On the next day, Silver Rose found herself walking into the English classroom for homeroom. Having missed it the day before, she didn’t know what to expect for it, but she hoped it wasn’t too tedious of a process.
She watched as the students casually found their desks, chatting with their friends as they waited for the first bell to ring.
Silver didn’t know what else to do, so she simply found an empty desk by the back and sat down. She figured she could just move if someone wanted to sit here.
The teacher had yet to come in, so the class was a bit rowdy, though most of them did seem to have a certain properness to themselves, likely wanting to keep up the appearance that they were superior to others.
Silver kept herself busy by looking up some short stories on her phone. She enjoyed reading adventure stories and there was no better time to do it than now, while she was waiting for her teacher to arrive.
This time, she found a decent story about a seaman traveling the world to find a crystal shell to add to his collection of treasures. He battled giant crabs and lobsters and even octopi, but before she could find out what happened to him as his submersible hit an iceberg, she was interrupted by a lavender-skinned girl with glasses.
“Umm… sorry, but… that’s my seat,” she pointed at the one Silver was at.
“Oh. Sorry,” Silver got up, swinging her bag over one shoulder as she did so, trying not to sound too irritated at being interrupted. “Say, I don’t think we’ve met before. My name’s Silver Rose.”
“Um, Twilight. Twilight Sparkle, and there’s an empty seat over there if you’d like,” the bespectacled girl motioned to the one in front of hers.
Silver Rose nodded and sat down in the empty seat, getting her things out. Seeing as she was already talking, Silver decided to find out more about her first period class. “So, Twilight Sparkle, what happens for homeroom? I’m kind of new to this.”
“Hmm?” Twilight looked up from a book she had out in front of her, pushing at her spectacles. “Oh, sorry, were you talking to me? Uh, we mark our attendance. That’s about it.”
“Hmm, interesting…” Silver nodded in understanding. “So, how’s the teacher of this class?”
Twilight looked up again, but then looked back down at her book. “Sorry, I’m kinda in the middle of something, could I talk to you later?”
“Uh, sure, I guess…” Silver took a discreet sniff. This one smelled like anxiety, mixed with subtle undertones of ambition and a desire to succeed. A bit highly strung.
She turned on her phone again and flipped to her story, but just as she started on the sentence she had left off at, the bell rang, silencing the students in the class as their teacher walked in, carrying a stack of four books in her hands. She had curly white hair and a small pair of glasses resting low on her nose and she reminded Silver of a bird, just like Mr. Fowl.
“Morning class,” she spoke with a frail voice. “I see we have a new face at the back. I’m Ms. Post Script,” she introduced as she pulled out a clipboard and pen. “And I will be your English Literature teacher. Now, let’s see who’s here…”
Silver watched as her teacher called out name after name, watching hands shoot up to signify their presence in class. When it finally came time for her name, Silver did exactly as she saw her fellow classmates do, copying their actions to the last detail.
“Good, everyone’s here today,” Ms. Script down the clipboard. “Now, back to yesterday’s topic. I’m sorry, Silver, we’re learning about ‘The Path not Walked’ today. Just follow as you are able to.”
“I’ll do my best, Ms. Script,” she answered diligently.
Luckily for Silver, she’d already gone over this poem with her tutor, meaning today’s class was going to be a breeze for her, or at least, she hoped it would be.
“As the speaker states, he took the way not walked, and that has made all the difference. Based on what the speaker says he went through in stanzas five and six, can anyone tell me what he means by ‘and that has made all the difference’?”
Several hands shot into the air.
Ms. Script pretended to look around before calling on Fleur Dis Lee, a girl with light pink hair and white skin. Right now, Silver only knew her by name.
“Does it mean that by taking the way not walked, he stumbled on some revelation that he wouldn’t have come by otherwise?”
Ms. Script tapped her lips with a pencil. “Not quite. Anyone else?”
Indigo Zap, who was up front, waved her hand furiously until she was picked. “Does it mean the new path really paid off?”
“Erm… no. Anyone else?”
