Page 16 of Switched

“Your secret is safe with me,” I say as the bell rings. “But you better hide that mirror before class.”

Jack slides it into his pants pocket, and the two of us run into class. He takes the first seat he finds, and I head to the back as Jax watches me curiously. I place the piece of cheese in front of Winston, and he squeaks happily.

“Guard it with your life,” I whisper.

“Today we are going to continue to work on teaching our fairy pets to obey commands using the reward system,” says Flora, tapping the board with her wand. A list of instructions glimmers and glows in front of us. “Teaching your fairy pet to sit or stay, to not eat your homework, shoes, or dinner, and to come when called are important pet-master skills that you will all be graded on this semester. These skills take time and patience. Why don’t we all spend a few moments working with our pets on the sit-and-stay command?”

The classroom gets really loud as people try to keep their pets from trampling them or running out of the classroom. Ollie’s parrot is good at flying and landing on command. Peaches refuses to listen.

“Wilson, stay,” I tell him, and the mouse looks at me curiously. He’s already learned this one. He’s so smart. “Good mouse!” I give him another speck of cheese.

A roar from Sasha’s tiger cage makes everyone jump, including Headmistress Flora.

“Maybe we will continue this exercise in the courtyard after I introduce our two new students, Jack Spriggins and Allison Grace.”

Jack gives a little wave from his chair, but AG actually stands and curtsies.

Behind me, I hear Tessa and Raza giggle.

“Where does the perfect princess think she is? A knighting ceremony?” Tessa hisses. “People don’t curtsy in class.”

AG’s smile fades, and she quickly sits down. She clearly heard Tessa. I watch AG’s breathing become rapid, and she scratches her arms, which quickly turn red. Look what they’re doing to the poor girl! I turn around and glare at Tessa and Raza.

“Leave her alone,” I growl, sounding a lot like the puma on the desk across from them. They shut up. I give AG a bright smile. She smiles back, looking relieved.

“New students, the first thing we need you to do is to allow yourself to be picked by a magical fairy pet,” says Headmistress Flora. She taps a bookcase on the wall, which flips to reveal a stack of both big and small cages with new pets waiting for owners.

“Come again?” asks Jack, putting his feet up on the desk. Headmistress Flora pushes them off.

“The pet picks you. You don’t pick the pet,” Jax says in simpler terms.

Jack yawns. “Sounds lame. Besides, I already have a pet—Milky Way, my cow.”

“Wasn’t your cow taken by Rumpelstiltskin?” someone asks. At the name, all the animals in the room start to howl and hiss.

Jack stands up. “Yeah. And I’m going to get her back!” He pushes his chair over. “So I don’t need another pet! Get it? Butt out!”

I sit back, stunned.

“Mr. Spriggins, that is no way to speak to the class or to me.” Flora bristles. “You will allow yourself to be picked by a pet, or you will find yourself in your first detention.”

Jack walks to the door. “Then give me detention.” His face saddens. “I’m not taking another pet when I already have one I love. I can’t do that to her.” He slams the door behind him.

Flora looks completely flustered. “Well, I…I must go deal with him, but Allison Grace, why don’t you tell the pets about yourself, and one can pick you.”

Allison Grace starts to cough. Badly. “Right now? In front of the whole class? But I don’t have anything prepared.” She pulls at her jumper uncomfortably. The RLWs giggle again.

“Speak from the heart,” Flora tells her. Allison Grace looks at her blankly. “Your likes, dislikes, habits. Why don’t we—”

“Mother!” We hear identical wails as Azalea and Dahlia, the formerly wicked (depending on who you ask) stepsisters, burst into the classroom like they are apt to do.

“I need a silk tufted pillow to sit on in our Waiting for a Prince to Come class,” says Azalea. “How can I sit in a tower all week long when it’s made of stone and has no chairs?”

“And I need new oils for my Scents and Sensibility class,” says Dahlia. “If I’m going to attract a prince, I need to have the best oils to create the best perfumes!”

I look at Jax in horror. “Those are actual classes at Royal Academy?”

Jax’s smile is grim. “Why do you think I’m so happy not to go to RA anymore?”