89. Leaving the Past Behind
“Governor's daughter? What does that mean? Why does that make her important?” Rainbow asks curiously the moment I pause to take a breath. As for me, this is getting easier to talk about as I go on. Of course, I haven't even reached the worst part yet.
“Right, Equestria likely doesn't have governors. It's difficult to explain, because you live in a diarchy, but Governor Dell was essentially in charge of the state,” I respond, sighing.
“What, like a princess?”
“Yeah, I guess that's the closest you've got to a governor. In my state, this guy was at the top, calling the shots,” I explain. “If he wanted to, he could have very easily gotten Mr. Devon fired. The governor was well respected, because the state was prospering due to the policies he implemented.”
“And she just ran around abusing her father's power like that?” Rainbow demands, looking disgusted at the prospect. I nod sagely. That was essentially the gist of it. “That's pretty nasty. You ditched her, right?”
“No, I didn't. At the time, I actually admired her. She was confident, powerful, and didn't take any shit from anyone,” I admit. Rainbow falls silent, listening closely. “I think I was jealous. Nobody took a guy like me seriously, but her...nobody wanted to cross her.”
That very same day, I ended up going back to class with Janna, which according to her schedule, we had together. I was nervous that we would be punished, so I suggested sneaking in, but Janna ignored me. Instead, without any care in the world, Janna opened the door to the classroom and walked inside, right in the middle of a lesson.
“Pardon me a moment, ma'am,” Janna said, interrupting the teacher. Janna stepped directly in front of the whiteboard, garnering all attention to her. While such attention would have petrified me, Janna seemed to thrive on it. The teacher was dumbfounded that someone could show so little respect for her lesson, but by the time she tried to address Janna, she was already talking.
“Hello, everyone! My name is Janna Dell, and I'll be learning with you all, starting today,” Janna announced to the other students, who had been watching her in a mixture of confusion and shock. The moment her name was revealed,some of the students recognized it and realized just who she was. Even the teacher recognized it.
The teacher heaved a sigh, and then put on a smile so fake even I could see it. “It's good to meet you, miss Janna. Welcome to my class,” she addressed her. Janna smiled back at her, and I could tell that she knew exactly how the teacher felt, and she just didn't care. “Would you mind taking a seat? I'd like to continue my lesson.”
“Of course! Sorry for the intrusion,” Janna responded, making her way into the aisle. Some of the students, knowing how important she was, whispered greetings to her as she passed, all of which she returned. She took a seat in one of the back rows and made herself comfortable.
“Care to explain why you're late, Seth?” the teacher snapped at me as I passed her on my way to my desk. I froze, feeling her stern glare on the back of my neck. She may not have been willing to punish Janna, but I had no such protection. “You do know I grade attendance very harshly, correct?”
“I'm sorry, ma'am. He was with me, showing me around the school. I'm sure you can forgive him just this once, okay?” Janna spoke up once more. Her voice caused lines of frustration to appear on the teacher's face, but she managed to put on a smile once more, as strained as it was.
“I suppose so. Take your seat, Seth,” the teacher sighs, motioning me away in annoyance. I sigh in relief, once again feeling grateful for Janna's help. The governor's daughter, helping me out not just once, but twice? I couldn't help but feel giddy.
Unfortunately, another problem presented itself. There was another student in my usual seat, which often happened if you were a little late to class. I raised an eyebrow at him, but he never moved, even though he sees me looking. Next to him, Janna notices the problem and purses her lips.
“Would you mind moving? I'd like Seth to sit with me,” Janna asked politely, taking the student sitting next to her in surprise. Unfortunately, it seemed like he was one of the students who didn't know who she was.
“Why should I? I got here first. It's not my fault he was late,” the student protested, much to the horror of the boy sitting in front of him. “Besides, who died and made you queen, anyway?”
Janna narrowed her eyes, though her smile never left her face. Before she can say anything else, the boy in front of the difficult student grabbed his arm and yanked him out of my seat. “Idiot! She'll screw you over!” the boy whispered harshly.
Now that my seat was open, I sat down next to her, glancing at her curiously.
“Hold on a minute, I have a question,” Rainbow interrupts, looking annoyed. I huff and stare down at her, irritated at being interrupted. “So she just walked right into the school and everyone immediately knew who she was? How did the students know to get out of her way?”
“That's a good question, I guess. At the time, I had no clue,” I confess. “To be honest, I didn't really care. All I know is that she was helping me, and I felt invincible with her on my side. I didn't look too closely at first.”
“At first?”
“Yeah, much later I found out that while she was still being home-schooled, Janna got into an argument with a teen much older than her while on a shopping trip with her father. As a result, that teen ended up expelled from school, and his parents both fired from their jobs,” I relate. Rainbow's jaw drops open in shock and anger.