Sour Sweet raised her hand. “It means,” she said in a sickeningly sweet voice. “That the speaker was caught by the police and sent to prison.” Sour finished in a grumpy growl.
Silver Rose raised an eyebrow and the corner of her mouth. That was the most outlandish answer yet.
“Correct, Sour Sweet,” Ms. Script turned her back and began scribbling on the whiteboard. “Prison.”
Silver Rose leaned back and widened her eyes.
Really…? That’s it?
That wasn’t what her tutor had said. Literature really was as weird as many people had said.
“Prison… right…” she muttered. “The poet should be sent to prison.”
Silver Rose found herself changing out of her Crystal Prep uniform into her PE attire, which consisted of a dark purple shirt, blue shorts and blue shoes. She found most of the girls watching her as she changed, likely wanting to see what she looked like underneath her uniform. It was slightly embarrassing, but Silver looked away and changed as quickly as she could.
Once she was done, she neatly folded her uniform and put it in a locker, along with her shoes.
“Ready for PE, Silver Rose?” the girl with pink headphones asked. She was much brighter looking than most of the other students here.
Silver decided she needed a name to put with her face. “I think so. And please, you know my name, may I know yours?”
“The daughter of a famed actress wants to know my name?” she asked excitedly. “Noooo way! I’m Lemon Zest!” she grasped Silver’s hand and shook it rapidly. “I’ve watched most of her movies!”
“Haha, have you?” Silver put on a wide smile. This girl smelled and tasted like excitement and happiness. Lots of it. “I’m sure mother’s happy to know she has fans here…”
“Why, it isn’t just me!” she bobbed her head to something she was listening to on her headphones. “A lot of the students like her acting.”
“Please.” Lemon Zest was suddenly pulled back as Sunny Flare stepped forward, wearing a frown on her face. “That’s a card you can stop throwing around. News gets old fast and people won’t care that your mother is such a great actor after a while, so drop it. We don’t care.”
“I care!” Lemon blurted out.
“No, you don’t, Lemon,” Sunny flicked a hand through her hair. Silver also noticed that they both had the same shield badge with the lightning bolt on it from the last time. “Don’t fuel her ego.” The girl poked a finger to Silver’s chest. “You keep hiding behind your mother’s name. What do you have, Silver Rose? You’re nothing. Your name means nothing here.”
“Evidently it carries some weight, or people wouldn’t be taking photos of me in the halls.”
“Oooh! She got you good!” Canvas Splash leaned out from behind her locker door.
“Shut up, Canvas!” Sunny shot at her, then looked at Silver angrily. “We’re not done here, Silver. Come on, Lemon.”
“See you in the field, Silver Rose!” Lemon waved as she was dragged away by her friend.
“Are you alright, Silver?” Canvas asked and shut her locker. Instead of one ponytail, the artist had hers tied up into two longer ones now. “She didn’t hurt you, did she? Sunny Flare.”
“Nah. What’s her deal, anyway? Did I do something to piss her off or something?”
Canvas scratched at her head. “You know, I don’t know. Never asked. I think she just lacks the respect for others, to be honest. That’s one reason why I don’t paint when she’s around. She’s ruined three of my works before.”
“Hmm…” Silver mused, then shrugged. “Oh well. What are we doing in PE today anyway?”
“Why, we’ve got archery today,” Canvas skipped along happily as they pushed out to the field. “Ever shot an arrow before?”
“Nope. This’ll be my first time today.”
“Well, I hope you’ll be good at it. Show Sunny that she isn’t the best.”
Oh, yes. I will show everyone. I just need to find someone who’s already at it…
As luck would have it, someone was already lining up on the firing line. Sour Sweet had her bow and two arrows nocked. Silver watched with great interest as she sent the shafts speeding toward the target at the other end of the court, each one thudding into the red circle at the center.
Canvas noticed her watching and pointed a finger at the cranberry haired girl. “You see that? Sour Sweet’s one of our best shots. She’s really good at this.”
