So, I might write a book, this chapter is focused on my OC, Russel. He's a good boi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I woke up this morning, like any other, the sun had just begun to seep through the curtains as I pull away the comforter, stretching my limbs as far as I can take them before I climb out of bed. It is Sunday today, Jasmine said I could join her for mass if I wanted to, but… Mass hasn’t quite caught onto me yet, it is nice to hear the choir sing, maybe I will go today. Show her my appreciation for everything she’s done.
My paws hit the floor as my tail drags behind me, to which I pull it out from the bed. Setting it back up isn’t easy if I leave it in the way… I pull up the lint roller, making sure to catch any stray bits of fur I may have left inside, running it around anything I can see as the white hairs clutter up the sticky sheet. Another day, another morning in my routine. Twenty one now… Jasmine says I’m almost ready to graduate from her tutelage…
I rip out the tape and toss it into the bin before walking to my dresser. So much to wear… If I were to go to church should I…
No, gloves first. Always. Top drawer. Can’t go without them, I don’t want people looking at my mitts.
Okay… Maybe some jewelry? Those cuffs look nice, but what would go with the rest of my outfit? I haven’t decided on what to wear, but I like thinking about accessories first… My eyes finally meander toward the pair of gems at the top of my drawer. I haven’t looked at them in a bit, it was only a few weeks ago, my birthday… I remember talking to Jasmine about my life before she took me in… My mother and father never showed me the love she did, but to some degree, I still appreciate them for putting in a bit of effort… even with having too many brothers and sisters to name.
The rocks clink and clang together in my palm… a clear crystal and an orange jasper… That was their name… Crystal and her Jasper… I wonder if such a name is a coincidence or not… Goodness… growing up sure was… trouble… A part of me wonders where I’d be if I just stayed-
I jump as my ears perk up to the ceiling. “Gah!”
Jasmine opens the door to my room, and for a moment, I’m blinded as a surge of light blasts itself into my room, “Oh, Russel! Sorry! I was worried breakfast would get cold and you weren’t replying. I wanted to make sure you’re alright! Are you hurt?”
I take a deep breath, collecting myself as Jasmine stands at the doorway, her face shrouded in a small curtain of shadow from the light behind her, making her tan features seem darker than usual. Maybe I’m just not used to being blinded so early…
“Yeah… I’m fine, thanks mom… Just… thinking…”
“Goodness, Russel,” she interjected. “Could you do your thinking with the curtains open? It’s so dark! You may be my little mouse, but I still want you to get your sunlight, it will do you no harm, I promise.”
“Yeah, sorry, Mom… I just… well…”
She finally looks at the rocks in my hand, I still haven’t let go of them, yet they’re starting to dig into my gloves with how much I’m clutching onto them now. I ease up my grasp a little…
I could see her head tilt a bit, as if she were about to frown, as she would every time her head tilts that way, “Oh, thinking about your parents before you came here?”
I could see her gaze lighten up as she gave me her usual smile, the smile that made me feel warm and calm inside, “You know, I still remember your face and your adorable little whiskers when I first found you on the streets, Russel.” She walked toward the curtains to open them for me, letting in another fresh source of light.
“You do? Gosh, that was… just over ten years ago now?”
“Yeah… And here you are… an adult now… A mouse who defied all odds in a world of humans and the like.” She sat on my bed, gesturing for me to join her. “It feels like only yesterday I was wiping your tears from your face because none of the other students would be your friend…”
I shook my head slightly, snickering a bit as I took a space next to her, “Yeah… I still remember what Annalise called me… White Weasel… How that name stuck with me for the next few years…”
“I did everything I could for you, you know, Russel… I couldn’t take them out of school just for you, I could only move you to the other side of class…”
“I still remember what you said, ‘To overcome adversity is often the greatest feat of them all.’”
She leaned closer, resting her head on my shoulder, “It wasn’t just about learning magic, Russel, it was being able to deal with these tensions that can make you powerful. I was-”
I chimed in, speaking in unison to repeat the same saying she’s stated a hundred times, “just like you.” I chortled with her, “Yes, I remember, you’d tell me that every day… and deep down, I knew you meant it, it just didn’t make me feel any better at the time.”
“Do you remember that day I found you?”
I was walking to the library like any other, a grown woman with a job as strenuous as mine has to keep her studies in order. I worked myself up from nothing, riding on scholarships and promises to the world above in this kingdom, and a part of me still feels that being idle will damn me to fail, so I am always looking for some time to study and better not only myself, but how I teach others as well.
The sun was starting to dim when a glint caught my eye, within the sewer grate beneath my heel, I thought the refraction of light was perhaps an ornament someone dropped, mayhaps a ring? It was when I loomed closer that I saw a pair of eyes, but the reflection of light was so intense, I knew it was no human, but an animal. I almost backed away, but this creature seemed fixated on me, not with feral unintelligence, but a human-like curiosity.
