Andra-Astrid Belibou is participating in the International Literary Creation Competition, 7th Edition, from Constanța, Romania and is 32 years old. We thank her for her participation and wish her success.

Witchy the Teachy and the Substitute Sorcerer

Once the weekend has come to an end, everyone at Saturn Elementary School must hold their breath and get ready for any incoming disaster. One may wonder what exactly makes every student and every teacher so afraid that they refuse to leave their classrooms and prefer hiding behind books when walking through the corridors. Well, every Monday marks the return of the (in)famous Naschkatzen, the pupils of Class 3A, formerly known as the Hungry Caterpillars.

Truth be told, since the mysterious Witchy the Teachy had become their teacher, the number of disasters had diminished. Even Principal Solana had become less serious and, rumour had it, some people had seen her smile (twice in a single day)! Three times a week, perhaps, but still an impressive number considering the previous… zero smiles a week.

But even someone like Witchy the Teachy had yet to figure out the secret recipe for making the Naschkatzen less feral. Maybe it was their eagerness to see each other, maybe it was their longing for Lady Chef Biscottata’s famous blueberry lemon muffins, or maybe it was their curiosity about whatever new adventure their beloved teacher had in store for them.

„My grandmother told me that our teacher will teach us about the water cycle this week,” Poppy Giggler skipped, jumping over a puddle. „I wonder if she’ll summon a cloud! Do you think she’ll make it snow too?”

„I just hope she’ll like my drawing. I spent the entire weekend on the sketches from Friday.”

„What about your homework?”

Both Poppy and Luna Doodle gawked at Lectra Factwell. Indeed, Luna had a tendency to focus more on her art than on her homework, but she knew that each time Witchy the Teachy would simply ask her to finish it during recess or lunch break. And while other children would dread missing the chance to be outside chasing seagulls, the pupils from Class 3B, or savouring Lady Chef Biscottata’s Monday moussaka and mandarin mousse, Luna preferred being by herself with her beloved teacher and her secret stash of snacks.

„Seriously, Luna!” Lectra snorted. „Even Ed Mond has started doing his homework. Terribly, but it’s something.”

Luna ignored her classmate and rushed upstairs, holding her breath. She only hoped Anxietta Fidgeton wasn’t already bawling her eyes out and getting Teachy’s full attention with one of her daily worries, nor that Lilly DeValley had already claimed the first hug of the week.

„Tragedy!” Todd Broschi rushed out of the classroom. „We have been cursed! Or betrayed! Or both!”

Todd threw himself onto the floor and started flailing his arms and legs.

Inside the classroom, the rest of the Naschkatzen were all confused and unable to find their seats. The new chairs with the dark green cushions were nice, but not as nice as the funky ottoman chairs. The walls were empty, just like before Teachy’s arrival. In fact, their magical classroom, carefully personalised for them, was now extremely ordinary and dull, as if Witchy the Teachy had never stepped foot inside Saturn Elementary School.

„Oh dear!” Poppy Giggler gasped. „My grandmother hasn’t said a word about this! There must have been an emergency or—”

„Actually,” Sue Spect said, pushing up her eyeglasses, „the chances are that our Teachy has been devoured by the Intergalactic Teacher Council.”

„And we’re next!” Todd shouted from the corridor. „My eyes burn from the dullness!”

„Maybe she’s just late,” Kikko Dash sighed. „Mondays are always slow for everyone. Even for me! I was almost late, so I told my father to leave his car behind, and I ran aaaall the way to school.”

„Do you think she may have abandoned us like our former teacher?” Anxietta cried, her uniform already wet with tears and snot dripping all over her bow tie and shirt. „I bet it’s Ed Mond’s fault! She must have heard about the prank!”

„Hey, we said we’d never talk about it!” Ed punched the desk and climbed onto his chair, leaving muddy footprints on the velvet cushion.

The teams were formed: six pupils led by Anxietta and six pupils led by Ed, with only Luna Doodle left between them, confused and rather irritated.

She was never irritated. Not even when Lectra scolded her for doodling all over her worksheets or for correcting her accent. Not even when Honor Rollins’ mother demanded that Honor be sent to the art competition in Luna’s place, just to make sure he would receive his hundredth medal before his birthday. Not even when Kikko Dash accidentally spilled watercolours all over the comic book she was preparing for her secret crush. Not even when Sue Spect accused her of staying behind after class just to learn Teachy’s secrets.

But now… for the first time in her life, Luna Doodle was utterly and impossibly irritated.

„Good morning, Class 3A.” Principal Solana entered the classroom. As usual, everyone ignored her, and the two teams continued their quarrel. „Class 3A! Enough!” Nothing. Third time’s the charm, so Principal Solana grabbed the bell from the teacher’s desk and rang it three times. „Down! Everyone!”

Principal Solana knew that using the bell on the Naschkatzen meant another critical article from Sue Spect’s mother and at least three public conversations in which she would accuse the school of using outdated discipline methods on its pupils. At the same time, Honor Rollins’ mother was almost certainly going to pay her a very unpleasant visit as soon as classes ended.

Of course, it was only Monday, and the Naschkatzen were already adding another white hair to her bun.

„I have some news for you.”

„Has a dragon eaten our teacher?” Ed Mond wailed, the others joining him with gasps and protests.

„Not yet, as far as I know,” Principal Solana attempted a joke, which was received rather poorly by the panicked faces of the infamous Naschkatzen.

„Well,” she cleared her throat, „Your teacher is absent today, as you might have noticed.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath while the pupils started booing.

„Wait,” Ed Mond said, waving his hand and stopping his classmates from acting like hooligans. „Does that mean we can stay home?”

The boos were quickly replaced by cheers and papers flying through the air. Just as quickly, the cheers were replaced by the heavy thumps of a pair of boots.

A tall woman, wearing something similar to their uniform but in a strange shade of green (one Luna would have called barf green) entered the classroom. Her bun had a wand tucked into it.

„She’s a witch too,” Ed Mond whispered.

The bell rang again just as the murmurs were becoming unbearable.

„I shall take over, Principal Solana,” the new teacher interrupted, allowing the principal to sneak out of her least favourite class. „I was already informed of your behaviour, so…” She removed the wand from her bun. „…from now on, we will make some changes.”

With a flutter of the wand, the classroom began to change, reminding the Naschkatzen of their first encounter with their beloved Witchy the Teachy.

However, this time, their classroom was not being transformed into something suited to their chaotic personalities. Instead, the windows were boarded up, the lights became white and dull, and the chairs and desks became even plainer than the ones usually found in the school, lacking even the green velvet cushions. They were arranged in neat rows, one desk per pupil. The walls soon became covered with heavy posters devoid of creativity and focused solely on scientific information.

Another wave of the wand seated each Naschkatze as far away from their friends as possible.

„Starting today, Class 3A will learn the true meaning of discipline.”

Miss Sweet’s gaze fell upon Luna.

„First things first: your homework for this week.”