“What?! Just because of a little argument, Janna got her dad to ruin not only that guy's life, but also his family's?” Rainbow exclaims angrily. I nod in confirmation. I never did find out what the argument had been about. Nor did I know any real details. It was just a rumor, but it was enough. “That's despicable. Who could do that?”
“Janna could. But anyway, word got around. The students that knew of her were terrified, and those that didn't figured it out pretty quick at how she had the entire school wrapped around her little finger. One little complaint to her father could ruin the lives of anyone there, and everyone knew it,” I reveal, shaking my head. Rainbow gives a little growl, obviously hating everything she was hearing about her. “Back on topic...”
Life was good for me after that. Janna and I became fast friends, because she seemed to show genuine interest in the things that I liked, even though they were considered strange by the rest of the student body.
She went out of her way to see me every day, and because of that, no one ever bothered me again. Even Trevor, as nasty as he could be, would back the hell away from me the moment he saw me. Janna made it pretty clear that messing with me meant messing with her. I had never felt more powerful than I had at that moment. I actually got pretty full of myself, because I started believing that if I wanted it, I could ask Janna to mess up those that bothered me. And to an extent, she would. If I had a problem, Janna would approach the offending student, and all it would take is one look and a short word from her, and that student would never bother me again.
But then, that same year, the favors started. Oh, they were small at first. Like carrying her bag for her, or helping her with something she didn't understand. So I didn't really pay any attention to them.
As the months passed, they started getting more noticeable. The favors would get a bit more involved and would take a lot more of my time. For example, she asked me to pay for her lunch a few times, because she forgot her money that day. Over time, it started to become an annoyance.
I refused her sometimes, but Janna would always get her way in the end. If I told her I didn't want to do something, she'd remind me of something that she'd done for me in the past. Every time, I'd feel guilty for letting her do something for me without paying her back, and I'd give in. Then, Janna would then always smile and thank me for my consideration.
One day near the end of seventh grade, Janna asked me to come over to her house and help her with a technology class, which happened to be a skill of mine, even back then. It was a unprecedented gesture from her; she'd never shown any interest in spending time with me after school. Suffice to say, I was pretty excited.
After school, I sent a message to my parents and let them know where I'd be. After that, Janna and I were picked up by her personal chauffeur and driven to her house. It went without saying; her house was extravagant, with a driveway that cut right down the middle of a massive garden, complete with an exquisitely carved fountain in the center.
“Wow, talk about rich! How much did this all cost?” I asked, my nose pressed up against the window of the car as we approach the garage. Janna giggled at my admiration, as she always did.
“Nothing more than my family earned, of course. I'm glad you like it,” Janna answered proudly. When the car came to a stop, she stepped out and smiled sweetly at the driver before beckoning for me to follow her out. “Just wait until you see the inside. Come on!”
Walking inside of Janna's house felt like stepping into another world, one that I didn't belong in. She led me to the living room, the largest room in the house. The polished hardwood floors shone with the light from the chandeliers hanging from the tall ceiling, immaculately clean and well maintained. Each piece of furniture was ornate and engraved, and the couches and chairs were made with the highest quality of leather.
And if all of that wasn't enough, there was a large flat wall facing the couch, in which a massive TV was embedded. On a wooden stand beneath it was set up several recording devices, gaming consoles, and video players, the wires neatly tied together and organized to prevent tangling. On the coffee table just in front of the couch was an assortment of remotes that likely corresponded to those devices.
“This is just awesome,” I trailed off, tracing the engravings on one of the end tables with my fingers. I wished that I lived in a place like this. My house is okay, but nowhere near this level of extravagance. Looking around, I also notice a few people moving around, though they don't pay much attention to us. “Janna, who are these people?”
“Oh, they work for us. Butlers, servants, call them what you will,” Janna answers. I was shocked. She was so rich she even had servants. Janna then turns to one of them as he passes by. “Excuse me, would you let my daddy know I'm home?”
The butler gives a wordless bow and changes his course, disappearing into a side hallway. Janna's words made me realize that I was not just at Janna's house, but I was also at Governor Dell's house. In short, I felt like I was in way over my head. I never imagined that I'd ever meet the governor himself.
“Come on, take a seat. Daddy will be here soon, and once he's greeted us, I can show you what I'd like help with,” Janna explained as she settled down on the couch. She patted the spot next to her. I joined her tentatively...and when I sat down, I sighed in pleasure as the material conformed to my body and supported my weight. This was a nice couch; it was way more comfortable than the one at my house. “By the way, did you like the game I bought you?”
“Oh yeah, I did. Thanks! I would have had to wait until Christmas to get it otherwise,” I responded to her. Not too long ago, Janna had shown up at school with a game that I'd wanted, and she given it to me as a gift. I'd been so overjoyed I almost hugged her. That was a sixty dollar game, and I got it for free.