It was at that moment, I sensed it. The king hired me as one of his Arcanosophists, a gift few people have, an extrasensory capability that allows me to peer deep into the being of another, and I saw… magic… brimming… full of so much potential… buried within. A person without my cryptaesthesia would have moved on, but not me, this was a calling, a task, something new, something not only I can learn from and improve from in many ways. At the same time, it wasn’t just a being brimming with potential, but someone who needed my help, even without the magic, I would have to have done something. No sentient creature deserves to live in filth and poverty.
Pulling the grate up was a breeze as I helped this creature up, and he seemed to follow along nicely. White fur, a long, slightly prehensile tail, big, round ears. He was a mouse, over a foot shorter than me, still in a juvenile age.
“Do you remember that day like I do?
I shook my head, “It was a blur, I hadn’t properly eaten in days.”
“I could tell, perhaps part of that delirium from starvation is what led you to be so clingy to me.”
I took him home, set up running water and bathed him. You didn’t fuss, flinch or even resist, which made it easier for me. I must have drained the bath at least five times. The dirt took a tremendous effort to wash off, but in the end, I clothed you, and you seemed… Proper. Much better than the matted shawl you wore.
Okay, he is a mouse, but there are many open-minded people, right? Though… I haven’t seen any anthropomorphic creatures around before… Celestials at most, but they look almost identical to other humans… The ones that come here, anyway.
I can worry about this later, but now, I must feed you.
“What is your name, little one?”
He was so shy… submissive… a sign of neglect, perhaps?
“Well, Russel, I am Jasmine, the pleasure is mine. Now, what would you like to eat for dinner?”
I could see his whiskers twitch, his tail swaying as his ears flicked a bit, he was utterly still and silent.
“I’ll fix you up something nice, an old family recipe. How do Latkes sound?”
He didn’t respond, and I didn’t expect him to. I seated him and he sat quietly in silence, running his hands through his new set of clothes. Once it was ready, he devoured everything up, and that’s okay, I’ll have to teach him manners later, it’s only his first day, presumably.
I tucked him into bed, but before I could go, he took hold of my hands, I could see the desperation in his eyes, he needed me. I felt something I had truly never felt before, an overwhelming sense of maternal duty, you are my child, I saw it truly, my precious baby.
“You sang me that lullaby… I will never forget it.”
“Would you like me to sing it to you again?
“In a bit… Please continue your story.”
First, I had to teach him about how to act, only then I could take him to class to properly learn and work with his magic. Strangely enough, he didn’t realize he was using magic already. I think that’s how he read, because most children who are new to reading would move their lips and mouth each word, but Russel gazed at it intently, his eyes sparkling with glints of arcane motes… It had to have been a magic reading, allowing him to absorb the contents. If it works, it works, he has his ways, I never thought someone would have to rely on magic to be literate.
He learned so quickly, and eventually, I could take him to class.
“Don’t be nervous, everyone has to start somewhere, Russel.” He was still so clingy…
I noticed the students calling him names, but… what could I do? These were all children from royal families, and I was one foul word from their parents from being sent to the gallows. I couldn’t tell Russel that, I only hoped that this adversity would make Russel stronger.
There was a part of me where I had to come to terms with who I was, I was new to this aspect of maternity… but was I a teacher first… or Russel’s mother? Should a mother risk dying for her son?
“I never knew how difficult things were for you. I just remember crying all the time.”
“I was still learning myself, you taught me so much, too, Russel. If I could turn back time, I would have done things differently.”
“It’s okay, I am thankful for everything you’ve done for me, mother.” I pulled her in for a hug as she leaned her head against me gently before continuing.
Each night, I’d hold him tighter, reassuring him over everything. I knew things would get better somehow; I hoped the children would get bored of mocking him for being inhuman. I wanted to do more, I was thinking of what I could do, but I was trapped under the burden of two duties, I almost crumbled, but I couldn’t let him see that, so at night, I wanted to distract him from the pressure I felt. The lullaby was the only thing that came to mind, and I started singing it to him every night.
~~~~~
“You are good at masking your troubles… I’m sorry I wasn’t helping.”
“Don’t be, you were just a child, how could you know?
You had so much potential, you were my outcasted prodigy, cast away from home, given disdain from his peers, yet you still managed to come to class each day, even if I had to carry you there once or twice, I could see acceptance within you, a burning passion to learn, still.
I knew how quickly you picked up on new subjects, grasping onto your talent of magic so swiftly, so I’d purposefully end lectures early to allow class to demonstrate. As I expected each time, you were the only one who could grasp it in that time, you excelled in every way. Perhaps it’d finally get your peers to look up to you.
Slowly, but surely, it worked. First, envy, I saw it coming, a child who couldn’t use their toy would get upset first, but they’d have to figure out they must earn it, as this is a toy I cannot give to them, but something they make themselves.
Jasmine pulled her head up from my shoulder, brushing away her locks from her face as she sat up, “You children grow up so fast…” I could see her wipe a tear from her face, I almost wanted to cry, too.
“That’s just the unlearned part of chronomancy…”
She giggled slightly, “You were always my brightest pupil, but I still remember a few days you told me you wanted to go home, and a part of that did hurt me.”