“Yeah?” Silver’s eyes darted over Sour Sweet’s body, lingering at the joints and her hands and feet in particular, taking in every tiny detail and imprinting it on her mind. “Okay, that ought to be good. Now where can I get a bow?”
“We get them from the stand over here,” Canvas pointed to a wooden rack with dozens of bows. “Come on, let’s go.”
The artist picked one up and handed it over to Silver. The purple-skinned girl accepted it and ran a hand along its smooth surface, then pulling the string back once, letting it bounce and wobble in its place.
“I can work with this…” she muttered, picking up a quiver of arrows.
“Hey, let’s see what the new girl’s got,” Silver heard Sunny whisper to one of her friends by her side. If it was anything, Silver was thankful for her acute changeling hearing. It really paid off, especially at times like this.
Stepping up to the firing line, she swiftly nocked an arrow, took the same stance that Sour Sweet had taken, pulled the bowstring back and let it go. There was a fwip as the arrow left the bow, thudding into the center of the target.
Silver Rose noted that the entire field had gone silent. She could smell it in the air, the shock from every single student filling her nose. She still didn’t like it when everyone had their eyes on her and the silence made it even more unnerving.
She quickly walked back to where most of the students were and turned to face the shooting range, holding her bow behind her back.
“Silver…” Canvas tapped her on the shoulder. “That was… incredible! And you said you’ve never tried archery before?”
“Eheheh…” Silver rubbed the back of her head in slight embarrassment. “Nope. First time with a bow for me.”
Even Sunny Flare had looked impressed for a second, but quickly returned to her smug demeanor. “Meh, beginner’s luck. I’d like to see you do that again, Silver Rose.”
“I’d like to see it too,” Sour Sweet made her nicest smile, but instantly dropped it for a serious face. “But don’t you go thinking you’re better than I am.”
“Oh, give the others a try too,” a boy with thick round shades pushed his way forward. “I want to have a go. Nice shooting, Silver Rose. You can have another go in a bit if you’d like.”
“Sure, I’ll wait my turn…” Silver used the excuse to fall back in the crowd.
Some eyes were still on her, but at least the majority had returned their attention to the shooting range. She patted herself down, getting rid of some imaginary dust.
“Well, that worked,” Silver muttered. “Three cheers for mimicry.”
“What’s that?” Canvas asked.
“Nothing.”
Silver Rose watched the other students let loose their arrows, some hitting their marks, some going all over the place. Canvas Splash took to the firing line, pulling back her string as she nocked an arrow. Closing one eye, she let it go, hitting the target just one below the bullseye.
“Look at you all,” Sunny Flare walked up and pushed the artist out of the way. “Just watch how it’s done, paintbrush.”
Sunny let her arrow go, hitting her target right in the center. Her group of friends patted her on the shoulder as she made one of the smuggest faces Silver had ever seen, and the smell she was giving off wasn’t too pleasant as well.
“Okay, that’s it,” Silver said to herself, walking up to the firing line and taking aim with her bow, mimicking Sour Sweet’s stance once again.
“What, upset I’m better, Silver Rose?” Sunny told her.
Adjust for wind, gravity, and… oh, what the hay. I’ll just shoot.
Silver let her arrow fly with another fwip, and there was a skidding sound from the target. All those present, Sour Sweet included, felt their jaws drop. Silver’s arrow had not only struck dead center, but it had skewered Sunny’s arrow, splitting it right down the middle.
Silver felt the awkward silence around her again, but she had really wanted to wipe that smug smile off Sunny Flare’s face.
“That can’t be luck, can it?” one of the students mumbled.
“No way,” another said. “And it split the arrow.”
Sunny, who was still next to Silver, swung to her, her hand squeezing the bow hard. “Now look here, Silver-”
“Silveeeeerrrrr!” Lemon Zest jumped out between them. “That was so cool! I’ve never seen anyone do that, not even Sour Sweet! You rock!”
“Just doing my best,” she answered, her cheeks glowing a faint red.
She could feel the adoration exiting Lemon Zest, which wasn’t all that bad.
Before Sunny Flare could start yelling at her, Silver left the firing line and went back to where Canvas was standing.
