I woke to a woman suit sitting beside my bed, three men all dressed in matching, crisp, black suits stood around the room. What is this? The Matrix? I thought as I sat up. "Who are you?" I asked trying to stay as calm as possible.
"I'm Samantha Brewster. You can call me Sam." she said. She didn't look much older than me, maybe a year or two. She stood. "I'm with the YWTP, I have been ordered to bring you back to the Blackstone Campus for training." She said shaking her Chesnutt brown hair from her eyes.
"What's the YWTP? And what am I training for?" I asked ready to take out the men guarding the door.
"The Young Witch Training Program, and you are training for your life as a witch. Also, you would not be able to take out my guards because" she snapped her fingers "there are no guards."
"Okay, number one coolest trick ever, and number two I'm not a witch."
"You've got a lot too learn kid." she said as she stood. "Let's go."
We left after I pack all my bags. "What about all my stuff?"
"It will be packed up and shipped to the campus. Come on we have to hurry I want you too meet your peers before training begins tomorrow."
"Will I have a schedule or something?"
"Yes, here it is." she said handing me a lightly rumpled peace of paper.
Class Room Period Teacher
Combat Training Gym 1 1st H. Dracko
Spell Training 823 2nd G. Freidman
Lunch N/A 3rd N/A
Element Training 827 4th M. Holmes
"Why is this so short?" I asked flipping the paper over to see if there was anything else on the back.
"We like to give are students free time. It helps them focus on there training." she said as I zipped last my bag of clothes. We loaded them up in the car and left my house. I didn't live with my parents. They were to controlling and they said if I didn't like their rules I could move out. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a bad kid, I just didn't like that I couldn't have friends over, date guys, or play my music out loud. I moved into a abandon warehouse. No one was using it. I didn't have to pay rent.
We arrived at the campus after a short ride from my house. "What about school? Don't you have to take me out?"
"We work like a school even though we don't teach traditional subjects. Your old school has been notified and has faxed over the paper work. You have already been enrolled here. Isn't it great?"
"Why am I even here? I'm not a witch."
"Powers stay dormant until the exact time you were born on your sixteenth birthday. The training campus nearest to the young witch is notified days in advance, and if I'm not mistaken you have exactly an hour and seven minutes until your powers show. Oh, I remember my change. It's wonderful. There's this amazing rush of power and then your mark shows." she said undoing one of the buttons on her shirt and pulling it back to show a small symbol, about the size of my palm, that bares resemblance to a spider. It was a black, lanky, beautiful spider. She tugged at the bun on her head. This was the first time I noticed it wasn't chesnutt it was a deep blue. I looked back at Samantha to see not only her hair had changed, but she changed entirely. Her noes had a silver ring through it. She wore black shorts and a red shirt with some sort of logo on it.
"I can make people hear and see whatever I want. It's one of my strongest abilities. That's why you saw me wearing a suit, and why you saw the guards. Powers like that weaken on school grounds unless your in a classroom. I'll warn you some students here look rather strange, but you should fit in just fine. Here you can change how you look any time you want. It's a magic school thing. When you change you wont look drastically different. Your eyes will brighten, sometimes change colors, and your hair will become a more vibrant color. Some people think you change into your soul's true form. Any questions before we go end?"
"There are guys here, right?" She responded with a laugh. We walked into a room full of people, they sat in rows of chairs. There weren't many children there, maybe two hundred. One hundred girls. One hundred boys. All in rows. Staring at me. The first girl stood up. Her bright blue hair was gorgeous in contrast with the metal armor that would have looked freakish on anyone else, but looked great on her. She said nothing as she walked forward to me, grabbed my chin and tipped my head up so I was looking into her eyes. She had a piercing, green gaze that could see straight into your soul.
"I'm Echo, your guide, would you like to introduce yourself to the others?" she said as she dropped my chin and moved to my side.
"I'm Ryder." I said getting some claps and wolf whistles.
"I'm Nick." said the boy that had been sitting by Echo. He had black hair that needed a trim. His face was gorgeous.
