CHAPTER 14

AWAY FROM THOSE WE SHARE

Elise Chamberlain is the Young family's Head Maid and the personal handmaiden of Prismarine. Like most of the servants of the household, she too lived in the manor. She was one of the first maids to be hired on by the Young family. She started when she was 18 years old. At the beginning of her career, her duties laid an incredibly heavy burden on her as she was only one of a few servants of the house. As the Young Family became a more prominent figure within society, their staffing increased and by the time Elise turned 27, she became the head maid of the house. Her duties included organization, training, and scheduling of the other maids. Lily was her favorite staff member. She showed the most promise, which was why Elise hand-picked her to attend Freya. Elise also attended Prismarine, who was a fairly independent employer. She would chafe at constantly being waited on. This gave Elise far more free time than she anticipated, allowing her to pursue her hobbies. Her role as the head maid came with many benefits, which included free lodging, meals, education, and transportation. These benefits came at the price of always being on call, without a day off. This didn’t bother Elise as the exorbitant amount of free time she had could be considered days off.

Elise has been living with the young family for the last 18 years, making her 36 years old. She may not consider her life outside of work to be productive, but “Ch@mberM@de” her handle and alter ego flourished. While she was not at the manor she would spend her time exercising. People considered her a pillar of health, but she used working out as an excuse to spend the rest of her time at an internet café called Motherboard. The Café was packed with everything from high-spec computer games to tabletop classics, from role-playing to shooters, and every genre in between. Customers could also spend their time there watching Japanese animations. The building was unique because it targeted mothers in the area as its general customers. It had a daycare that parents could bring their children to while they indulged in gaming. Mothers could only have their kids stay for a max of three hours a day as the Café had a policy stating they did not condone negligence. Elise was addicted to spending time here. She spent every possible second of her free time gaming. Motherboard was owned by Slowsoft and she would use the fact that she worked for the Young family as an excuse to get free access whenever she pleased. To Elise, Motherboard was the perfect place. It is predominantly run by women in their thirties who love video games. She made plenty of friends and rivals in the community. Within the last month, Elise went back to playing a fairly old game called Fusion Fighter X. The game had a resurgence in popularity, due to the developers adding additional content.

“G. G,” Elise said while delivering the final blow to her enemy. She was facing a new challenger who was trash-talking her. Nothing was more satisfying to Elise than shutting down someone's ego with her skills. When she crushed her opponents, the look of rage and frustration on their faces was more fulfilling than a hearty meal. To her, results were everything. Words mean nothing if you cannot back it up with actions. This was Elise’s life philosophy.

“That’s not fair! You cheated!” The challenger accused.

“You thought you were good because you spammed the same overpowered attack. Here’s some advice. Go back in time and don’t challenge me. You’ll save yourself the embarrassment.” Elise advised. She wasn’t often mean to new challengers as she enjoyed a good rivalry, but she despised those who trash talk without the skills to back them up. Elise was a registered nurse and she thought the best remedy for pride was a humble pie. Elise's passions weren’t only for destroying egos, but for sharing things loved with the people who expressed genuine interest in the things she cared about. She couldn’t count the number of times she helped a newcomer join the community by showing them the ropes in whatever game she was playing.

Elise had an uncanny ability to tell if someone was looking at her. Especially if it was a new pair of eyes. She called it her “Gamer Sense”.

“Wow, she’s actually really good. I’m not sure if I could beat her.” Reighley thought while peeking through the Café window.

Instinctively, Elise looked at the person in the window with prying eyes and recognized who it was. “It’s Reighley. The young lady’s paramour,” She thought. Although she heard from Jim that he did not approve of the boy, Herald informed Elise that he had had a positive influence on Freya. Immediately she became embarrassed that she was seen in such a state. She couldn’t bear the thought of people seeing her this way. She needed him to keep his mouth shut. Out of options, she beckoned Reighley to come inside for a chat.

Reighley used his Insight on Elise and saw a magenta aura that was given shape in the form of a crown. It hovered like a halo atop her head. It was as if she was the Queen of Motherboards. He could tell it wasn’t a self-proclaimed title either as her aura was regal and bright.

