Jaeda's Exam

The sun streaming in her window was the thing that woke Jaeda. That and the fact that her cat was sitting on her chest and tickling her with his whiskers.
"Stop it Cal," Jaeda ordered, batting his whiskers away.
Mrrrrrowwwwww! Cal said loudly, jumping on Jaeda's chest.
Jaeda opened her bright green eyes and glared at the cat. "What is it? Oh I just wish that I had taken my test already then I could turn you into a--" Jaeda stopped talking as she sat up in horror, hand over her mouth. "Oh my G-D! Cal! I'm late! What time is it? Oh Miss Haroldena's going to kill me! Why didn't you wake me?"
The cat sat on the bed, watching Jaeda with a satisfied expression as she hurriedly threw on her clothes.
Jaeda looked at the alarm clock beside her bed and stuck her tongue out at it. "Stupid thing. Should have known that it wouldn't work today of all days."
Quickly, Jaeda pulled on her black skirt and black blouse as she gathered her school books and stuffed them into her bag. Her hair was coming messily out of it's long braid, but Jaeda paid it no mind. Instead, she quickly did up her sturdy black boots, blew a kiss to Cal and hurried out the door. 1

The hallways were empty as they always were during exams. The rest of the class was probably already in Miss Haroldena's room. Jaeda had already been dreading this test and now...now she had to do it with Miss Haroldena mad that she was late?
Jaeda could have sworn that she set her clock and she had a backup clock that was set for five minutes later. Why couldn't either of them had gone off? She needed to ace this test or she would very nearly fail Miss Haroldena's class!2

As Jaeda got to the end of the long hallway, she began down the twisting staircase. It was only one of many in the school, this one leading up from the Main Hall to the West Tower where all the girls slept. It was one of the longest staircases and usually Jaeda was nervous about its twists and turns, but today there was just no time to worry. As she hurried down the stairs, Jaeda undid her hair and re-plaited it back up. It would have to make do for now since Jaeda couldn't take the extra time to brush her hair and magic for frivilous purposes was forbidden. 3


Finally, Jaeda made it down the stairs. The Main Hall was empty as well which was just as it should be. Jaeda could only imagine what everyone would say when she walked in late. Silvia Rich in particular would be ecstatic that Jaeda had failed the charm's class. The two had been enemies since they came to the school and Jaeda was sure that it had been Silvia to set the monkey loose in her room. She didn't have any proof, but Jaeda knew. Silvia would do anything to get her in trouble. Jaeda just wished that it wasn't so easy for the other girl. Silvia was liked by all the teachers and could get away with just about anything. Jaeda on the other hand was not the best student. She was a likeable enough girl, but her teachers often tired of her inability to comprehend some of the simplest spells. The only good thing about it was that when Jaeda got the spell-finally-it was one that she'd never forget. And Jaeda had practiced so hard on her transfiguration charm. She had been actually excited to prove to Miss Haroldena that she could get something right. And now she would probably have to repeat the class as well as get some punishment for being late. It just wasn't fair! But then, life was hardly fair as Jaeda realized even more quickly when she walked into the room just in time to see Silvia perfectly manage to turn an ugly, warty toad into an adorable, fluffy, white cat. 4

Miss Haroldena's head snapped up when the door opened and her black eyes pinned Jaeda in place. "Late again Miss Moon?" she asked, her voice stern and unforgiving.
"Y-yes M-Miss Haroldena," Jaeda stammered. She had learned quickly that this particular teacher didn't care for reasons or excuses.
"Sit down and we will see if we have time to test you at the end of the class."
Jaeda sat at the back, face red with embarrassment, wishing that the floor would just open up and swallow her whole. Why oh why couldn't she have been on time? Her alarm clocks had been set and everything they just...hadn't gone off. 5

Jaeda looked up to see Silvia smirking at her from her place at the front of the class. The luminescent blonde hair and blue eyes might have given Silvia an innocent, angelic look, but Jaeda knew better. Silvia had gotten Jaeda into all kinds of trouble and today was probably no different. Jaeda would bet her new spell book that Silvia had turned off Jaeda's alarms to make sure that Jaeda would be late. Silvia's smirk practically told Jaeda so.
Jaeda only wished that there was a way to prove it. But there wasn't. So she watched, miserably as Clarice Radney turned her toad into a cat with warts, Beatrice Small turn the animal into a cat with the toad's head, Jenna Sparthin make her toad explode, and Kayla Zoneba transfigure her toad perfectly into a sleek, black cat. 6

