Clair awoke the next day, holding her stomach. It started to grumble again as she shushed it, "be quiet, it wasn't my fault. I fell asleep through dinner- it's because of my brain -blame him." She sat up reluctantly: She remembered sleeping through the whole dinner last night, leaving her famished on the bed. She sighed and started out of her room. She slipped on her school uniform- a black robe- with the school logo -with a yellow collar and lining, that reached her knees, a white top, grey denim pants and shiny, black shoes.
All students within the school got their own room. It wasn't very big, but it was more then enough for Clair. Their was eight dorms that separated the kids: These where determined by where you lived in Australia. This was only for sleeping purposes, the competition houses where randomly picked- with siblings and relatives being in the same house. Clair, living in the Northern Territory, was in Central Dorm. She didn't know what house she was in yet, but she would be able to find out when the inter-house tournament began. These were carnivals featuring events from cross country to athletics; this occurred through out the year.
She left her room with her bag of books for the day. LMS first up, she thought, then stopped to look at the timetable again, LMS, what the hell is that! Oh, I got science after it, cool.
Through out the school were sparks of multi-coloured, recoil magic in various and surprising places. She headed down flights upon flights of stairs, wondering how high she was. When she finally reached the MPR, puffed out, she saw Andrew waiting for her. He was wearing the same thing accept with blue lining, black, a grey T-shirt, track-pants with grey, track-shoes. He waved at her happily as she returned the politeness. They walked into the large room, talking vividly to one another about where they were from.
Andrew explained how he lived in Broken Hill- Victoria -and how the weather would shift with the season. "yeah, it's either too cold or too hot; I tell you," he began, laughing to himself, "and if that's not enough, there's bloody maniac's on the road. Although, I heard it isn't as bad as Sydney- New South Wales. So where are you from?"
Clair told him, "I live in Finke- Northern Territory -and boy does it get hot. I've sort of got use to it, but mum and I moved there only five years ago."
"Only five years ago, then, where were you before that?" he asked. A few more kids entered the hall as the two sat at a desk towards the front.
"Well, I was born in Sydney and we moved to South Australia shortly afterwards. When I was six, we moved to Brunswick- Victoria -then five years ago we moved to Finke, like I said. It's kind of neat, moving: We get to stop at all these cool hotels- some of them had free biscuits."
"How come you moved a lot?" he asked. But, before she could even start her sentence, they heard a light rumbling sound. Clair grabbed her stomach and groaned, she forgot that she hasn't eaten yet. She looked down at the food in anticipation, until she saw what was to offer: There was a large bowl that looked like white slop, and a white cake decorated with real flower petals. Behind it was a see-through jug that looked like it had sea water with something dark green- like a herb of some kind -floating around within it. There were other exotic foods that made Clair feel a little queasy. She looked over at Andrew in fear. He replied to the face she gave him, "I know, I felt the same way when I saw what was to other as well. But trust me, it's better then it looks."
"Great, choice between the white mud-puddle, the swamp and a desert garden..." she said nervously as she picked up the bowl of white slop. She noticed light steam evaporating off the slop and a scent of potato's. Accompanying the steam were hints of white recoil magic, as well as almost all the other food.
"It's potato soup: mainly made out of potato's with hints of lemon and sugar," he told her. Looking awkwardly at the soup, plopped some onto her plate. A taking in a deep breath, she put a spoonful into her mouth and swallowed. She rather liked it and finished the scoop. She looked over at the cake suspiciously: It looked like the top of a white wedding cake, with the rim of the bottom and the top dressed with a white cream. The top of the cake had the Sydney Opera house made up of brown fruit, white crocus, red roses and a variety of herbs; it was so realistic, it looked just like it. The base of it had of red roses in the front and a row of light pink tulips behind, and just above, the roses. She cut her self a small section of it off and ate a small piece of it that had contained a rose. She was a bit sceptical at first, but found it quite enjoyable. She was starting to feel thirsty, after eating three pieces of cake, and looked around for any milk or juice. But all there was, was that jug of water with the plant substance within it. She looked at Andrew for reassurance: He was too busy talking to Lucky, who had just came in. She wore the same black-gold robe with yellow lining- with the exception of a head of grade above the school logo -with a yellow shirt and a green skirt the came down to her knees. Clair could just make out the white sneakers she was wearing. She decided to take the risk and poured herself a cup of the steaming water with the plant. She looked down at the clear glass of water with herbs floating around. She took a deep breath in and sipped the tea-like substance, then swallowed: It tasted like blueberry, creamy peach with a hint of basil and sugar. She licked her lips, looking around- thinking. Satisfied, she swallowed down the rest of the hot tea.
"You look like you enjoyed it," said Lucky as she and Andrew drew their attention over to Clair. She smiled, wondering if she was being nice or evil. She took it as just a random choice of boredom and grinned.
"Hey Lucky, did you hear who's head boy and girls," Sierus appeared across the table to Clair. He was wearing the same type of robe as last night with a dark grey shirt underneath, black cargo pants and black sneakers. He looked over to Lucky, who just shrugged, "Julia is head girl, and Cane is head boy: Can you imagine that moron as head boy."
