Page 13 of Switched

“A reputation?” I scoff. I can’t help myself. He’s acting like he’s doing us a favor by being here. We got him this gig. “We’re here because we’re heroes. I don’t know if you’ve heard much about this group, but we’ve already been pardoned for doing good. We saved this school and rid it of Stiltskin. Our reputations can’t be beat.”

“You’re arrogant and smug,” the prince says bluntly. Jocelyn snickers. “Those are not characteristics of a future leader. Hero or no hero, people quickly forget past accomplishments. They want to know what you are doing now. However, what they never forget are manners, intelligence, and a strong sense of self. Someone who holds himself or herself in high esteem but gives back to those around them is someone who will go far in life. I was arrogant, selfish, and vain once,” he says softly. “That cost me many years of my life. I had to think about what was best for those around me before I could change myself.” He stands up straighter and looks at us. “So today’s assignment is: Who are you?”

The mirrors in front of us begin to glow.

“I want you to look deep into the mirror and write what you see on your scroll. Who is the person staring back at you? Do you like what you see? Who does this person want to become? What are their dreams? Hopes? What do they want to accomplish?”

I have no clue who I want to be! That’s why I’m in this class! That’s why we’re all in this class! None of us know who we want to… I look around. Oh.

Ollie is scribbling furiously. So are Jax, Kayla, and AG. Even Jocelyn is writing in big, loopy scrolls. Jack taps his quill against his desk and winks at me. His scroll is blank. At least someone is in the same boat as me.

The prince coughs. “These will be graded, so please think before you use your quill. You have twenty minutes to gather your thoughts. Then we will discuss the first big assignment that you will need to work on outside of class.”

Holy gingerbread, this guy moves fast! Shouldn’t the first day of class be all about him and what we’ll be learning? Instead, the prince is giving us big speeches and homework. I narrow my eyes at him as he walks over to Maxine, whose hand is raised. He speaks to her in hushed tones, and she smiles gratefully. I bet he doesn’t even know what this class is going to be about yet.

“Do your work,” Jax whispers to me.

I turn and stare at myself in the mirror. What do I see?

A girl who hates pointless assignments.

A girl who can’t get rid of that purple stripe in her hair no matter how many spells she tries. (Jocelyn swears there is no way to undo it.)

A girl who hates her school uniform but hated life without it.

A girl who is really glad there’s not an RLW meeting today, or she’d have to describe her garish pink sash.

A girl who only wears one pair of boots because they’re broken in, good for outrunning danger, and the only pair of shoes she’ll ever need. (Father made them so they’re built to last.)

But I can’t write any of these things because I know what the prince will say: those are superficial answers. They don’t explain who I am. I’d just be describing my appearance, and I’ve never cared about that. Anna was the one into lotions and hair care and smelling sweet. She was always trying to spritz me with some new perfume she’d concocted.

But that was before, when she was good. Before I somehow made her feel like nothing she had was hers alone. Before I somehow pushed her to choose evil. How can I be a good person when I turned my own sister to villainy? My heart hurts, thinking about Anna. I can’t believe that she really wants to be working with Stiltskin. Does she still? I think about what Jack said earlier. What if Anna wants to come home and can’t?

With a loud groan, I look around. How long have I been sitting here worrying about Anna instead of myself? My friends are all writing furiously. Maxine is writing so much, she keeps dipping her quill in the ink jar. The room is so quiet I could hear a pin drop. The prince is sitting at his own desk reading a history book. I better look away before he looks up. Even Jocelyn is scribbling away. What is she writing? I try to lean over to see.

Boom! I lean a little too far and fall off my chair, banging into my table and knocking the mirror off the desk. It smashes to the ground and shatters. The sound echoes through the room.

The prince walks over. “Time,” he says flatly, picking up my parchment, which is empty. “I guess there is no need to grade this, Miss Gillian. As I expected, an F. That’s your first demerit.”

“What? No!” I protest.

“Give her a break, Teach. It’s our first class,” Jack says, and the prince glares at him so hard he shuts up.

“Yelling and complaining won’t get you anywhere in life. Believe me, I’ve tried. You must do the work.” The prince walks away to collect the other parchments.

My chest is rising and falling heavily. I’ve failed my first assignment! He can’t grade me on an assignment I wasn’t even prepared to write. Maybe I can talk to Flora or Rapunzel. I won’t accept an F from a class I suggested!

“Your first in-depth assignment will be due in three weeks,” the prince tells us. “It is a family tree project.”

That sounds easy enough. I could do one of those in my sleep. Instant A.

“But this is no simple family tree.” The prince seems to hear my thoughts. “I want you to not only research who you are and how you are connected to this kingdom but also interview your family members about their feelings toward you and each other. Think of it as a mini-biography on each family member that explores your difficulties and triumphs with them. How have they impacted your life, and how have you impacted theirs? You should also include personal magical photos and any trinkets that speak to your family’s history in Enchantasia.”

No. My heart starts to beat faster. I don’t want to talk about what happened with Anna or how it’s torn our family apart.

“What if some of your family members were killed in the Troll War?” Maxine asks.

“Or they were kidnapped by an evil villain?” Jack adds.