“A part of me was still so young and trying to adjust, I guess I wanted the familiarness of being neglected rather than being the center of attention all the time, but this is my home, it has been since the moment you took me in that night. I sometimes wonder how my birth parents are doing, but I wouldn’t give you up as a mother ever.”
I was ten years old when she took me in. Bathed me, clothed me. Before that, there I was, reading the books tossed into the gutters, barely aware of the magic inside of me. I’m still not wholly sure if in that moment, she took me in out of pity or for her knack of seeing even the slightest hint of potential within any being. She asked me who I was, I told her. There was this stillness between us, as if I knew I should be with her, and she knew that I had to be taken in with her care, out of the muck.
She asked me what I wanted to eat, but I wasn’t used to asking for food, I’d just take what I could come by, I didn’t know what to say. When I get nervous, I can feel parts of my body twitching, it starts in my ears, then my whiskers then my tail starts to shake. She took off, getting to work on making me a meal.
I smelled it as it was getting prepared. My mouth had never watered that much in my life, seeing a bevy of food forming before me.
“I made latkes, hope you enjoy!”
I dug in without a word, scooping it up with my fingers. The heat singed my hands a bit, but I didn’t care, all I needed was that salty, starchy goodness within me. I heard her sigh something, my ears perking at the noise, but it didn’t matter to me, and in moments, I was finished.
She tapped her finger on her chin, stifling a chuckle, “Typically, latkes are acquainted with sour cream or applesauce, but I suppose I can save these for later, though.”
After dinner was finished, she cleaned me off with a sterile rag before I was tucked tightly into bed, draped in a lavish set of covers in a bed far too large for my tiny body. She tousled my hair before getting ready to take her leave, but before she could, I don’t know what came over me, I took her by the wrists, not wanting her to go. That was the first time I made a legitimate attempt to reach out to her, not out of desperation, but want, a want to have a mother. I have never been cared for so much in my life, I couldn’t let it go, could I?
She smiled at me; the same earnest smile she’s always had that never seems to fade. She sang me a lullaby until I fell asleep.
“Daily and nightly, sunlight to nightfall, passing sands of time.
Let the clock unwind, twisting gears, and you’ll be just fine.
In your thoughts, let warmth cradle you, far from all harm.
Memories, like a dream, shall wash your tears away.
Like a star in the night sky, darkness can’t come to spite.
Until dawn, cast away your old thoughts, reclaim your light.
Rest my child, stay in my heart beneath my canopy, in our world.
Even if we’re worlds apart, we’ll build a bridge from our love.
I’ll always be by your side, remember me by this rhyme.”
Now I am tearing up… “I’ll never forget that little lullaby.” She wrapped her arm around my shoulder, the loose, flowing sleeves of her robes draping over my arms.
I sat for a moment, closing my eyes as she held me. I love the warmth of her aura, it’s… magical… as cheesy as that is.
On the next day, she helped dress me, the fabric was so silky, it felt good against my fur, even if it was a little too big and the sleeves went past my hands… I couldn’t help but grin in excitement, running around with the floppy fabric around me. I was special, I was loved, I was in this whole new world, an entirely different reality filled with fresh, clean light and magic all around myself. I kept clinging onto Jasmine, I was practically attached to her leg, and she’d lean down to pet me each time. Even as she made breakfast, I wouldn’t let go of her, I never wanted to part from her.
Soon, breakfast was ready, and my mouth was watering again, seeing a bevy of food before me, but she lifted up my chin to stop the drooling.
“A gentleman does not let his jaw hang agape, Russel. This is the start on your manners.”
I clung onto her tighter, leaning into her palm as she closed my mouth for me.
“While I am your mother, and I love you dearly, some people do have personal space, which means they do not like to be touched as much or have you stay too close to them. Of course, I don’t mind, my child.”
She spent the next few days teaching me manners, before then, I didn’t even know what a fork was, and now I know how to properly use my dinner, salad, fish and dessert fork. She was beaming with pride at how quickly I learned, telling me I have a bigger surprise to come soon, now that I’m ready.
It was the next morning when I woke up to Jasmine opening the door to my room, shifting away the curtains to let in all the morning light fill the room.
“Good morning, Russel! You have a big day ahead of you, are you ready for your first day of school?”
I’ve never heard of such a thing. Is this the surprise? “What’s that?”
“Russel, I am what many would call a savant, a cryptesthetic, or, by title of the King, his Arcanosophist. I can tell when some people have the spark of magic within them, and you, by far, are one of the most promising people I’ve ever seen. I will be your teacher as well. Do not fret, you won’t have to spend any time away from me if that’s what you’re worried about.”
It hardly felt like I had any say in the matter then as she snapped her fingers, causing a pile of new clothes to fall onto the bed, the force nearly launching me out from beneath the covers as I fell back onto my pillow.
“I have to get you dressed, my child. It’s your first day, impressions matter! Mouse or no mouse, I want you looking the best you can.”
“That’s what you are, Russel, a big, cute mouse. While I am a human, that doesn’t mean you are any less my son, and I’ll have it officiated by the kingdom within a week.”
