

Serena's head popped up and she began to mentally freak out. She didn't know what to do. Telling the truth would get her many enemies, but lying could be hard to keep up. Obviously, Serena chose to lie when her turn came upon her. When someone concluded their speech about themself, everyone else would clap for them.

After a long while, it came time for Serena to speak. "Alright Serena, tell us your name, parents, and what kingdom you rule." Serena slowly stood up, touching her hood to make sure it was adjusted to her liking. "Um, okay...you already said my name, it's Serena, um...my parents...my mom is Heather and my dad...he's...he's the um," Serena said, getting interrupted by the teacher.

"Spit it out Serena we don't have all day," he said.

"He's the king of costumes. He manages all the factories that make costumes, that's why I have wings." Serena stayed standing for an awkward second before quickly flopping down in her seat. She wasn't expecting anyone to clap, but slowly they all started to.

"Okay...moving on." Then the chain of people continued. When the bell rang for passing time before second period, Serena got up and ran out the door. She checked her schedule to see what her second period was and where it was that way she could get there faster this time. Her second period was swimming, she didn't wanna risk going there and potentially dying.

Serena hid in the bathroom until the bell rang, then she ran out and flew around the school, exploring everything. She decided to map out the school so she wouldn't be late to her classes. After she had noted where everything was, she flew back to the music room. She flew up to the door and landed in front of it.

Serena gripped the handle, creaked open the door just enough to peer in and glanced around the room for anybody. She opened the door and snuck in. Then she quietly closed it behind her, holding the door and the wall so it didn't slam. Serena took a couple steps unto the room before she heard a noise. She flew into the air and followed the sound, it led her to a piano near the back of the room.

The person playing it was the guy who gave her the weird sensation from before. He would play a note or two, mess up, get frustrated and then start again. Serena watched him from behind another piano. He finally got the first three notes down, so he started messing up on the fourth. When the bell rang for third period, he had somewhat got six notes down.

Serena leaped into the air and pushed open the door to the music room. She let the door close with a slam and got her Art book from her locker. Serena remembered where the art room was, so this time she got there on time. She picked a seat near the back corner of the room. The seats were wooden stools with canvases on their easels in front of each stool.

Buckets of water sat on the ground while variants of paints and colors scattered the floor around each stool. The tardy bell rung and the cheerful teacher bounced into the orderly mess they call an art room. She announced that the assignment was to paint what we want to be when we get older. Most of the people painted themselves as queens or kings but some were them with children and a husband or wife. Serena though, painted herself flying with Dax.

In her scene, Serena was flying directly below Dax, facing up at him while Dax faced down towards her. Dax's short black hair was flowing in the wind and his wings stretched to their full potential. He was grinning but seemed like he was hiding pain and sorrow. One arm was at his side while his other hand was under Serena's chin, seemingly attempting to pull her closer.

Serena was surprisingly laughing in the painting despite her friends hidden sorrow. Both of her arms were stretched out as if she hadn't flown in a very long time. After Serena finished her painting, she stopped and stared at the scene for a long while. She imagined that in her masterpiece, her and Dax were flying so high up in the sky that everyone below them were just mere specks.

She imagined that her and Dax were finally so far away from home nobody knew who they were where they're at. She liked the feeling of her and Dax getting their lifelong dream. Suddenly someone accidentally dropped one of their brushes, snapping Serena back to reality. She looked around and frowned, realizing where she was.

She cleaned up the excess paint and threw the tubes of paint back onto the floor after she thoroughly washed the brushes. Then she just sat, waiting for the class period to end when the girl sitting next to her looked over at her canvas. "What is that?" asked the girl. Serena glanced at the girl then returned her eyes to her painting.

"It's me with my...best friend." Serena didn't like talking about Dax, it brought terrible memories and saddened her.

"Where are you? Where's your crowns? Why are you flying?" Serena got a bit annoyed with all the questions.

"Does it matter? It doesn't concern you and it's not your business so I don't have to tell you."

"Rude. I was just asking a question. Are you new here?"

"Yes."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Serena."

"Who's your parents?"

"My parents? They're...my mom is Heather and my dad...my dad...is the king of costumes."

The girl looked disgusted for a split second before a light bulb went off in her head. "You're that girl everyone's talking about, the weird one with the weird kingdom." Then she gathered her things, got up and moved seats. Serena sighed and continued staring her painting until the bell rang and the teacher collected our canvases.

When the joyful teacher saw Serena's canvas she gasped. Serena gave her a weird look as the teacher marveled at her work. The teacher turned to Serena and gave her a thumbs up before walking away. Serena left the classroom, this time guiding the door to a silent close. She walked over to her locker and put her Art book away very glumly, but then she remembered what her fourth period was.