Expectations When Expecting

Chapter 10

She glared at the boy who gave a cruel smirk at Grim, who simply stood in shock at the sudden change in Ace's friendly personality. The ginger cackled, bordering maniacally.

"I can't hold it back anymore!" He chortled. "Come on, you're the ones who turned orientation into such a fiasco, right?" Ace smirked, words overflowing with intent to hurt. "The one summoned by the Dark Mirror who can't even use magic, and the monster no one summoned at all."

Yuu considered ignoring him, but caught a glimpse of Grim's face. His eyes mirrored a hurt child, tears of anger and frustration threatening to flow. She began to seethe.

"It took everything I had not to burst into laughter right in the middle of the ceremony!" Ace exclaimed.

"H-hey! You don't gotta be a jerk about it!" Grim's voice was trembling.

Ace ignored the hurt in the monster's eyes, opting to continue his taunting. "So in the end, neither of you got admitted, and now you're janitors?" Yuu swung the broom, scraping the boy's face with the bristles.

"You have EXACTLY three seconds to leave, or I promise you that you'll end up with a mouthful of mud." She snarled.

Ace regarded her with indifference, glaring at her choice of a weapon. "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about this? 'S not like you can take me." She pushed her, and her eyes widened.

"Ah ha ha! You're both SO lame!" He sneered, closing in on her.

"What did you just call me?!" Snarled Grim from behind Ace.

"And you're both so clueless you don't even know who the Great Seven are. Not one of them! Maybe before you try getting into the academy again, you ought to take a second crack at kindergarten?" He teased the two.

Yuu narrowed her eyes, watching him laugh. She prepared herself to hit him over the head, with the broomstick this time. However, the sound of an increasingly pissed off, fire-breathing cat rumbled from behind the ginger.

"Shoot. Grim! No!" She yelped, ignoring whatever Ace just said.

"Myuh-uh! You ain't walkin' away from me! It's too late for that!" Grim snarled, his fur standing on end, attempting to make himself look bigger. He inhaled, and Yuu moved away from Ace.

Ace yelped, barely dodging a fireball. "What the hell?! Get your cat!" He told her, making Grim much angrier.

"Nah dude. I told your dumbass to leave a while ago. This is on you." She deadpanned, grabbing the bucket of water, and making her way behind the cat.

"No one makes fun of Grim, Master of Fire! I'm gonna make that explodey-head of yours explode all over again!" Grim smirked cockily.

"Explodey-head?!" Ace exclaimed, suddenly angry. "You wanna throw down with me, shorty? You got some guts. You wanna talk hair, huh? I'm gonna shave you like a toy poodle!" He pulled something that appeared to be a magic wand out of his breast pocket. Yuu sighed, deeming this impossible to stop, and moving herself out of harm's way.

Sorry Crowley...

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The fight was much more terrifying than what she'd imagined. She ran back out, actually worried. "Hey! Stop! Take it down a notch, both of you!" She cried, distressed.

"Shut up!" Ace growled, sending a gust of wind at her that was strong enough to send her flying backwards. Her eyes widened in fear, heart sinking when her mind flashes to her unborn child. She says a silent prayer, praying that the child makes it as she braces for impact.

It is much softer than expected and she feels the tickle of feathers against her cheek. She hears someone familiar call her name and a gloved hand with cool metal rings attached to the tips pat against her face.

She opens her eyes to see someone who she never thought that she'd be relieved to see.

"Good to see you've returned to the land of the living, Miss Yuu." He gave her a quick, reassuring smile as he sat her down to breathe before looking up with a gasp. She followed the Headmage's gaze, only for her eyes to widen.

There, the first statue of the Queen of Hearts stood, charred and smoking. "Oh, schist." She muttered.

"Oh no! The headmage!" Ace yelped, spotting the terrifying demeanor of the Headmage. "Not more lashings of love! We gotta get outta here!" Grim cried as he attempted to scramble away, failing miserably.

Crowley prowled forward, an indignant snarl on his lips as he cracked his whip, smacking Ace and Grim on the head. Both yelped painfully enough that Yuu also flinched.

"As if the likes of you could ever flee from me!" Crowley began, breathing out in a weak attempt to calm the fires of his wrath. "Did I not just warn you, 'no more incidents'?" The headmage growled at Ace, who was shrinking into himself rapidly.

"And now you've charred one of my statues?! It's almost as though you WANT to be expelled!" Crowley shouted.

"No! Forgive me!" The trickster pleaded.

"And you, Yuu. You were specifically told to keep Grim under control!" He turned to her, a look of disappointment evident on his features.

"I'm sorry..." She looked down.

Crowley's eyes did not soften with her shame. "This will not do..." He sighed before returning his attention to Ace. "And you! State your name and grade." She heard the headmage crack the whip against his hand.

"Ace Trappola... Freshman." Ace stated meekly. For the first time since she'd seen him, he looked smaller.

"Then listen well, Trappola. You too, Grim and Yuu." His voice echoed off of the statues. "As punishment for today's infractions, you are hereby ordered to wash a hundred windows!"

Yuu stood up from her spot on the ground shakily. She bowed her head. "I understand." She spoke formally.

Grim, however, immediately turned to look at Ace, accusatory as if he hadn't been the one to continue the fight. "That's what you get for makin' fun of me! This is all your fault!" He hissed, eyes narrowed at the ginger who stared, flabbergasted at the idea that he was being punished.

"Whaaat? I have to do it too?!" He whined.

Crowley gave an authoritative sniff, looking down at Ace. "Of course you do. You will meet in the cafeteria after class. Are we clear?" He announced it to the group.

"Yes sir." Ace submitted, bowing his head.

Grim walked over to where Yuu was standing, grumbling. "Ugh, I just can't catch a break!"

Yuu narrowed her eyes at Grim. "I know that I semi encouraged it, but you did not need to throw more than three fireballs!" She scolded. "It's good that we're both okay, but please. Just stop putting us both in danger. The stress isn't good for me..." She didn't yell as she was still shaking from the shock of having literally been launched.

Grim seemed to notice this shaking, as he did not attempt to fight back. Instead, he jumped up into her arms and said, "Since yer so scared... I guess I'll let ya pet me."

Yuu's eyes widened, shakily placing her hand on Grim's head. She pat Grim, attempting to ground herself. Soon enough, the shadow of a tall man stood before her.

"Miss Yuu. Let us get you to the nurse's office." Crowley's voice said. It held a soft, almost fatherly tone. She gave a nod, allowing him to take the lead.