Mena and Janus stood on the side of the horizontal Cloud Wall. They whispered to each other about their nightly encounter. Hearing May snoring all the way from outside the dorm, they chose to remain quiet just in case. “You heard Professor Caligari,” Mena said with a look of discomfort. “She said that I deserve what’s coming to me.”
“I don’t think she’d wish death on you though,” Janus said in a consoling voice.
“Why?” Mena asked, tilting her head.
Janus put her hands on her pelvis bone and flashed a grin. “Because I’m already here.”
“Janus,” Mena snapped. “This is serious.”
“Well,” Janus said, looking towards the windows. They were shrouded in nightfall. “I don’t think we’ll find the answer now, but take heart, because my father said the answers at the end.”
“Hopefully not the end of my life,” Mena said, shivering.
And with those unsettling words, the young witch turned in for the night. But all throughout it, she couldn’t help but think of how everyone would find Caligari trapped in the auditorium the next day. She prayed the phantom professor didn’t see them when they made their escape, or else they’d either be in detention or hell itself.
The following morning, Mena did her homework between bites and sips of blue-orange juice and liccan eggs. Her homework for Roy G. Bivion was overdue, but fortunately, he had conspicuously been absent, so she had extra time to finish it.
His vanishing act had ended, because the rainbow wizard sat on his cloud, trying to offer illicit rainbow rhubarb to the other teachers.
The bell rang before Mena had a chance to finish, but she took solace in knowing that Scalia’s class was next. Even if the fishysuaz professor had regained her guppy’s memory, Mena was sure her teacher would allow her to work on it. When Mena and May arrived, however, the green scaled professor had a stormy look as turbulent as the eye of a hurricane. She coldly observed May and Mena as they sat down, not even greeting them as she usually did.
Once the final student entered, Scalia slammed the door with a scowl. “Class, consider this your first real day of school with me.”
Looks of happiness dissipated from the student’s faces as the fish professor tried to make her floaty voice stern.
“I hope you’ve done your reading homework for the day, because if you get one historical fact wrong, I’m giving you a T for the day. That’s Trouble on the witch’s grading system.”
The Tessellation twins snickered. “She betta give herself a T then, because she probably forgot the whole lesson plan.”
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Scalia crossed her flippers. “I’ll remember that,” she scowled. “Along with when you lied to me about class ending early. Two T’s for the both of you.”
Very few things shut the Tessellations’ always gabbing mouths but receiving the lowest possible grade did just that.
“First off,” Scalia said. “When did the first theatrical performance for the Bourgebeasts occur?”
Ashlan raised her hand immediately. “I do believe that was Septober, 7, 123 AD.”
Scalia scratched her rubbery chin. A slightly sadistic sneer came over her face. “That would be correct, Ms. O’Ryan but year 123 was a Skip Year so it was actually Septober 17. One T for you.”
Ashlan’s lips trembled. “How is that possible?” she rasped. “My first T for one simple mistake.”
Scalia adjusted her glasses to smirk. “Next time, don’t forget to remember your facts.”
As Ashlan dramatically cried “NOOOOOOO” and broke down sobbing
Mena whispered to May. “Who knew Scalia was such a crab?”
“I thought she was a fish,” May responded wryly
“Sorry,” Mena said, balancing a paper on her knees. “I’ve been really trying to finish this paper. Can’t focus on wordplay.”
“Mena Willow” Scalia sharply demanded. “When did the Bourgebeats organize the class system between the noble beasts and wild humans…?”
It was like Mena had been caught with her pants down. “Uh, I forget,” she said quickly.
Scalia’s filmy eyes grew furious. “You’re so forgetful, human. I bet you don’t even know what you had for breakfast three days ago.”
Mena was dead silent, but Scalia began stomping around on a fishysuaz tangent. “They should call a forgetful brain a human brain. Why? Because humans are soooo forgetful!”
Scalia ran over and ripped the paper away from Mena. “You get one T and I’ll see you after class.”
The rest of the time, Mena was as livid as her teacher. Ever since Mena had gotten the fishysauz a memory potion, her whole attitude stank like…well…a rotten fish.
After class, Mena approached Scalia’s desk. Once the fish professor had stopped dunking her head in a bucket of water, she gave her former friend a searing glare.
“What gives professor?” Mena asked, wishing she could get her paper back. Scalia shouted, “You hooked me up with a questionable dealer!”
Mena hemmed and hawed. “Yeah, I know Apo Carrie is a bit of a weirdo, but what did he do that was so bad? Did you go on your date?”
Scalia looked at Mena like she had two heads. “It started normal, despite the fact that he smelled like pickled beets, but then”—Scalia shook her head, causing her head stalks to shuffle—“He asked me for my fishysauz eggs!”
Mena was struck dumb by Scalia’s exclamation. Mena put her fingers together. “Well…maybe that’s a bit forward for a first date, but at least he’s thinking about the future.”
“No,” Scalia said glaring at Mena. “He wants my fishysauz eggs TO EAT. He told me I reminded him of his mother, and when he elaborated, he said she’d always make those for him when he was a young boy.”
“She probably still does,” Mena joked, but the severity on Scalia’s face silenced her.
“Now I’m stuck with this pickled beet smelling creep if I want to remember stuff,” Scalia cried.
Mena shrunk away. “Seems like my attempt at creating hubba hubba resulted in trouble trouble.”
“You got that right,” Scalia said, refusing to even meet Mena’s eyes.
“Professor,” Mena started. “I can help.”
“Forget it,” Scalia said. “Which is what I wish I could do…”
Mena eyed the paper on Scalia’s desk. “Take it,” Scalia growled. “And get out of my sight.”
Mena did and left. Deep in her head, she wished she could help Scalia.
Heading towards the Sun Tower, she puzzled her mind about what she could do. But when she reached the top of the tower, something took her mind off it immediately.
All the girls including Janus had gathered around the former headmaster’s desk, Mena pushed her way through the crowd to find Professor Roy G Bivion lying motionless. Concern turned to panic as Janus took his pulse.
“He’s dead,” she said.