"No, there's like eight of us. No one stays for fifth year. It's just another year of the same stuff. I would have left, but I would rather be Viv here than who I am at home. And I'm not leaving my brother. He needs me as long as I can help him."
“Eight, huh? Small- what do you mean by ‘who you are at home’?” Cliff tilted his head very slightly, curiosity plastered onto his face.
"I would tell you…but you'll probably judge me more. I don't tell anyone because then people will think the stereotypes. I don't want people to think that, so I just tell them I'm Viv. Nothing else."
“Jesus, alright. I don’ see the point in sayin’ somethin’ like that ‘n then immediately closing off, but sure.” Cliff looked back out at the assembly hall.
"No one needs to know, so I don't tell them," Viv said quietly, watching as the principal came onto the stage. She was a meerkat hybrid, and obviously very timid.
"Welcome students, to another year at the academy. My name is Principal Huynh."
Cliff was silent as he watched the principal. He rolled his neck, feeling the pop of his bones as he listened. His fingers laced together, meeting behind his head.
"This year will be big. We have eight first years that will be graduating and going on to do great things. One of them will go to become Queen of her kingdom." Viv didn't say anything, hoping Cliff might think it was someone else.
Cliff whistled quietly, a small, quiet laugh rolling off of his tongue. He postured his shoulders, rolling them back. “Been here all five years, never head once that we got royalty in here. That’s nuts.”
"Yeah. I wonder who it is." She hoped she was masking her voice well enough. But Viv was almost certain that he could tell it was her just by her voice. She looked down at Elijah and hoped to God that he wouldn't turn and look at her.
“..Yeah.” Cliff was suspicious of her tone, but decided to not say anything. He wasn’t looking to start conflict, especially not in the school assembly hall. The boy continued to listen to the principal speak.
"Many of you were unaware of this fact, and there is a good reason for that. And no, I will not be revealing who she is. Now, onto the assembly. You should all have your schedules. If you do not, please go to the office immediately after being dismissed. You should also have already arrived at your room. If not, you must do this before 8pm. The room no longer accepts people after 9pm and will not let you in. If you do not wish for punishment, go there straight after being dismissed."
Cliff picked at his nails, which were well-worn and short from years of work in his father’s carpentry shop. He had heard this speech what felt like a hundred times before, so well that he could actually mouth the words out as the principal said them. He wished he had just stayed at home to work this year, but alas, his parents wanted him to learn the most that he could at Miss Possikelf’s.
Viv got onto the floor, grabbing the cushion from her chair and putting it behind her head. She sprouted a vine from her arm and it wrapped itself around her hand. She wished that it was a small snake, but her mother would never let her have one of those.
Cliff blinked at the sight for a moment, turning to look at Viv when he heard the noise. “..What’re you doing?”
"I'm bored. They don't give a shit what we do up here, that's why they put us up here. No one checks on us. But you can't leave, cause the doors will trigger a silent alarm and security will come get you. I'm pretty sure you get a week's detention."
“…Uh-huh. I heard that too.” Cliff turned back to the assembly, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back in his chair. “God, this thing’s boring. Say the same old stuff every year.”
"Yeah, well. The new kids need to know it. If they get told now, they'll have no excuse when they muck up. And as you get older you want to push it more, so they remind everyone else. We just don't care."
Cliff gritted his teeth. God, when would this thing end? He drummed his fingers on the base of his horns, whistling a low, quiet tune as he did so.
After an hour, the assembly was finished. "First years, please stay behind for more information. Everyone else is dismissed."
"Fucking finally. What was that, an hour?"
“Christ on a cracker, I mean- I’ve seen animal births take less time.” Cliff snorted, thinking back to his time on the family ranch. “This’s ridiculous, but thank the lord we can go.” He stood, swiping a hand through his buzzed hair.
"What are you, Catholic? Why do you talk like a posh person?" Viv asked. I mean, I'm literally a princess and I don't talk like that. My grandma might but no one else in my family does.
Cliff froze, looking back at Viv with a confused expression plastered onto his face. “Posh? You ain’t never heard somebody say anythin’ like that before?” Cliff’s southern drawl was especially noticeable, now that he was a bit confused and maybe a little defensive. “How in the hell did you get the idea that I’m Catholic from any of what I just said?”
"Let's see…'Christ on a cracker' and 'thank the lord'. No one says that unless they're Catholic, or at least really Christian. And no, I'm not saying it because you're from the south. I can hear that in your accent."
“Viv, that’s not a rare saying.” Cliff pursed his lips. “M’damn grandma says it. Careful with those blanket statements, princess.” Cliff gave Viv a quick and cordial nod before walking out of the galleria, hands in his back pockets.
"It's rare where I'm from," Viv grumbled. Then she took a short intake of breath as Cliff walked away. Does he…no, he couldn't. There's no way he figured out it's me. It must just be a nickname.
Cliff left the assembly hall, weaving through the thick crowds. His hands stayed on his back pockets, although his elbows pressed against his sides to try and take up less space. He slipped into the hallway the led to his room, checking the time before he went in.
"VIV!" She heard yelled from the outside of the galleria. She recognised the voice as Elijah's, as she'd told him which one she was in. She pushed the curtains apart and then opened the door. Almost immediately, she was wrapped in a hug by her smaller brother.
Cliff sat on his bed, pulling out his sketchbook and beginning to draw. Nothing fancy, just basic landscape sketches from memory. He was hunched over the pages, pencil working quickly and quietly with the movements of his hand.
"Have you gone to your room yet, Elijah?" Viv asked.
"Well, no, not yet."
"Well you need to go now. Grandmother won't be happy if you keep getting in trouble this year. Go now."
(I’ll be honest, I’m not really sure how to respond to this, sorry)
