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

Chapter Eighteen: Destiny

Part Two:

There is no beautiful surface without a terrible depth

-

Friedrich Nietzsche

Chapter Eighteen

Destiny

Anastasia didn't tell Caleb what had happened last night. She didn't tell him how Evangeline had come to her room, begging her to come back. She only gripped his hand tight, her back aching from having spent the whole night on her dorms' icy floor. Anastasia eyed Caleb darkly. His head had been shaved and fresh scars zigzagged across his broad cheekbones. He bit his lip and turned to Anastasia. The same lips that had pulled away from hers. The same lips that couldn't even utter three simple words, words that would've changed everything.

"Don't you love me?"Anastasia had demanded furiously.

She could still feel the residue of the hot tears that had formed in her eyes as Caleb said nothing.

"Where did you go last night?" Anastasia asked, attempting to break the silence.

"I morgified and walked through the blue forest," Caleb answered casually.

Anastasia could feasibly imagine Caleb's slick greyhound roaming through the forest, and immediately wished he had taken her.

"I spent the night on the floor," Anastasia seethed, taking a seat on the grass.

"Was your choice not mine, love," he replied as he sat beside her, pursing his lips as Anastasia scooted further away from him.
"Why did you leave me last night?" Anastasia asked shakily, taking a large bite of her smoked trout sandwich.

"I was being a gentleman," he answered quietly.

"Since when are you gentlemen?" Anastasia retorted, feveretly scoffing her sandwich.

"Can I please just eat in peace? Without this constant questioning!" Caleb shot.

Anastasia backed down.

A few lengthy moments later, Caleb scooted back next to her and kissed her quickly.

"I'm sorry Anya," he sighed, tears biting his blue eyes.

"We're gonna fight sometimes," Anastasia reassured. "That's what people do."

Anastasia kissed him with a smile.

"Were acting like a couple of Evers," Caleb chuckled, running his fingers through Anastasia's hair, pulling her into a warm hug and kissing her gently on the head.

"I love you Anastasia."

She smiled up at him. The fiery evil flame inside of her started to back down, smoldering smaller and smaller... until a familiar voice reignited the blaze.

"Please, get a room," the voice called with a slight scoff.

Anastasia turned around to face its owner, a girl clad in a mink coat covering a pink Evergirl uniform, her raven black hair flowing down to her waist, radiating natural beauty.

"Leave us alone, Clarrisa," Anastasia spat.

"Oh you're asking nicely now?" Clarrisa giggled.

"Since when were you a human?" Lavina laughed along with her. Lavina. Anastasia hadn't seen her in months. She resembled Clarrisa in a way, but at the same time the two were completely different.
Next to Clarrisa's cat-like eyes and sly smile, Lavina looked like a mouse compared to a snake. Lavina batted her innocent eyes and stretched her pink lips into a gorgeous smile. Her ears were pierced all the way to their tips, which Anastasia envied. Her Mother would never let her do that. She resembled Caleb the most, the same flawless skin and caramel hair. They looked like like siblings, but their personalities couldn't have been more different.
Lavina ran thin fingers through lustrous auburn hair, looking up at Clarrisa for approval. She gave the girl no acknowledgement and continued to torment Anastasia.

"Come on Anastasia, we all know why Caleb really loves you..."

Evergirls swarmed around Clarrisa like sharks on chum.

"Because he can never have me," Clarrisa mused, eyes boring into him.

The girls around her burst into uncontrollable cackles, while Caleb looked as if he wanted to strangle Clarrisa, but Anastasia placed a reassuring hand on his knee.

"Don't tell lies Clarrisa. I never loved you," he hissed softly, boldy holding eye contact with her. Anastasia glanced between the two of them curiously. There was definitely something that she didn't know, but now was not the time to ask questions. Now was the time to fight back. Anastasia took Caleb's face and kissed him passionately. Anastasia faced Clarrisa with a lovesick Caleb beside her.

"I think we all know who he's chosen, your majesty," Anastasia simpered as Caleb put an arm around her waist.

They were falling back into their old rhythms again, and Anastasia couldn't get enough of it.

"What a disgrace you are Anastasia. What would your mother think of all this?" Clarrisa purred devilishly.
"School slut!" Lavina chimed.

Anastasia gave her own sarcastic smile back.

"What my mother thinks has nothing to do with you Clarrisa. Or should I say Sophie lover."

Clarrisa's face went pink with embarrassment.

"I see the way you idolize my mother Clarrisa. Don't think I'm blind."

The girls crowding around Clarrisa scooted further away with apprehensive expressions. Clarrisa saw this steamed red.

"That's not true!" Clarrisa protested. "Pah, me, love Sophie! No way, she's a witch, there's no-."

As Clarrisa trailed off, a smirk grew on Anastasia's lips.

"Oh please, Clarrisa. We all know you're ashamed of being Agatha's daughter... or at least, I do," Anastasia cooed as Clarrisa's eyes turned blazed with fury.

"I'm not and never will be ashamed of my mother! Yes it's true, I idolized Sophie, but not anymore, Anastasia! Not anymore!" Clarrisa seethed, her taunting smile fleeing her face.

"And why is that?" Anastasia asked, unconvinced.

"Because she's just like you!" Clarrisa stalked closer to her. "Expect you're not even half as beautiful or slim."

Lavina and Clarrisa's Evergirl cohort howled with laughter. Clarrisa's finger glow ignited as she shot a spell at Anastasia. Two small horns, like devils, sprouted from her head.

"Devil horns for an evil girl," Clarrisa laughed. "Oh and I forgot one more thing."

Clarrisa reached Anastasia's face, leaning down to whisper in her ear: "You don't get a happy ending, just like your mother. Destined to rot in a small little house with no one who loves you but your pathetic partner. Caleb of Jaunt Jolie, who will someday leave you for someone young, someone beautiful, someone good. And that's because, my darling cousin, Good always wins."
Anastasia shook her head.

"You're wrong." Anastasia reached into her pocket and clutched the dagger, grabbing the ends of Clarrisa's waist length hair.

"Good may win in every fairy tale, including our mothers, but evil is always lurking in the shadows, always the one with the plan."

Anastasia slashed her glossy black locks, which fell to reach just past her shoulders. Strands of silky hair gracefully floated to the grass, scattering in the chilling wind.

"So don't ever tell me what I am destined to be or what I am destined to do. I make my own destiny."

Anastasia stormed out of the clearing, not paying until she reached room 66. Falling onto her bed, tears sprouted from her eyes and dripped down her cheeks, real tears filled with sadness and shame. She was ready for this all to be done. She was ready to finally be happy.