Misfits

by Jen Calonita

  “Can you tell mine to sit on my lap, at least,” Sasha complains as she waves the nut wildly at her chipmunk. “I don’t want to fail my first assignment.”

  “I told you. Move slowly and ask nicely. Chipmunks appreciate your patience, and they love people who are very calm,” I tell her. My chipmunk is sitting on my shoulder.

  Sasha tries bird noises, catcalls, and even a few neighs to try to get the chipmunk’s attention, but he won’t budge. Her chipmunk looks at mine and chitters, And they said this class would be fun? I’m bored.

  Me too, I want to tell them. All we’re learning today is how to feed a chipmunk? I look at Snow, who is going from princess to princess and giving advice. Every few minutes she runs back to the other room. I can hear loud talking coming from down the hall, and I’m so curious…and jealous. Is this really what she had planned for us today?

  “What are the boys doing anyway?” I ask Sasha. If only I could see!

  Sasha shrugs. “No clue. Maybe it’s dangerous. Why don’t you ask the chipmunk? Maybe he knows.”

  The chipmunk looks at me. No clue.

  “He doesn’t know. And besides, dangerous? Creature Comfort?” I start to laugh.

  Thump.

  Thump.

  The ground beneath us starts to shake. The glasses on Snow’s desk start to move. A vial of beet juice shatters on the floor. Animals in the pens get restless. The cougar lets out a low growl. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have laughed at that dangerous part. What are the princes doing down there?

  “Students, if you will just excuse me for a second…” Snow starts to say, but she’s drowned out by a loud roar.

  I inhale sharply, half-excited, half-terrified as I smell a hint of smoke in the air. “Dragon,” I whisper.

  “Dragon?” Sasha repeats as we hear a commotion down the hall.

  Both of our chipmunks hear this and start to run. I’m out of here! they chatter.

  The boys’ room bursts open and princes come flooding out, some screaming. Logan is leading the pack.

  “Derek let the dragon loose!” Logan shouts. “Run!”

  He dives under a desk seconds before a giant, greenish-gray beast bursts through the double doors behind him. His eyes are red and wild as his head searches left, then right, for what I assume is the exit.

  “Loose?” Snow cries. “You were supposed to study the eggs. Not engage with the dragon yet! That’s an upper-level skill! Why did Olivina suggest a dragon on day one?” I hear her mutter.

  All I can do is stare in awe as others take off running. The dragon is the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen! Its scales are almost translucent and its wings so expansive that I’m sure at full width they could cover the entire room. One claw is the size of my whole body, and the tail might be the length of my dorm room. I should be scared, but instead my mind is racing with questions. Where does it call home? How do dragons store up enough fiery breath to take out a whole village?

  “Devin, let’s go!” Sasha calls, snapping me out of my fog. “You are not trying to talk to that thing!” The girls around me almost trample their chipmunks in their quest to get to the exit. Students stream into the hallways screaming “Dragon! Dragon!” I sweep a bunch of chipmunks up in my arms and place them back in their box, then close the lid just to be safe.

  Click! Click! Click! Snow is moving slowly toward the dragon while making a clucking sound with her tongue.

  The dragon stops walking around long enough to look at her.

  “It’s okay. Come with me now,” she coaxes.

  Thump! It whacks its large tail against the floor.

  I hold my breath and wait for the fire to start, but the dragon ignores Snow. He’s searching and sniffing alcoves. One contains the horses, who start to neigh furiously. A steed breaks from its holding, galloping down the aisle and out the classroom doors, distracting the dragon and sending students diving out of the way.

  “Come on, men!” says Derek. “Let’s get this beast back into its cage. Draw your swords!”

  “Don’t hurt him!” Snow cries. “He’s just scared. Stay back! I can control him!”

  “Charge!” Milo’s voice booms from a mirror in the room. “Charge, young princes! The headmistress demands you step up and send this creature back to its holdings.”

  “No!” Snow protests.

  “And you, Professor Snow, should plan on having a meeting with the headmistress when this situation is contained,” Milo snaps. “It’s obvious this class is way too dangerous for our young royals.”