“Looks like I’ve been spotted…” Reighley reluctantly hunkered over towards the entrance and entered inside. When he entered, he casually took a good look around. The café had a retro gaming decor. Neon light displays of video game characters, and arcade machines were remodeled into table booths. There were many love sacks and couches designed to look like cute game creatures. It was a café so it had a barista. The countertop you would order from contained real computer motherboards sealed underneath a glass panel. They were rigged with RGB (Red Green and Blue) LEDs that illuminated the tabletop. In the far back was a large room that Reighley could only assume was the daycare as he could hear and see children playing inside. The daycare room had a glowing neon baby rattle sign above it signaling its importance. It had a glass panel of reinforced glass around it so all the mothers could see their kids inside. “I can see the appeal to this place,” he thought. He noticed a large stop sign at the entrance as well. It stated:

(NO HITTING ON THE WOMEN! ALL ATTEMPTS WILL BE CONSIDERED HARASSMENT AND YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE.)

Reighley thought this policy made sense. He guessed most women came here to play video games, relax, and drink coffee while someone watched their kids, not to be hit on by guys. That's what bars were for in his opinion.

Reighley walked over to the woman who was still staring at him and greeted her with a wave. She appeared to be a brunette in her thirties. She had her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and she seemed to perpetually have a serious expression on her face. The cool calm and collected type. The glasses she wore helped pull off the persona nicely.

“How can I help you?” Reighley asked nervously. He felt as though he was in trouble.

“Mr. Summers. I didn’t take you for a fool. We both know why I brought you in here.” Elise gave a disappointed stare.

“Oh no. She is totally going to misunderstand that I was just passing by.” He thought.

“Come. Have a seat. Let’s play a few rounds.” Elise asked, gesturing to sit next to her.

“What?” Reighley questioned.

“Are you familiar with Fusion Fighter X?” Elise asked.

“Uh, yeah. I played it a lot. I heard there was new content.”

“I see. Well, what’s taking you so long? Are you not up for the challenge?” Elise asked.

“Uh… Okay…” Reighley hesitantly took a seat and picked up a controller.

As the two were selecting characters and picking a stage to battle on, Elise paused before starting the game.

“My name is Elise. I know you recognized me. I need you to keep this a secret between us. It is of utmost importance that no one finds out I spend my free time here.” Elise explained while starting the game. She gave an impromptu fist bump and wished Reighley good luck. Before he could notice it, a small crowd of women idly sat back and watched their match.

“I don’t understand,” Reighley said as the game started.

“(Round 1. Fight!)”

“Let me ask you this. Do you know how to dance?” Elise asked.

“No, what does that have to do with anything?” Reighley questioned.

”If you keep this a secret, I will teach you how to slow dance for the young lady’s party.” Elise explained.

“Wait, there's going to be a dance!?” Reighley said, panicking.

“I see. So you weren’t aware.” Elise said. The first round was going in Elise’s favor, but Reighley didn’t intend to go down without a fight. Fighting games were something he got obsessed with for a while. He played in the competitive scene a year ago. Their fight was a constant struggle. Reighley realized just how rusty he had become.

“It’s over,” Elise said while briefly pushing up her glasses and then she proceeded to finish Reighley off with a twenty-two-hit combo, causing him to lose the first round. The crowd behind the two nodded in agreement as they expected nothing less from their best player.

“You know, you don’t have to bribe me to keep it a secret. All you have to do is ask.” Reighley explained.

“(Round 2. Fight!)”

“Oh. I was under the impression that you were dating Freya for the money.” Elise said while starting aggressively in the game, giving her a lead in health.

“Haha… I wonder what gave you that idea.” Reighley laughed awkwardly.

“Well, she is a modern-day princess. Most people would desire her for status and power.” Elise said.

“I don’t desire her!” This comment caused Reighley to lose focus and inadvertently falter on the battlefield.

“(K.O.)”

“G.G.” Elise said. The crowd behind her clapped subtly. They were surprised by the amount of trouble Reighley caused Elise. After a few moments, the group of women went back to their normal routines.

“Dang, well played.” Reighley said.

