SOTL Draft Two/MAGIC - Ch4

Overview: https://kaylinrosealexande.wixsite.com/kaylinalexanderbooks/post/the-formation-of-school-of-the-legends

Read-aloud, pt. 1: https://www.tiktok.com/@kaylinrosealexander/video/7195203005992521002?lang=en

Previous: https://kaylinrosealexande.wixsite.com/kaylinalexanderbooks/post/sotl-draft-two-magic-ch3

I'm once again calling attention to the fact that 14-year-old Me really, really hated makeup. So I apologize for how critical I was of girls who wear makeup. Y'all are beautiful with and without it.

Chapter 4

Anahi headed up to her chambers, still pondering over her encounter with Katya Zima-Frost.

Pueterica wasn't really interested in the other kingdoms. Some kingdoms, like Marlis Haggard’s, were super nosy--Anahi could tell by her tone to Ryan McGuire. But from her encounters with her roommate, Anahi could tell that even Marlis had no idea about her. Pueterica was just too cut off from the others. But maybe she would know something about Katya Zima-Frost.

She pushed open the doors to find Marlis on her bed. "Hey, Marlis," she said, casually. "Wh-"

"Marlis?" Marlis snapped. "Don't. You. Dare."

"Look, Haggard! I don't care what your name is! I was just going to ask if you knew anything about Katya Zima-Frost!"

Marlis Haggard scoffed. "Really? You think I'm just going to tell you that?" She rolled her eyes. "Nice try, Rosario. But I'm not as gullible as McGuire."

She looked so smug Anahi didn't have to turn around to know that Ryan McGuire was right behind her.

Anahi glanced at Ryan. Her green eyes filled with tears. "Ryan..."

"I gotta go," she said, and ran into her bathroom.

Anahi turned to Marlis Haggard. No, just Haggard. "What is your problem?!" she crossed the room to sit on her bed. "Do you really think it's okay to bully someone?"

Haggard rolled her eyes. "I don't know, do you think that it's okay to trust strangers?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Haggard sighed, reaching up to take the pins out of her hair. "You know, Rosario, you need to get out more. With all that reading your kingdom does, you should read up on the kingdoms."

"We prefer our solitude," Anahi replied, coolly.

Haggard took out the last pin and shook her hair free. The brown waves flowed down her back, and over five feet of hair flowed out behind her on the bed. Anahi raised an eyebrow, but Haggard gave her a look that clearly said, "don't say anything." Anahi now understood the hair comment from when she first arrived.

"Well, Rosario," said Haggard, slipping off the high heels. "We're going to share this room for the rest of the year. Solitude will be hard to find."

*****

Just like Audrey had promised, the bell rang for dinner at six on the dot. For some reason, the princesses had to dress for dinner, so the fairy godmothers showed up at five thirty to help get them ready.

Anahi did not leave as soon as Audrey left. She just stood in the middle of her bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. Her brown hair seemed to fall down her shoulders in bigger waves, and her hazel eyes seemed brighter. Maybe it was, Audrey could perform magic, after all.

Some of her hair was up in a bun, braided in gold ribbons. The rest was loose down her shoulders. She wore the blue evening gown that she brought from home, and had golden necklace, earrings, and bracelets to match the ribbons. As for the makeup, it wasn't that much. Just a little lipstick some mascara, and a thin layer of blue and gold eyeshadow. Anahi smiled to herself. She didn't look like a girl who used her face as a coloring book, she looked like...herself.

Anahi exited the bathroom to find Haggard looking like a statue of boredom. Kristy had done wonders to her. Her long brown hair was in so many braids, Anahi knew it must've required magic. She was wearing a purple gown, with matching earrings and eye shadow. She was stunning, but that didn't change who she was on the inside.

"Well," Haggard sneered. "The beauty queen is finally ready for the party."

Anahi clenched her fists, secretly wishing that M.A.G.I.C. offered fighting classes. "Beauty queen?"

Haggard scoffed. "Oh my God, Rosario. Sometimes you can be so dense.”

Anahi self-consciously moved her hands to her hair, feeling the braids leading up to the bun. "How mature, Haggard," was all she could think as a response.

Haggard looked like she was going to make another sarcastic or snotty remark, but Ryan McGuire emerged from her bathroom.

She was wearing a long sleeved forest green dress, which matched perfectly with her eyes. Her dark hair was tied back in a bright red ribbon, keeping it out of her eyes. But her face had so much make-up. Her lips were as bright as cherries, and her eyes had layers of black mascara, which contrasted with her pale skin. She was beautiful, but Anahi wondered how much beauty she was hiding under that face-art.

Anahi glanced at Haggard, who seemed to be trying to hide her jealousy. "Are you a Barbie doll, China doll, or a little bit of both?"

It wasn't her strongest insult, but Anahi could see Ryan fighting off tears. She opened her mouth to say something, but the bell rang for dinner at that moment. Anahi watched as relief filled her roommate with ease. She stood up and left the room, quickly followed by Haggard, who turned around and gave Anahi her signature glare before she left.

Anahi stood there for a second, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before she exited the room. Marlis Haggard was the rudest person Anahi had ever met. Anahi thought she would never meet someone so despicable. Not after Ms. Jenkins, her thirteenth tutor (they kept quitting after complaining endlessly about Anahi falling asleep). But she had just earned the title of Anahi Rosario’s least favorite person.

I don't get Marlis' beauty queen comment or how any of her comments are meant to be insulting.

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