Enchantress by Kenzhie A. (books for students to read .TXT) 📖

your promise! Are you playing Hide-and-seek with me?!

"Hey, no boys allowed in here. Boys' PE class is at the gym next door." Miss Hudson informed him with a stern look.

"Yes ma'am." He replied courtly keeping his face straight to stifle a laugh and started to head for the door when Anna spoke.

"Are you here to see me, Darling?" She asked daringly.

"Nah, sorry to disappoint you, Sweetheart." He mocked. Then he went out in a haste.

I smiled secretly when I saw Anna's annoyed face.

 

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"I'll go on ahead, Zy. I have to go home first to pick up my stuffs at home for the sleepover tonight." Natasha informed me while we're changing back into our school uniforms after the shower. It's Natasha's last class but unfortunately for me, I still have Latin until five-thirty.

"Yeah, See you tonight."

"Good luck with Latin." She taunted giggling. Natasha knew how I hate that subject. I also wonder why I even have to study that but aunt Stephanie said that I should try learning it because I might be surprised one day that it's quite useful.

"Ha-Ha! very FUNNY... I'll see you later." I said sardonically but Natasha just laughed and headed for the door after saying goodbye. Natasha will sleep at my house tonight since tomorrow is gonna be my party and there will be a lot of preparations to be done since I've agreed to have a grandiose celebration. We needed to prepare earlier since Natasha decided to be the event coordinator, she has to do tons of stuffs like calling the flower shops for some flower decorations, confirm the band that will play the songs, some light decors, Catering service, etc. I told her to just leave it and just hire an event coordinator but she insisted to do it herself. We even debated about it but Natasha's dream is to become an event coordinator in the future so she wanted to have a practical experience and my birthday is her chosen first subject which made me a bit worried. It's my first big celebration after I moved to England and I'm kinda nervous that it might turned out bad. However, I have to put my trust on Natasha and let her play the role of a Godmother on my 17th birthday. I thought smiling.

 

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I'm on my way to Latin when I saw Ellis on the hallway. Gotcha! I was about to jump on him but suddenly stopped and hid behind the wall when I heard him talking to someone.

Who's he talking to? Mr.Wright?

"When will you tell her? It is inevitably near and she has to know for her to be prepared."

What are they talking about? and who are they talking about? I can't hear them well since I'm a bit far from them.

"What is there to be prepared when I cannot change anything. It is indeed inevitable as you say and I do not have the power to stop this Fate----"

What did he say? Fate? and wait, why is it suddenly quiet, Did they finish talking? I peeked again to see if they're gone when I almost screamed out of surprise to see Ellis standing in front of me, his face expressionless.

"For crying out loud, don't do that!" I hissed at him. "You're like a stalker or something suddenly popping out of nowhere."

"You dare say that when you are the one who's eavesdropping on us." He said seriously and when I stared at his eyes, it was cold and lacking of emotion. I don't know if he is angry at me or if he doesn't care at all. Ellis is really a complicated person to deal with.

"Okay, I'm sorry..I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just happened to hear it but not that I understand any of what you're talking about with your uncle. For all I know, you were maybe talking about family stuff or whatever." I reasoned out indistinctly.

"Give the girl a rest, Ellis. She is just worried about you, are you not Alice?" Mr.Wright jested joining our conversation.

"Y-yeah, No! I mean, yeah." I mumbled again. "And please don't call me Alice." I pouted but Mr.Wright just chuckled. When I looked up at Ellis again, he looks confused and somewhat annoyed by the way his eyebrows crossed.

"Anyway, we need to talk." I said facing Ellis again after remembering the incident.

"I would love to stay and chat but I still have a class---"

"Oh! Holy cow! I totally forgot about it. I'm almost late. I gotta go Mr.Wright, and YOU." I said pointing my finger at Ellis. "Remember what you've promised." I said and left Ellis speechless and ran towards the second floor.

Mrs.Wilson will make me apologize in Latin if I'll be late. But before I was able to completely leave, I heard Mr.Wright said something to Ellis.

"Meeting different versions of her must be quite thrilling..." Mr.Wright stated meaningfully.

"That's an understatement." I heard Ellis replied coolly. I didn't bother since I couldn't relate to what they're talking about.

What a bunch of weirdos. I thought and hurried to my last class.

As I was heading to the classroom I suddenly realized how I have changed. Talking to Ellis in that kind of manner is new to me but somehow it feels like it's the most normal thing to do---Except from Natasha and my attendants, Mrs.Jenkins and Mr.Pearce which I feel comfortable talking with, I'm too shy and uncomfortable talking to other people, even to aunt Stephanie. But meeting Ellis made me want to express myself more. It's like, we've known each for a long time which is hard for me to comprehend. This intense feeling that is pulling me towards him. I maybe acting annoyed about his nonchalant behavior but deep down inside, I feel excited and exhilarated whenever he is around whether he is angry or impassive as long as he is around.