Of course, just before that she'd had me finish the last couple problems of her math homework. They were easy, but it had still been a waste of time for me. I had actually planned to confront Janna about all of the stuff she kept asking me to do, but getting that game had me decide that it was worth helping her out every so often.
“I'm glad,” Janna replied in satisfaction. Not long after that, I heard the sound of somebody descending a set of stairs. Just as I turned to look, a tall and stocky man emerged from the hallway. He looked to be in his mid forties, with short graying hair and stress lines engraved into his face. He was dressed in extremely formal attire, making him look as if he was planning to go to an event of some sorts. Upon seeing him, Janna got up from the couch and moved towards him.“Daddy!”
“Welcome home, Janna. How was school?” Governor Dell greeted her cordially, embracing his daughter warmly. Holy crap, I was actually looking at the governor of the state.
“Oh, about the same as always. I'm making lots of friends, and I'm acing all of my classes!” Janna answered dutifully, stepping back from the man. Was it just me...or was Janna speaking to her father in the same tone that she speaks to everyone else? “Speaking of which, let me introduce you to Seth. He's the one I told you about.”
Before I could mentally prepare myself, the governor looked my way, flashing me a friendly smile. I stood up awkwardly and gulped, unsure how to act around a man of his standing. “A pleasure to meet you, Seth,” the governor said to me while extending a hand. I couldn't keep from trembling slightly even as I accepted his handshake.
“You too, sir,” I returned with a bit of a stammer.
“Mm, there's no need to stand on ceremony. It won't do for me to scare off my daughter's friends by acting official,” the governor says with a chuckle, withdrawing his hand. “Call me Frank. I must say, you're the first friend my Janna has ever brought over.”
I didn't know what to say to that, so I just did my best to smile and not look like I was freaked out at meeting such an important figure. “I have to thank you for helping my daughter with this. You see, it would be bad for me if I went to the event without my daughter. After all, she's going to go into politics herself at some point,” Frank continued. Janna nodded at that, looking proud to be following in her father's footsteps. However, I noticed something strange about what he said.
“Wait, what eve...” I'd tried to say, but the governor was already talking again.
“Janna, why don't you go and get Seth set up, and then get dressed for the event and meet me down here?” Frank asked his daughter, even as I was wondering what in the hell he was talking about. Event? How could they be going to an event, if I was supposed to be helping her with technology class?
“Of course, daddy. I'll be right back down,” Janna answered obediently. She headed towards the hallway, indicating for me to follow her with a gesture. I followed her as well, a sneaking suspicion forming in my mind.
Janna leads me up a set of stairs and down another set of hallways until we reach a large room the size as the master bedroom in my house. Judging by the light colors and the trifold vanity covered with care products, I assumed that this was Janna's room. Atop a mahogany desk was an advanced desktop computer, complete with a light up keyboard and mouse. Piled around the desk were several piles of materials, such as plates of metal, glue, construction paper, hammers and nails, and a lot of other things that I couldn't make out.
“Janna, what's this event your father is talking about?” I asked her curiously now that it was just the two of us. Janna doesn't answer at first. Instead, she moves over to the vanity and looks in the mirror.
“The event? Oh, it's a political meeting with several other prominent members of the legislature. My Daddy is looking to fill a certain role, so he called together the candidates under the guise of a formal party, so that he can find out which one is worth the appointment,” Janna explains, frowning at the way she looked in the mirror. I blinked, not really understanding fully. I hadn't taken an intensive government course, so I didn't know the extent of the governor's duties. Still, it seemed important. “It's also the first time I'm allowed to come with. I'm going to be presented to the politicians!”
“Okay what? But how can you go to this event or whatever? I'm supposed to be helping you with technology, right?” I questioned, now even more confused than ever.
“Oh, you will be. Do you remember the technology project that's due tomorrow?” Janna reminded me. Suddenly, it clicked in my mind exactly what it was I was being asked to do. And I didn't like it at all. “While I'm gone, can you do it for me as a special favor? If I don't have what you need here, the butlers will get anything that's missing.”
“Are you kidding me? This is what you called me here to do?” I demanded, incredulous and angry. Do an entire project for her? I knew the one she's talking about, and it was a lot of work.
The project was about the interior of the computer. Each student was expected to put together a model of the CPU as well as the surrounding systems using homemade materials, and then label each part with its proper name. As if that wasn't enough, we had also been told to write a paper on the evolution of computers from the early 20th century to now. I didn't mind helping her with something she didn't understand, but to just do all of that for her? No way.
“That's right! You see, I need to go to this event for the sake of my future in politics. You understand that I just can't be bothered with such menial work, right?” Janna responded as if it should have been obvious. While I usually got annoyed by her favors, this time I was actually angry. “Now, I need to take a shower. Think you could go ahead and get started?”