“So, have you considered my offer?” Elise asked.

He paused and gave it some thought. “Would it be worth learning how to dance for someone I’m not going to end up with? Things are going well now, but for how long? She’ll just get bored of me, right? Girls like her only like something for so long until they move on to the next thing, so what’s keeping her here? I’m nothing special compared to her exes. She’s famous, so I’m definitely not the most attractive guy she's ever dated and I don’t have money either.” Reighley took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “But for some reason, even if at her party, our dance was both our first and last, I still feel like I owe it to her not to end things on bad terms.”

Elise extended a hand for Reighley to shake. “Deal?” Elise asked.

“So can you teach me how to dance?” Reighley questioned.

“Yes.” Elise replied. Reighley extended his hand out towards Elise and shook her hand in agreement.

“You have yourself a deal." He complied.

Reighley looked over at the clock and realized the time. He needed to go home as he had things to do. He exchanged numbers with Elise, and she informed him that whenever he needed a challenge he was more than welcome to play video games with her as she considered him a worthy adversary.

Soon Reighley left after a quick goodbye and made his way back home. When he arrived, he rushed into his room without wasting a single second. He poured some cat food and water for Morgana and immediately began digging through his treasure collection.

“I found you!” He said as his creativity began to flood throughout his mind.

The weekend was almost over and Reighley had just barely finished his present for Freya before it was time for bed. He had put it in a box and wrapped it up in red wrapping paper with a knotted bow on top. This was how he envisioned what rich gifts looked like, although he wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to embarrass himself or Freya at her party by giving her something unpresentable. He looked at the gift resting on his desk, and couldn’t help but be proud of what he created for her. Morgana batted at his hand impatiently waiting for him to finish. Reighley picked up the cat and the two made their way to bed. After getting into bed Morgana promptly laid on Reighley's chest and began incessantly bathing himself. While scratching Morgana’s ear, Reighley asked,

“You haven’t met Freya yet have you?”

“Meeeow.” said Morgana.

“I hope she likes cats. If she doesn’t, that will be the dealbreaker.” Reighley said with a laugh. Soon the two fell asleep

The following morning Reighley woke up to the aroma of bacon. When he came to his senses he could hear the sizzling of eggs being cooked on the stove. Curious about what was being made, he stretched his arms, got out of bed, and headed towards the smell. He walked into the kitchen after placing Morgana on the floor and as per usual noticed Isabelle was fixing breakfast.

Isabelle turned her head at the sound of Reighley walking in. She noticed he was headed towards a piece of toast with a similar form to a zombie. She opted to wake him up with a shot to the head with her TERF blaster.

“Ow! What was that for?” Reighley growled.

“Good morning. Are you ready for midterms?” Isabelle asked. Choking on the bread that was now in his mouth, it was like reality slapped Reighley in the face. He had been keeping up with his studies, but he had forgotten that this week was midterms and he was caught completely unaware.

“You’re joking, right? Is that this week?” A wave of anxiety swept over Reighley.

“It’s not like you to forget these things.” Isabelle stated. “Are you sure you didn’t get your brain eaten by an undead?” Opting to shoot him again with the blaster.

“Okay… I have to make sure I’m ready. Also, stop watching zombie films! I could do without the headshots.”

“It’s the only way to kill them.” Isabelle said while blowing on the tip of her TERF gun. Reighley mournfully decided to skip the well-cooked breakfast, and with a piece of toast in his mouth, he rushed back into his room to get ready. He was multitasking as he went out the door with a textbook in hand and toast in his mouth. He was speed reading through the subjects of the day, studying on his way to school. When he arrived he was confronted by his Math teacher, Ms. Cynthia Clevens, who was at the entrance.

“Mr. Summers! Just what do you think you’re doing?” She asked.

“Good Morning, Ms. Clevens. What seems to be the problem?” Reighley questioned.

“This is an elite school young man. You cannot just waltz right in with crumbs on your face, messy hair, and a backpack wide open.” She answered. “That is improper school etiquette.”

