The School for Good and Evil: One Last Tale

8 - Sebastian

Sophia

There is something so strange about walking through the streets of Gavaldon with Sebastian. Although I've walked with Radley a multitude of times before, there's something so different when it comes to the person who crashed into our village. I expect it's because there are occasions when I forget that he's not my brother. Sebastian may look scarily similar to my brother but he acts completely different.

Sebastian is staying with Radley and his parents until the Village decides what to do. Everything is orchestrated in secret so my parents don't meet the person who looks like their son. I may not be affected by the similarity but my parents undoubtedly will.

"What are you thinking about?" Sebastian asks as he sits down on the ground facing the endless woods.

I sit down next to him, smoothing my dress. "I was thinking about what the Village will decide," I admit.

"Well, there's no need to worry about that. We'll be long gone out of this place before they come to a decision," Sebastian says, smiling at me. For someone who left the woods, he is desperate to get back to it. I did ask him whether his desire to return to the woods so quickly was because of me but he reassured me it wasn't. I do find it strange that he hasn't explained why or how he left the woods in the first place but I have a suspicion that he entered Gavaldon by accident. If it was by accident it would explain why he's desperate to go back but that means he doesn't know how he crossed the barrier. No, I believe that he does know how to return to the woods as otherwise, he wouldn't promise to take me with him.

I still can't believe that I'll finally escape into the woods. A part of me wants to stay in Gavaldon for my parents to make sure that they're okay but there's no life for me here. Anyway, if I was supposed to be taken by the School Master then they got more years with me than they should have done. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. Now that the opportunity has presented itself, I'm scared to take the leap of faith to live the life I want. I'm scared to hurt the people that I love and I'm scared that I'll regret my decision. However, if I never take that leap of faith, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. I have to leave for the woods and if it feels wrong then I'll just come back.

"Can you tell me something more about the woods?" I ask him again. It's been something that I always ask Sebastian whenever we meet but curiosity never leaves me. The woods are something I've dreamed about my entire life and now there is someone sitting next to me who has actually been there.

Sebastian ponders for a moment, trying to think of something he hasn't said yet. "There's a school in Foxwood, which you know I come from, called the Foxwood School for Boys."

"Is that where you went, instead of The School for Good and Evil?" I'm not sure whether I was surprised when Sebastian told me that he never attended the famous school, despite us being of similar ages. However, I think I would have remembered seeing someone who looked nearly identical to my brother whilst reading Sophie and Agatha's story.

I notice that Sebastian pauses for a moment which makes me wonder whether this is a difficult subject for him. I've tried to be careful with my questions so I don't upset him so hopefully, I haven't overstepped the mark. "Yes it is," he finally answers. "My time spent at that school was not the rosiest years of my life. I was glad when I graduated."

"So now you just live in Foxwood?"

Sebastian nods his head. "Well, I did until I strayed too close to the woods and accidentally crossed the barrier." He starts to laugh at this bit which makes me smile too. "At least the one positive thing that happened with my mistake is that I got to meet you." I expect him to break into laughter again like it's some kind of joke but he doesn't. Instead, he looks deep into my eyes, his hand moving closer to touch mine.

It's cold.

I'm not sure why but I expected his hands to be warm, not to feel like there is no life in them. Despite not feeling warm, I can feel his hand. My nerves are tingling, my breath is becoming a little bit faster to match the speed of my heart. I stare into his ice-blue eyes, feeling the pull towards his soul.

The more I allow myself to fully sink into his eyes, I spot something just beyond the reach of his gaze. I move closer towards him, my body becoming more unravelled as I do. There is something that I can see but I can't work out what it is. If only I could move closer. And closer.

There is hardly any space between us, our breaths united as one. I slowly move my head closer, our eyes locked onto each other as we move closer and closer and...

"What are you two doing?" Quickly I break away from Sebastian, flinging my hands out behind to stop myself from falling over completely. Sebastian himself hasn't moved but he does seem surprised at the voice and my sudden movement. I whirl around, feeling the heat in my cheeks to see Radley crouching down on the grass next to us.

Why didn't he make any noise? Did he get some kind of sick joy out of watching the two of us? "Radley, what are you doing here?" I ask, my voice starting to light with annoyance.

Radley falls to the ground to sit with both of us, his legs outstretched as he stares up at the sky. "It's a beautiful day today. I was going for a walk when I spotted the two of you."

"So you just spotted the two of us and decided to not announce your presence?" Sebastian asks, making me glad that I'm not the only one who thought it was rude of Radley.

"What did you want me to do? Did you want me to shout something loudly that would have just made you more surprised?" Radley questions which does make me think. To be honest, the thing I would have liked him to do would be to not have shown up at all.

I make a face at Sebastian, to try and get across my annoyance which he smiles at. I remind myself that I only have to be in Radley's company until I escape into the woods with Sebastian. Once that happens, I won't have any unwanted interruptions from anyone from Gavaldon. Once we leave it will just be Sebastian and me. Maybe this will be the happy ending that I was robbed of when I wasn't taken away. Maybe this is the start of my fairytale. 

A/N This fanfiction hit number 1 in the agatha tag!!! Honestly, I am blown away by all the support I'm receiving. My little story is nearly at 600 reads and currently has 23 votes. I'm so glad you are all enjoying this and I can't wait to write even more <3