78 Chapter 77: Irina's friend

"Why?" Elize asked, taking in the smallest details of her luxurious surroundings.

Agatha looked at her with her serious explaining face. Elize noted that Agatha had the same expression on her face whenever she started talking about something she was really passionate about. The witch looked like a totally different person when she did that. The usually loud and cheerful Agatha would suddenly turn into a very reserved and serious person. 

With a sigh, the witch started explaining. "They only accept students from the most elite families. All of them are super rich. And even then, only the most unique candidates among them are admitted." She paused, as a sulky pout formed on her face. With sunken shoulders, she continued, "Unlike them, most of us have to go to other colleges because we don't fit the criteria. None of those institutions can even try competing with this academy. Studying here is every supernatural being's dream."

Agatha had a dreamy expression when she ended her explanation. She then turned towards Irina with a grateful sigh. Elize couldn't help but feel sorry for a lot many talented witches and werewolves out there. It was not fair to anyone. It was nobody's fault to have been born into less privileged families. The convent school in which she had spent most of her childhood was more or less the same. They had always selectively admitted girls from rich families with huge donations given in gifts to the school. She now understood that at least in terms of discriminatory practices, the supernatural world was not much different than its human counterpart.

"Don't thank me yet. We'll have to take permission from the principal." Irina said as a matter of fact.

Agatha fiercely nodded her head with an awkward smile. "Of course of course! I understand the process."

"I think it's unfair." Elize mumbled, feeling bad for her friend. 

She imagined the students to be stuck up and the staff to act high and mighty all the time, if only the privileged were admitted to the institution. For all she knew, Irina could be an exception and her life could be hell if the students here, like the witches on the Island only saw her as a sacrificial offering. She hoped that her status would remain anonymous. She had come here, hoping to get away from all that pressure. She didn't want her life here to mirror that of her past in the Island. She looked towards her friend with sympathy. Life must have been hard for her too in this cruel world. Poor Agatha, she thought.

"Don't worry." Irina said with a kind smile. Pointing towards Elize she continued, "It won't be a hassle since she is here." 

"Me?" Elize asked, confused.

"Irina! You're back!" A high pitched voice exclaimed in a thick accent.

Elize could quickly pick up that the source of the voice was female, and was from somewhere in Russia. She had heard Irina lapse into the same thick accent sometimes when her guard was down around them. Since Irina was a good two inches taller than her, Elize hid herself perfectly behind her friend's athletic build.

"Hello Natasya." Irina said with a happy tone.

Elize peered from behind her friend. Standing on tip toes, she balanced her weight on Irina's shoulders. She was able to see a woman dressed in a tight red skirt and a loose black blouse walking towards them hurriedly. The click of her black stillettos was subdued by the presence of the carpet covering the length of the floor. She hard wavy brown hair which was shortened till her shoulders. Her pale white skin complemented her slim built and short stature. Her face was small like her size and her features were sharp. The wide smile on her face was accompanied by a flushed face. 

She appeared older than Irina but her expressions were child like. She looked quite beautiful and is probably a friend of Irina's she guessed. Did that mean that she was a staff here as well? Elize could feel that the woman was overtly social. She just couldn't figure out if she was a witch or a werewolf, since her radar for picking up magic was more or less diminished owing to her loss of powers. She narrowed her eyes and stared at the woman walking towards them. It appeared that the woman hadn't noticed Elize yet.

"Thank the moon goddess you're here!" The woman called Natasya exclaimed, stopping right in front of Irina. "Principal Mirembe is growing impatient by the day. We need to bring the chosen-" Suddenly the woman stopped, her gaze landing on Elize. The woman's eyes grew wide, the brown of her pupils expanding in awe. "Is this..?" She asked, without taking her eyes off of her.

Elize slowly sunk behind Irina, hoping to be suddenly invisible. Here goes her hopes for a normal life. It seemed that the people in the school were expecting the arrival of the Chosen One since quite some time. What would she have to do to have a normal life? Ugh. She cursed at her own luck.

"Yes." Irina said, stepping away from her. With a wide grin she patted her on the shoulder and said, "Elize, meet Natasya. Natasya, meet Elize, the famed Chosen One."

Elize rolled her eyes at the intentional emphasis on her infamous title. "Hi." She said, nodding towards the woman in front of her awkwardly. What further made the meeting awkward was the fact that she stood a good inch taller than the woman in stillettos. She felt like she should at least bow before the woman, since she could be a staff here. Was it allowed for students to stand tall in front of teachers? She wondered. 

"You look nothing like I expected!" Natasya squealed, leaning forward to take Elize's hands.

"Huh?" Elize asked, confused by the woman's actions. She let her hands be held and squeezed by the older woman as she guessed that it would probably be rude to retract them suddenly. She looked towards Irina for help, but only got a wink as a reaction.

"Well you're more beautiful than Irina had described." Natasya said, looking her up and down.

"Thanks..I guess." Elize said with a shrug. She forced herself to smile, in order to appear more social. What if the woman ended up being her teacher? She didn't want her on her bad side, especially not when she was looking for a fresh start.

"Haha! Oooh oh oh! What happene-" The woman was about to ask Elize something when she jumped back in surprise, letting go of her hands. She turned towards Irina with a pout and complained, "Ouch! That hurt quite a bit you bully!"

Elize turned to her side to see Irina glaring at the woman. Natasya quickly quieted down as a reaction. Elize was confused. What was that all about? She thought. The air was awkward as no one made a sound for a few seconds. Suddenly Agatha stepped towards Natasya, with an extended hand. 

"Hi I'm Agatha." She said, breaking the silence.

"Hello Agatha." The woman said shaking her hand. Her eyes grew wide as she took a curious glance at the younger witch in front of her. "I gather that you're a witch! Ooohh and a gifted one at that!"

Elize raised her brows. Gifted? Now what does that mean? Was Natasya also a witch then? 

Agatha blushed. "Not really. I'm not gifted." She said, shaking her head.

Natasya laughed excitedly. "No no you are! I can see that-"

"Natasya you're not supposed to reveal such things." Irina warned, cutting the woman off.

Elize's head was growing with questions. What was the woman going on about? And why was Irina stopping her all the time? What did her friend mean by the statement that the woman was not allowed to reveal such things? 

"Sorry sister I got excited." Natasya apologized, nodding at Irina. She turned towards Agatha and said, "Come come, let's go to Principal Mirembe's office. She would be so excited to see you all!"

The woman took Agatha's hand and started walking ahead, all the while talking with the blonde witch excitedly. She could hear their loud squeals of laughter as it echoed in the corridor. Elize looked at Irina in horror. Was she going to have to deal with overtly excitedly people like this all the time? Irina laughed at her expression and shook her head. Keeping a friendly hand over her shoulder, the witch dragged Elize to follow behind the chatty witches.