“I’m sorry Ma’am. I am just trying to keep up my good grades. I’ll go take care of it once I’m inside.” Reighley explained. “Why does every teacher here have it out for me? I’m just trying to do my best here.” He thought. He felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Reighley was getting annoyed that every adult except for Kaede seemed to have some sort of negative feeling toward him. He also knew he needed to stand up for himself as the previous harassment attempts had been foiled by Freya before.

“You need to do better, young man.” she said. “It’s people who have a bad attitude like him that are the problem with most men today. He doesn’t show a great woman like me an ounce of respect, calling me Ma’am again. As if I am some old hag.” she thought.

“I’m sorry. I’ll do better.” Reighley said. He just couldn’t risk insubordination at this type of school. His future was far too important to risk it all on being sassy with a teacher.

Cynthia noticed the fire in his eyes extinguished. It looked like he had just accepted that this was the way things were in his school life.

“Good,” she said. “Now, carry on…” Reighley gave a nod to her in response and proceeded inside, sulking away. While Cynthia was watching the boy walk away, a feeling crept up on her. “Gosh… Why do I feel like I am the bad guy here? He didn’t even fight it or explain his situation.” Cynthia felt guilty. This feeling persisted even after she entered the school, so she made the decision to do what she normally would when she had a lot on her mind. Speak with Kaede. Cynthia proceeded down the hall to the nurse’s office and knocked a specific way. She would knock twice, pause, and then knock three more times. This was how she let Kaede know it was her.

“Come in! Therapy time?” Kaede asked. The door opened up and Cynthia walked inside greeting her friend. “What’s on your mind this time? Let me guess, boy troubles?”

“It has to do with that new troublemaker student. There is something up with him.” Cynthia claimed.

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“What! Are you talking about Reighley? What's wrong with him? Is he okay?” Kaede said, sounding concerned.

“I ran into him this morning. The kid was a complete mess. His backpack was left wide open, his hair was completely unkempt, and he had bread crumbs all over his face. When we are in class, he rudely disrespects me as a woman. He even called me “Ma’am,” even though I am young and beautiful. Yet when I confronted him about it, I felt like he had just accepted the fact I was against him. It made me feel sort of guilty. Why are you so worried about him anyway?” Cynthia asked.

“Because that boy has the whole world stacked against him. I worry about him sometimes, like the weight may be too much for him to bear.”

“Weight? What on earth are you talking about?” Cynthia inquired.

“Reighley Summers. He has so much on his plate and he never tells anyone about his problems. He’s always been like that. He is one of the most hard-working people I know,” Kaede explained.

“How do you even know so much about him?” Cynthia asked.

“We grew up together.” Kaede explained. She went on to tell Cynthia about Reighley’s life. She told her how his father left at a young age, and what drives him to work so hard. She explained what he was like outside of school. However, before Kaede could finish telling everything, she was interrupted by a voice over the intercom.

(“Attention all members of the Teachers Union. Please meet me at the office for an important meeting. All classes will be delayed until then. Thank you.”)

“That’s odd. We never have these.” Cynthia said, looking up towards the intercom speaker.

“We’ll talk later, but stop being so harsh on Reighley. He’s a fine young man and from what I know about him, he’ll grow up into the type of man you would wish to marry.” Kaede explained.

“What!? That’s-” Cynthia was embarrassed to contemplate it, but Kaede was right. After hearing about his character, he would be the type of man she would be interested in. However, she could never see him in that type of way as he was a student. After waving goodbye to Kaede, she got up and proceeded to her teachers' meeting. “I don’t want him to become bitter towards me…” She thought. “I’ll try and be a little easier on him.”

Reighley arrived at his classroom after tidying himself up in the nearby restroom. When he entered he saw Freya impatiently waiting for him. She was standing beside his desk with her arms crossed while tapping her foot in annoyance. Reighley felt like he was in trouble for some reason. He noticed that her school uniform wasn’t fully up to its usual standards. He used Insight on her and saw nothing unusual with her purple arrow auras. They all seemed tamed in his opinion. Destiny who was sitting closer to the door waved at him nonchalantly.

“Hey. Is something the matter with Freya?” Reighley whispered.

“Yeah. It’s her time of the,” With blinding speed, Freya covered the mouth of Destiny before she could say another word.

