Veronika walks away, leaving Patricia in the small park at the school. She sighs and sits on one of the benches, disappointed with the results of her action. "Hey," She looks and saw Antonietta and Gabriel approaching her.
Antonietta sits beside her, "It seems your conversation with her didn't go… quite so well. Mind to entail us to what happened?" Patricia sighs, "It's not really that bad, it might have just been me expecting more from her." She fixes her hair, "I supposed that a simple act like that won't break through her barrier… yet."
"You already know she looks the tough one, of course, that will not work for now." Gabriel crosses his arms, "Besides, I presume this is the first time you interacted with her like that, am I correct?" Patricia nods, "I have been mutually neutral to her since I said to myself that if she doesn't want to, I will leave her be. But she got me intriguing, she got me curious about her. I feel this sense that I need to accompany her, even as she said, I don't have to."
Patricia looks in the direction where Veronika walked away, "She's sincere and genuine enough to say 'thank you to me." Antonietta looks at her, "Let me guess if you brought it up to her, 'It will be impolite of me to not show gratitude when it is due.'"
"That's not the case I am trying to pertain. It's just I felt when she said thank you, she let her guard down for a moment. It was a glimpse of her soft side." Gabriel shrugs, "I supposed it wouldn't hurt for her masquerade of strength to say thank you once for a while. She's not really that rude type, she just looks like she's done with everything in the world."
"As I said, I am here to take off that mask. I am not going to stop until I successfully do so." "Why do you want to do this anyway?" Patricia looks at Antonietta, "You only have goals but no motivations to keep ongoing. You are only saying that you need her to show her identity and take a glimpse on it but why so?"
"It has been a habit of mine to… 'fix' people, I guess. I feel her loneliness. She's not bad, after all, so why would I stop on my pursuit of friendship with her? If no one wants to be friends with her, I would gladly step forward and take a challenge. She's the most interesting person I have encountered so far. I am not going to let her go nor let the incident that happened ago, whatever it is, happen again to her."
"As I said before, I am on board on this, Patricia. As long as you're not hurting people, I'm down on helping you. Besides, somehow, we have classes that we have her as our classmate, no?"
"She's my classmate on Pristinity, I think." Antonietta said, "She's actually my seatmate before, I remembered now." Gabriel claps, "Great then, I supposed you could—" "I don't think so, I am not that sociable. If Patricia can't get her nor talk to her in a much softer and genuine way, why would she talk to me like that as well? She will think I am just some random person trying to befriend her, especially with the drama earlier at Physical Valiantry class. She will dismiss me and… and…"
She started panicking at the thought of embarrassment. She started murmuring random words just to shake off these thoughts. Patricia calmed her down, "Hey, it's fine, Antonietta. You don't have to force yourself to do it. If the opportunity presents itself to you, I won't be mad if you don't take it or not. Think of it for the sake of your sanity. Besides, this is the battle that I originally thought I would be fighting alone. I am fine."
"I am sure you'll be used on it, Anne. I will teach you someday how to gut embarrassments because I sure have experiences on that!" He laughs, "On a serious note, I wish luck, Pat, on getting to the bottom of this. From what it looks, it's no hard task." Patricia nods, "It's a challenge I set on myself even I don't need to, so I will do my best to do it the best as I can."
"Very well then. Do you want to go to the cafeteria now?" They all agreed and head to the cafeteria to get their fill. After having a nice lunch with her friends, they parted ways and to the next class that they will attend. Patricia and Antonietta accompanied each other to the last class of the day which was Practical Potionry.
There were long tables that Patricia thought were filled with equipment but were empty. She remembered that she needed her equipment for this class. "Antonietta, could you reserve a seat for me?" The braided girl gladly obliged as Patricia takes her to leave. She come running out of the classroom and to her dormitory, on which she saw a rare sight.
Patricia saw a familiar short-haired girl in front of a ginger girl. Upon further inspection, she confirmed it was Veronika and Vivian, the latter of who was angry at her. She immediately approached them, hearing some of their conversations.
"Now you're brave to do such a thing! Where did you get that courage to even go back—" Patricia cuts her, "Hey, cut that!" Vivian looks at her and smirks, "Well, would you look at that? I am surprised you are not still kicked out of the school after you harmed the daughter of the very Vice-Chancellor herself. What are you going to do? Outright murder me here?" She giggles with her friend, "I'd like to see you try."
"Even you are the daughter of Mrs. Bethel-Craith, I didn't hear that you were given the right to look down on people." Vivian chuckles, "I am given the right ever since I was birthed in this world, this is not just my privilege here in the school. Besides, I am not looking down upon this 'excelling student'. I am just giving her a warning not to get too excellent or the competition will get harder than it should be."
