Her Father's Shame

Hehe, Welcome to my world guys. There’s no dragon, no witches, no vampires or werewolves. Just me, the black sheep of the family. The disappointment to her father, the shame labelled to my mother. But honestly, it wasn’t always like this. Before going further, Let’s go back to the beginning, shall we? “This year’s Overall best performing student isssss …” the moderator paused. Our English language teacher kept us in suspense, actually dragging it at the last word of his sentence. Well, especially me. “Néiome Livia” The applause that followed swept through the auditorium in a sudden roar, bouncing between pale stone columns and narrow arched windows through which the Swiss Alps stood in the distance. Its last trace of snow still clung stubbornly to the highest peaks despite warmth below. “Livia.” someone shouted while shaking my shoulders so hard that my graduation cap flew three rows away from me. I jerked sideways and turned. Aurelia was staring at me with both hands covering her mouth while giggling. “That’s you!” She exclaimed excitedly, her pale face unusually flushed, a deep red crimson as she helped me retrieve my cap from her four-year-old crash. “I know my name,” I told her in exasperation and laughed so loudly too, my coloured hair would have been firey like star fire Dc's at this moment, that's if I was her though. “Then stand up,” she told me. Right. Standing. Excellent suggestion. I pushed myself out of my chair, smoothing my crimson-red graduation gown which obviously matched my hair colour with deliberate palms. Students sitting along my trembling palms. Students sitting along my pulled their knees aside to let me pass. My classmates were clapping. Some genuinely. And well... Some with slightly pained expressions of people who had spent years competing with me and had received official confirmation that the suffering had been for nothing. “Congratulations,” Lukas whispered as I squeezed past him, which I really appreciated because he was part of the latter portion of these applauding. And suddenly there was nothing between me and the stage. Nothing except several metres of polished wooden floor and hundreds of faces turned in my direction. People I didn’t know and definitely people I didn’t want witnessing the possibility of me falling over my graduation gown. Switzerland apparently decided to look offensively beautiful while I experienced cardiac failure. Professor Keller stepped away from the podium and his usual poker face actually broke into something warm, it was actually a smile. Wowww, so he can smile I thought to myself while trying to hold back the stupid laughter threatening to leave me. "Livia" he called out as he extended his hands and I took it with a 90-degree bow because that's what I was surprised to do. "Congratulations" he wished me and I mouthed thank you to him before turning to face the congregation with a beautiful graceful smile doning my face. As i turned to leave the stage. "Please remain here" professor Keller stopped me...