“Mmm!” Destiny said with a muffled mouth.

“Year to appreciate best friends who keep their mouths shut in front of their friends' boyfriends,” Freya said, still covering Destiny’s mouth.

“Mmm, mhm! (Translation: You traitor!”)

“I had a different maid prepare my stuff today. Lily was nowhere to be found. I haven't seen her since we were at the mall.” Freya explained.

“What? You think she’s missing?” Reighley questioned.

“No. I asked Elise about it and she said that my father had some sort of special task for her. That’s why my uniform isn’t perfect the way it normally is. It makes me sort of appreciate having her around.” Freya answered.

Suddenly Mr. Rugborn entered the classroom and the students returned to their seats.

“I hope you’re all ready, midterm week starts today,” he said. The class around him began to sigh in unison. “But before that starts I have an important announcement to make.”

“What do you think it is?” Destiny whispered to Freya and Reighley.

“Maybe a new student?” Reighley questioned.

“No. I would have known about it already.” Freya said.

“You may come in now.” Mr. Rugborn said, looking towards the door. “Class I would like to introduce you all to one of our newest students to join Gilford High.

“Yes sir.” A voice from behind the door spoke.

Freya stiffened at the voice. “I know that voice. Don’t tell me…” Freya instantly recognized the person who entered the classroom. It was Lily and she was in a Gilford High School uniform.

“What is she doing here!?” Freya thought. Lily walked toward the center of the classroom and was handed a piece of chalk. She then wrote her name on the blackboard.

(Lily Monet.)

“Greetings… I’m Lily. It's a pleasure to meet you.” Lily said with a bow. The entire class went into an uproar.

“She’s so pretty!” A girl upfront said.

“Finally a girl!” A boy whispered.

“Is she half Japanese?” a voice whispered loud enough to be heard over the crowd.

“Settle down class!” Mr. Rugborn said, attempting to reestablish order. Once the class quieted down he began to explain her situation. “Lily here had been given special permission by the founder Jim Young to transfer into this school.” The students all gazed at her wondering how she knew Jim Young. They were curious if she was a model or someone of extreme importance like a princess from a foreign country. However, Reighley felt as though something was wrong. He looked around the classroom and noticed that there were no empty seats. He raised his hand and was called upon by Mr. Rugborn.

“Yes, Mr. Summers?” Mr. Rugborn asked. “Glad to see he’s learned some manners at least. Good for nothing commoner. Soon, you'll be out of here. The student council only agreed upon this with Mr. Young so we could prove you are a cheater.” He reflected. Although this was true for Mr. Rugborn, the true proposal that caused everyone to agree came from Cynthia Cleven. Mr. Rugborn thought back to the Teachers Union meeting…

(A few minutes prior, during the teachers' meeting.)

“I know you all have your qualms with Reighley Summers. I think this is a perfect opportunity to set the record straight. Mr. Young, can the girl be trusted?” She said to a live video of Jim.

“Yes.” He answered.

“Then have her not only keep an eye on him but have her closely watch to see if he is cheating during the exams.” Cynthia pleaded.

“Interesting proposal. Very well. The girl will observe the boy to see if he is a fraud.” Jim agreed.

“Uh.. Mr. Young, when will she be joining?” Mr. Rugborn asked.

“Today. In class 2-B. However, she will not be participating in the curriculum until after the exams.” Jim explained.

“But sir, that class has no extra seats as of yet…” Mr. Rugborn said.

“I’m well aware,” Jim reassured.

(Back in the present.)

“I noticed that there is nowhere for her to sit.” Reighley pointed out.

“That isn’t true Mr. Summers. Her seat is to the right of yours.”

“...” Reighley along with the rest of the class fell silent. All heads turned over to the desk just right of Reighley. Their attention was drawn towards Freya. The class had a realization of the implications of what Lily joining class 2-B meant. The expression on Freya’s face could only be described as astonished then furious. It took Freya a moment to process what had just been said.

“That’s correct. As of today, Freya will be transferring classes.” Mr. Rugborn said.

“Our goddess!” A few boys wailed in despair.