“You, you are a mouse. Hmm, I’ve got to get you more books to read later… Over more than just our magic studies…” She ushered me out of the bed as she conjured a ruler within her palms, measuring me up. “Four foot… one inch… How old are you?”
It was hard putting my thoughts to words… “Ten years, I think… but-”
She knelt down to me before I could finish, wrapping me in her arms before looking me directly in the eyes, “Russel… Every time I look at you, I can see a part of myself, confused, lost, unsure of what’s happening, but I can see you, truly. You are destined for greatness, know this. I know you have so many questions, and I will do my best to answer them all for you as I can. Learning is a long, lengthy process. I know you can handle this, trust me. Now, let’s get you dressed before breakfast, alright?”
She dressed me up in tweed until she deemed it fashionable, then took me out of my room. Food was ready, but I was prepared. No drooling. No running. Feet on the floor, elbows off the table, napkin in lap, sit up straight and with dignity.
After breakfast, she walked me through the corridors, guiding me to the classroom on the other wing of our home. Getting me seated, she combed my fur, we still had time before the others came, and as we waited, she held up her hand.
“Russel, I can see the energy within you, please follow my hand with yours.”
I raised my hand, watching as she waved her fingers in an intricate somatic motion.
She said something in a language I never heard of, and then snowflakes began dancing around her hand. I did my best, following what she said with the motion of her hands, and in that moment, I felt a chill in my palm as snow began to form. My ears sprang up, as my jaw started to open, but I immediately closed it in reflex. Frost was forming over my palms, but she closed her hands over mine as the magic dissipated.
“Honestly, Russel, this moment meant the world to me. You already knew more than you realized, and I was proud of you.”
“It’s strange to think I never realized what I could do at the time.”
She couldn’t stop smiling, “You are a natural at this, Russel. Have you done evocation before?”
I shook my head, “No, never. What is this..? Evocation?”
“It is magic, Russel, something you are more than capable of. For some, it may take years or practice, for others, they may never be able to harness such strength and force of will, but for you, you are special. I have only known one other person who could follow such practice with as much ease… and that person is myself, the next most gifted that I’ve seen took two days of practice.”
I was in awe, not sure what to say next.
“I will teach you more, Russel. This school is for you and everyone else who wishes to have the best possible education in the arcane. I will ask much of you, my child, but know nothing will be more than what you can handle.”
A few moments later, the other students began walking in, Jasmine bowed to greet them all one after another.
First was a little boy with brown hair, a little stocky, but he walked in with a huge smile in some basic garments, though, purple. Jasmine said purple is the color of royalty.
“Good morning, Brett.”
“Good morning, Ms. Jasmine.”
Then, a girl in a lavish blue dress and stockings. She had white mary janes and her wavy hair was styled elegantly, she had this air of superiority around her, it reminded me a little of my dad… he was… a bit entitled.
“Good morning, Annalise.”
“Good morning, Ms. Jasmine.”
Another girl, she had black hair, an olive complexion and had a yellow shirt and purple pants, it was… jarring. But she had a big grin on her face.
“Good morning, Nene.”
“Good morning, Ms. Jasmine.”
A boy followed her, he was wearing a tabard over his clothes, on it was a shield. Jasmine told me something like that usually indicates a family symbol, a sign of an important lineage.
“Good morning, Percy.”
“Good morning, Ms. Jasmine.”
Lastly, two more students walked in, they looked almost identical, both with red hair, green eyes and dressed in a similar style of outfit, white with ruffles and laces. Except the girl had a skirt and the boy hand pants.
“Good morning, Samantha.”
“Good morning, Ms. Jasmine.”
“Good morning, Samson.”
“Good morning, Ms. Jasmine.”
Jasmine then gestured toward me once everyone had walked in, “Class, today we have a new student, please give a warm welcome to Russel!” Waving her hand at me, I waved back to her and then the other students as they all gawked at me.
Before this moment, I had never particularly thought about how I looked to others, mostly since I grew up underground, and Jasmine was the first human I interacted with, and now, here were other children at my age, each one staring at me in horror.
Brett was the first one to do anything as he started bawling… was I that horrific to look at?! Percy pointed a finger accusingly, “THAT’S A RAT!”Samantha and Samson seemed offended as they spoke together, “WHY IS IT WHITE?!” Annalise scowled furiously as she stomped her feet, “JASMINE! GET RID OF THAT WEASEL!”Nene wouldn’t stop staring at me, “WHAT ARE THOSE EARS?”
The kids took turns pointing at me accusingly, then tugging at Jasmine’s robes as if I had done something so incorrigibly horrific that I should be burned at the stake immediately. Jasmine did her best to hush the other students, guiding them to their desks. “Now, now, behave yourselves, Russel is a student here just as much as each and every one of you, so I expect you all to treat him as you would your other classmates.”
They would not stop staring at me, they all scrambled for desks far away from me, but by then, there were only two desks left, both adjacent to me.
“Annalise, please, take a seat.”
