Chapter 13: School Life

Why was he here...in this moment?

"Are you alright?" he asked again.

He did not recognize me.

He had forgotten me...

I had been avoiding him for so long that he had forgotten my face. This was the result of my actions...

"Yes," I said. Instead of taking his hand, I got up by myself and brushed the dirt off my skirt. "Thank you for worrying about me."

"Are you headed somewhere?"

I wanted to ask, 'Are you going to accompany me?'

I held my tongue back.

"No, I am just walking without a destination."

I was surprised how easily my words came out of my mouth. Either I did not love this Erik as much, or our decreased time together made me less affectionate towards him.

"Alright then, Miss. I hope that you have a pleasant day," he said as he left with his friend.

I watched his back walk away from me.

There was no ill will behind his words. Erik had completely forgotten me.

My chest felt so painful...

"Arielle! Are you alright?" Maura asked.

She seemed worried about me from her flushed expression.

"Y-Yes..."

"Your face is pale," she said as she held my shoulders.

I fell at my knees.

There is no reason for me to not live my life. Avoiding Erik was a way that I could protect myself from falling in love with Erik. The more I go out of my way to avoid him, the more I am driving myself down madness.

This was due to my own delusion that we were meant to be in love with each other. By living up to that fate, we would be naturally drawn to each other and love each other unconditionally.

He treated me as a stranger upon meeting face to face again. In his eyes, I was nothing more to him than someone passing by.

My fears...Only I am being held down by these so called memories that will soon never come to fruition.

I was not scared of falling in love with Erik again. I was scared that Erik would treat me as a stranger...At this rate, I really will be a stranger.

I am selfish. Erik made me realize my own feelings. I am aware that we must cut our ties one day, but I am unable to let go of anything...not my memories, my feelings, or even Erik himself.

This twisted love...I am fine with watching him from afar.

In my first life, I was only able to enjoy two years of school life. I admit that it was one of the happiest time that I ever spent. Only I once had I wished of wanting to spend it a bit longer.

Maura thought it would be nice for me to be with other children my age. I could not ignore her kindness and decided to attend the Academy with an open mind. I planned of course to not get in the way of Erik by only watching him from afar.

Within a few days, I was quickly admitted into the Academy.

Maura handed me my uniform. It was a black long sleeved uniform with a double breasted coat with golden buttons, a large red necktie and had a knife pleated skirt with a silver line border that rose above the knees.

"It is a bit short," I commented on the backside.

"It is cuter that way," Maura said.

"How can I expect myself to stroll around in such a short skirt? My garter straps would be shown to the entire world!"

"How about some tights?"

Pantyhose would surely cover all of my legs, but I had forgotten to bring them from home.

"I can add a petticoat underneath! You are set then, Milady!" Maura said excitedly.

"What is with the noise?" Garett asked as he knocked on my door.

"Come in," Maura said.

"W-Wait, I am not decent yet!"

Garett had came in after I had hurried to put on the rest of the ensemble.

Maura held me by my shoulders.

"How is it?" Maura asked Garett.

Garett seemed a bit baffled at my attire.

"Does it look that bad on me?" I asked.

"If you do not answer soon, you will make her feel bad," Maura said.

"...I-It looks rather good on you," Garret said shyly. I felt a bit happy that Garett had told me that. He was not the type to use flattery if he did not mean it.

"Aren't you glad that it looks good on you?" Maura asked me. "At this rate, you will also be a hit at your school!"

"Wait...That uniform can't be..." Garett said.

"It's the girls' uniform to your school," Maura said excitedly.

"You are going to enter my school!" Garett said surprisedly.

Maura tied my hair up in a high ponytail and added on a large black ribbon tie with a white lace border to my hair.

"...Am I causing you trouble?" I asked Garett.

"...N-No, I think it's a good idea for you to go to school."

I went to school the next day.

"It is a first time, but we are having two new transfer students," Professor Jordy said.

"Arielle Ira Wordsworth," I said with a light curtsy.

I thought that going under the guise of my uncle's name would help avoid many things.

"I am Charlotte Vera Castile!" Charlotte introduced herself with a booming voice as she grabbed my hand and waved it above her head.

Charlotte was apparently lonely since I left Arundel and followed me all the way here despite Viscount Castile's numerous objections. I heard that he was forced to accept Charlotte's selfish wishes due to the blackmail she used over him.

I pity Viscount Castile for having such a strong willed daughter...