  “This was an accident!” Snow protests, arguing with…um…the mirror. “We weren’t even supposed to study dragons today! All the students were supposed to meet unicorns! Olivina made the switch. I certainly wouldn’t have suggested a creature like a dragon, who could cause damage when let loose.”

  “That is all,” says Milo. “The princes will deal with this.” His mirror goes dark, and the dragon roars again.

  Sasha pulls me into an empty alcove. “The nerve of him, telling Snow what she can and can’t do!”

  “You heard her!” I seethe. “We weren’t even supposed to meet a dragon today. What is Olivina doing?”

  “Devin!” Logan comes sliding toward me, staying low and ducking so the dragon doesn’t spot him. He’s out of breath. “The dragon. I can’t believe I’m—Achoo!—saying this, but it’s not—Achoo!—its fault!”

  “What do you mean?” I whisper as the dragon begins cawing like it’s calling for someone. Another dragon? The call sounds desperate, but I can’t understand dragon.

  “Derek didn’t just let the dragon out. He stole one of the dragon’s eggs!” Logan tells me. “He was saying something about it being worth a ton of gold. He took one, and the dragon saw. That’s when he burst out. I think he’s looking for it.”

  Of course! The dad dragon is looking for his baby! His caws are getting more and more desperate. So are the actions of the princes. They brandish their swords at the dragon, coming close to nicking his skin. This only agitates the creature more.

  “We have to find that egg,” I say. “But we can’t let the dragon leave this room. He could end up hurting people.” I can’t say this for certain of all dragons, but this one doesn’t seem interested in hurting anyone. Yet.

  “I’ll find the egg,” Sasha volunteers. “Logan, help me find Derek. He can’t be far.”

  “Oh, I—Achoo!—can’t,” Logan says. “I’m allergic.”

  “To dragon eggs?” Sasha asks. “We have to get that egg back, or the dragon will rip the school apart looking for its baby!” She grabs his hand, giving him no choice. “Now come on!”

  “I’ll stay here and hold the dragon off,” I say. “Go quickly!”

  ROAAARRR! The dragon knocks over two bookcases, and Snow and the few remaining students in the room start to scatter. One of the princes pokes the dragon hard, and it screeches.

  “Back away from that dragon!” I shout, and everyone looks at me.

  The prince nudges me with his sword. “You back up, princess. This isn’t a job for you.”

  I narrow my eyes at him.

  “Devin, wait!” Snow warns, but I ignore her.

  “It is if you keep screwing up!” I pull the sword out of his hand. The princes around him gasp. “You back up. You’re scaring him! It’s only going to make things worse.”

  “This is not your jurisdiction, princess,” says another prince.

  It’s clear I’m not going to get any help from the guys. I have to try to help the dragon on my own. “Are you looking for your baby? Your egg?” I ask the creature. “Don’t worry! We’re going to bring it back to you. We just need you to stay calm and wait.”

  “Devin, you can’t!” Snow sounds frantic. “I know it’s hard to sit back, but let the princes find this egg if that’s what’s really going on. It’s their job.” I open my mou
th to protest. “They’ll restrain the dragon. Please! I can’t let this happen to another student, not after Tara…”

  I’m about to ask, “Who’s Tara?” when the dragon bounds in front of me and cocks its head like it’s listening to what I have to say. His face comes dangerously close to mine. “Nice dragon,” I say, trying not to sound frightened. Just one of his teeth is as big as my head.

  “It’s going to attack Princess Devin!” The first prince grabs another boy’s dagger and stabs it into the dragon’s tail.

  The dragon roars so loudly that the ground shakes violently. Seconds later, it opens its mouth.

  “Duck!” I cry as fire rains down on the room.

  Snow’s table is the first casualty. Two pixies race into the room to put the fire out with mini magical sparkles, but the dragon is still breathing fire. The princes dive at the dragon.

  “No!” I cry again.