“No way. Do you know how much work it would be to get the project done in one night? It was assigned a week ago, and I'm not even finished with mine!” I snapped. Janna, who had been walking towards the bathroom, stopped. She turned her head and eyed me with that same look she gives me every time I refused to help her in the past. “I can't finish yours and mine in the space of one night!”
“Seth, please don't be difficult. You're smart and diligent, so something like this should be easy for you,” Janna told me. I opened my mouth to protest, but Janna cut me off. “Tell you what. Do you remember the game I got you? Consider this repayment for that.”
My mouth opens and closes in rage, even as she turns away from me once more. The fact that she was deciding to use the gift she gave me as leverage against me really made me angry. Come to think of it, this wasn't the first time she'd done as such, but the favors had always been minor, not something like this.
“You know what? No. Absolutely not,” I told her firmly, deciding that in the end, it wasn't worth it this time. This time, Janna turns back around in surprise, because I'd never refused her after she pulled the guilt card. “Take the game back if you want. I'm not doing your work for you. If you want to go to an event rather than do your project, that's on you. I'm not going to stay up all night because of your lack of planning.”
Janna looked truly shocked, even as I turned around and started walking for the door. I got here by car, but I knew the way to the nearest gas station, where I could call my parents to come grab me. I couldn't believe that Janna would pull something like this on me.
Behind me, Janna sighs, as if in resignation. At first I thought it was because she was giving in and deciding to do it herself, but then she started talking again. “You know, Seth, walking out that door would be a very bad idea,” Janna said softly. It was just loud enough for me to hear it.
I froze. That tone. I knew that tone. It was the tone she used whenever somebody was dumb enough to refuse her twice. I've heard it used before, but never on me. Was she really...she wouldn't. We were friends, right?
I turned around slowly, hoping to see a joking smile or something, but that's not what I got. Janna looked deadly serious, her eyes narrowed. “Think about it. You're in a very good place right now. You're at a very good school, and you have clear connections with a very prestigious family. Not many kids can say that,” she warned me coldly. My blood goes cold as she speaks her next words. “If you want to give that up, that's okay, but...I can't promise that your family situation will stay as stable as it is.”
“You...” I stammered. Janna...just threatened me. Not only did she threaten me, but she also threatened my entire family. I've seen her do things like this before, and I never really had a problem with it because I believed that whoever she turned her ire upon deserved it. But...to me? “Me too? Even me?”
Janna's expression doesn't change. “Think about it. What's worth more to you? A night's worth of sleep, or your livelihood?” she advised me. That made it hit home. Janna was really threatening my family because of some stupid project.
Was...I just some tool to her this whole time? She always seemed interested in our conversations, but what if she was just faking those too, in order to find out what I liked? That way she could better manipulate me. It hurt to think that my best friend never thought of me as a friend after all.
I sighed in defeat, my shoulders slumping and my face falling. There was no real choice in my mind. I wasn't really that close to my brother, but I did love my parents, and there was no way I could ruin their lives by crossing Janna now. As much as I hated it, I had to do as I was told.
“Okay, you win. I'll do your project for you,” I relented. As if flipping a switch, Janna's smile returned as if it had never left.
“Good! I'm glad you see things my way. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take my shower now,” Janna said, and then she walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. I heard the sound of running water not long after that.
“Hold on just a minute!” Rainbow interrupts once more, this time looking furious. “Are you serious right now?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, wondering why she's stopping me now. Right now, I just want to get through the story. It's starting to take its toll on me now. That one moment was one of the worst things to ever happen to me. I can't remember it without getting all torn up, like I am right now. I won't cry, though. I didn't cry for Amaryllis, and I won't cry for Rainbow.
“She brought you all the way to her house all so she could make you do her work for her!?” Rainbow demands furiously. I nod wordlessly. “And then she threatened your family over that? It's just a school project! Who does she think she is?”
“The governor's daughter, that's who. It didn't matter to her what the subject was. If she didn't get her way on something, no punishment was too harsh for her,” I explain to her. Rainbow gritted her teeth, hating Janna more with every word I say. “It didn't matter who you were. She had power over everyone.”
“That can't be right! No one has that kind of power. Governor or not, wasn't there someone beneath him that would be mad if he started ruining people's lives for petty things?” Rainbow questions me. “Like Princess Celestia's council. How can he get away with that?”
“Oh yeah, there's governor impeachment laws. But no one would impeach him. Not only was he friends with most of the people under him, Governor Dell was the man to almost single-handed raised my state out of debt though ingenious policies and budgeting. A lot of people owed their livelihoods to him,” I tell her, getting a little frustrated.
