Apollo's head was swimming, his chest felt tight as he sat down in the principal's office explaining everything. Excluding a few key parts such as Cydney and him thinking that she could be the one attempting ascension. After that Apollo was left alone as she and a few other teachers went into the Upside Down World to retrieve Cydney. So there he was alone, shivering in the coldest front office known to man. Jesus, Apollo thought, was he suddenly transported to the North Pole or something?
Apollo put his face in his hands, he kneaded his knuckles against his temples. He felt sick, he shouldn't have left Cydney. But he couldn't have done anything. He didn't know magic like Cydney, he couldn't race in and bring him back in a flash like Kyra, he was just a weakling. And now, he was a coward as well. Not that, that was anything new. He clasped his hands together, he didn't know if Nelle would hear his prayers but he tried anyways. Please, he prayed, please let Cydney be alright. Please let them get there in time. He raised his head up once he heard movement, Cydney and Mrs. Alby came through the door.
Apollo let out a breath of relief once he saw Cydney alive and well, that breath was quickly silenced though once he saw the healed over fang marking's on the boy's leg and chest. Cydney did not look pleased to see Apollo, not at all. His steel blue eyes were lit with rage, his face scrunched up like he had just swallowed a lemon as he sat down in the seat next to Apollo. He pushed the chair as far away from Apollo as possible and refused to look at him again.
"I'm so glad you're alright, I was so wo-"
"Don't speak to me."
Cydney spoke coldly, his words silencing Apollo immediately. Guilt tugged at his heart as he fought back the need to cry. Mrs. Alby sat down in her chair, now that Apollo could see more than her back he was finally able to make out her features. She was a creepy looking woman to say the least with paper pale skin, black lips and boney, sharp features that made it look like she was literally a skeleton wearing a flesh suit. She had long straight white hair that reached her hips parted down the middle with black pupil-less eyes. Long black antlers jutted out of the sides of her skull, so tall that she had to bend over in order to enter rooms. She wore a simple lace dress that went to her ankles and loud clacking black heels.
She put her hands together, intertwining her fingers as she placed them onto her desk. Her black eyes stared both of them down, her thin eyebrows set firmly in the furrowed position as she said.
"You both will be receiving detention not only for skipping class but also for going into a restricted area of the school without permission. I expect this kind of behavior from a newcomer, someone who isn't fully aware of the rules of this academy yet, but you Mr. Knox..."
She shifted her attention to Cydney.
"I expected more from our star student. I will have to, regretfully notify your father of your actions. I'm sure he'll be quite disappointed in you. You both will be serving detention for a month, after school you'll be helping Miss. Petrovia with whatever she needs. Understood?"
Both boys nodded quietly.
"You do understand that I'm being lenient, yes? I have every right to suspend you both."
"Yes mam."
They spoke in unison.
"Good. Then I expect this to be the first and last time we have a conversation like this, yes?"
"Yes mam."
"Glad we're clear. Now both of you get to class and if I hear you skip out on detention without permission you will face suspension, understood?"
"Yes mam."
With that she gestured towards the door with a boney hand, both boys quickly got to their feet and left the room. Apollo grabbed Cydney's wrist before he could bolt, he looked back and forth between those steel blue eyes.
"Cydney, I'm... I'm so..."
The apology Apollo needed so desperately to tell Cydney was stuck in his throat, Cydney ripped his arm from Apollo's grasp as he spat, his words covered in poison.
"Don't bother. You've shown me the kind of person you are. I don't want to see your face anymore than necessary, understand?"
Apollo nodded hollowly as Cydney strode off. He slowly left the office, making his way to his last class, Strange, Dangerous, Yet Common Creatures, which was the only other class he shared with Kyra. The moment he stepped inside the tardy bell rang and Kyra who was sitting next to the windows was looking at him curiously. The moment he sat down he got a little origami bird fluttered onto his lap. It unfolded itself to read, in fancy scripture 'Where have you been?'. Apollo then settled for spending a good chunk of the class period writing down his little escapade, excluding the part where he left Cydney. He folded it over once and it magically turned back into a tiny bird and flew back over to Kyra when the teacher had his back turned.
"What?!"
Kyra shouted out in the middle of class, shocking everyone and making the teacher whip around and eye her skeptically.
"I hope that you aren't passing notes in my class."
He squinted his eyes and Kyra gave him a big, unconvincing grin and shook her head vigorously.
"Of course not, sir. I wouldn't dream it."
"Mhmm..."
The teacher pursed his lips and turned back to the board as he explained about Dream and Scream vines. When Kyra thought she was officially in the clear she scribbled down her answer, which when Apollo got it was still the fanciest writing he had ever seen. Even her rushed writing was better than his neat writing. 'You met the principal? What was she like? Do you really agree with Cydney? Do you think she could be the new Tester?' Apollo furrowed his brows and sent back a short question. 'What's a tester?'
As Kyra went to throw the origami bird back the teacher spun around, causing her to have to crush the poor bird in her hands and pretend like she was simply yawning. Apollo turned to her and mouthed, 'We'll talk after class.' She nodded and after that both of them tried to pay attention. Apollo really did want to hear what kind of common yet horrifying creatures existed in this world but it was kind of hard with Kyra watching him every second, her knee bobbing as she waited for the bell to ring. The moment it did she bounded out of her seat and nearly bulldozed the smaller boy. He got a face full of her pillow-y breasts for a moment before she yanked him at arms length and asked.
"Well? Do you think Cydney's right? Do you think the principal could be a Tester?"
"You still have yet to actually tell me what a Tester is."