She whimpered querulously, “EWWWWW! Do I have to?!”
“Annalise, if you do not sit down, then you cannot attend the class with the others.”
Folding her arms, she stomped her mary janes, “But he’s yucky! His ears look stupid!”
“Madam, we do not use those kinds of words here. Please take a seat or I’ll have to tell your parents that you did not participate in class today.”
I was pulling down my ears, trying to hide how much they stuck out past my head. Were they really stupid? My face was growing hot, my fur covering all the blush growing over me.
Relenting, she took up a seat by my side, not before stepping over my tail on the floor. We both yelped as I recoiled, yanking my tail up away from her.
“JASMINE! JASMINE! HE TOUCHED ME WITH HIS TAIL, IT WAS GROSS!”
Jasmine stepped up to her desk, looming over the little girl, “Annalise, please! Behave! As long as you keep your hands and feet to yourself, you don’t have to worry about touching others or being touched. Are you here to learn or not?”
I still remember her mocking sniffle, still trying to get away from me, before giving up, knowing that her tantrums will have no effect on Jasmine.
~~~~~
“I had talks with her parents before, her father spoiled her, but her mother knew about the tantrums, she told me to send her home early if she misbehaved enough.”
“Yeah, but her husband was what held me back, he could send me to the gallows with a single bad word to the king as his advisor. All of the students in my class are either royalty or on in relation to it, you know. It’s the position the king gave me, and I knew the work I was getting into.”
“Goodness… I suppose that does tell me a little more why they were so upset to see me.”
“I would’ve done more to stop all the discrimination if I could.”
“I know, and you’ve still done more than enough for me.”
I shrunk away as Jasmine taught the class, not participating in anything. Every time she’d try to get me to stand up, I could feel all the students looking at me. No longer in horror, but disgust and vitriol. They whispered amongst each other.
“Fatty ratty.” “White weasel.” “Ugly rat.” “Stinky cheese.” My ears would perk up to every insult, twitching in response, which only provoked more behind my back. “Whiskers” I hated that one, every time they said it, my whiskers would twitch, and they giggled because of it. I tried hiding my whiskers in my hands, no longer focusing on anything Jasmine had to say.
It wasn’t long until Jasmine heard the whispers, to which she finally spoke up, “Students, I’ll have no name calling in this class. If none of you want to learn more about magic, then I’ll have to end today early.”
“Good!” Annalise pouted. “I don’t want to be here with that stupid thing!”
Jasmine took a step toward Annalise, and I have never seen someone try to hide in their chair so quickly before, “Miss Annalise? Do I need to talk to your mother after class?!” Jasmine had a firm, but still soft tone, yet I could feel the cold authority seething through her teeth as her arms folded.
Annalise’s eyes were starting to water, “N-no… Ms. Jasmine…”
“Now,” Jasmine spoke up. “If we cannot be respectful, then I will just have to end class today.”
The air was so thick, I thought I was going to choke until Nene spoke up, “Ms. Jasmine, please teach us, I still want to learn magic.”
Samson chimed afterward, “Yes, Ms. Jasmine!” Samantha echoed him, “Please Ms. Jasmine!”
Jasmine shook her head, “I know we have our differences, but understand we are all capable as much as we are unique.”
Annalise muttered back, still grumpy, “What makes the white weasel any more special aside from being ugly?”
Percy and Brett were quick to join in, shouting over Annalise, “White weasel! White weasel! White Weasel! I bet he’s dumb! He looks stupid! He’s too ugly to know magic!”
Snapping her fingers like lightning, all the students jumped, now in a trembling silence. Jasmine brought up a dartboard at the wall, lining up all the other students as she took my hand, keeping me away from them. “I wanted to save this lesson after we had a little more practice for today, but let’s see how much you have all learned today so far.”
Jasmine wafted her hand through the air, “If you have been paying attention, I was trying to teach you all how to manipulate your force into material objects. Starting easy, it would have been darts today.”
The students awed at the sight, trying to mimic her movements in anticipation.
“Let’s see who knows how to recall what I’ve taught so far. It’s simple, not only do I want you all to conjure a dart, but also manipulate the air to hit the board from the other side of the class.” With her words of power, Jasmine sifted three purple darts in her hand, each one sparkling with flecks of light. Slowly, they flew through the air as she threw them before they all stuck directly into the dartboard at the other side of the room. I clung to her in awe as well, watching everything she did.
Jasmine raised her hand, motioning for the others, first, “Students, now it’s your turn, we’ll go in alphabetical order. Annalise, you’re first.”
I watched her struggle, she didn’t remember the words, but her hand gestures went fine. I knew the mistake she was making there, mispronouncing a few of the letters. She couldn’t get her darts out to begin with. “UGH!!! THIS IS NOT FAIR!”
“You should have paid attention.” She lined up the next student, “Brett.”
He couldn’t even remember the gestures needed, hanging his head before giving up with a sniffle. “I’m sorry, Ms. Jasmine.”
“You should have paid attention.” She lined up the next student, “Nene.”