A girl with beautiful blood red hair stood. "I'm Parker." she said and sat back down hiding her face shyly. This went on for the next hour and then when almost everyone had introduced themselves, except for a few people, a timer was brought out, seven minutes, it read.
A small pale girl stood and walked towards me. Everything about her was pale. Her hair was a silvery blond, and almost down to her waist. Her eyes were such a pale blue she looked blind. "My name is Luna." she said in a small voice. I her eyes where wide like dinner plates. "One of my powers is I can see the future. You're going to be very powerful one day. You're different. You're special, and we all know it. They don't hold ceremonies for all the new students. They want us all to see you change. You have a minute left as a mortal. Remember it cherish it because you'll never feel this way again."
I glanced back at the clock. Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen. Twelve. Eleven. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. I felt a rush. It was like riding a rollercoaster really fast times ten. I could feel myself changing. I fell to the floor lying on my back. I looked up at the ceiling. The whole ceiling was a mirror. The girl I saw looked so much different. She was skinny, not sick skinny, but the skinny you get from working out. She had big, amber eyes that looked amazing in contrast with her jet black hair. She had a gorgeous face and was wearing a dress that was similar to Echo's with beautiful metal plating on her arms and along her chest, which had gotten a fair amount fuller, and was made with this grayish green and black fabric, almost as if the dress was bruised. The students and teachers gasped.
"That's impossible." someone whispered.
"That's amazing." said someone else.
I got to my feet. "What is it?" I asked Echo.
"The only change they've ever experienced is their own. They're just surprised."
"I know know what it's like to be a zoo exhibit."
"Come on I'll show you to your room." she said pulling me by the arm. "We can make further introductions later."
"I get my own room?"
"No. You either have a roommate or you're going to get one."
"Okay, sounds like a plan. Let's go." We walked out the doors into big court yard with bricks sidewalks. The place looked similar to a college. We walked across the near empty court yard a few kids stood around talking, but they stopped when they saw us. All eyes were on me. I liked the way I looked. I would have never picked such an outfit, but it looked good on me then it hit me. "What about my clothes?"
"Your clothes will be altered to your new appearance. It's a magic school thing." she said not acknowledging the people's eyes on us. We walked through the courtyard. We walked up flight of metal stairs. I was in room 204. "You have a roommate."
"Okay." I said as she knocked on the door. The girl with red hair from my change answered.
"How did you get back so fast?" Echo asked her.
"Speed." she said then she noticed me "Is she my new roommate?"
"Yes, I'll be by to pick her up in the morning." Echo said walking back down the stairs.
"Come on in" Parker said moving from the doorway. The room wasn't really a room it was more like an apartment. There was a living room right as you walk in with a light leather couch, a glass coffee table, and a flat screen TV mounted to the wall. Between the sliding glass door and the TV there was a book shelf. It was filled with books. There were books on the coffee table. There were books on the bar-like counter that was bordering the kitchen. There were tall, white cabinets in the kitchen, beside the platinum refrigerator. A hall lead back to, two rooms and a bathroom. I walked down the hall and peered into the room on the right. All my stuff was there. The only new thing was a desk with a stack of books, some solid black stretch pants, a solid black tank top, and a new laptop. There was a brown backpack with a note taped to it. It said:
Dear, Ryder
The clothes are for combat training. The books are for element, spell book, and guide book training. The laptop is so you can receive school emails. Other than when you have to bring it to class it is your personal computer and can stay in your apartment. We hope you enjoy your time here.
Sincerely, Headmaster Angela Mauve
I glanced at the clock above my bed. It was 10:37, but I was tired so I slept. I woke up at 7:00, flat ironed my hair, did my makeup, and put on a pair of skinny jeans and a tank-top with a scarlet stone necklace that hung just above my breasts. I threw all my books and my clothes in my backpack, along with my laptop. I walked out of my room a, Parker was still asleep. I walked into her room and shook her awake. "You're gonna be late." I said.
"Here, school doesn't start till ten. It's your first day see if you can meet anymore crazy people who wake up this early." she mumbled as she drifted back to sleep.