  “Devin! We have it!” Sasha holds the egg high above her head as she races back into class. Logan is right behind her, grinning triumphantly. “We have the egg! Logan hit Derek! You should have seen… Oh!” She screams as fire shoots in her direction.

  The dragon thinks Sasha stole the egg! “Sasha!” I run toward her. “Put the egg down and back away. No one move!”

  Sasha gently places the egg on the floor, then walks backward slowly till she’s next to me. We hold our breaths.

  The dragon sniffs the egg, poking it with his nose before carefully picking it up with his teeth. He snorts in my direction, and I have to imagine he’s thanking us.

  We watch as he heads back the way he came. Snow hurries after the dragon to lock him up. She looks back at me worriedly, but I’m smiling. I met a real live dragon!

  “You guys did it!” I hug Logan and Sasha.

  “We all did!” Logan says with a laugh. “I hit a prince and spoke to a dragon and—Achoo!—I’m still alive!”

  Sasha starts to laugh too. “And I helped save the day! Wow, that felt good!”

  Then we hear a voice behind us.

  “Miss Devin, Miss Sasha, and Mr. Logan!” Hazel is out of breath as she clings to what’s left of our door. She looks furious as she looks around at the charred remains of our classroom. “You…you…you three are in major trouble.”

  Royal Academy

  From the desk of the Fairy Godmother

  Devin,

  I thought we had an understanding, but after hearing—and seeing—what happened in Professor Snow’s class, I fear I was wrong. Not only did you speak out of turn and handle things in a matter unbecoming of a princess, but you also corrupted Sasha Briarwood and Logan Nederlander. They have each received a strike because of you. And that’s to say nothing of the other students who witnessed how the three of you handled the situation.

  I regret to inform you that your parents have been made aware of this infraction. For now, the news will stay quiet, but if word of your poor performance were to get out to other royal families, the shame your parents would feel would be dreadful. I’d hate to see your behavior affect your father’s chance to earn lead commander ranking in the Royal Infantry. This is strike two. You do not want to get a third.

  I really hope you can turn things around. There is so much I want to teach you and discuss with you once I know you can be trusted. I know if you want to badly enough, you can do anything!

  Forever yours in wishes,

  Headmistress Olivina

  Chapter 14

  Fairy Tale Myths

  I am on strike two.

  My hands are shaking, and my legs feel like jelly as I read the letter. The bells are signaling we need to get to our next class, but I can’t breathe. If I screw up again, not only will I be banished, but Father and Mother’s lives will be ruined. Father’s Royal Infantry career could be over. I can’t let that happen. The class bell tolls again, and I look up to see an enraged Sasha marching toward me.

  She shakily holds up a scroll identical to my own, and I pale. “Not only did I get a strike, but the Fairy Godmother told me I can’t publish my next issue of the Enchantasia Insider!” Her eyes are rimmed with tears. “She said she knew I was the author and that I’d shown poor judgment in writing about what happened at First Knight Out. Anything that happens at Royal Academy is off-limits, which infringes on my freedom of speech. She never would have started with me if I hadn’t helped you with that dragon!”

  “Sasha, I’m so sorry—” I start to say, but she cuts me off.

  “If I continue to be friends with you and follow your ways, Olivina said she’ll throw me out and tell the world I couldn’t cut it as a princess.” Her expression darkens. “I can’t let that happen. My family can’t take that kind of scandal. Not after my sister…”

  I blink rapidly. “Olivina said that?” I’m shocked. I didn’t think fairy godmothers said such things. “But we’re roommates.”

  “Just stay away from me, okay?” Sasha backs away, banging into Clarissa and a few of her friends. “Stay far, far away!”

  I’m so caught up, I forget we have an audience. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me. Clarissa smirks, while a few princesses whisper and stare. I am not sure where to turn. It feels like the walls of the castle are closing in, and all I want to do is run. When the second bell rings, that’s just what I do. I don’t stop till I reach Professor Pierce’s classroom.

  I slide into the first chair I see and stare at my desk, willing myself not to cry. Sasha’s scroll is in jeopardy. Father’s career might be ruined. Mother will never be able to show her face at the charity Enchantasia Mad Tea Party again. What have I done? It’s only the first week, and already I’m close to losing everything.