Jaeda looked anxiously at the clock, waiting for Miss Haroldena to call on her. All of the other girls had gone, so why wasn't it her turn? Was Miss Haroldena stalling on purpose? Jaeda was just about to ask when Silvia raised her hand. "Miss Haroldena, in your day, what did they do to students who were late to exams?" Silvia asked, throwing Jaeda a look.
"Well Miss Rich, in my day the offenders were suspended if not expelled. Our learning was taken very seriously here in my day. Unfortunately, things seem to have gotten a bit...lax since then." Miss Haroldena fixed Silvia with a piercing stare then, as if something had just occured to her. "Why do you ask?"
Silvia shrugged innocently. "I just noticed that one of my classmates was late and wondered what was going to happen to her."
Miss Haroldena squinted and looked at Silvia intensely, as if she were trying to see something. Then, she turned to Jaeda and did the most extraordinary thing. She asked why Jaeda was late. 7

"W-well you s-see Miss Haroldena, m-my alarm clocks didn't go off."
"Alarm clocks Miss Moon? As in plural?" Miss Haroldena asked, fixing me with the intense stare.
"Y-yes Miss Haroldena. I wanted to be sure that I didn't sleep in."
"But you did, so that's that," Silvia piped up from the front.
"Hush Miss Rich. You have not been called on," Miss Haroldena snapped. "Now, Miss Moon, how many alarm clocks did you set?"
"Two," Jaeda answered truthfully. "I also asked Miss Maisy to come and knock on my door and I told my cat to wake me up."
"Hmmm. Maisy?" Miss Haroldena merely needed to call when *POOF* Miss Maisy, basically the castle's housekeeper and head maid appeared. "Did you knock on Miss Moon's door this morning?"
Miss Maisy nodded her frizzy grey head. "Course I did. Couldn't have a student being late to exams because of me. Not that I did much help," she added, glaring at Jaeda.
"And did Miss Moon answer you to let you know that she was awake?" Miss Haroldena persisted.
Miss Maisy looked indignant. "Well of course I waited. No one answered. Then Miss Silvia, who was walking by, said that Miss Jaeda had been feeling sick and so had moved into her room for the night."
Jaeda recoiled merely at the thought of it.
"Hmmmmm." This time MIss Haroldena's musing was more pronounced. "And, when knocking on Miss Rich's door, did you hear Miss Moon answer you?"
Miss Maisy nodded, her blue eyes wide. "Of course! Miss Jaeda here said that she'd be right down and just to give her a minute."
"I couldn't have!" Jaeda cried. "I didn't sleep in Silvia's room. I was in my own room, asleep!"
Miss Haroldena nodded, as if to confirm something she had already believed. Quickly, she dismissed Miss Maisy and did a quick summoning spell. My alarm clocks immediately appeared on her desk. "Are these your clocks?" she asked, waving a hand over them.
Jaeda nodded, wondering whether she would get the chance to prove herself or not.
Miss Haroldena picked up both clocks, rolling them in her hands, smelling them and shaking them. Then, shaking her head, she placed them back down on her table. Her face was serious and her tone icy cold. "I'm sorry to say this, but I believe we have a sabotogeur in this class. These clocks have been tampered with by magic. Now, whoever did this, I would like them to please step forward now."
No one did.
Jaeda knew it was Silvia but she was afraid that by pointing it out, she would make even more of an enemy out of the girl.
"Very well," Miss Haroldena sighed. She snapped her fingers then and suddenly, all the girls were frozen in their seats. Miss Haroldena didn't give an explanation, merely went down the aisle, row by row, seat by seat, smelling each girl's hands. She stopped at Silvia's desk and snapped her fingers again.
The girls came back into themselves and stared, shocked at Silvia.
"Miss Rich, your magic scent matches that I could smell on the clock. Did you tamper with Miss Moon to try to stop her from appearing before me today?"
Silvia didn't answer.
"Did you?!" Miss Haroldena was livid. Apparently, she hated cheaters and liars more than she hated Jaeda
Silvia bowed her head. "Yes Miss Haroldena," she whispered.
Miss Haroldena closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, they were cold as always, black glittering stones set in a pale face. "Go see the headmistress Miss Rich. And I do not want to see you back in my class next term. Understand?"
Silvia nodded even though Miss Haroldena's class made up a large part of our final marks. Instead, Silvia got to her feet, gathered her books and moved silently out of the room. She paused only long enough to glare at me before making her way out the door and into the Main Hall beyond. 8

Jaeda looked hopefully up at Miss Haroldena. Maybe now she could do her test?
Miss Haroldena sighed but inclined her head.
Jaeda rose and walked to the front of the class, head held high and smiling.
"Now," she whispered, "Ibis enchaitus...."