Chapter Text
I never thought Claire would become one of my closest friends when I first met her. Though, to be honest, I didn’t really have many friends, to begin with. The guys from middle school only hung out to stir up trouble and stand up against the adults and rules and stuff. We didn’t really help each other unless it involved fists or it was just mindless fun.
First time I met Claire was at the opening ceremony, but it wasn’t until the next day that I really got to know her. She was still a janitor then and ran towards me at full speed, screaming, “Hey, catch him! He’s running away from detention!”
She pointed at Ace, who I didn’t recognize by name then, but since he had a heart painted on his eye, he was definitely from my dorm.
“We don’t care! Just hit him hard!” Grim yelled, in full sprint. “Use any method! Hurry!”
So, out of sheer panic, I threw the first thing that came to my mind – a giant black cauldron. To be honest, I was surprised I even managed to do that (and the cauldron was larger than my usual ones) since I tend to panic and forget.
However, me helping Claire here wasn’t exactly how we became friends. It came after being involved in chasing Grim, destroying a priceless chandelier, and going on an impossible mission crystal quest that should’ve gotten us all killed.
But that's a story for another time.
By the end of the day, we all left the headmaster’s office together once we managed to retrieve the crystal back and save ourselves from expulsion. However, we came out with more than expected. Claire and Grim became students or rather one whole student and were going to be starting school with me and Ace tomorrow. She couldn’t see why we wanted her to come and kept reminding us that she didn’t have magic. I don’t know why she was still hung up on it at this point. The stuff she did today… well, everything she did was amazing. Besides, she did save both of us from expulsion, and in a way, helped me save face with my mom.
Ace tried to deny it, but I could tell from his voice that he was excited too. He even called her a dorm head even though the dorm she and Grim were staying at wasn’t exactly an official dorm. Still, something Claire said during that meeting with the headmaster made me hesitate and curious, and I wanted to try and ask as soon as possible.
“We totally should celebrate!” Ace said, grinning as we headed back to our dorms, “You becoming a student and all.”
“Are you kidding?” Claire said as we left Headmaster Crowley’s office, “After what I been through, I rather go home, sleep, and never wake up.”
“And what about me?!” Grim said indignantly, “I’m a student too!”
“Half a student,” Ace clarified, “And you’re only here because of Claire.”
“I should’ve roasted you earlier!” Grim growled.
“You two, knock it off before I really bury both of you guys six feet under,” Claire ordered.
“So, what was that thing you were saying? Something about another world?” I asked abruptly. I tried to keep my tone as casually as possible as we reached the bottom of the spiraling tower where the headmaster’s office was. Claire almost tripped over her feet as she stared at me and then laughed nervously.
“World? Another world? What are you talking about?” She glanced up at Ace who merely had that ‘you’re the one who blabbed it, not me’ look that I know too well, and I realized very slowly that I was the only one here who didn’t know about this big secret.
“I-it’s okay. You don’t have to say it,” I immediately blurted out, even though there was a part of me that was feeling rather curious and… something else that I couldn’t quite describe. Something squirmed inside of me as I thought about how I was being left out of this particular conversation.
“No, no, you have a right to know,” she said with a sigh as she looked down in shame. “Especially with everything that had happened and will happen, now that I think about it. You see, this whole deal with me staying here as the janitor, there was a reason to all this.”
“You didn’t come here because you needed a job?” I said, confused.
“You really think anybody would come sneaking in here to clean 100 windows for some pocket money,” Ace snorted.
“Ace, please,” Claire said before turning her attention to me. “In a way, I did need a job, but that’s because I don’t exactly have a home to go back to. At least not here in Twisted Wonderland. I’m actually from another world called Earth.”
No dramatic pauses or anything. She was not the type for theatrics. Meanwhile, I think it took a good five seconds before I understood the meanings of her words.
“Wait, hold on, another world? Another world?!”
“Yes, please, scream it out loud for the whole land to hear,” Ace said, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling.
I stared at the two of them, but not one of them cracked a smile or laughed at my shocked look. So, this isn’t some joke?
“B-but… but how?” I managed to sputter.
“No idea,” Claire said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I just remember going to buy some late-night grocery and then… well, I ended up here.”
“Wait, this is too much – another world?! But… how?” I repeated, still stunned by her story. I’m starting to feel like that time when my teacher was trying to teach algebra, and my brain just started to short-circuit from how x equals 3 when x + 1 = 4.
“Yeah, that’s why Cro- the Headmaster is allowing me to stay at that run-down dorm while I find a way back home,” Claire explained patiently.
Suddenly, the whole situation of her living her and cleaning the school as a janitor started to make sense. Well, the ‘being from another world’ didn’t make really make sense to me, but still…
“I-I didn’t know,” I said, feeling guilty.
“Of course not,” Ace said, “Who would believe such a ridiculous story? I didn’t believe the rumors when I first heard them.”
“I know I already told Cro- the headmaster this,” Claire said, “but I would like to keep this a secret. I rather not have other people learn where I came from.”
Her words echoed a lot with my own situation, and I immediately said, “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with us.”
She gave a big grin in thanks, and right then and there, I realized something. This was the first time anyone had told me such a big secret. As strange as that may seem, it made me feel kind of important.
“Guess we’re going to be classmates now,” I told Claire.
“That’s right…” she immediately grinned and said, “Well then, in that case, it’s nice to meet you all. I look forward to working with you two."
“Will you stop with the embarrassing greetings?” Ace complained in a tone that wasn’t even fooling me. “The idea of seeing your lousy mug every day is a rather depressing thought,” he added to me.
“That’s my line, you rule-breaker,” I shot back as they all finally arrived at Main Street where the path split – one to the official dorms, the other to an off-road to Ramshackle.
“Sure. Whatever you say, ‘Almost-Expelled-Cry-Baby’,” Ace smirked before turning to Claire. “See ya tomorrow, Dorm Head!”
“Hey! Don’t just change the subject!” I sputtered and hurried after him.
Even though we continued to argue, Ace still wore this big grin on his face.
“What are you smiling about?” I asked suspiciously.
“Nothing really,” he shrugged. “I’m just thinking about how much fun school is going to be from now on.”
I couldn’t help but crack a smile. For once, I agreed with him.