"Okay" I said as I walked into the kitchen in search of food. I opened the pantry, and pulled out a box of Cheerios. I ate three bowls of cereal, while watching morning TV until nine. I walked out with my bag over my shoulder. Echo stopped me at the bottom of the stairs.
"You were supposed to wait." she said she was dressed in her training clothes with her hair in a high ponytail. "I guess you can change when we get to the training hall."
"Okay, can you let me know what to expect when we get there?"
"Be ready to be sore tomorrow." she said. We walked in the training hall and my mouth dropped open.
"Are you kidding me?" I said looking at Echo.
"What? You afraid of a class full of boys?" she asked.
"Whatever. Where's the locker room?"
"Your looking at it, sweetheart." she said with a slight laugh.
"You expect me to change in front of boys?" I asked.
"Yep." she said. Her finger turned a bright blue. "You got five minutes no one can see you." I stripped and put on my training clothes.
"Okay you can take it off now." I told her. Her finger returned to normal as the instructor walked in.
"Okay, everybody today we will be in pairs. No magic. I will be putting you with your partners." he started down a list of names I didn't know so I zoned out. "Ryder and Alex" he said. Who the heck is, Alex? I thought. A boy strode up to me his eyes were a bright blue, and his hair was spiked up in a messy way, that was still cute. He was tall and built, but not in a muscle way, but in a boy way.
"I'm Alex." he said with a brilliant smile.
"I'm Ryder. Do me a favor, and don't go easy on me."
"Wouldn't dream of it." he said as we took a fighting stance on the blue mats. The whistle blew and he flew at me. I was instantly on the ground. He straddled me and pulled a knife from his belt. It flew at my face. I blocked his attack with my left arm, and grabbed his arm with my right. I flipped him over to where he was on his stomach, and I sat on his back. I held his arm in an awkward position that I knew hurt.
"I give! I give!"
"Drop it." I said and he dropped the knife. I got off his back, and he rolled over. He sat up on his elbows. "You wanna try again?"
"Hell yeah." he said getting to his feet. The time he was more strategic. He kicked my feet out from under me. I didn't have time to react before he was on me. He pinned my arms above my arms above my head. I kneed him in the groin, and he fell in pain. "Why is that what girls always go for?"
"You gave me no choice." I said with a shrug of my shoulders. The instructor announced that it was time to dress back in. Echo came back sporting a bruise on her cheek. We dressed back in with the help of invisibility. I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder as me and Echo left. I hopped down the stairs, and onto the grass. I bumped into someone, and fell down. I looked up at the person standing over me. It was Alex.
"Are you okay?" he asked offering his hand too me.
"I'd be better if I wasn't on the floor" I said taking it.
"What's your next class?" he asked as he pulled me up.
"Spell Training. Then lunch. Then Element, and after that Guidebook."
"We have all the same classes."
"Fun." I said as I began walking again. He followed behind me in silence. When we reached class I sat in the back. He placed his books at the desk beside me, but didn't sit down. He walked over to a boy with blond hair, and they began to talk. The teacher walked in, and everyone took their seats. She was and older woman, with blonde graying hair, and faded blue eyes.
"I see we have a new student." she glanced down at her roll sheet. "Ryder? Ryder, would you like to introduce yourself?" I hated her instantly.
I stood, and glared at her. She kept a stupid smile on her face the whole time. "I'm Ryder." I said in a monotone voice and sat down.
"Well, I'm Mrs. Freidman, and in this class we're always happy, happy, happy." she said. She was so happy I wanted to shoot her.
Alex leaned towards me. "She's always like this." he said.
"Lord, have mercy." I said. I small black kitten rubbed up against my leg. I jumped. "Why is there a cat in here?" I screamed.
"Well, sweetie here cats can roam where ever the please." she picked up the kitten, and handed it to me.
"What? It's not mine" I said.