“No, why is she leaving!?” student A cried.

“I don’t understand.” student B said.

Freya looked over towards her best friend Destiny. Freya saw a look of horror on Destiny’s face.

“Wait… No, no, no, no, no. That’s not fair. Freya's leaving? We’ve always been together.” Destiny’s anxiety began to swell up inside her. She was always by her best friend’s side. The mere thought of spending the rest of the school year without Freya by her side sent shivers down her spine. Goosebumps began stockpiling on her body. Her temperature fell far below normal. She looked like she had just seen a ghost.

“Surely I misheard you Mr. Rugborn,” Freya answered with a threatening tone. She was the only one in class who knew that Destiny had a sort of separation anxiety when the two were apart for too long.

“I’m afraid not, Ms. Young. It was a request by your father.” Mr. Rugborn replied. Freya looked Lily in the eyes, hoping and praying that this was all some sort of misunderstanding, but Lily only shook her head confirming Freya’s fears. “Come now, it’s time for you to leave. Your new classroom is in 2-D.”

“Mr. Rugborn, can I take her place?” Reighley pleaded. He saw the teary-eyed Destiny and couldn’t help but feel guilty. He used his Insight on the teacher and saw a malevolent dark green tint to his familiar brown aura.

“I’m afraid not Mr. Summers.” He answered. “Besides, Lily here will be keeping a close eye on you from now on, you dirty cheater.” The teacher thought. His aura turned into a subtle yet maniacal grin.

“Freya-” Reighley looked at her in the hope of seeing her aura, but she wouldn’t look him in the eyes. He didn’t know what to say to her. “This is all because of me.” He thought. Feeling responsible, Reighley knew he had to make things right. “Don’t worry Freya, I’ll fix this.” This event only reinforced the thought in his mind that things should end between the two of them after the party. He felt like he was only causing trouble for her. He wanted Freya to be with her best friend. What was his relationship with her in comparison with that of Destiny? Freya and him hadn't even known each other for a month. Regardless, to Reighley that didn’t seem like the right answer either. Freya gathered her things and walked towards the door while the classroom stayed silent. When she passed Lily, Freya interrupted any chance Lily had to speak.

“It’s not your fault,” After saying her piece Freya arrived at the door and Reighley couldn’t help but feel bitter and frustrated.

“I won’t let it end this way!” Freya shouted to the heavens looking towards the ceiling, hoping that somehow her father was listening in to this interaction. “Do you hear me, Jim!? This isn’t over!” With one final rebellious roar, Freya stormed out of the classroom. The entire class was awkwardly quiet for a brief moment before the teacher spoke up to break the silence.

“All right, Ms. Monet, go take your seat.” Mr. Rugborn commanded while glaring at Reighley. Lily sat down at Freya's now vacant desk. She felt ashamed. To her, things were finally starting to get brighter, even between her and Freya. She was sure Freya must have been resentful towards her even if she didn’t show it.

“Freya… I’m so sorry,” Lily thought. Soon the rest of the class went on but the atmosphere was gloomy at best.

Freya was struggling with a multitude of emotions while she headed toward class 2-D. Her world had just been flipped upside down on her as if she had the rug pulled out from under her feet. She felt powerless. This was a new feeling for her. She hadn’t faced off against her father before, but she felt as if the two were enemies. He was butting into things that were in her opinion, none of his business.

“I cannot believe him! He separated Destiny and me without even considering what that would do to my life and my friends. I bet he didn’t even consider Destiny a part of the equation. That jerk! I’m telling Mom. She will have my back on this, but until things are fixed I’m not saying a word to him.” Freya was livid. She walked with purpose until she arrived at the classroom door. Waiting for her there was a teacher Freya didn’t know very well.

“Ms. Young. Welcome to your new class-” The teacher fell silent as Freya completely ignored him and walked inside the classroom. When she entered she scanned the room, being fairly sure she wouldn’t care about anyone in there. She hoped that would be the case as it would reinforce her motivation to return to class 2-B.