Still, I was happy to have someone I knew beside me even though she used not so honest means...

"I am glad that we are together again!" Charlotte said as we got up for lunch.

"You sure surprised me. When did you come to Nariel?" I asked.

"Just yesterday! I could not wait to see you again."

Charlotte was just as lovely as before. She had not changed in the slightest. If anything, she seems a bit more spoiled.

Some girls came up to us.

"Is it true that you two are both from Arundel?" a girl with long brown hair asked.

"Yes!" Charlotte answered.

"Then, do you know about Prince Erik?"

"I do not know about him personally, but yes... After all, he is Arielle's–"

I closed off Charlotte's mouth and quick dragged her out of the classroom.

"I would like to keep my relationship with Prince Erik a secret," I told Charlotte.

"Why?" she asked cutely.

"That is...I have my reasons," I told her.

"Alright!" she answered.

"Really?"

"You can tell me your reasons when you want to since you do not want to tell me now. I will keep it a secret for you," she said.

"Thank you, Charlotte," I told her.

She puffed out her chest.

"I have a condition!"

"What might that be?"

"You must call me Char or Char Char in a cute voice from now on," she demanded.

"That is embarrassing..."

"Come on, Little Missy...If you don't want your secret to come out, you will do what I say," Charlotte said, trying to sound intimidating.

Charlotte had never asked me of this before, so I was taken a bit by surprise.

"...Char," I said quietly.

"Arielle is so cute!" she said as she hugged me suddenly.

I wonder if it was due to Charlotte's charm. I started to feel closer to the community and easily fit in with the other girls of our class.

When it came to lunch, we still liked sitting by ourselves. I had set up a picnic blanket for the two of us while I waited on Charlotte to come by.

"Arielle!" Charlotte's voice boomed. I saw her running towards me while dragging someone behind her. The stranger did not seem very willing to be dragged, but was unable to shake off Charlotte's strength. "I found a pretty boy!"

The pretty boy was Garett.

I never thought that I would find him so easily...

"Why must I be dragged here while I was having lunch in the library?" Garett asked angrily.

"Charlotte likes pretty things...If she catches you, there is no chance in running away," I said.

"Arielle?" Garett said in a surprised manner.

I was slightly surprised too because he used my name for the first time.

"Oh my...Are you two already acquainted?" Charlotte asked.

"We both work and live at Exurbia Library," I explained.

"That's wonderful!" Charlotte said as she pressured Garett to sit down and sat beside me. She began rummaging through her bag and took out some sandwiches.

"I apologize for the trouble," I told Garett.

"No, it isn't your fault...I was sitting by myself and was suddenly grabbed and dragged all the way here by her. For such a pretty girl, it is a shame that she acts like that," Garett said with a sigh.

"You seem used to this," I commented.

"More or less...Are you one of her victims too?"

"We were friends in Arundel...She happened to follow me all the way here."

Charlotte kindly handed Garett a plate of sandwiches.

"Thank you," he said as he accepted them.

Everyone that gets involved with Charlotte naturally fall into her pace and easily accept it as if it is natural. This part of her is especially scary since people are easily roped in this way.

"I saw Garett eating by himself and took him here," Charlotte said. "He seemed interesting."

Charlotte...

"My books...my peace," Garett grumbled.

"Do you always eat alone?" I asked him.

I admit that it was a bit rude to ask, but he seemed very loved among his peers at the library.

"I am always bothered when I am in class. I eat alone to get away from it all," Garett said as he took a bite from the sandwich. His face brightened up along with his eyes. It was almost cute how easily his facial expression changed. I thought the frown was permanent. "It is delicious."

"Hehe...Thank you very much," Charlotte replied with a smile.

...Are those two?

"Is Charlotte your type?" I whispered to Garett.

His face turned slightly red.

"N-No, girls like that are just difficult to deal with. If anyone, you are..."

Garett seemed to stop mid-sentence.

"I am what?" I asked him.

He closed his eyes and turned away from me.

"You are close!" he said.

I forgot that I was inches from his face and suddenly felt embarrassed.

"I am sorry," I said as I backed away.

"My, my..." Charlotte said.

As we continued to eat, Charlotte shared various stories with us and informed us greatly about the news. Garett seemed the most interested. He was truly a boy of literature.

For Garett's convenience, I asked Charlotte to hold our lunch meetings in the library. She was alright with it and eventually she fell in love with the splendor of a library's ambiance.