“So? Princess Celestia is even more loved than this guy, and even she wouldn't get away with it if she started abusing her power. Not that she would, but still!” Rainbow returns vehemently.
“Look, you think that I wouldn't have looked for a way out myself? You fucking think I just stood there and took it!?” I shout, making Rainbow flinch at the sudden rise in volume. “She threatened my family, Rainbow! My goddamn family! And she could easily carry out her threats if she wanted to!”
“Do you understand how that felt? I had to live with that hanging over my head for three years, knowing that if I pissed off this girl, our lives were screwed!” I continue angrily, to the point where Rainbow's ears flatten. “It wasn't because I was stupid or missed some easy to see escape route, it was because I was completely at her mercy!”
“But why? Why you, out of all the other students she could have ensnared?” Rainbow finally says, looking chastened after my outburst. She snuggles up closer to me, resting her head on my chest. Her show of affection helps calm me down, as well as make me feel guilty. I shouldn't have snapped out at Rainbow like that. It's not her fault I went through what I did.
“I asked her that myself. There's more to the story,” I say in a quieter voice.
In the end, I did stay up all night that night and not only complete her project, but mine as well. By the time I finished, it was already time for school the next day. My parents would have killed me if the governor himself didn't give them a call and explain the situation.
My mood took a huge hit the next day. Now that I knew just what kind of a situation I was in, there was nothing I could do except follow Janna around listlessly and do whatever she wanted me to. After about a week of feeling like that, people started to notice that I no longer looked as happy as I used to. People like Trevor started to move in, thinking that I no longer had Janna's interest, but that didn't last very long. For the all the good it did, Janna did keep the bullies away.
There were students, like the friends I had before Janna, that tried to help me, or at least figure out what the problem was. Thinking that they would really help me, I always told them what kind of situation I was in. However, the moment they found out that helping me meant going against Janna, they always distanced themselves from me. It wasn't worth the risk.
The same went for any adults that I told. Those that knew her well or had been threatened themselves, like Mr. Devon, wanted nothing to do with her. Those that didn't know her well never believed me, because a “sweet girl” like Janna would never threaten someone like that, and that I should feel “ashamed of myself for coming up with such lies.”
Of course I didn't tell my parents. Why would I have done that? In the worst case, they would think I was making it up. In the best case, they would believe me, and they'd try to protect me...which would just end up in us getting ruined anyway, because the state courts wouldn't believe that someone as respected Governor Dell would ever act against someone out of malice.
So, I dealt with it. I pushed away my family and my other friends, because I was alone in this. This is around when I started to curse. I'd never really cursed before that, but now, I didn't feel any reason why I shouldn't. I was always angry, depressed, or in despair at the situation that I was in, so why the fuck shouldn't I curse? Who cares if society considered it wrong? This whole situation was wrong.
I thought that moving from middle school to high school would change things, but to no avail. Janna went to the same high school I was in, and was even in several of my classes, making me believe that she had planned that. That's when I confronted her once more.
“Why me, Janna?” I asked her as we walked together on our way to our next class. Janna looked over at me curiously, because recently I'd stopped talking to her or anyone unless I was addressed first. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“What do you mean? I'm not doing anything to you. All you have to do is help me out every once in a while, and I'll take care of you,” Janna asked, looking hurt as if I'd insulted her. “Honestly, you should be grateful for everything I've done for you.”
“No, I mean, why pick me out of all of the students back then to leash to you like a fucking dog?” I demanded, not taking her shit for a moment. Right, her little favors that she did for me were just leverage, and were never worth feeling like a slave to this bitch. “Don't even tell me you didn't plan this shit.”
“Oh, no special reason really,” Janna replied with a shrug. My eyes widened, and then I gritted my teeth with rage, my hands curling into fists. She looked like she didn't even care what she was doing to me, and now she was saying it was just for kicks? “To be honest, I did some research before going to school, to see who the honor students were. After all, I don't need to know most of what they teach us for my career, so having one or two of them helping me out would be a real load off. Imagine my surprise when I helped you out, and found out you were one of them?”
“You...so you really have just been using me this entire goddamn time,” I growled, wanting more than anything to choke her and end this nightmare.
“Yup! And I'm going to keep using you, because you haven't let me down yet,” Janna said in a carefree tone. A disbelieving scoff left my lips, followed by the familiar feeling of despair filling me up. “After all, if you do, your family pays for it. Having power is such a wonderful thing, don't you think?”
“I want to hit something,” Rainbow snarls, growling such that I can feel her chest vibrating through my own. “What a jerk. She's about as bad as that Vanta guy in the way she abuses her power!”
“No kidding...but there you have it. That's why she chose me. I happened to be an honors student, and when she found that out, she made sure I was leashed to her. All because she felt like school was too much trouble for someone of her stature,” I reply, shaking my head. “Because of her, I didn't have friends or free time. Instead, I had double the coursework in the same amount of time, so I was always working.”