Nene knew the somatics, forming the darts as she spoke the words, but as she threw them, I could see her focus slip as the darts dissipated into the air. “No! I was so close! Hmmph!”
“Very good, but you should have paid more attention.” She lined up the next student, “Percy.”
“Ms. Jasmine… I don’t know the words…”
“You should have paid attention.” She lined up the next student, “Samantha.”
“Oh, Ms. Jasmine, can I go with my sister?”
I watched as the two eagerly did the somatics, Samantha then spoke up first, but was interrupted by Samson, “No, dummy, that’s not how it goes!” Samantha hissed, “Nuh uh! You’re doing it wrong, idiot!” “Dummy!” “Idiot” “STUPID!” “Yeah, well, mom said I’m the favorite!” “Nuh uh!” “Yeah huh!” “Dad said he doesn’t love you!” “That’s not true!”
“YOU FART!” “NO, YOU’RE FARTING!” “THAT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!” “YOUR FACE DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!”
The other students were giggling, forgetting about their failure moments prior before Jasmine stepped between the two of them, “That’s enough! I’ll have no name calling in my class! Clearly, both of you should have paid more attention. Back of the class with the other students… Now!”
Then, it was my turn, Jasmine tousled my hair, “I know you can do this, Russel. I hope you’ve been paying attention where you can.”
I remembered what she said in class as I was being ridiculed, it wasn’t as if I didn’t pick it up, it was just subconsciously. I followed the motions as I said the words. Three darts in my palm, then to guide them to the board. One after another. I was the only student that day who did it successfully.
Jasmine clapped, but I could see a mix of awe and disdain in the other students.
“Teacher’s pet.” I could hear Annalise grumble, but even then. I felt that all my efforts were in vain because nobody else clapped.
Jasmine dismissed the class shortly after we had more practice. I had to wait for everyone else to do it successfully.
Once class was over, Jasmine and I had to wait for everyone else to leave first before she could take us home, “Did you have a good day at school? Don’t worry about the others, I know being a new student isn’t always the easiest, but you’re incredible at this, Russel! You have plenty more days of school ahead.”
I couldn’t bear the thought as I burst into tears, shoving my face into her thigh as I clung onto her robes, “I want to go home! I want to be back where nobody said anything to me, I don’t want to go to school anymore! Everyone was making fun of me!”
I remember how she sighed before giving back her usual smile as I looked into her eyes. She dried my tears away with a kerchief as she held me closer, “It’s okay, Russel, but adversity is what makes us stronger. I’ll try to accommodate the class for you, but… I cannot make them be nicer to you, only protect you where I can. If they step out of line, I’ll intervene as I can, but there are many things you just have to deal with, sometimes. Tell you what, I’ll make you something special for dinner tonight, all you have to do is tell me what you want so I can make it up to you.”
I wasn’t hungry then, and a part of me didn’t want to eat, what if I was the fatty ratty they said I was? I hardly knew what good food was, either, so she took me home and got me cleaned up. She made latkes… It seems to be her go-to meal for cheering me up or any special occasion… They’re by far my favorite dish from her. I thought about how my real parents hardly ever made anything for us to eat, it was what we could find or starve. I was almost okay with that, at least I wouldn’t have to go to school anymore.
The next day, I tried to stay in bed, pulling the covers over my head to shield myself from the light, but it was futile. Jasmine snapped her fingers and all of the covers flew off, nearly taking my paws with them.
I saw her holding a box, “Russel, here, I have a gift for you, come on, get up.”
I watched as she sat next to me, opening them up. It was a pair of brown leather gloves, so soft it might as well have been satin. “Here, if you’re feeling left out, wear these gloves, they’ll help you fit in, I promise.”
I felt weird wearing them, while the clothes she gave me were nice, touching these made me feel like I was on another planet, a whole new world opening up to me.
I didn’t know how to put it into words, but she understood it as she pulled me into a hug.
“Class will get better, I promise. You’re still learning, after all. You are my little prodigy.”
She took me to the kitchen after dressing me up, getting me ready for the day. Each lecture had the soft background noise of whispering from the other students as they scooted their desks away.
“Teacher’s rat.” “White weasel.”
Annalise caught everyone on with hers, and I didn’t even know what a weasel was at the time.
Annalise loomed closer to me, “Those gloves are ugly, by the way.”
It was at that moment, I heard a snap, then the door to the classroom flew off his hinges as a shockwave pulsed through the room. Everyone was screaming as the wind was pushing us all back. Papers were scattering through the room. I could see Nene sprawled over her desk, holding on for dear life as the gust threw my ears behind my head, my whiskers brushing against my cheeks. It was like a tornado flew into the room and then left after only a second.
Jasmine was fuming, I could see her eyes were literally sparking with fire, it made my heart sink to see her like this, “That’s enough lecture for today. Everyone can walk home now.”
~~~~~
“I remember that day, I was livid, because I wanted you to fit in, and it’s as if kids can smell weakness, Annalise knew those gloves were supposed to help you, and to hear her say something like that, well, I had to get you out of there before things got worse for you. I didn’t want you to regress in my classroom.”
