I stood up quickly and just stared in awe at the person in front of me. How can someone change so much in just a few months?
"Hey, Ty," he waved at Tyler before looking at me. "How have you been?" Phoenix asked. His golden eyes looked brighter, and his purple hair was longer.
"Fine," I said, still in astonishment.
"So you teach now?" he asked.
"Just for a few weeks," I said, and he nodded.
"Do you want to go somewhere and talk?" he asked, and I nodded. It has been so long; I'm curious about everyone's whereabouts. I turned to zip my bag and saw that my lucky pen was still on the table. I picked it up and showed it to him.
"I never got to thank you for this," I said. "I just can't bring myself to use it, it's too pretty."
"It's nothing," he said, smiling. Phoenix. The nicest person I have ever met in Galliel, he always smiles and does nice things like it's a part of him. I dropped the pen and grabbed my bag.
"Let me help you with that," he said, taking the bag.
"It's fine," I said, but he still took it. Phoenix. The one person who never joked about my height.
"I was surprised when I saw you," I said.
"I was among the students," he said, and I looked at him. I hadn't noticed. "You didn't notice, right?" he said, and I nodded. "You seemed overwhelmed."
"I didn't know I was going to teach until it was announced," I said.
"Principal is just like that. It's surprising he hasn't made you work full-time," Phoenix said.
"I don't think I can handle that level of stress," I said, looking at the road in front of me. Why are they staring? I feel uncomfortable, especially since I don't know why they are staring.
"Come this way," Phoenix said, leading me down a different road until we were in a secluded area. Did he notice my discomfort?
We sat down on a bench in the corner and were silent for a while.
"Everyone is coming," he said, and I looked up. "There is going to be a reunion for special grades by the end of the week," he continued.
"I had no idea," I said. Principal could've told me when I went to inquire about my working situation. That man never ceases to amuse me.
"I'm sure you would have been told eventually," he said. "Just come expecting competition between the dorms."
"If that didn't happen, I'd be surprised."
"I will," I said, already imagining the fight. I can't wait to see Sienna and the others, not Keith.
...
It was nice meeting Phoenix again, but I soon had to get back to work. Classes started fully, and it was terrifying, every minute of it. Speaking up was hard, but I did it anyway. Principal eventually told me about the reunion, but it was just two days before the event.
I walked to my door and saw a very large bag at the doorstep. I picked it up and scanned it before unlocking the door to walk in. I sat down and looked inside the bag.
There was a rose with a letter tied to it. I took the letter and read it.
"Wear this to the ball. I hope it fits. Everyone is coming in the same color to show loyalty to their dorm. I'll come to pick you up by six tomorrow."
No signature, but I knew who it was.
I had forgotten that I had to wear a dress to the ball; my mind was too clouded to remember the important details. I took out the box and opened it. Folded neatly inside was an azure dress.
I brought it out and looked at it. It was really pretty. Phoenix is really nice and thoughtful. He knew I wouldn't have time to get a dress, so he got one for me.
If I had met a person like him before I died, I wouldn't be so scared of people. He just acts nice on impulse; it feels different from how I feel when Teon is nice to me or when anyone else is.
When mother's students are nice, I feel it's because they have to be. When Teon is nice, I wonder why and want to ask what he's thinking because I feel like there's something I would want to know. But Phoenix is just a very nice person.
I walked to my room and hung the dress in my wardrobe. I was really grateful, but it only made me feel like I owed him. It's hard not to feel that way when someone has been taking care of you. It's the same way I feel towards mother and Blair, and the twins. It's similar to how I feel towards Sienna because of how much she helped me.
I took a quick bath and lay on my bed where my special pillow was already waiting for me. Tomorrow I'd meet everyone again. I can't wait to see them.
Clove was in and out of Galliel for a while, but she stopped a few months ago and I haven't seen her since. Wolfe went back to the Vermilion mansion to take on his responsibility as a son of the family and vassal to Alden.
I don't know where Skye and Leo are. Sienna and Keith are doing fine, and Phoenix is somewhere in Galliel.
I wonder what type of change everyone experienced. I'm curious. I stayed with them during my first years in the academy, so I can't help wondering about their wellbeing.
Sienna sent me a letter when she gave birth, and I really wished I could visit her. I felt bad when I missed her wedding and felt worse that I couldn't visit her. I was stuck within the confines of the academy, so there was nothing I could do, and she understood. I did send her a few letters and gifts, but that didn't feel like it was enough.
"Maybe my goal for the future should be to visit Sienna," I said aloud. At least I had something to do besides curing my Large Worm, which wasn't set in stone yet.
If only things could work perfectly.