“But, you obviously ditched her somehow. Tell me how that happened,” Rainbow requests. Heh, she probably wants to hear something happy. Well, there is no happy ending to this.
The people at that high school knew damn well what was going on between Janna and I. Those who didn't know the situation between Janna and I soon did, because a lot of the students who went to middle school with us also went to our high school. As such, word spread.
Yet, even though everyone knew what was going on, no one did a damn thing. They fucking stood there on the sidelines and watched, choosing to let me suffer rather than get involved. Hell, I'm sure they all were just grateful it wasn't them in my shoes. I hated them for it. I hated everyone for it. Nothing changed, until one day halfway through my tenth year of school, or my sophomore year as we called it.
I was sitting in a Health and Fitness class, in the middle of a lesson. Janna sat next to me as she always did, though at the moment she was messaging someone on her phone rather than paying attention. The teacher knew that she was doing it, but even though it was against school rules, he let her do it, because all of the adults had no backbone and let her walk all over them. It really pissed me off.
The night before, I had a fight with my family. My parents finally confronted me one night, because they'd noticed my mood getting worse than before. Not only was I constantly quiet and in my room most of the time, my responses to any questions they gave, when they weren't dismissive, were becoming increasingly cynical, if not downright dark.
It had gotten nasty. My parents were worried about how much I'd changed over the years, even though they'd tried repeatedly to get through to me. They were also offended about how I'd never talk to them, and basically pushed them aside like they didn't matter. I had responded very viciously.
Essentially, I told my parents to fuck off, though not in those words. I had told them that I was making good grades in school and I had a plan for my future, including a choice of major and a college I wanted to go to. Because of that, I told them that they should be proud and that it shouldn't matter to them how I act or feel. In the end, I'd slammed my bedroom door on them, locked it, and told them not to waste my time with such pointless conversations in the future. To say that they were hurt would be an understatement.
Because of that, I was angrier than usual that day in class. Add to that an assignment that needed to be done by the end of next class, and you had a recipe for disaster.
The teacher of our health class always left the room during the last fifteen minutes of class, giving us what he called a “study hall,” even though I knew full well he was going outside to poison his body with nicotine.
As I was working on the assignment due next class, Janna turned her head to look at me, pulling out the very same assignment that I was doing...except the sheet was blank everywhere except for her name. I didn't have to look to know what she was going to ask.
“Seth, would you mind doing me a favor?” Janna asked innocently. Some of the other students that heard her, turned their heads curiously.
“No. I'm sick of your goddamn favors,” I growled without even looking at her. I just wanted her to shut up and not do this to me now. I was not in the mood to deal with her bullshit.
My harsh language got some of the observing students to react with varying degrees of shock, because they'd never heard of me or anyone daring to speak to Janna like that. Even Janna was surprised, but that quickly faded into annoyance.
“Please, Seth, must I remind you of the things I did for you the night before?” Janna told em firmly, referring to when she'd provided me with expensive materials needed for my programming class the night before yesterday. It wasn't something I could have gotten out of either. I needed the program for class, and then all of a sudden I received an key code for that same program from Janna's email.
“I don't care,” I returned gruffly. Janna's smile dropped, and her eyes narrowed, as they always did when someone tried to keep her from getting her way.
“You know as well as I do that it won't be pleasant for you if you refuse,” Janna said in a dangerously calm voice. There it was. Around us, students winced, as they knew the ultimatum had been issued and I would have to give in, or face the consequences.
I was quiet, my heart beating furiously in my chest. Being threatened once more caused my blood pressure to rise, and my anger to surge. Before I knew it, I stood up, my chair scraping across the ground and getting everyone's attention.
Then, without any warning, I turned on one foot and punched Janna right in the face. Janna cried out in pain and shock, and fell to the floor, blood streaming from her nose. A collective gasp passed through the room, and everything went dead silent, such that all I could hear was the pounding of the blood in my head.
As I walked across the floor towards Janna, thoughts raced in my head. I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't care about her ultimatums, her favors, or her threats. I didn't care that doing this essentially sealed my family's fate, and my own. All I could think about was how I wanted this bitch to pay, once and for all.
“How dare you...eep!” Janna tried to say, but cut off when my right hand clamps around her neck and lifts her clear off the ground. She wasn't a heavy girl by any means, but the adrenaline shooting through my body added to my strength.
I rammed her into the wall on the other side, glaring right into her frightened blue eyes. “You...I'm done with you! I've had it up to here with this shit! You think you can just order me and anyone you else around like you own them? Own me? I don't fucking think so!” I shouted at her. “I don't give a shit if you're some governor's daughter or not, you don't have the right! Don't you understand that you've made my life a living hell!?”
