School for Good and Evil: The Successors Book One: Anastasia's Tale

Chapter Five: Never Be Perfect

 Chapter Five

Never Be Perfect

Anastasia's good mood from earlier that morning seemed to disappear as her classes dragged on. She couldn't believe she was only on her third one of the day when she slumped into an empty seat. Anastasia's eyes twisted around the room, the vision of what her Mother had told her slipping from her mind, as her pupils met a different scene entirely. She rubbed her aching feet, regretting wearing the towering heels that day. Caleb came prancing into the room, and took an open seat next to her. Before they could start chatting their teacher walked into the room. He had jet black hair that was slicked back and seemed to be pinned down to his neck. He strolled around the classroom, his hands behind his back. Picking up a piece of chalk not saying a word, he wrote something on the board. Then stepping away, revealed  his name in messy writing.

"I am your Professor Seth Empusa, and welcome to Curses and Deathtraps ladies and gentlemen."

The voice that came out of his mouth was so enthusiastic it didn't match the hard faced man standing in front of her. As Professor Empusa fixed his oblong glasses, Anastasia looked around the dull classroom. Nothing was the same, except for the wailing screams of children being tortured in the doom room underneath their feet.

"In this class, you will all learn how to be true villains! As the great Sophie of Woods Beyond once said "Evil can no longer act as losers we must take charge and show Good what we are made of!"

Anastasia rolled her eyes. Her mother had never said that. All Anastasia remembered her Mother saying about school was that everyone sulked around and looked like the dregs of the earth. She looked up and saw her teacher looming over her. His glasses pushed down on the bridge of his nose.

"Something wrong Ms. Anastasia"

Her eyes widened.

"Um, no Professor Empusa," she gulped

"Anastasia I know your family, full of great villains, and then your brother comes along. So I ask you this Anastasia, please be better than him." 

Anastasia looked faced him, blood boiling, surprised that her professor would say something like. Something so ghastly. He turned his back and made his way to his desk. She glared daggers as the lecture continued, the class seeming never ending.Every moment she cared less and less about what her professor had to say. She would occasionally turn to Caleb and roll her eyes or mimic the lecture. At one point during the lesson, Caleb burst into a fit of laughter. Their teacher swiveling around to face the ruckus.

"Anastasia please come to my classroom after classes today." He said coolly."And as for Caleb please make your way out of my classroom immediately, and learn to behave."

Caleb got up from his desk and hung his head hiding a smile. He opened the door and found Professor Luna Ravana staring back at him with a sly smile on her face and a ring of keys in her hand. Caleb's smile vanished. All the class could do was stare in shock. Minutes later Anastasia felt the ground vibrate as Caleb wailed beneath. She thought she could hear the whip cracking through the thick floor. 

Anastasia's classes ended and she made her way back to Professor Empusa's classroom. She didn't know what awaited her but she knew it wouldn't be good. Opening the door to his classroom, she found him at his desk. A quill in his hand, scribbling on parchment paper.  Putting the quill in the inkpot he shot up slowly from his leather chair. His eyes never glancing towards her. Anastasia followed his actions and got up from her own seat. He grabbed his brown coat from the hanger on the door and snatched a pair of keys from a nail on the wall. Anastasia felt her face grow hot and the nausea from last night returning as she grew anxious. They didn't speak the whole way as he guided her to an unknown place. They made their way up to the top of the School for Evil. There,on the balcony, was a bench's much like the picnic tables in the mess hall. Her teacher led her to one and sat down, patting the open space next to him. Anastasia looked at it warily, as if he were asking her to jump into a pit of fire.

"Come on girl I don't have all night."

Anastasia reluctantly took a seat next to him on the bench, arms crossed.

"Why are we here?" She asked, a vexed look taking over her features.

"Were you expecting me to take you someplace else?" Her teacher said, obviously hurt by Anastasia's statement.

Anastasia thought of the doom room, and Caleb's screams.

"Why did you take Caleb down there?" Anastasia protested. "He didn't deserve it!"

Her teacher looked at her and sighed. "He needed to be taught a lesson. One that I should have taught him a long time ago."

Anastasia's eyes widened in disbelief, understanding.

"You mean that was his first time in the doom room?"

Her teacher nodded.

"He has been causing trouble in my class for a while now," a cheery laugh escaped his lips in the cool night air.

"I am sure you are aware of your Mother's fairytale," he said changing the subject and facing the sunset in front of them.

Anastasia felt her own eyes gaze towards the vomit colored sky, agitated. She hadn't thought about her Mother all day and now this crackpot of a teacher had to bring her up!"

Yes," Anastasia replied, trying to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"Now, I want you to look into the sky, what do you see?" 

Anastasia glared deeper into the nothingness of the evening, uncrossing her arms.

"Nothing," she replied.

"Exactly Anastasia nothing. That is what your mother thought she would be if she continued here at Evil, and that is what you will be if you don't start taking your classes more seriously." 

Anastasia could feel herself grow furious. 

"You know what Professor Empusa. You're not me! You're not someone who has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Someone who every day feels like they will never live up to what they are supposed to be! I am not going to be as perfect as my mother and you know what, she isn't as amazing as the storybooks paint her out to be! She was never perfect and I will never be either." Anastasia could feel herself choke up. "I am not my mother's daughter!" 

Her teacher turned to her unphased

"I know Anastasia, but-."

"But what Professor Empusa?" She choked.

Anastasia stood up from the bench and heard a loud clang on the cement of the balcony. Her eyes met the ground, and her dagger stared lamely back at her. It seemed to taunt her, lying there on the ground for the world to see. Anastasia expected him to scold, or drag her by the collar to the doom room, but all he did was sit  in silence. Picking up the dagger, Anastasia ran down the dark stairwell. Not knowing where to turn