Poor Thing || Trollhunters || Angor Rot

The Gifted One

I looked down at my trembling hands. Easy girl, it's just school. Act normal, don't be weird and everything will be fine. Tight hank of anxiety went down my throat as I walked towards my locker. It took me a while to find it, but finally I stood in front of a blue, worn-out door. They were bent so much that a little more and you could ski on them. A grimace of disgust entered my tanned face when I saw many chewed gums stuck to the bottom edge of locker. Just adorable. Loud sigh escaped my lips as I struggled with the number lock. I was sure that I was entering the right code, but it wouldn't even budge.

- Oh come on! - I growled, feeling like a soldier on a losing battlefield. And then a light tap on my shoulder caught my attention. 

- Need a little help? - A girl with short black hair asked me with a friendly smile.

- Please save me from the stubbornness of the local beasts - I pointed to the school locker with a smirk, giving up.

The girl first pushed gently and then pulled the handle. And that was it. It opened with loud creak.

- You have to push it first, that's the trick - she said, adjusting the backpack on her shoulder. - You are new here - she stated rather than asked.

- Well, there's no denying it, - I admitted, sticking out my hand. - Hira Begar - I introduced myself, shaking her hand. 

- Claire Nuñez, nice to meet you. - She grabbed my hand tighter when I tried to withdraw it. - And these are a lot of beautiful rings - I laughed, seeing how her eyes sparkled at the sight of golden jewelery. Some had stones, some didn't. They were all unique. 

- These are souvenirs from all the trips I had. My father is an archaeologist, I had time to explore shops while he was discovering ancient artifacts and smiling at newspaper photos - I explained, clearly arousing the girl's interest. 

The sharp sound of bell interrupted our conversation, heralding the beginning of class. I took a deep breath, tightening my hands on the handle of the linen bag.

- You must tell me more about it after classes. What do you have first?

I reached into the back pocket of my wide jeans and looked at the carefully folded lesson plan. 

- Mi primera lección es español, mi amiga - I didn't have the best accent, but I spoke the language fluently. My father and I spent almost three years in Spain, I had to learn it quickly.

Claire perked up.

- It looks like we'll be in class together. Don't worry, the first day is always hard. But I'm sure you'll settle in quickly - she reassured and led me to the classroom.

Yes, that's what I'm afraid of. That thought crossed my mind like an irrittaing insect, but I quickly got rid of it. Gathering the courage to meet new people wasn't a big deal for me. After all, I had been doing it all my life. A pleasant spark of excitement lit up my heart as I saw so many new faces. 

When I finished introducing myself to the class, I sat down in the only available seat. The second-to-last row by the window seemed like a good place to daydream throughout the lesson. Perfect spot.

The rest of the classes went by just like in any other school. Before I knew it, the whole day had passed. The final bell rang and I walked out of English class by Claire's side. It turned out that we had a lot in common - we both love learning. And eventually I managed to tame my locker. It was opening without any effort now.

- I'm organizing a sleepover this weekend. You wanna come over? – Claire asked, taking out some notebooks from her locker.

- Oh, I'd love to. If you don't mind, of course. - I faced Mary and Darci, girls I had met earlier.