“I've....always...” Janna tried to choke out, but I smacked her across the face to shut her up.
“No, you shut up! You don't get to talk. Some politician you are! All you do is run around, getting your kicks out of ruining peoples lives! I've had it!” I roar viciously.
Suddenly, I was seized from behind by two sets of strong arms, pulling me away from Janna such that she dropped to the floor, a hand clenched to her face to stem the pouring blood from her nose. My shouting had caused the teacher to hear me from outside, and had brought another staff member to restrain me. Even though I struggled, they were both fitness teachers, and were well built as a result. I couldn't get free.
“You...how dare you lay a hand on me...I'll make sure your entire family pays for it!” Janna hisses in fury as the teachers drag me from the room.
“Go ahead! I don't give a fuck anymore!” was the last thing I said to her before I couldn't see her anymore.
As you can imagine, I was taken straight to the office, and both my parents as well as the governor himself were called. Not only that, but the police had been called as well, on the insistence of Janna. I was in the office of the head of school discipline, handcuffed to a chair, until the governor arrived.
However, things turned out differently than even I expected. I fully expected to have charges laid against me, and for my family to get screwed by Janna's vengeance. I certainly didn't expect the governor himself to walk into the room and dismiss everyone else, including the cops.
“Seth. I thought I noticed something different about you recently,” Frank said with a heavy sigh, even as he sat down in a chair across from me. He was angry, I could tell. There's no way he wouldn't be, because I broke his daughter's nose, and then nearly asphyxiated her. “Now, I want you to tell me your side of what happened. There's no police, no school staff, and no Janna around, so I want the truth. You've been friends with my daughter for years, so I want you to tell me exactly why you felt the need to lay a hand on my daughter.”
So I did. I told him everything.
“And? Then what happened? Did he believe you?” Rainbow demanded anxiously, squirming a little in my grasp. Somewhere during my rendition of this tale, I'd started holding her close to me, embracing her tightly. She doesn't seem to mind, though.
“He did, shockingly enough,” I admit, shaking my head.
“Really?” Rainbow asks disbelieving, blinking. “Over his own daughter?”
“It turns out he never had any idea of the hold his daughter had over the school systems. Nor did he ever abuse his power to ruin anyone's life,” I reveal, much to Rainbow's shock. “That rumor I told you about? What really happened was that the teen's parents had been employed by the state, and had been embezzling funds from the state treasury. It had been Governor Dell who discovered the discrepancy in funding, and traced it back to the source. It had been well within his rights to fire the two of them.”
“Then how did Janna turn that to her advantage?” Rainbow questions, confused.
“Janna did have a fight with that teen. That part was true. Because the governor believed that the teen didn't deserve to be ruined for something his parents did, he kept the incident out of the press. However, because the family was well known, word spread,” I explain. “Janna had always been spoiled and manipulative. When she found her father was going to move her to public school, she took advantage of the rumor through her connections; this making her fight with the teen public. The rumor soon shifted, and Janna was believed to be the one who made the family's displacement happen.”
“That conniving little...I'm so glad you gave her a good beating. I would have done the exact same in your position,” Rainbow growls. “So what did the governor do?”
“After hearing my story, he went and asked around, and several students spoke up, confirming my words. So I was released without any punishment other than a few days of suspension,” I answer her. “But in the end, my family moved us out of state. Once they found out what had really been going on, they'd been horrified. They didn't want me anywhere near Janna, or a place where I'd suffered so much.”
“They should have been horrified! I bet they were grateful too. I mean, you suffered through all of that to protect them, right?” Rainbow asserts.
“Sure they were. That's the only reason our relationship ever got anywhere close to normal again, after that last fight,” I divulge to her. “And after that, I bonded with Adam and met Amaryllis. The rest you know.”
“That's...wow...” Rainbow whispers, pulling her head back and looking at me soulfully.
“Yup. That's it. You're now the only one in this world that knows my life story. That's why I don't trust favors,” I reply softly. Without another word, I hold Rainbow even closer to me, such that my head is over her shoulder. “Thanks for listening. And thank you for not making me regret trusting you. Thank you for being you.”
Rainbow's head rests on my shoulder as well, even as she hugs me back. I don't think she knows what to say at this point. As for me...
“I love you, you stupid technicolor pony,” I whisper, not even caring how absolutely sappy saying something like that is. It just felt right to say, so I said it. Rainbow gives a little squee and squeezes me tighter.
“I love you too...you jerk.”
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Five quatloos on Janna turning traitor and joining Sombra.
Prison rules, bitch. You're either the badass, someone hiding behind the badass or being passed around like a cigarette.
