The Third Reader - The School for Good and Evil

7) She Hated It

Yuba once again led his students through the blue forest, Evelynn lagged behind, embarrased and ridiculed.

Part of her wanted Tedros to sidle up to her with his cocky grin, part of her didn't.

Most of her did.

And she hated it.

They reached a row of glass coffins, similar to the one in snow white's fairy tale. Each was empty.

"Right," Yuba grumbled, glaring at Evelynn because he assumed she would only bring more trouble, "this lesson has a similar concept to our first, I will be turning 6 of you into one person, then you will get into the coffins...and the others have to guess good from evil. You get it."

"Um Sir."

Yuba couldn't hide his annoyance as Evelynn spoke up. "Yes? Lynn?"

"Can I go to the nurse? Um, my arm still hurts." 

"What happened to your arm?"

"I was shot by a crossbow."

Yuba looked genuinely surprised, then eyed up her bandage, "How?"

Evelynn was annoyed that the gnome was dragging out the conversation, because now everyone was glaring at her. She didn't mind attention, but if it was negative that made things a lot worse.

"An accident...I was walking past the ever boys' weapon training area."

A ginger freckly boy's eyes widened as he realised that the bird he had shot a few days before was actually a student.

Yuba paused, "No, you'll be fine."

Evelynn gaped and brought her stinging eyes to the floor, again humiliated.

"Ok, now we're done with that...let's begin! We'll start with girls: Sophie, Agatha,Hester Anadil and Dot you're due in the coffins. Hort, Tristan, Chaddick, Tedros, and you two," Yuba pointed to two more nevers, "you'll be judging the coffins, and you each have to pick one."

"There's only 5 girls Yuba." Dot said.

"I know," Yuba's gaze swivelled to Evelynn, "you'll be participating too."

Evelynn was on the verge of sobbing at this point. She didn't want to take part in some stupid activity with a bunch of people that hated her.

"Come here then!" Yuba snapped.

Evelynn moved forward through people with her head down, trying to hide her red eyes. She shuffled next to Dot, who seemed to be the only nice person there. A never.

Yuba waved his hand and the six girls turned into 6 identical girls.

"I'm hideous!" Sophie wailed.

Evelynn didn't have the energy to groan.

They piled into one coffin each, Evelynn chose the one on the far right.

She stared up at the sky through the glass of the coffin, hands by her side, blinking back tears. She heard the ever and never boys arguing over who to pick and closed her eyes.

They snapped back open when a hand slammed down on the top of her coffin. Tedros's kind face grinned down at her, his smile infectious.

"I pick this one!" The prince stated, he opened the coffin and slipped his hand into hers, pulling her up gently. Evelynn turned back into herself as she stared into his eyes, the skin of his palm soft against her's.

"How did you do that!?" Yuba waddled rapidly over to them, glaring at Evelynn. "I haven't turned you back yet!"

"It's her fabulous talent." Sophie snarled, clearly annoyed because Tedros had picked her coffin.