“Ulysses?” Freya muttered. To her surprise, out of sheer coincidence, a friend was here. Seeing a familiar face helped calm the storm that raged inside of her. She could have sworn that he was a third year, which made her all the more confused to see him here. The rest of the class began to praise the gods that Freya was transferred into their class except for Ulysses who looked incredibly dumbfounded. They treated this as a miracle. Cheers could be heard echoing around the room as the class rejoiced. To Freya, what was strange wasn't the cheers the class made but the composition of the room. It appeared that the room was filled with almost every misfit and commoner that the grade had. Only a few students were in their actual uniform, Ulysses being one of them. Most of the class wore biker jackets with hoodies on them each with ripped sleeves. They also wore blue jeans, with a white tank top. It was a classroom of punks. Freya put both pointer fingers on her temples and let out an audible sigh that was drowned out by the crowd.

“Class, settle down.” The teacher said without a care in his tone. The group all nodded in agreement and they all fell silent. At a second glance, Freya looked at the school equipment that the students were using and saw that it all had her face on it. On the wall were posters of Freya doing various movie scenes.

“This isn’t a classroom, it's a fan club!” She thought. “Normally this would take obsession to a whole new level, but I’ve seen worse…”

“Freya, please sit wherever you’d like, I’m sure the class will adjust accordingly.” The teacher said as he sat in the corner of the room and pulled out his cellphone. Freya was in awe of the whole situation. Mainly she was shocked that the school allowed this behavior in Gilford High. She wondered if it was because of the social status of the classroom, that the school just didn’t care about what went on in there.

“Oh… Well then, I’ll sit next to my friend and bodyguard Ulysses.” She said while pointing out a seat next to him. She obviously lied about the bodyguard part but feared if she told them he was just a friend the class would soon shift their anger towards Ulysses. She didn’t wish to bring him any trouble, especially since she planned to leave this classroom as soon as possible. The student in the chair Freya pointed towards, packed up all their things and moved to the empty seat that was in the front row. While the rest of the class had their eyes on Ulysses while Freya sat down in her new warm chair.

“Haha… Hi Freya.” Ulysses laughed and then whispered to Freya frantically. “What are you doing here!?”

“Good to see you too, Ulysses, and I’ll explain in more detail later. More importantly, why is there no actual school going on in here!?”

“You didn’t know? Everyone in class 2-D is a member of the Freya Fanclub. Well, everyone except me who is just stuck here.” Ulysses explained.

“I’m slightly offended you didn’t join.” Freya jested.

“Nothing against you, but if I did, I think these guys would make me their leader or something… I’m just not cut out for that type of stuff.” Ulysses informed.

“Ahem!” A student with a red headband scoffed and Ulysses and Freya quieted down for him. He stood in front of the teacher's desk and began to speak. “Now that Ulysses has been appointed by Freya as the Bodyguard, we shall refer to him as Boss, or Sir Odysseus from this point forward.” He commanded.

“Yes sir!” The rest of the class agreed.

“Geez, the teacher does not care in the slightest,” Freya thought.

“Now if you would all pay close attention, today we are going to watch the movie Landmind.” The student turned on a projector in the room and on the screen was Freya.

“What the!? That’s one of the films I starred in,” Freya was incredibly weirded out. It made her a bit uncomfortable knowing that all these students were watching movies about her instead of doing actual school stuff. It felt wrong. “If they had asked me a month ago, I think I definitely would have used this class and most likely taken advantage of everyone in here. These guys treat me like the most important thing in their life, but I’ve never even met any of them. They need to try and learn while they are in school instead of wasting their time on me. ”She pictured Reighley in her mind and then the rest of her new friends, “Besides, I think there are things more important than me. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to be their guide out of this mess.”

Soon the movie was over and Ulysses was quivering from the anxiety of being in the spotlight. He wasn’t a leader. He couldn’t even hold a conversation with people other than his Aniki, Reighley.

“Boss? Sir? I can’t handle that level of responsibility!” Ulysses thought. “Why is the spotlight on me now?” Before each student left on their short break between classes, they would stop by Ulysses's desk to say something to him.

“Good work today Boss!” Girl Punk A said with a thumbs up.

“Yeah keep it up, Sir Odysseus.” Girl Punk B said.

