An Alice Story: Chapter 3

It was another tiring day teaching children-teenagers the basics of mathematics and simple four dimensional physics. She and her co-teachers, M. du Nord and Mme. Pêcheur, share this last hour homeroom together. There are no lessons to be taught but the students have to stay and review and ask questions regarding the lessons taught that day. Or, they can just sit around and chat. Sofiya wonders if she will ever get her students to move from their mental inertia in the sciences.

One of the students was reading a pocketbook with a colorful cover. Curious, Sofiya walked over to the student for a closer look.

"May I borrow that book pendant un moment, Mlle. Geffen?"

Aceline Geffen, fille du seigneur de Geffen, meekly handed over her little book.

It was a romance book entitled Magical Heart. On the cover was a half-naked woman "Magician" engaged in a torrid kiss with a "Swordsman" whose clothes the woman seemed to be tearing off. Aceline Geffen must have sensed that Sofiya was about to explode, quickly said, "Mlle. Verte vous plait, don't go aggro, it's only a book!"

The school bell rang and Sofiya relaxed a little. The tension in the classroom lifted and even the other teachers were relieved.

"Here, Mlle. Geffen", Sofiya said with a wolfish grin as she handed the pocketbook back, "I hope you don't take that story seriously. Be thankful it's not about teachers".

The students quickly left the classroom for the freedom of the school grounds. The other teachers left after all the students. Except for one. Henri Pottier, the scholarship grant student and teacher's pet, stayed. Henri Pottier, son of servant parents, was out of place among the children of the high and mighty of Geffen and suffered teasing and outright bullying until Sofiya put her foot down. Henri stayed near the window until Aceline walked away from view.

"Come on, Henri, it's time to go."

"Oui, Mlle. Verte. Au revoir", nodded Henri as he left the classroom.

In the faculty room, Sofiya was greeted by Six of Seven, Alice ... and Aunt Josephine.

"Bonjour, Sofiya. Your little chicks seem to be missing their mother", said Tante Josephine wryly. "I found them wandering around outside the house and this little chicken", she pointed at Six of Seven, " was very insistent on coming to see you today".

"Uh ...., merci Tantine Josephine, I'm sorry about for bother they imposed on you .....", Sofiya stammered but Aunt Josephine cut her off.

"C'est non, petite fille. I've always enjoyed a little aventure and today seems to be the day for it. Come filleule, let us go outside. Your étudiants are very curious about who came to visit you."

There was a small crowd of curious onlookers in the school courtyard. There had often been a sort of competition among the students in showing off their wealth and status. Some would bring their pets, tamed monsters, or arranged to have it brought after school hours for the whole student body to see. Everybody had to have at least a tamed Poring or equivalent symbol of status. Henri could not afford anthing of the sort and suffered ridicule as a result.

And every student in this status consious school knows what a tamed Alice looked like and how rare it was. She upstaged all of them, Sofiya thought with a smirk. Her fellow faculty members, however, were more impressed with Tante Josephine because even M. Fermier himself stepped gingerly around Sofiya but in the presence of Tante Josephine, Sofiya became meek as a lamb.

All eyes were on Alice as they stepped out into the school's courtyard. Sofiya returned their stares with her usual annoyed expression but the students were too shocked to notice.

Sofiya started. A warp buzz was tingling her magic senses. Someone was making an appearance here in the schoolyard. Looks like someone else will be upstaging her today. Sophia sighed as the rumble sounded the arrival of the warp's passengers. Tant pis . Being the center of attention was fun while it lasted.

Three people arrived but they weren't anybody she knows. Curious indeed. Wait, they're all wearing some kind of armor or another and one of them has a bow drawn. Mon dieu !