Forget Me Not

Comet stared at me with her sparkling, bluish eyes and clasped her hands while landing in front of my dresser.

“Please, Janessa, may I have a solo tour around the campus until your class ends?” asked Comet.

I sighed and looked at her with a frown.

“No, Comet, you’re going to get lost.”

I had dressed her in a white top with a blue dress over it. Her hair was tied in a blue ribbon. She drooped her head down, and her wings were closed. She walked in circles and looked into my eyes every now and then.

Ah, poor Comet.

There were only twenty minutes left before class would start.

I summoned the room where I created clothes. It was shinier than ever, with glistening and sparkling gold accents above the door. I entered, summoned my staff, spun it around, and imagined the outfit I wished to create. After tracing the bodice block in mere seconds, I sewed it together with magical, illuminated stitching to create a sky-blue, frilly blouse. I also cut two rectangles and box pleated them.

Hmm, it needs something else.

The finishing touch was a blue bow headband.

“Now I’m ready for class!” I yelled, stepping out of the sewing room and into the dorm room.

“You have returned at last! Please, Janessa, may I look around…”

“Okay, fine!” I said.

“Yippee!” said Comet.

She did some cartwheels in the air. I smiled while glancing her way. Then, Comet began dragging, or rather, trying to drag my bag for me.

Ah, the poor thing. She must have been trapped for so long.

“Let’s go!” she said.

“Be careful! Don’t get lost no matter what,” I said.

“I will wait outside your class after I am done roaming!” she said.

“Yes, please wait.”

Of course, I had a breakfast of milk and cereal prior to this, but my stomach still felt empty.

We quickly descended the stairs, and I paced all the way to the first building. Except, the only problem was that I couldn’t tell the buildings apart. They were all plain-looking, white, the same height, and all read as Snowstar Institute of Design, and had the numbers 1A, 2A, etc.

I checked my phone, and the schedule read as “2B”. Sighing at once, I walked forward, phone in hand.

I don’t want to be late!

“Well, I will be on my way,” said Comet, flying away.

“No, Comet, come back!” I yelled.

All that was left behind was a trail of pink pixie dust. Class would start in five minutes.

“Comet, where are you?! Get over here!”

There’s no time to worry about this!

I groaned, and my eyes landed on the 2 block of the map.

That’s a relief. I found it. I can probably follow the dust trail later.

After I entered the classroom of Illustration Theory 101, I sat somewhere in the middle. The class had already started, and I took out my notebook and pen.

“Now, who here knows what analogous colors are?” asked the lecturer.

I raised my hand, among a couple of others, but wasn’t picked. So, I sighed and returned to my notes. Cathy from before rambled on for a few minutes about complementary colors.

So when is she going to explain what was actually asked?

“What was your name again?”

“I’m Cathy, and I’d be very glad to be able…”

“Now, Cathy, good job explaining complementary…”

“Oh, it was no problem at all…” said Cathy.

“I had asked for something else entirely,” said the lecturer.

“Hmm,” said Cathy.

Everyone laughed, except for me.

Do I even belong here? I don’t understand what’s so funny. It’s rather annoying.

I looked to my right and noticed Hazel and Violet in matching black and white outfits. I waved at them, and so did Violet, who then poked Hazel to notice me. They smiled and looked back at the projector.

The lecture went on for a whole hour, where we analyzed various ways in which fashion was drawn with the side profile, back, and front, as well as flat clothes.

At the end of the class, she asked if we had any questions. I raised my hand once again.

“Yes, go on.”

“Will be expected to learn anatomy in order to better draw figures?” I asked.

She replied, “We will learn basic shapes at first, and then move on to gesture drawing. Anatomy comes later.”

“Alright!”

“Class dismissed.”

Everyone stood up and prepared to leave; so did I.

I feel so… alone. Was it always like this? No, I had so many friends in my first life… I have no one but Comet. Hmm, she must have returned to the dorm. There’s no way she could find the classroom.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and went out.

“Hey, wannabe princess,” said Florian.

“The only wannabe is you!” I said.

I walked swiftly toward the dorm, passing by the coffee shop and trees.

Cathy stood in my way, and I nearly bumped into her as I stopped with a jerk.

“Watch where you’re going! This is Snowstar, not your little Saphyr. We value talent around here, not…” said Cathy.

My heartbeat’s rate increased tenfold.

I have to make sure that Comet is alright!

“Excuse me, I don’t have time for this!” I yelled.

Zipping past her, I walked forward to a street where I had to cross.

“Next time you go meet the prince, tell him to get his eyes checked! Well, they say love is blind…” she said.

“It’s you who has to get your eyes checked! I don’t think you’ve looked at yourself in the mirror today, have you? No one with the slightest common sense would wear that horrid green t-shirt with khaki, paired with orange sneakers!” I said.

I raced forward, looking back, as Cathy said, “We have to get that little…”

Gulping down, I went to the dorm building, but she wasn’t there!

“Comet?” I said.

There was a trail of pink pixie dust.

“Comet! Where are you? Come on,” I screamed.

I followed the pixie dust around the block for twenty minutes, only to realize that the whole block was covered, and I had been walking in circles.

“Comet? Comet!” I yelled.

Passing pedestrians stared at me.

Still, I continued running and screaming. My heart began to beat in my ears as my legs ached. Panting, I called Comet’s name softly this time.

She was always there to listen. In fact, she was the only one ever listening to what I had to say. Comet did say I was the first one to ask her name…

I continued running and followed the trail down to a woman with a broom and dust pan, wearing a vest that read, “Community Welfare.”

“Excuse me!” I said, out of breath. “You wouldn’t happen to see a tiny pixie here? She looks like a tiny girl with butterfly wings…” I said, showing her the size by squeezing my two fingers.

“Hmm, I didn’t see any butterflies around here.”

I swallowed hard and sighed.

“Okay, thank you.”

Walking away, I clicked my tongue and stared at the pavement, with my head drooped, just as Comet did this morning.

Why did she go off wandering like that?! I shouldn’t have let her! Now I’m alone, completely alone. No, I should stop thinking about myself. The poor thing, what if someone kidnapped her? Or worse, what if she’s dead? Someone might have thought she was a bug and squished her…

Tears filled my eyes, and I began sobbing.

“Janessa,” said a voice buzzing near my ear.

I’m starting to hear her now. Now what? I can’t believe that I let this happen.

“Janessa, whatever is wrong? I am sorry! I should have gone to class with you. I will show those mean idiots…”

Rubbing my eyes, I saw Comet in front of me.

“Comet! Comet, where were you this whole time?” I yelled.

She sat on my shoulder and began sobbing and shedding tears.

“I am deeply sorry! You see, I tore your magic dress. It has mud all over now! I saw you a while ago, but I… was too scared to show myself to you,” she said.

“Comet!”

“So sorry…” she said, sniffing.

“Forget the dress. I was worried about you!”

“Really? You are so kind! Oh, look what I have done! I have gotten mud all over your brand new dress…”

“It’s alright, Comet. Let’s go home.”

Comet sniffed and hugged my neck. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

“Janessa, careful!” she said, flying away. “I summon my rain canopy.”

She was, in fact, holding what seemed to be a toadstool. I flinched away at once.

“Comet, that toadstool is poisonous!”

“Only if you ingest it,” she said, throwing it away.

I took in a deep breath, and the two of us walked back to the dorm in silence.