Khrysopos ✔

FIVE

- Juliet's POV -

IT WAS THE FIRST day of school. All of her classes so far were fine. Not too hard, not too easy. She got a little lost finding one class, and when she kindly asked someone for help, they continued walking and ignored her. Which stung.

The uniforms were pretty nice. The boys wore a white shirt, and a tie. A dark gray waistcoat was optional, or it could be replaced with some other formal piece of clothing like suspenders. The pants were a simple black or dark gray. The shoes had to be formal.

The girls wore a white shirt, a tie, and a black or dark gray skirt with formal footwear. If they didn't want skirts, they could wear pants too. The footwear could be either flats or heels or whatever - but something formal.

Carlton sometimes went a little overboard with the sophistication they were trying to achieve.

To school, Juliet wore a simple pony tail, very light makeup, and nothing more. She opted for a skirt but wore tights underneath. Also Doc Martens. Nobody told her anything when she walked in with them. She sat at lunch with the 'crew' and ate her food calmly. The rest of them were bickering and talking.

"Where did you go last night?" Marie asked Juliet suddenly, sounding a little bit concerned.

"I went back to my quarters."

"Why? Did you not have fun at the party? Jason throws the best ones," she offered.

"The party was fine. I've just been to better parties, that's all," Juliet said, waving her hand carelessly.

"Really? Like what?" Nyssa asked curiously.

Juliet thought about it for a minute and noticed Nathan shifting a little closer. She said, "Well, in Germany, my best friend Hansel threw the best ones. He - "

"Hansel?" Cain sputtered. "Hansel Schmidt?"

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"Everyone's heard about him!" Marie exclaimed. "He's super famous for his parties. I hear he invites only select people to them, and no one except the invitees know the venue and timings. No one exactly knows what goes on in his parties, but rumours fly that the people who were invited go in large ball gowns and masks and costumes; they say that his parties always have the strangest orders - ferrets, hundreds of fairy lights, magicians, clowns, snakes, lions, balloons, straw."

"I heard that he once booked an entire circus for one of his parties," added Adam.

Juliet laughed with delight. "Ah yes! The Maslova circus! That was one of his best ideas yet." She smiled secretly. "I can't tell you any details, but I will say that his parties make you feel...royal." Juliet sighed, a small smile on her face. "I miss his parties. It's been nearly a year since I've been to one."

"Atleast you got to go," Marie whined. "I wish I could've gone to some of his parties."

Juliet smiled at her cunningly. "Maybe one day you will - Hansie likes to travel a lot."

Alex didn't react to any of this, and neither did Nathan. Nathan simple stared at his phone, and Alex was texting someone and answering important phone calls every fifteen minutes in hushed, angry tones.

After lunch, Juliet continued attending her classes. Juliet had English class the last, and she noticed that she shared it with every single one of the 'crew'.

She shared a desk with Adam, who made polite chit-chat with her. Juliet briefly noticed Marie looking at Adam a few times. She also noticed Cain taking a few peeks at Marie.

Boy, was this going to be a complicated love triangle if one of them ever opened their mouths.

"Today we are going to talk about..." Miss Colin said, writing the title on the board in an elegant cursive, "...Shakespeare!"

A few students groaned quietly.

"Now I know that a lot of you have already studied Shakespeare, but let's do it again." She smiled. "Shakespeare is one of the greatest writers in the history of English. His works have always had a unique appeal to them - and a bitter truth as well." She looked around. "Can some of you tell me your favorite lines from him?"

Adam raised his hand. Miss Colin picked him. "Adam. Go ahead."

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here," he quoted.

"Why did you choose that one, Adam?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. It's just a very good line."

She smiled. "It is a very good line. Anyone else? Alexander?"

Alex recited, "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"

"Why did you like it the best?"

"Because," he replied, "it has truth to it. And I value truth."

"Um," a boy said, "you are a mortal too?"

"I am aware of that, thank you for reminding me, Robin," Alex said irritatedly.

"Alright alright," Miss Colin said, "Let's not argue amongst ourselves. Does anyone else have a favorite? Let's ask the new student, shall we?" Miss Colin smiled warmly. "Juliet?"

"She will probably choose a line from Romeo and Juliet or something," one of the girls muttered, rolling her eyes.

Juliet smiled sweetly at the girl, and said, "Goest and fucketh thyself."

The girl's expression was priceless, and nearly everyone was laughing. Even Alex cracked a smile, and Miss Colin tried to look serious and failed.

Juliet then ignored the rest of the class and calmly recited, her voice a little sharp, "If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"

Miss Colin's asked, "And why did you choose that line, Juliet?"

"Because," she replied, "that is a line I completely agree with. It's something I live by."

"You live by revenge?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not exactly. But I do believe that everything you do has a result, and if that result is catastrophic - and fair - then that is what you deserve."

"Very direct words," Miss Colin commented. "Although I must say... It does have kind of a violent promise to it."

"These violent delights have violent endings," Juliet quoted back, smiling. "These days, what isn't violent?"

"True." Miss Colin laughed. "Alright then. Let's continue. I want all of you to read - "

Class went on peacefully, and Juliet had decided that this was her favorite one so far. Miss Colin genuinely enjoyed her job, and literature had always been a favorite of Juliet's.

After class, Nathan stared at his twin sister, judgement clouding his eyes.

She ignored his look and went back to her quarters with Marie and Nyssa.

The twins hadn't communicated with each other their whole life - why would they start now?

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