"Here cats pick there owners, and I believe this little bit belongs to you" she said thrusting the cat at me. The cat's small green eyes looked at me. I took her and put her in my bag. I guess she went to sleep in there because she didn't bother me the rest of class. At the end of class I pulled the black ball of fur from my bag. I began to walk back to my apartment to put her there when Alex stopped me.
"Hey, um, Ryder, do you wanna go to lunch with me?" He said with a smile that made him look like a little boy.
"Yeah, sure, just let me put the cat up." I said holding the black kitten up.
"You want me to walk with you?" he asked.
"Sure. Whatever." I said and continued walking with Alex following close behind me. I hopped up the stairs to the apartment, and jiggled the key into the lock. I opened the door, and walked in. I looked up at Alex. "Are you coming in?"
"O-okay." he said walking in and looking around. I sat the cat on the couch, and put some water in a bowl. I opened to fridge, and pulled out some of Parker's cat's food. I dumped it in a bowel and sat it on the floor.
I walked over to the couch and picked up the little kitten. "Be good" I told her as I sat her on the floor. I walked out the door, Alex following close behind me. I stopped abruptly and turned to him. He almost ran into me, so we were standing pretty close. "So, where we going?" I said looking up at him. He was a little over a foot taller than me.
There was a spark over nervousness in his blue eyes. "Where do you want to go? There's a coffee shop, and sushi place on campus. There's a pretty good burger place not to far from here." he said not looking me in the eye.
"Let's go off campus. I haven't had a burger in forever." I said grabbing his hand and walking towards the parking lot. He looked down at me a little surprised when I grabbed his hand. We walked to a red Jeep. He opened the passenger door for me, and I climbed in.
He walked around to the drivers side, and got in. He cranked the car. "What kind of music do you listen to?" He asked fiddling with the radio.
"Rock" I said. He gave up and plugged in an auxiliary chord. He plugged it into his phone and played 'Breaking The Habits' by Linkin Prk. "Finally! Someone with good taste in music!" I yelled hugging his arm.
He smiled down at me. I swear that smile could see straight into your soul. "So," I said sitting back in my seat "how far is this place?"
"It's just up the road a mile or two."
We pulled into the parking lot about ten minutes later. Alex walked around to the passenger side and opened my door. He held out his hand to me, and I took it. We walked in holding hands. I got a sharp glare from a blonde sitting at a table with her friends.
"Do you know her?" I whispered in Alex's ear.
"Nope." he said pulling me into a booth by the window.
A older woman with graying copper hair asked us for our order. I got a hamburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake. We sat and ate. Then the blonde girl walked up, and whispered something in Alex's ear. Then she slipped something in his pocket, and walked away with her friends trailing behind her.
"What did she say?" I asked him as soon as the girls had left.
"That if I wanted a real girl I could call her anytime."
"What?" I said angrily.
"That's what she said."
"So, are you gonna call her?"
"Why? Are you jealous?"
"No." I said walking over, and grabbing his hand. "Come on let's pay the check. Then go back to the school."
"Okay."
We paid the check, and left. I held Alex's hand the whole way home.
We pulled in the school parking lot . We were walking through the parking lot, and he stopped and turned to me. Before I could react his lips were against mine. He pulled away and I sat there in silence. "Is silence a good or a bad thing?" he asked.
"Good." I said pulling his face so close to mine our noses touched "Really good." I said kissing him. He picked me up and sat me on the hood of a car. His hands slid down my back onto the hood of the car. He pulled away, picked me up, and sat me on the ground. I looked up at him. He smiled down at me.
"Ryder, will you be my girlfriend?" he said, hope in his eyes.
"Yes" I said our faces becoming close again. I kissed him softly on the mouth. "Let's get to class." We held hands the whole way to class. I got glares from several girls on the way there. School was over at two.
We sat in the courtyard on a dark blue blanket, playing with the kitten. "So," Alex said to me "What's the cat's name?"
I thought for a minute. "Raven." I said to him. The small cat looked at me. "And look she already knows her name." I said as the small cat rubbed her head against my thigh. Alex laughed and kissed me softly on the lips. He pulled away and smiled down at me. Then, we heard it.