Fortnight Field Academy

Chapter 7

The next day, Maggie and Drew walked me to the school for my appointment with Daria. Maggie chattered excitedly about what she had read in her fairy handbook. "... and some fairies can grow wings! Since fairies have a connection with earth, they can strengthen it so much that it manifests as a flower on their backs. They can't really fly or anything like that, but it's still so cool! And sometimes, they even live in trees. Not like on the branches or anything, but they can make treehouses out of nature. I wonder if..." I tuned her out while she continued to babble. Looking at Drew, who was staring off into the distance, I guessed she was doing the same.

After I told my roommates about the events of last night, they were understandably shocked. Thankfully, they didn't press me for details. Instead, we spent most of the evening unloading the stacks of boxes lying around the dorm. I had to switch my things to Drew's room because even as a changeling, the sunlight would really bother a vampire. And fairies were the exact opposite; the light was almost like a battery for them. They couldn't function for long periods of time without it.

We also talked a lot, and I learned about my new friends.

Maggie was born and raised in Houston until she was eleven. Then her dad, an Oracle and banker, was offered a pretty prestigious job in Seattle. She was the only daughter with one older brother, a werewolf, and two younger ones who have yet to specialize. She was super elated to gain independence when she went off to Midnight Thorn Academy in Montana, where she met Drew. This past summer, her dad got another, higher paying job in Denver, so her parents decided to transfer her to Fortnight Field to be closer to them.

Drew, on the other hand, is originally from Chicago. Her dad is an ogre (not an ugly, big green monster, but an extraordinarily athletic and muscular guy) and is a highly sought after physical trainer. Her mom is a skilled cardiologist and zombie, a living person who is bonded to death and the dying. Together, they've acquired a great deal of money and since Drew is an only child, she is totally spoiled. The only school in the country they trusted sending Drew to alone was Midnight Thorn. That was until Drew came to them, begging to go to Fortnight Field with Maggie. They reluctantly agreed.

Finally, I told them about myself. I lived in Colorado Springs my whole life with my parents. I have an older sister, but she's twelve years older than me, so I barely see her. When I was six, she moved to Australia to become a zoologist or something. She's a siren, so she's beautiful, exceptionally charming, and has an incredible singing voice. I left out the part about middle school, where I was teased relentlessly for my crazy black hair, scrawny build, and dark brown skin.

While we talked, they were careful to stay away from touchy topics including half- breeds and dragons. For that, I was grateful.

When we reached the building, Maggie shut her mouth. I didn't know what to expect from this meeting, aside from my schedule. Drew and Maggie's came this morning and it was pretty obvious why mine would be late.

"Are you ready?" Drew asked.

I took a deep breath of courage and nodded. "Yeah absolutely. This won't be that bad. It's just a meeting with a teacher right? Let me just get this over with. I'll see you guys back at the dorm."

They wished me good luck, then turned back down the trail. I cracked my knuckles and entered the building.