THINKING IT OVER, the first day of classes weren't as bad as Aspen expected it to be. Sure, they were a little boring, but they weren't stress-inducing, at least not yet. They definitely weren't worth losing sleep over, that was for sure. Aspen assured herself that tonight, she would sleep like a baby.
Her and Natalia caught up as they walked to dinner. The air was warm in the near-evening, a light breeze ruffled their hair and brushed their skirts against their legs. Aspen wore tights, and Natalia wore thigh high socks, so neither were particularly bothered by the wind.
"After the third time she talked back, Valerie was sent to the Dean's office. I'm sure she's still up there now, throwing a fit," Natalia recounted, laughing a little. "I could swear she was shaking with rage."
"It doesn't sound like Valerie is too good with people."
"Well yeah, she is a Laurent," Natalia rolled her eyes, facial expression looking sour.
"What does that mean?"
"They're known all over Europe. Even common people know how stuck up they are from tabloids and online interviews. Remember this morning when she flipped out on Elliot for not knowing the Laurent brand? They're usually all like that, all the time," Natalia scoffed. It was the first time Aspen had really seen her get worked up about something.
Aspen nodded in response. Valerie seemed like the kind of person you didn't want to interact with, much less cross, like Elliot did. Suddenly, she pitied her uncle. He was either dead by now or nearly there.
The two made it to the dining hall and grabbed their dinner. Tonight, the main theme was pasta dishes. Aspen opted for a big bowl of mac and cheese accompanied by a mango Snapple with Natalia grabbed a plate of baked ziti and a glass of water. They sat in the same seats they sat in yesterday.
"Phoenix Laurent's in my Latin class," Aspen mentioned, digging into her mac and cheese to quench the fluttering in her stomach.
"Oh? He's like the only one that tries to keep up a polite appearance. He's usually the one keeping Valerie in line, too. Between you and me, though, there's this rumor spreading that he doesn't want to take over the family business."
"I can understand that. I could never handle that much responsibility," Aspen replied with a light laugh at the end. "I feel a little bad, he must be under a lot of stress."
Natalia nodded, but looked a little salty about it. Aspen had never seen the corner of Natalia's mouth tugged down for so long. She was about to ask her about it, until a small voice sounded from behind them.
"Um, excuse me..."
The two turned to the voice, facing Elliot for the third time today.
"What's up?" Natalia asked, her radiant smile coming back, giving Elliot a bit of confidence.
"Can I sit with you guys? I don't know anyone else that well," He asked, then added, "And I'm pretty sure I offended the others from homeroom, so I don't think they like me too much."
"Of course!" Natalia exclaimed, while Aspen nodded. The former scooted over on the bench she was sitting at, and patted the empty space between her and Aspen. Elliot sat, placing his bowl of Caesar salad down on the table in front of him.
Aspen gave Elliot a smile. "So, how's your first day been?"
"It's been...stressful," He laughed nervously. "Everyone here seems so perfect, especially the ones from other countries."
"I know right!" Natalia agreed. "I thought I would be the only one who lived abroad, but there are tons of people from all over the world!"
"What I'm wondering is how I've lived in Pennsylvania all my life and have never heard of Magnolia Academy," Elliot frowned. "My parents told me our families been going here for generations, but for some reason I don't remember hearing about it until this year."
YOU ARE READING
Golden Magnolia
Fantasy* Updates every Wednesday! * * * * Aspen Reyes has never believed in magic. Growing up, she was taught that everything had an explanation that could be figured out with logic. Even when the inexplicable happened, like the death of her father, she ra...
