Episode 1: Welcome to Wheldrake College: Part 5

Sometimes friends come to you even if you don't want them to.

"Sitting, I hope," Oliver said, glancing down at the chair below her as if it might have gotten up and walked away without her knowing. Gwen gave them a flat stare, not sure why they thought it was okay to sit with her. She didn't make it out as if they were friends back on the map, did I? No, she didn't have any plans to make friends. She needed to be alone to get done with school.

She couldn't allow them or anyone else to get close to her. The last time someone had been close to her was her sister, McKenna, who died because of her. Her father made sure she understood it had been her fault, and Gwen didn't fight it.

McKenna died saving Gwen from a fate worse than death, and her family made sure she didn't forget it. Maybe that is why it hurt her father so much when she left the family, but it wasn't like dear old dad truly cared. He had sent Gwen away to live with her aunt the day after they buried what was left of McKenna.

She loved her sister, and Gwen got her killed.

It was better to be alone.

Safer for them, she would lie to herself. No, safer for me to be alone.

"We are just hanging out," Scott said softly. "You looked lonely, and we don't know anyone else. So, you know ... we want to be friends."

"We are friends," Oliver said, forcing a playful smile.

"Do I get a say in this matter?" Gwen snapped.

"Not really," Oliver tried to joke.

Gwen shook her head, sighing deeply before looking back up at Scott and Oliver. She stares into Oliver's eyes, seeing a hint of magic deep in them. There could be a chance the odd girl had no idea about the magic, but it would be the reason she was being pulled to Gwen. Gwen poured magic from her very being, another gift from her family, outside the emotionally crippling trauma.

No, no," Gwen said, shooting to her feet. "Just no, okay? Okay." She spun on her heels, racing from the table, trying not to glance back. She didn't want to be rude or mean, but she wanted a normal life more. Sure, some would say having a normal life meant having friends as well, but there were some parts of normalization she couldn't have, friends being the main one. If she started to surround herself with magic, then magic would come knocking and bring with it all those who could wield it.

Those meant monsters, demons, witches, and too many other things I don't have time to deal with.

Gwen stormed out of the building, noticing the same guard from before standing off to the side with another man beside him. The creepy guy kept his eyes on her as she crossed the street, and Gwen kept telling herself, It is his job. His job is to keep an eye on people, and I'm sure I look weird today.

She glanced down at her outfit, sighing, and then looked up at the clear blue sky. The day was not going as planned. She wanted to go back home, crawl into bed, and never get out of it for a week, but she had another class.

This time she got there before anyone else, finding a seat in the front row. She sat there with her back straight, her hands cupped on the desk, and waiting with awe for the class to start. The teacher came in on time, not eyeing Gwen at all, and went right into going over the class. The old lady with silver hair didn't even let them out early, but instead started her lecture right away. Half the people groaned, pulling out their notebooks, but Gwen welcomed the few moments of not having to think about the day.

Gwen waited for everyone else to leave before heading out of the classroom. She didn't want to risk running into someone else who wanted to be her friend.

"Miss Duval," Professor Ellis said from behind her. Gwen spun around to meet the man standing there.

"Yes, Professor Ellis?" She asked.

"Call me Andy," he said. "May I speak with you in my office?"

"Uh, sure," Gwen gulped at being led down the hall. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not at all," Andy said, sticking his hands into his pockets. "I simply wish to speak with you, is all."

"Okay, sir," Gwen said, walking into the small office at the end of a tiny hallway. Andy shut the door and walked around to the small desk. He had countless books sitting on the walls from floor to roof. He slowly sat down at the neat desk and placed his hands in his lap.

"How is your first day going?" Andy asked. "I know it can be kind of rough."

"Oh, just a little," Gwen said, "but it's over now."

"The only easy day was yesterday," he said.

"Sure, sir."

"Why did you come to our school?" he asked, never letting his gaze go from her. She moved under hard eyes, trying not to act like a child in trouble with their father. There had been too many times she and McKenna stood in front of their father, him staring down at them hard for some foolish thing McKenna had done. Of course, it was always McKenna's idea, and Gwen followed along.

"I want to be a doctor, sir," Gwen said, almost whispering.

"A doctor?" Andy asked, truly shocked at the idea.

"Yeah, why is that weird?" Gwen asked, cocking her thin eyebrow at him.

"You are a Duval," he said, knowing the power of her last name.

Gwen dropped her shoulders. "You know of us?" She couldn't feel magic on him, but he at least knew of the arts, so that he could know what the last name meant to the Hidden World.

"Who doesn't know of the Duvals?" Andy said. "I want to know why one is sitting in my classroom."

"Look," Gwen said, letting all the childish fear of punishment shatter from her tone. Now, something barked from deep in her throat, the voice of her mother, the true power of the household. Her mother, a powerful and fearless woman, had been the only person to ever stand up against her father and win.

It's why when she was sent to live with their aunt, it hurt all the more. Her mother lost the only battle ever against Gwen's father, or she agreed with him. She never wanted to know.

"I don't care what you are doing with the arts," she said. "I'm not here to spy on anyone. I'm here to follow my dreams and get far away from my family. So, if you leave me out of your magic game, then we'll both be all the happier, yeah?"

"You are estranged from your family?" Andy asked, sitting back in his chair.

"As best as I can be," Gwen said, standing up. "But I have my power," she told him, "I'm not weak."

"I don't think you are, and a Duval is never weak," Andy said, smiling from ear to ear.

"I want a normal life, sir," Gwen said. "Let me have it."

"I fear there is no such thing," Andy said.

"To me, there is," Gwen growled," and my family business is not it. I'll see you Wednesday, sir."

Andy waited for Gwen to leave the room before he picked up the phone and dialed the number for the School's dean, Thomas Nero.