“I am kind of glad you did that, because I forgot what Annalise said at the time, it wasn’t until you made her apologize later when it hit me.”
The students were whining a bit, but nobody quite knew why class was over. I think it was the shock of the moment where we all got up and left, too scared to see what you’d do. I was trembling in my seat, still, not moving an inch as everyone left before you walked up to me.
She tousled my hair again, “Sorry about ending class early, let’s get you home, shall we?”
My fingers were vibrating in my gloves, my tail stiffened behind me, I had to pull it through the back of the chair as I stood up before taking her hand.
The next day, class was a lot quieter, though each time she’d close the lecture a little early to see who’s been paying attention, and some were better than others. I wasn’t perfect each time, but I felt leagues ahead of them, not that it mattered when I felt so alone and outcasted all the time. What did it matter if I was better than everyone else if I had no friends other than my mother?
Jasmine started putting us into groups, but it hardly helped because none of the others wanted to talk to me. I could see the disgust, I was vermin, I was a weasel, a pest.
Nene just stared at me the entire time, “Do you eat cheese all day, like a stinky?”
“Hmmph, You’re not even the good kind of mouse…”
She’d constantly ask me questions, keeping her distance, I felt weird, and none of them made any sense to me.
The next day, I was with Brett, he wouldn’t even look at me. I was feeling even more self-conscious as I twiddled my thumbs.
“From the wrist down with your gloves, you almost look like a real person, and I guess that’s okay.”
He stopped talking to me after that. Didn’t do anything else with me that day.
Percy was with me the next day.
“My dad said he kills monsters like you outside the kingdom.”
“Yeah, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“Like a big dog, but dangerous.”
I nodded, still not knowing what these animals were.
He leaned in close for a whisper, “My dad also said that I should kill you if you turn out to be evil and to keep a close eye on you.”
“What does your mom say?”
“She said to listen to my dad.”
Percy was only student that refused to take their eyes off me. I wanted even less attention today. I was starting to get scared… learning all these new things…
“Jasmine, what’s a monster?”
“Don’t worry about it, my child.”
“Percy said I’m a monster.”
Her hand squeezed mine as we were walking home, “You’re not a monster, you are my child, you are my special boy, and don’t let anyone make you think you’re worth any less for being different, okay, Russel?”
I was taught not to lie… “I’ll try, mother…”
She sighed as she pulled me closer, “That’s all I can ask of you for now. I still believe in you, always, never forget that.”
The next day, I was paired with both Samantha and Samson, they never wanted to be separated.
“You talk to it first.” No, you talk to it first!” “Quartz, parchment, shears!” “One! Two! Three! Go!” “Not fair, you cheated!” “Nuh uh” “Ughhh! Fiiiiiine!”
I was so confused… I’m an… it?
Samantha turned to me, “Hi.” She turned to Samson immediately, “I did it, now you go.”
“What?! You have to say more than that!” “No, I did what I was told, you go now.”
He turned to me briskly, “Hi.”
I’m surprised they kept this up for the next hour, eventually they built up the sentence: “Can. You. Go. Do. Magic. At. Home. Away. Please. Go. Now. Thanks. Okay. Bye. Russel. Signed. Samson. And. Not. Samson.”
It was hard trying to learn anything when nobody sees you as a peer, that day was no different, but I think the next day may have been the worst… Annalise…
“If you touch me, I’m telling Jasmine. You have to do all the studying; I don’t have to do anything with you here because you’re beneath me.”
“A white weasel like you is a pest, that’s what everyone else says.”
I could feel tears welling in my eyes again, “Really?”
“Really, really, got it? You’re the teacher’s pet, so you get special treatment because she feels bad that you’re retarded.”
My whiskers were twitching again, “Jasmine called me a prodigy, though, I thought that means I learn fast.”
“Yeah, that’s just what they tell the retards.”
I wiped away my tears, I never felt so worthless before, like I had been lied to all this time. Maybe I was retarded, maybe I was slow, maybe Jasmine said all this stuff because she feels bad at me for being a monster. I deserve to be killed… I hear these every day, so it must be true…
My head was slumping as Jasmine passed papers around. She gave my hair a little tousle again to cheer me up, but I didn’t even flinch.
Annalise leaned in, whispering into my ear, “See the way she touched you? That’s how they touch retards. Now, since you’re so slow, you should do my paper, too, so you’ll learn twice as fast, which means you’ll almost be at the speed of us normal people.”
I had to do it, I felt like I had no choice. I didn’t want to be a retard, did I? But that’s all I felt I was, a monstrous retard. Stinky, fat, a white weasel.
Even when we weren’t partners, Annalise would force me to do her classwork and homework when she could, and I did them, because I thought I had to. I didn’t tell Jasmine, of course, because I needed to work extra hard now that I was slow.
It was nearing the end of the unit, and Jasmine said that means we have a big test coming up on the new subject.
It was at dinner when Jasmine wouldn’t stop looking at me, “What's wrong, Russel? You’ve hardly touched your food.”
