As Long As You're Mine

Dear Old Shiz

Laura Hollis takes a deep breath as she steps out of the huge carriage about a mile from campus. Her father had ordered the driver to not leave her unattended until she was visually confirmed to be with William Luce, the young man in charge of the school. But with a pout and some light begging, Samuel had agreed to drop Laura off away from the eyes of her fellow classmates. After all, them seeing her in an extravagant carriage would already turn some heads. And she just wanted to go to Shiz to learn.

She'd always wanted to go to Shiz. From the moment she learned that this was where her parents had met, she and her best friend Betty had dreamed about going to Shiz together and learning magic. To help save the world.

And when Betty died, that just made the need to make her dream come true-- their dream-- even stronger.

Except, when Laura started applying to Shiz, she found out that the new headmaster had declared they'd no longer be teaching magic.

Well, that just wouldn't do, would it?

Laura waves goodbye to Samuel, promising to call for him if she ever needed him. After all, in recent years, she'd seen a lot more of him than of her own father.

She knows her dad loves her. And she knows that with the growing dissent across various citizens throughout Oz, his job was only getting more and more difficult.

Which is all the more reason why she doesn't want her new classmates to know who her father is.

Because there would be an assumption that she has ulterior motives.

Which she does.

Just not the ones other people would think she has.

Laura's so lost in her thoughts by the time she's made it past the Shiz gates that she doesn't look where she's going-- and collides right into another girl.

"Watch where you're going, spaz," the girl growls.

Laura stumbles, trying to regain her balance. She vaguely realizes everyone is looking in their direction and can't figure out why-- until she sees who she bumped into.

The girl was green. Her skin was green.

"Uh-Uhm. Uhmm."

People weren't staring at Laura bumping into the girl. They were staring at the girl.

Laura's eyes quickly scan the crowd and their faces seem to be varying degrees of disgust.

She slowly looks back at the girl-- and can't understand how anyone could be repulsed by her.

First of all, the green is a startling shade of emerald. It's positively fluorescent, glowing and shining. In fact, it seems to electrify the air around her.

Second of all, there is some kind of profound loneliness in her eyes. A lifetime of being feared or regarded as a freak is evident the moment Laura gazes into them.

And, third of all... the girl herself is gorgeous. So gorgeous that Laura finds herself gawking.

Which is obviously mistaken for staring with another intent.

"What? What are you looking at? Oh, do I have something in my teeth?" the girl barks sarcastically. "Okay, let's get this over with. No, I'm not seasick. Yes, I've always been green. No, I didn't chew grass as a child. So with all that-- are you done?" she snarls. "Or do you want more time to come up with a proper enough insult for my skin color?"

"Insult?" Laura asks, confused. "No, I w-wasn't gonna... If anything, I was going to... Uhm. Just. Wow. You're really pretty, is all."

The girl seems taken aback, if only for a second. She looks at Laura, really looks at her, and realizes she's not regarding her with disgust like everyone else.