  “Good morning to the future of Enchantasia!”

  I look up curiously. Professor Pierce’s smile is magnanimous. Something about it makes my heart rate slow to normal again. All around me, people stop talking and just smile. I’m not sure what it is about him. He’s dressed pretty regally for a teacher—in a royal-blue double-breasted dress coat and gold pants—which is impressive. But there is just something about his kind eyes—which are a unique shade of gray—that make me feel like everything is going to be okay.

  “Who’s ready to help change the world?” he asks, walking toward our desks. People sit up straighter to listen. “I know I am, and I know you are too. As royals, that’s your duty. To help make people’s lives better and brighter, and I hope in this room you will learn to do that. There’s only one rule in here: Be honest. Honesty is important in a royal—in all humans—and I want you to know that Milo will never make an appearance in this room. You can speak freely.”

  “Headmistress Olivina allows that?” It’s Clarissa’s best friend, Morticia Von Meader. She sounds nervous even asking the question.

  “Absolutely!” says Professor Pierce. “This is actually part of an agreement the fairy godmother and I made in exchange for me teaching here. This classroom is a safe space.” I could swear he looks at me. “And with that, we are going to dive into today’s lesson.” He taps the board, which ripples like water, and words appear in tight, neat script.

  The History of Enchantasia

  “To understand how to serve as a ruler, we must first study the royals who have ruled throughout history, examining their successes and their failures,” he explains.

  Professor Pierce taps the board again, and an image of Princess Ella appears, as clear as if she were standing right in front of us. The class gasps. More images come into view. Beauty, from her and Prince Sebastian’s story, imprisoned; Snow lying in what appears to be an eternal sleep, much like Princess Rose. The famous faces fly by.

  “The headmistress and I have always agreed we shouldn’t shy away from the tough side of being royal. In fact, she has always encouraged me to explore the dangers you may face on the road to the throne.” His smile is thin. “But ruling isn’t just about dramatic rescues and cer
emonial gatherings. Being royal means acting responsibly with the power that you’re given. It’s about making tough decisions for the good of your subjects. I hope my class will help you to do so.” He taps the board again, and it fades to black.

  The classroom is quiet. All eyes are on Professor Pierce.

  “Who can tell me some of the hardships royals have faced?” he asks.

  A flurry of hands shoot up, and students recount stories we all know. Tales of Princess Ella and Headmistress Flora, the former Wicked Stepmother. Snow and the Evil Queen. The Little Mermaid and Madame Cleo, the sea siren. Rapunzel and Gottie. Wow, there have been a lot more villain attacks in our kingdom than I realized. This discussion is getting sort of depressing.

  “Why would anyone want to rule, knowing villains are always waiting to attack?” Logan asks, reading my thoughts.

  “That’s a good point, Mr. Nederlander,” the professor says. “But as Olivina will remind you, this isn’t a job you signed up for. It is one you were born into and are expected to carry out. Still, I think it’s important we figure out how to deal with threats to our kingdoms.”

  “Olivina always helps us do that!” one girl says, and the others nod.

  A prince in the back of the class raises his hand.

  “Yes, Mr. Wallington?”

  “What about regular thieves and criminals? I remember King John dealt with a commoner who was stealing all his gold and handing it out for free. King John had to launch a task force, but he couldn’t find the thief.”

  Professor Pierce looks thoughtful. “Ah yes, Robin Hood. That’s an interesting one. It could be said that Robin Hood was stealing from the king. But King John was later relieved of his royal status when he was discovered to be unlawfully taxing the commoners to add to his personal fortune. So who’s to say who’s right? King John, who made harmful decisions for his people but was the true ruler of the kingdom, or Robin Hood, who technically broke the law but did it in service to the people? It’s an interesting case that shows the complexities behind determining what is wrong and what is right. We can’t forget that, while it is fruitful to study famous cases involving royals, commoners can often teach us much as well.”