 

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I was indeed lucky because I came in just in time for the class. However, to my surprise for a hundredth time, Ellis entered the room five minutes late looking without a care in the world. Our eyes met briefly and he seemed not surprise to see me. We're classmates in three subjects already and I'm not sure if it's just mere coincidence.

"Late comer, you were absent last Wednesday and now you are late?" Mrs.Wilson commented calmly.

"Pardon me, Mrs.Wilson, I had a minor distraction... I mean disruption on my way here. He said coolly while giving me a swift glance. I frowned at him.

Jerk! I wanted to utter but at the same time I feel happy seeing his handsome face again.

"Well, in my class, I have a rule. If you are tardy, you have to apologize in Latin and if you cannot say it properly you cannot enter my class until you say it correctly." Mrs.Wilson said seriously.

Does he even know how to speak Latin? I doubted.

"Me paenitet." He said fluently to my surprise. Mrs.Wilson was also surprised but smiled at him.

"et properatus." Mrs.Wilson said "Well done" in Latin and gestured for him to seat down.

It was just a simple phrase but his diction was good. Ellis really never stops to amaze me and...annoy me. In fact, he went to seat quite far from me--like I'm some kind of a disease---at the other side and next to a beautiful brunette which I can't remember the name. The girl brightened when she saw Ellis seating next to her and started chatting quietly.

Bastard! It's really obvious that he is avoiding me. But why are you flirting with that girl?! I can't stop myself from feeling a tinge of jealousy and when Ellis look up to glance at me I wasn't able to hide the look of hurt in my face so I swiftly tore my eyes off him and when the bell rang, I hurriedly went out without glancing at him. The whole period sucked and all I think about is going home. I didn't even bother thinking of questioning him. I need to cool off first before I face him or I might cry in front of him and that's something I won't allow him to see. But then again, Ellis is quick in running away from me. He usually just vanished into thin air whenever I want to pursue him.

"What a weird jerk..." I unconsciously blurted out.

"What was that, Missy? Did you say something?" Mr.Pearce inquired. We're already on our way home.

"It was nothing, Mr.Pearce." I sighed.

"If you are troubled, do not hesitate to talk to me. As I have told you before, you are like a daughter to me." He said sincerely.

He was right, Mr.Pearce treats me like a daughter since he only has a son, who already got married and is now leaving in a different city. His wife had already passed away so he decided to work continuously with us as our family driver but since aunt Stephanie is always not around, and usually drives her own car when she is, he drives me to school or to places I wanna go most of the time. He and Mrs.Jenkins, a spinster, are my next to a kin.

"Yes, I will.. thanks a lot." I said smiling. "So, anyway, do you believe in supernatural creatures or magic, Mr.Pearce?" I asked out of the blue.

"Why do you ask?" He asked and looked at me in the rear mirror.

"Nothing. Just curious, that's all."

"Well, I do not actually believe in it myself but when I was a boy, my grandmother used to tell me and my cousins some tales back in the old days."

"Really? About what?" I asked curiously.

"Well, they are just stories though."

"Oh please tell me, Mr.Pearce." I waited expectantly."

"Alright, it is actually about a community of witches or whatever they call themselves who used to leave in this city. However, there are varieties of stories and rumors about them but If I remember correctly, there was once a maiden who was engaged to be married to a young and handsome man but it was believed that another girl fell in love with the young man that led to a tragedy. I do not exactly know the whole story but rumor has it that the engaged maiden was a witch but, a beautiful witch and they said that she perhaps used a spell on the poor lad to fall in love with her but the other girl who also loved the man killed her to stop her." Mr.Pearce narrated reminiscently.

"That was tragic..." I commented and felt a twinge of chilling sensation.

"It was just a story, Missy. Do not take it seriously." Mr.Pearce said smiling.

"Yeah..."

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Chapter 4: Masquerade

 

"We are so accustomed to masquerade ourselves before others that we end by deceiving ourselves..."

 

-Francois de la Rochefoucauld

 

 

 

 

Natasha was discussing something to me about the party tomorrow---We're in my room right now, having a little slumber party just the two of us---when my vision became hazy and I suddenly felt like being dragged away somewhere in the dark. I blinked my eyes twice. It is dark. Then suddenly, flashes of images came to my vision---images of Ellis but somehow he looked different. His hairstyle looked old-fashioned but handsome no less. Another image of him came and shocked me---Ellis and a girl that looked exactly just like me except for the hair color. The girl has a long raven black hair hanging on her hip and her clothing was like