Awkward Attitude

The hall echoed with the sound of one of the heavy doors closing with a swift tug. It cut short quite an angry voice, not that I was listening. With a small tilt of my head I shifted the silver strands of hair from my face as I walked purposefully away from the classroom, my hands clenched lightly into fists at my side. I had a dark smile upon my face despite the fact I was rather angry. Even my uniform was somewhat callously worn, it wasn’t necessarily scruffy but you could tell I did not care for it.

I hadn’t been here long and I was already thrown out of a room, it was to be expected though. No matter what they said I wasn’t going to waste my talents for convenience. Why they were so insistent I had to levitate the book when my throwing arm was just as good is beyond me. Well, that was not entirely true, I knew why. I found my way to the staircase, and leant upon the banister and cast my dead white eyes over the sprawling room. A rumbled sigh passed beneath my breath, I had expected this would be difficult. I heard footsteps behind me; I thought it was them coming to yell some more so I waited for the flurry of flustered words. Yet, the steps drew closer and there was nothing. It was someone else. I turned my head to the side to glance over my shoulder, my eyes piercing and sharp as I found their owner…

Pearl tugged at her uniform in annoyance, the Hogwarts uniforms were no more of a joy to wear then her previous school, but it was a lot less figure hugging. She held onto her books as she began to slowly pace towards her class, she was already long past the start of the lesson but she really did not care for whatever they had planned. Turning on her heel she held tightly to the banister while running down the staircase.

When she looked up at the last few steps she noticed someone in front of her, silver hair and piercing eyes to match. At that moment she dropped her books down to her feet without realising till seconds later. As she knelt down to pick up her books she mentally hit herself over and over, normally she wouldn’t have cared and would have just carried on walking, but something about his eyes scared her. She’d never seen any like them.

Pulling herself up back to her feet she gave a slight nod before walking past, keeping her gaze glued to the floor.

The crash of the books was hard to miss in the relative quiet. The small scatterings owner seemed to be in a slight rush to get somewhere, when something had caught her off guard. I had my suspicions I knew what it was, and I was feeling courteous so I attempted to keep a cruelly entertained smile off my lips as she collected her items from the stairs.

The girl gave a small acknowledgement, which was a change although I didn’t respond. Many had done something similar and tried to cover it up like nothing happened, yet she hadn’t. True her eyes were fixed to the floor but it wasn’t a complete withdrawal. I turned my unblinking view back around slowly as the girl moved away, my motions having an almost an undead semblance to them. My view passed to see a book which had slipped her attention still lying near the banister. I took a quick glance back around and then to the forgotten book again before giving an exaggerated cough.

“I think you may have left one.” I called back to her, quite sharp and demanding in tone which was more coincidence than meaningful. It wasn’t hard to imagine I would be somewhat intimidating at this point. I leant down and picked up the lone tome, turning around leaning back on the banister. I held it out with one pale hand and waited to see if she had heard me, although my tone was so piercing and cold it would be quite surprising if she hadn’t.

Pearl was about to enter the corridor before his voice seeped through the air, making her curse to herself. Spinning on her heel she turned towards him, her attitude changing back to her usual self. Pearl did not look down to the floor but at him. Her face held no expression but maybe slight annoyance as she snatched the book off him before tucking it under her arm.

“Many thanks” She spoke sarcastically as she took another look at him, taking in all her features. She was about to leave but now it she was too late and couldn’t be bothered to sit through fifteen minutes of pure garbage that she already knew. So instead she pushed back her hair and leaned towards the north wall.

“Shouldn’t you be in class?” she spoke coldly; she knew this was a bad question seeing as she wasn’t in class either but there was no harm in asking.

Her answers were sharp and she obviously wasn’t impressed with my approach. I didn’t know, and at this point didn’t really care what had wound her up so badly. She lacked expression, but her masquerade had betrayed her. If she would admit it or not she was hurt. Trying so hard to show nothing at all, but it speaks the world. Claiming her book with a swift snatch I relinquished the book without qualms.

She looked ready to leave but quickly decided against it, turning back to ask a thorned question. I decided to slip past her barbs, if only to prove I could and that not everyone would stay away from the girl with the razor tongue. As the last word slipped past her lips I rushed forward with a fast walk until I was uncomfortably close, my dead eyes gazing into hers.