Veronika sighs, "Patricia, what did I say to you?" The blonde girl looks at her, "This is just unacceptable, Veronika. I have another friend that was victimized by this oh-so-superior student, and I won't let her get away with it." Vivian laughs, "Come on, Miss Prudent, it's clear that Veronika here doesn't want any of your heroic favor. Go on, we don't want you missing class now, do we?" Both she and her friend laugh.
"Are you hearing yourself right now?" Vivian looks at her, sternly, but Patricia ignored it. "Your logic doesn't make sense. If you really are the daughter of Sophronia Bethel-Craith, an alumna of this school, one of the excellent students, I may add, should you be behaving well and mannered? It would suck if your mother knew you are destroying the image she created and well-kept for years she has been in this school."
Patricia notices she hit the bullseye. Vivian was utterly speechless. She knows she feels defeated inside, but she's persisting in keeping her composure. "Your mother has built her reputation in a manner that you don't see executing right now. I should tell you that she will not be very proud of you if you are ruining her good reputation to have a reputation of yourself."
"I… I…" Vivian can't grasp any words to throw back at Patricia. "Come on, Margarette, these people aren't worth our time. Besides, our next class is approaching." Both of them walked away, with the ginger one visibly having a tantrum.
Patricia looks at Veronika, "I will be going now—" She was cut off, "You are not abiding by my wishes. I said don't do it again, yet what did you do?" Patricia gulps, "I am just here to help a student. If no one does it, then I will do it, that's my motto." She sighs, "You don't have to take this at heart. Ignore it, if you wish. I will be going now, I have forgotten that I need some equipment for the potionry class."
Patricia walks away, unsure if she was victorious or not. As she walks far enough from Veronika, she turns and still sees Veronika in her position. She sighs and continues on her way.
She returned to the potionry class with her equipment. As she arrives her professor is already starting it. The professor looks at her, "Where have you been?" "I needed to get my equipment for the class. I am sorry, Professor." He nods, "Please take a seat."
Patricia approaches Antonietta who has reserved a seat next to her. She settles her equipment down as her professor introduces the class for her. "I am Professor Sigric Bernell, and I am your professor for Practical Potionry." Patricia fixated her gaze on him, he was a man with long hair, reaching his shoulder. He's pasty pale and quite tall, even taller than Professor Rohan. He also has a silk fabric on his shoulder, which she has seen on her Professor Gerville and some students in the academy.
They started their lesson after a quick introduction of themselves. They were taught the basics of potions and other introductory information. Their first activity was creating every base of the potion that will be a catalyst for many advanced ones. With the help of Antonietta, she was able to grasp the gist of the potion-making in this world.
"You are quite… what they say a 'connoisseur' on potion brewing." Antonietta flushes, "That's quite a big word for someone like me. I am just knowing of these potions and their techniques. It's quite a curriculum back at my place. As a nation that has double the amount of known potion herbs than the nation which have people that have prowess on herbs themselves, it's the main thing in our school. Besides, I quite like brewing things. With my father's knowledge, I can brew some beverages out of some plants and fruits."
"That's cool! I would try some in the future." Antonietta smiles, "Thank you for your compliment." After the professor checked their finished products, they were dismissed early. Patricia went to her dorm immediately after she got out of the classroom. She had a rest and remembered to have an alarm on her Thereal phone that she mostly does not use. She woke up just at the right time to fix herself for her special class and training.
Patricia heads to the Valiantry classroom where she saw Miss Cassidy talking to a familiar student. It was Veronika again. With their last encounters, she was a bit shy to walk up to them at this moment, but she insisted.
"Don't worry, I'll help you." Cassidy took notice of Patricia approaching them, "Oh, Patricia, your punctuality has improved." Patricia looks at Veronika, "I didn't know she needs some special training as well." Her Pristinity professor was quite surprised they were acquainted, "You know Miss Gilmartin? That's great news!"
"We are roommates, Miss Cassidy. I supposed it will be rude not to get acquainted with someone you will be sharing your living space with for a year." Cassidy smiles, "That's even better! It's a great start for your return to study once more. Schooling is lonely if you don't have any friends, Veronika. I am sure that Catrin would love to see you again."
Veronika's face changed to a much bitter one, "I am sure that she doesn't want to have anything to do with me. Anyway, I need to go now, it has been quite a conversation with you Miss Cassidy. I don't want to interfere with your class with Miss Prudent here."
Cassidy smiles, "Take care and good luck!" Veronika takes her to leave. The professor looks at Patricia, "Could you do me a favor, Patricia?"