“You don’t have to lie to me, it’s okay.”
I took a deep breath, “Jasmine… how retarded am I?”
The silver fork clattered against the porcelain china plate, causing bits of her salad to fly in the air as she looked at me in horror, “Who taught you that word? What makes you say that?!”
“Annalise said you feel bad for me because I’m a retarded white weasel.”
Jasmine slowly picked her fork back up, cleaning up the spilled vinaigrette from her dish with a napkin, “Russel, you are not a retard, you are smart, you are handsome, you are kind, you are gentle, and you deserve to be loved. You are smarter than any other student in the class, too.”
“Everyone wants me to be killed, though. I’m just a stinky monster. A fat, ugly white weasel”
I felt a sinking sensation as I was suddenly in Jasmine’s lap, swathed in her silken embrace as she held me in her robes, “None of this is true, Russel, they’re all just jealous because you’re so talented. You are so much more than they could ever be, and you deserve to live, don’t listen to them.”
“But what if they’re right?”
She gave me a kiss on the forehead, “Then prove them wrong, Russel. You cannot stoop to their level, nor should you give in. Prove. Them. Wrong.”
“How? I don’t think I can do anything…”
“We’re going to get into prestidigitation, Russel, now’s your chance to make something truly magical, put on a show, impress them all with your skills. I can give you a few extra lessons at home if you want.”
She tutored me more and more in private, she would never stop complimenting me on how quickly… Was I learning… Was I ready? She never stopped smiling at me, reassuring me every chance she got.
A week later, and I was trembling, today she wanted us all to do a personal presentation on what we’ve learned, and today was my turn to go, but I was so scared, because I had to do it all by myself, no help from Jasmine when class started.
I remember my favorite bit of magic, the sparkling force. She taught me something that wasn’t in the curriculum yet, how magic is not only a part of your will and being, but also how it can drive off your state of mind and emotions, it was too complex for me to learn further, she said, but she taught me some of the surface level pieces she could. I wanted to draw on it, at least a little, cast away my doubts and shame to channel an even stronger sense of magic.
I started that class, my vision was blurry, but then I looked at my hands, still wrapped in those leather gloves. They were special to me, not because they made me feel in place, but because it was given to me out of love, a gift from my mother. I felt like I could be myself, and I snapped my fingers. The magic whirled around my wrists up to my palms, motes of light dancing around me as I honed my will into this reality, manipulating the air around me. My fingers twitched and tingled as I coalesced each fleck of light together before throwing them into the air into several small blooming fireworks that crackled in the air.
A lightshow full of force, bottled up emotions into a cathartic release, it was me, however it had to be. My hands were trembling as I snapped my finger, causing it all to retreat quickly into my palm before I closed it, making it look like I sealed the magic away. For once, all the students clapped for me, as I had done something none of them were close to achieving yet. Sure, it was elementary for the time, but I was only ten. Jasmine never looked so proud of me in that moment as she gave me a big hug.
“You can’t do that, can you, Annalise?”
“No! But it was so cool!”
Class ended after another lecture, but Annalise stayed longer than everyone else. Finally, she approached me, just the two of us and Jasmine watching from her desk.
She twiddled her fingers, a mixture of confusion, and perhaps anticipation, “Russel… I’m really sorry for everything I said to you… for calling your gloves ugly… for making you do my homework. For calling you a white weasel and retarded. I was just mad that you were doing so good, and I thought that if you did my homework, I could learn what you know from it when you gave it back… I just... Those lights were really pretty… could you show me how to do that?”
At first, I didn’t know what to say, but Jasmine always told me to treat others how I want to be treated and to respect others, “Yes, I can teach you, you really liked it?”
“Yeah, but I want to do it with blue instead of purple!”
I was beaming, and I caught her off guard with my grin before she giggled, “Okay, can I stay after class with Russel for a bit, Ms. Jasmine? I want to learn like he did!”
“Of course, Annalise, you may. The more the merrier!”
“It’s funny to think about how Annalise was my first real friend… Looking back, I guess things weren’t so bad, just the first few months… as a white weasel. I wouldn’t want to have grown up any other way, nor with anyone else.”
Jasmine laughed softly, “Does she still call you a weasel?”
“Sometimes, but it’s not an insult anymore.” I looked at my gloves, rubbing my fingers together, “Thank you… for everything you’ve done, Mother…”
“You’ll always be my little prodigy, Russel… Now, are you ready? You can be my teaching assistant for today, Annalise said she couldn’t make it, and, let’s be honest, you’re still better than her and everyone else from that class.”
I couldn’t stifle my laugh, “Alright, alright. I hope your younger students have learned by now that magic can come from anyone or anything, no matter how different they may be.”
“Shall I make latkes for breakfast today?”
I could feel my tail starting to wag, and she took note of my excitement.
“I take that as a yes, now finish getting ready, they’ll be done when you come out.”
“Thank you, I love you, Mom.”
She gave my hair a quick tousle as she left, “I love you, too, Russel.”
kianamaiart
snowghoul
gummygunk
blakekathryn
theartofmadeline