“Silver, you’re so cool! You sure showed Sunny something she’ll never forget,” the artist bent back with laughter.
“Sure did,” she chuckled and spun the bow in her hands. “She’s just so… so rude. I wasn’t going to let her get away with pushing you and calling you names.”
“Really? You stood up for me?” Canvas wrapped Silver in a hug. “Thank you, Silver! You know, not many people do that. Here in CPA, we just focus on our own achievements. That’s, um, that’s why I don’t have many friends myself.”
“Well… you’re a friend of mine, Canvas.” Silver grinned as she found a tiny sliver of love mixed in with the wave of happiness that the pink haired artist was releasing. Finally, something decent, even if it’s so small.
“Thanks so much, Silver,” Canvas looked back to the firing line. “You know, no one’s ever messed with Sunny Flare of the Shadowbolts like that. It’s nice to see a change in that.”
“Shadowbolts?” Silver repeated the word. “What’s that?”
“Oh, right. You’re new, so you wouldn’t have heard of them yet,” Canvas cleared her throat. “The Shadowbolts are the top students of our school. I’d say they're good at everything, but I find that isn’t the case. They’re just good at a lot of things,” Canvas ended with a long grin.
“Shadowbolts, huh…” Silver glanced over to Sunny Flare. “Is that what the little insignia means?”
“Oh, those little things? Yeah. Only five girls have it as of now. Sunny Flare, Lemon Zest, Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat and Indigo Zap.”
“Maybe I could become a Shadowbolt,” Silver suggested with a wry smile on her face. “But I’m betting they don’t accept just anyone, even if their mother is an academy acclaimed actress.”
“Well, I’m sure you can be one!” Canvas said enthusiastically. “You just, um, shamed Sunny Flare in front of the class. I’d say you have what it takes to be one.”
“Not my fault I’m so good,” Silver said jokingly. “But seriously though. I don’t think that little stunt put me in Sunny’s good books. Lemon and Indigo seem alright though.”
“Lemon Zest?” Canvas giggled, placing a hand over her mouth. “She’s always like that. If there’s a contest for most fun person in school, you can bet she’d get the top prize. And Indigo? Well, she’s pretty cool, but just be careful; if it comes between you and her, she’ll pick herself. As for Sunny… no one’s ever done something like that before, so I’m not so sure how she’ll take it. My suggestion? Watch yourself around her, you know, just in case.”
“Hey, Canvas Splash,” their coach called from a bench by the side of the archery zone. “Come over here for a while, I want to talk to you about something!”
“Ok, coach! See you in a bit,” Canvas Splash rushed off to meet with their coach.
Silver watched her friend run off before resuming watching her classmates fire more arrows at the targets.
Silver Rose had decided to take a shower after PE class, deciding not to carry around the odor of her field activities. Most of the other girls were also taking showers, so at least she wasn’t standing out as an odd one.
After drying herself and putting on her uniform, Silver noticed something off. Her shoes were nowhere to be found.
“Weird. I know I put them right here…”
Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Silver closed her eyes and focused on the spot where she had left her shoes. Sure enough, there was a trail there that she could smell. It was faint, but it was there, and laced with a certain kind of perfume.
Silver followed it along the side of the locker room, pretending like she was heading for the showers again, looking like she had forgotten something there to throw suspicion off her.
And then she found them. In the shower cubicle all the way to the left, she found her shoes sitting behind the door, one on top of the other. The pink haired girl picked them up and frowned slightly. They were definitely put here by someone, but unfortunately, that someone didn’t count on her having acute changeling senses.
Really, when I find the person who hid my shoes…
Her shoes still had the residue perfume scent from someone, and Silver was willing to bet that that someone was likely Sunny Flare, or at least one of her friends.
She was about to start sniffing out the remaining girls in the locker room, but the ringing of the bell signalled the end of PE class.
Silver groaned as the rest of her classmates filed out the doors, heading for the cafeteria to have their lunch. She had wanted to find out who it was quickly, but it seemed it was going to be a while now.
On the upside, she had all of lunch to do so.