“Possibly, but we both know why we’re not. No need to thank me unless you mean it, you can see as easily as the rest of them I’m different…” A dark smirk spread across his lips, like he had seen this scene before and knew the conclusion already. “… much like you’ve been since the tragedy.” He finished, taking a few paces away, looking back through a couple of strands of my silver hair with my piercing eyes still upon her like I could see right through.

How did I know? Now that's the good part...

Pearl was calm, even when he flashed before her eyes and landed near her, she hardly blinked and kept her arms crossed over her chest. She had already blocked any emotion coming from him already but she was unsure if she could feel anything from him anyway. “… Much like you’ve been since the tragedy.” . Pearls lips parted slightly from shock, how did he know? She hadn’t told anyone here or in matter a fact anyone anywhere.

She stared at him as he began to walk back from her. ”How..? “ She asked knowing fully that he understood her question, his dark smirk gave it away. Pearl took a step towards him, now dropping her books to the ground purposely. She was always a little distant and cranky but since her mother died it just got worse.

“You are very different.” Pearls lips formed into a half smile as she looked upon his appearance once again. “And slightly scary” she gave a short chuckle before her face turned serious once again. “I want answers”

As my words sunk in I couldn’t help but let out a tiny dark, slightly maniacal cackle. Her books upon the floor once more she took a step towards me, full of questions and she demanded an answer from me. I met her serious face with a tiny smile as I came full circle to face her, tilting my head to clear some silver strands from my pale face and ghastly eyes.

“Oh, don’t we all.” I answered in kind, taking a small step forward myself and watching her. My view was so fixed it was like not a single action would go un-noticed, and I leant in as a sinister whisper passed my lips. “Do you not wonder why it happened? I know the questions which burn within your soul ice princess” I uttered, barely above my breath but still deadly clear.

“Perhaps I have the answers you seek, but such things come with a price” I finished, my tone strangely soothing as I almost whispered. My bitter utterances were like blades compared to the softness of those words, my frozen eyes watching her for a moment before I turned away reluctantly and took a couple of steps away. I hesitated for a second, her chance to stop me, to discover how to obtain the answers. Whatever motivated her, either burning anger or begging curiosity I doubted that I would make it one step further down the long and empty hallway…

Pearl stood still and watched him with a frown, not a muscle in her body moved not even the slightest, as he came closer to her once again. Her heart ached at the thought of finding out what happened to let it stay at rest, to forget about it and live without ever wondering. She was still till he began to walk away. She looked down to the floor, thinking this all through.

Pearl took a step forward and stretched out her hand as if she was about to grab him but instead she let it float in the air. ” Wait, what’s the price?” her voice was almost a whisper, the small droplets of venom still seeped through her words even if they did not intend too.

“Tell me”

I came to a slow stop after she asked me to wait, turning back and looking to her, seeing the desire in her eyes. My white eyes had melted their icy glare and seemed to hold a pale glow as soft words passed my lips, with a sharp edge just below the surface like a knife hidden beneath a silk cloth.

“For all she has, she lacks what she needs most. All her skills, her talent, but she cannot stand alone. When empires crumble and all is lost, do not leave her alone. Seek her out Ice princess.” I spoke, a strange foreboding with every word which slipped my lips. I took a step towards her and for once I almost appeared human, the icy glare of my eyes gone and the sharp edge on my words almost completely lost. I took one step closer, but we were still a fair way apart because of my short walk earlier.

“Liza will have need of you before the end, even if she will admit it or not. Seek her out… stand by her, frozen one, that's all I ask of you. Do this and you will have the answers you want.” I finished, my words clear but almost weighed down with the importance I put upon them. For once my speech almost held a hint of compassion. Then, with that said, my eyes lost what little life was in them becoming cold once more. The faint shuffling within the class rooms could be heard as lessons began to draw to a close. My view did not shift from her as I waited to see if my words meaning had been grasped, slowly taking a step backwards as the noise of the other students grew louder.

Pearl stood there, her expression held a hint of confusion, she wasn’t sure what he meant as she watched him back away she suddenly was aware of the rushing of footsteps. ”damnit” she turned to the floor and cursed quietly to herself.
Looking up at him she lost any emotion in her once again. “I’m Pearl.” She spoke her voice was hollow but his eyes lightened slightly.

She turned towards the doors as they swung open; pouring out students, there uniform creating shades of grey and black blurs. Pearl pulled her books closer to her and began to move with the crowd, still looking over at him.

“ I’ll see you around creepy silver haired guy” she laughed half heartedly