"It's someone trying to complete the trials, it's what we used to call them back when it was still allowed."
"Ah... I don't know... I certainly find it strange that she was wondering around the school, going into dark maze-like dungeons. What I'm more curious about is-"
Kyra finished for him.
"What was she going into the dungeon for?"
Apollo nodded in agreement. Kyra then gave Apollo a very, very devious look. Her golden eyes glistened with excitement, Apollo rose a hand up already guessing what she was going to say.
"No, no, we shouldn't. We should not go poking our noses around, Mrs. Alby said if she caught me doing anything bad that I'd get suspended."
Kyra put an arm around his shoulder, her wicked grin only growing.
"If you get caught, very good choice of words. All we need to do is make sure we don't get caught. And with me, a vampire who can speed in and out of rooms it'll be very easy to not get caught."
"We really shouldn't. I don't want to get expelled in my first week here."
"You won't be, I promise. Come on, you can't tell me you don't want to know more. And what if she is? She could be putting the entire school in danger you know! Those trials are notoriously known for being dangerous to not only Testers but also people caught in the crossfire. Last time someone tried to complete a trial they ended up flooding an entire city, killed a couple hundred people. All we're doing is being good Samaritans and ensuring the safety of our school."
"You know full well that's not why we're doing it."
"No, but it's a good excuse."
Apollo let out a long sigh.
"Alright."
Squealing Kyra led them out of the classroom, Apollo separated from his partner in crime.
"But first I have detention with Miss. Petrovia."
"Right, I'll be waiting in the library then until you're done. Good luck!"
With that Kyra was gone in a blink, literally! Apollo shuffled his way to Miss. Petrovia's classroom which currently only had Cydney and himself there. Cydney didn't bother looking up to acknowledge his existence as he entered the room. Miss. Petrovia held up a pair of pails and some rags and simply stated, in a cold monotoned voice.
"You are to clean every window in the building."
She practically threw the pails and rags into Apollo's arms as he looked at her dumbstruck.
"A-All of them?"
"Do I need to make myself more clear?"
"No mam."
Cydney spoke for him, taking one of the rags and began without question.
"How many windows are there at this school exactly?"
"Two-Hundred and Twenty Six."
"Tw-Two hundred?!"
"And no using magic."
Apollo was at a loss for words as Miss. Petrovia sat down at her desk, crossed her legs and opened an old falling apart leather bound book. Apollo stood there for a moment longer, hoping that she was joking but once she refused to say anymore he followed after Cydney and started wiping down the windows. Once Apollo started in this class Cydney got up and moved to the neighboring room. Apollo frowned, he knew that Cydney would be upset with him but he at least hoped that Cydney would let him explain himself a bit. Eventually they met in the middle of an empty classroom and before Cydney could go striding off Apollo blocked his escape route.
"Wait, please... I just want to talk."
"In case you haven't grasped it yet, I don't want to talk to you."
"But Cydney-"
"No. Don't talk to me like we're close, leave me alone."
"You have to understand-"
"Understand what?! You left me! You left me to die. How exactly am I supposed to take that? How did you expect me to react to that? What, did you think you would give me a nice little apology and I would just accept it, no harm done? Well the truth is harm was done! I was nearly killed! Poisoned! Having the life squeezed out of me and you left me."
"I-I was scared... I didn't know what to do, I couldn't do anything-"
"Couldn't do anything?"
Cydney scoffed.
"You did do something, you chose to leave me. You could have done anything, you just chose to be a coward. And so now, you'll have to deal with the consequences of being one."
Cydney pushed Apollo out of the way as Apollo stood there looking down at his feet. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, but he wiped them quickly and somberly walked over to the windows and cleaned them without another word. Hours had passed and Apollo was finally done, the suns were dipping into the horizon and Apollo didn't feel very much like sneaking around the school after hours. Even so he made his way to the library where his guilt was forgotten, if only for a moment by the sheer beauty of the library.
It reminded Apollo of the library from Beauty and the Beast. Covered in gold and marble just like the rest of the school, the library was filled with books from wall to wall, ceiling to floor. Books were magically re-shelving themselves and there was a huge winding staircase that led into what appeared to be an observatory. Decorating the floor was a long crimson rug, like the kind you would expect to be at a big movie premiere and on the second floor was Kyra who was sitting in a tall fancy leather seat.
Apollo climbed the stairs and sat down in the chair opposite from Kyra. He wasn't feeling very up to exploring anymore, not that he really was to begin with but after that fight with Cydney it was like all of his energy was drained. Kyra must have noticed this because she put down the book she was reading, a book on the school, and looked at him with a worried look.
"What is it?"
"Cydney hates me now."
"Aww, I'm sure that's not true. Why would he hate you?"
"I uh... well when we were stuck in the Upside Down World he and I got attacked and he got dragged away by a snake. I... left, to go get help. At least that's what I've been trying to tell myself, but in all actuality I ran because I was scared. And now he hates me."
"I see..."
Apollo frowned, tears drifting down his face as he avoided Kyra's gaze.
"Well you have to make it up to him then. You do want to make it up to him, don't you?"
"Of course."
"So then forget what happened in the past and focus on not making the same mistakes in the future. What's done is done. Nothing you do now will change what you did then, but you can make sure that you don't do it again. I'm sure that if you sincerely apologize and learn from your mistake he'll forgive you... maybe."
"You think so?"
"I certainly think it's possible."
"Ok."
Apollo sniffled and took the handkerchief that Kyra put in front of him to wipe his eyes.
"I'll do better."
"Good, now dry those tears! We have a mission to complete!"