“Odysseus!? That isn’t even my name and why are they thanking me? I didn’t even do anything!” Ulysses began to panic. Girls were talking to him all of a sudden. He needed his heart to stay loyal to Lily. He looked over at Freya, who was strangely calm. The students around her left her gifts in the form of snacks and drinks at her desk as they passed by. They wouldn’t say a word as if they felt unworthy to speak and simply bowed towards her with each gift. Once every student left the class, the two remaining were Freya and Ulysses.

“Freya… I… Need… Help…” Ulysses said. The words barely were able to escape from under his breath. Freya looked over at Ulysses and saw he looked worse than someone with motion sickness out in a stormy sea. He looked blue in the face.

“What’s wrong Ulysses?” Freya asked with concern.

“Everyone is talking to me and thanks to my genetic ‘Y’ chromosome, I am inherently awkward… I can’t even speak, I get so nervous,” Ulysses said. Freya felt empathetic for Ulysses. She couldn’t help but feel bad for him.

“Well. You seem to be talking to me just fine, and I’m not only a girl but a woman of high value.” Freya reassured him. Ulysses stopped shaking when he heard this and paused gathering it all in.

“Oh no. You’re right. You’re a girl too!” Ulysses immediately got up and ran to the nearby trash can and gagged over it.

“Ouch…” Freya whispered, very offended. However, putting her feelings aside she went over to him and patted his back. She felt like helping him was the right thing to do. “There, there. Looks like we have a lot of work to do, but don’t worry, I’ll help you, young one.”

“We’re the same age, and help me with what?” Ulysses laughed.

“I’m going to be your wingwoman for Lily, just like you were my wingman to help Reighley and I be together,” Freya explained.

“What…” Ulysses said, very confused. He began to blush immediately afterward.

“I know you have the hots for my maid and you have a shot with her too.” Freya said with a smug look, bumping her elbow towards Ulysses’s side.

“What? Really? You think I have a chance with her?” Ulysses’s eyes were filled with a glimmer of hope.

“Of course you do,” Freya said.

“Well… how do I win her over?” Ulysses asked.

“For starters, why don’t you ask her to slow dance at my party? That will steal her heart away.” Freya suggested.

“Dance?” Ulysses gulped.

“Yes, there is going to be a dance at my birthday party.” Freya explained.

“Oh… Well can you teach me how to dance, and when is it again?” Ulysses asked nervously.

“It’s on May 6th. Less than a week from now.” Freya explained. Ulysses pulled out his phone and looked at the date. It was May 1st. He swiftly placed his head back over the trash can and gagged from the stress.

“Hire… a stunt double… for me...” Ulysses said. Freya thought it over for a minute.

“Hmm… that could work. Wait no! He needs to be able to do this on his own.“ she contemplated and then replied. “No. You can do this.” Freya encouraged him.

After a few minutes passed Ulysses gathered his composure and began to ask why Freya was even here in the first place. Freya explained that her father did this in an attempt to separate her and Reighley.

“Your dad sounds as scary as my dad…” Ulysses explained. Freya could only imagine Ulysses' father as some sort of biomechanically engineered superhuman. That was the only explanation Ulysses gained in his physique.

“Well, regardless, we will start your training after school. Consider it a thanks for being a friend I could talk to to cool my temper. I’m not sure what I would have done if there was no one I knew in this class. I probably would have gone insane. Besides, that’s what friends are for right?” Freya said with a friendly smile.

“Thanks…” Ulysses said with gratitude. For the first time, he felt as though he could consider Freya a friend. He didn’t think it was possible in his opinion. Not that he was unwilling, but from what he knew of her, she just was too focused on other things and didn’t have time for a big oaf like himself.

The bell rang signaling the next class to start and all the students reentered into the classroom. The same teacher entered in as well.

“Alright class, it’s time for film number two!” The student with the Red headband instructed.

“Yes sir!” The class roared.

While the class was starting, Freya came up with a way to get back at her father.

“You wanted me to be in the misfit class right? Fine. I’ll be a misfit.” Freya thought. “The sooner I handle this, the quicker I can get back to Destiny.”