Fight For Me

Elle

You would think in a world where people have learned to hone magic and shift into beasts; a planet that has built empires based on their innate abilities to minipulate the elements, that being a student would somehow be completely different. That we would do away with mindless social statuses and cliques. Thats the real fairy tale, imagining some utopian society where people are no longer petty and base their self-worth on social standing. The reality is that no matter what world you live in, those things remain the same.

Exhibit A, I’m sitting in a stall in the girls washroom eating my lunch because I can’t stand sitting in the cafeteria. You’d think it’s because I’ve been bullied. No, quite the opposite. I’m the princess of Finelle and this is my first week at Vidale, the best Ivy League University in the whole country. I’ve been transferred here because my father wants me closer to home after threats were made to our kingdom. Last year I’d made the smartest choice of my life and left our country to learn across the world in a smaller University where very few recognized me as one of the world leader’s daughters. However, the war that has been looming has finally come to an ugly head and I’ve been whisked back home to live out my sentence right under my father’s nose. Thankfully, I have my mother on my side who made sure I lived around campus instead of at the castle where, I might as well wear a bright orange jumpsuit.

My name is Elle Bernadotte of Finelle, the next in line to the thrown; if our kingdom lasts that long. And I’m sitting in the bathroom stall to avoid all the clique monsters that are trying to be my friend because they think some how, that it will make them part of the royal family. Ugh, I thought that sort of behaviour would end in high school but apparently it never ending.

Looking down at my cafeteria lunch makes me want to throw up so I ditch it and make a quick escape to the coffee shop outside of my condominium. I say, condominium and not student housing because like I said, social standing is everything and the wealthy students needed somewhere to live where they can show off their money just by simply walking out the door. As much as I hate it, I do appreciate that my suite has a massive garden, or as I like to call it, my little slice of paradise. As an individual that can hone all the elements; earth, wind, fire and water, I find peace in the garden where I can summon all four.

The bell rings above the door as I enter and the barista waves enthusiastically. “Hey Elle, the usual?”

“Hey Saph, that would be awesome, thanks.” I slide her my credit card and notice a novel by the cash register. “Is that your book?”

“Yeah, I just started it. Have you read it?” She flips the Emily Bronte novel over so my steaming cup doesn’t ruin the pages.

“I have! Wuthering Heights is my favourite of Emily’s, have you read any of Charlotte's novels?”

“Not yet but I’ll definitely read one next. here's your order.” She hands me a small paper bag and a tall cup of steaming tea.

“If I remember I’ll bring a couple of them by for you tomorrow okay?”

She thanks me as I make my way to the long table where a few other students and patrons are drinking coffee and staring into a laptop or book. I pull out my earthly incantations textbook and tuck in. After about half an hour of trying to figure out how to recite the spell that makes trees grow, someone taps my hand lightly. I look up and notice it's the girl that has almost all the same classes as me. She has dark brown hair that shimmers a deep red in the sunlight and the palest skin. She almost looks like a porcelain doll; if it wasn’t for all the piercings and tattoos.

“Hey are you able to figure out how to summon that spell? Dr. Neville said you’re suppose to summon it from your chest but I have no idea what that even means.”

“Oh, yeah. It kinda starts from your chest and travels through your fingers. I like to imagine downing a shot of whisky; you know that burn it causes that radiates from your chest? Imagine that and have it travel from your chest to your fingers.”

“Downing a shot of whisky... Hmmm, okay I can do that.” With that, she quickly gathers her things and rushes out the door. “Thanks!”

“Hey! Wait!” I stuff all of my belongings into my bag and follow her out the door, behind the condominium and into the woods. Careful not to sprain my ankle as I wander behind her.

“Are you really just going to try it out here?”

Completely ignoring my words, she stops a few feet ahead of me, drops to her knees and places her hands on the ground. With her fingers spread wide, she mumbles the incantation. After a few moments she dusts her hands on her jeans takes a deep breath and tries again. After a third time nothing happens; she drops her butt to the ground and growls in frustration. “I don’t get it!”

I place my bag and tea on a pile of leaves and take a seat beside her. “You have to remember to breath while you’re summoning, you have to use your energy, not suffocate it.” I place my hands on the ground like she had and mumble the spell to myself, moments later a small stem begins to grow from the soil between my palms, quickly reaching to about my eye-line. “See?”

She mimics my stance takes a calm inhale and tries again, breathing steadily as she mumbles the words. Sure enough, a small stem begins to grow, slowly but surely. It grows to about five inches long before she leans back and wipes her brow. “Thanks, I was having so much trouble with that one, the earth element is giving me so much trouble. I’m Jane, by the way.”

“Hey Jane, I’m Elle, nice to meet you.” I say with a slight wave to my hand.

“Yeah, you’re the princess.”

“I’m not the only princess.” I grumble as I make to get up.

“Yeah, but you’re the princess. That must suck.” Her words make me pause, a smirk slides over my mouth.

I’m not the only princess at this school. There are a number of other countries that have royal kids that travel the world for education. However, like she said, I'm the princess, the one who's daddy runs this country. Yet, she is the first person I’ve met that has acted as though being the princess is more of a demerit then a prize to behold.

“It does suck.” And with that we both laugh with each other as I bask in what is becoming a very fast friendship. We end up pulling out our lunches that we bought at the coffee shop and share our food while chatting. It turns out she is the cousin of one of our neighbouring countries’ princesses and completely understands that crap sandwich that is being a member of a royal family. She was also born with the ability to hone the fire and water elements.

Before long we are making our way back to campus passing the training field. We both stop to stare as the Guardians begin their training, its my favourite time of day because the majority of the male Guardians tend to train without a shirt on and its quiet the sight to behold.

“So sad that the sexiest guys spend all their time training instead of sleeping with me” Jane’s words make my banana muffin nearly come out of my nose as I stifle a laugh.

“Highly unlikely, if they weren’t training for this stupid war, I’m sure they would be finding other ways to kiss my dad’s ass for a seat on his council.” Speaking of which, my phone begins to buzz with a myriad of in-coming texts for the King himself. Which I ignore, because I’m not done staring at the dark haired Guardian with the tattoos covering half of his chest and shoulder.

“Hey, you never know, maybe they actually care about fighting for their country and not the social prestige of being a member of the King's court.” She says, her eyes nearly rolling to the back of her skull. I laugh at her words as more texts come in, now from my mother telling me to get to the palace as soon possible. Sighing, I say goodbye to Jane, quickly taking down her phone number for future reference.

As I turn to leave, the dark haired Guardian’s gaze locks with mine, a small smirk playing across his full lips and hard jaw. The moment our eyes meet a flurry of butterflies bloom in my stomach, fighting to make their way out. Reluctantly I lower my eyes and walk away but not before looking back because I simply can’t help myself; catching his eyes as they slowly travel along my body. A small voice tells me to introduce myself, but the phone in my hand continues to vibrate telling me I’m needed else where.