I would have dipped Janna in boiling oil for being such a vapid cunt.
that story fits rather nicely to making someone's personality change as drastic as it did, and i would have done the same thing to her given that particular formula of disaster.
as always a well written chapter but nothing stood out to me here...soooo nothing to qoute with a funny.... oh wait!!
Hmm. My previous suspicions regarding the "dark thing with power similar to Seth" have changed a bit. I still think it's most likely my original suspect, but now Janna has been promoted from "interesting possibility, but very unlikely" to "second most likely." Quite the jump. Her personality and history with Seth would definitely be of interest to Sombra, although she seems more likely to just throw her power around gracelessly. That isn't how the "dark thing" is acting, so my primary suspect hasn't changed.
I was just about enraged enough to go and punch a hole in my wall, but then you wrapped that up nicely. If your goal was to piss everyone off, very well done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ5qpgk7k3w
This song was in my head this whole chapter.
5659048
You know, I thought of the exact same song while I was writing it. I ALMOST linked it, but decided not to. Good to see we're on the same page.
damn.
It only took us 600,000 words to get here, but we finally know Seth's whole past. Though I find it hard to imagine any school where teachers would fear a student, governor's daughter or not. There's a thing called tenure that prevents teachers who have taught for a certain amount of time from becoming fired (even if they suck at teaching). If a teacher actually got threatened by the governor, don't you think that the other teachers of that school would band together?
It's a good idea, don't get me wrong, and it explains Seth's personality well. I just think that the whole "nobody can touch the governor's daughter" trope is a bit overdone and unrealistic.
I have a question... In the battle with
FVanta he managed to create a high quantity of weapons...Could he with the magic make a motorbike like in Tron? (About why he could think of doing that... Well, not everytime could he fly)
Wow, Janna is as bad as I was expecting.
The instant we learned she was the governor's daughter I just thought 'oh shit this is going to get dark' and damn was it. From when he was 12 years old for 5 years of his life, he was turned into her bitch, doing everything for her to protect his family from her wrath. What's worse is that he genuinely thought she was his friend at first, and even when she started asking for favours, he felt guilty enough because of her rewards that he complied, but when she threatened his family, that was going too far. I can completely understand how this warped his view on humanity. Here he is, suffering every day under some bitch lording her power over him, and no one else will lift a finger to help him, to concerned about their own necks to worry about his. 5 years of that, and I'd just about hate the world to. What's worse is that it affected his family so badly. Here Seth is, chained to Janna to keep them safe, and their concern for him pushing him away even further. It's lucky that Janna was stopped when she was or he may never have been able to get back on good terms with his family.
The Governor himself actually surprised me. He was kind of like a nice version of Filthy Rich. Maybe if Seth had met Filthy under better circumstances he might not have hated him so much (then again, the Governor took his side over his daughter, while Filthy had to be threatened into taking a further look into his daughter's behaviour, so maybe the comparison isn't exact. Still Diamond Tiara and Janna are practically the same and I can completely see why he flipped the fuck out on her when she threatened Apple Bloom. Thank god Seth's rage pushed him into confronting Janna. He may have been a bit too violent, but after everything he went through, it's understandable.
While this happened, the time spent with Rainbow was rather touching. Even when he was mad and yelling, Rainbow new it wasn't really directed at her and just snuggled up to him to calm him down, and the scene at the end was heart warming. After everything they have been through, being able to honestly thank her being there for him and openly admitting he loves in such an intimate way, it was just really nice to read. Seth has really grown, and while he is still a bit of a jerk (he wouldn't be Seth if he didn't curse like a sailor and get a bit snappy) this new Seth is certainly a really great character to read.
Awesome work here, I'm glad we finally got to learn the full story behind Janna and we got another touching scene between Rainbow and Seth. I can't wait to see what happens next.
5660805 Another way to describe this chapter: BOOOOSH!!!
5667778
...shit, I thought I got all of those errors. I guess I missed one.
Fixed.
5659233
not entirely true. having tenure as a teacher doesn't mean you can't be fired, just you can't be fired under normal means or you will have always have your contract renewed. on top of that, having the governor say you are unfit as a teacher is similar to having your boss's boss saying he doesn't want a certain employee working at this place. you then mix those two things with the story that was fabricated and you have people fearing that crossing this girl will get you thrown in jail or worse. that and the grape vine tends to make things grow.
I hope she was punished severely
Rereading this, my mind start to make connections. Specifically, connecting music to events or people. I immediately linked this chapter with True Friends by Bring Me The Horizon
If I had done that, my folks would have removed the door, by the hinges, and beat the shit out of me.
Man, real is what really gets me depressed.
Yes hit that fucking bitch I'm happy that he fucked her shit up is it bad that I hope she suffered during the oppressed thing
Serves her right!
Insert 'rage of Sparta' theme from god of war 3 while beating down Jenna
I'm certainly a fan of this new Seth.