Lucky laughed at what she heard, "are you serious: Cane, head boy. Although, he really caught up on his studies last year. But with his previous record, I'm surprised that the teachers even let him become a candidate."
"I know, they should've known that everyone would of voted for him," finished Sierus and the two burst into laughter again. In Australian schools, students were aloud to vote who would be Head boy and girl. First, the student hands in a resume to get it approved by a teacher, then the whole grade votes for who will be next years Head boy, girl- nine and eleven only -head of grade- accept for grade eight heads -and sports head- all grades. This worked, pretty much, all the time- accept in this case.
"Hay, we might be able to contradict him at meetings now where year ten school representees," he said; Lucky nodded.
Clair looked over at the two and ask, "if your representees for grade ten, then who's the ones for grade eight?"
Lucky explained, "where heads for grade ten, David and Janet are heads for grade nine and Xile and Lise are for grade eight, I'm afraid."
Clair looked at her strangely and asked, "what do you mean?"
"Lise is sort of, strange. She's really strange, actually, and Xile: Never mention to him that your half- or any -part mortal. He has been here since preschool and his father works at the Parliament of Magic in Canberra. He has been raised as an anti-mortalist. Do you understand Clair?" said Sierus as she nodded.
She looked down at her table seeing what classes she had for the day: LMS- Library, magic and study, Science and Maths -and then lunch. She head to her first class, getting lost twice. Clair finally reached the room with a minute to spare.
She wasn't sure how she felt when she opened the door into the classroom. Of all the things that she has heard and what has happened, she was taken off guard of what she saw: It was a wide classroom with a lot of bright blue's and browns. At the very end of the room was a desk twice the size of the student's desks. Behind it was a young women, no older then 22, who had very fair, grey-blond hair that slopped down her passed her shoulders. A white shirt with a baby blue cardigan over it that matched her fresh, green eyes, pale red lips light pink complexion. The women looked up, from what she was doing, as Clair gently walked in.
"Welcome, your just on time," said the women. There was half a class of quiet students sitting there, chatting to each other. Clair chose a seat at the front, to the left- that way, she could see and she wouldn't be in the way for other people. The teacher finally finished what she was doing and stood at the front of the blackboard, "hello, I am Dr. Auro and I will be your LMS, room, home group- what ever you call it -teacher. This isn't really class, more of a study session to help you on homework for subjects for the first part of the day. What I do- for those of you who don't know -I mark the role to make sure everyone is here, and then read out the bulletin for what's going on during the week. We'll then go on to the study part of the lesson, doing the last minute homework assignments that were set out for you weeks ago. Research and bibliography requirements that you forgot to do and other school related projects that you're to lazy to even do a crap job of. Being the first day, we'll just use this time to get to know each other..."
After that sarcastically happy speech, she gathered the class around in a circle, moving desks and chairs out of the way. It was nine-forty before the teacher realised the time, "oh, look at the time. It's time for recess. Alright, everyone off to the MPR and then to your next class."
Clair looked down at her timetable: It didn't have recess on the timetable, "Dr. Auro, it doesn't say recess on the timetable."
Some of the class, who started leaving, looked down to check their's. The teacher just replied, "I don't organise the timetables, I only follow them. If you're still curious, ask the principle."
And that's all she said. Only slightly satisfied, Clair left the class room. As she stalked down the hall, she over heard a group of girls giggling to each other, "I can't believe that Cane is head boy. He is so hot..."
"I voted for him you know."
"He is so cool. He really gets rid of those muddy mortals, doesn't he, up at the MPR?" Clair froze as the group passed on, giggling rapidly. She had a nervous smile on now, thinking, it doesn't matter, I'm not really hungry anyway. Or, maybe he won't know I'm there. Choosing her first choice to be the safest route, she tell-tailed in the opposite direction and headed over to the science department. She stayed there for the rest of the twenty minutes, if only she hadn't:
"Did you see me charm the pants off that stupid grade nine mortal; didn't know what hit him..." she then heard a rough laugh. She looked up slightly to see a very tall, muscular boy towering over her: He had very broad shoulders that shadowed over the rest of him and his dark robes. The shadow that covered him was only surpassed as by his dark hair that spiked up on his head and on his large arms. He looked down at her as she looked away, hoping that he didn't notice her.
"Well what do we have here? Haven't seen you around anywhere?" she said in a deep, mocking voice. They started laugh. Trying to ignore them, she attempted to slip away when someone grabbed her, "as head boy, it is my job to know everyone. So who are you..."
Before she could come up with a come-back, or anything of the works, someone grabbed Cane's hand, "being the bad wolf again, are we," said Sierus, plainly.
"Ah, we were just playing, weren't we," he said, wrenching his hand out of Sierus's and grabbing Clair into a one-armed hug, "anyway, don't tell me what to do, I'm head boy now." he pointed to his badge on his chest.
"So," exclaimed Sierus, "I could still beat you at Airball, and every other sports, come to think of it. Didn't the blues beat the greens last year? I kicked your arse, fifty-six to ten, wasn't it?" He finished his mocking with a triumphant smirk. Cane, discussed at the foiled opportunity to scare junior year, stalked off with his cronies around him. Sierus turned to his cowering friend, asked, "are you all right?"
She nodded, telling him that she was only shaken up, "thanks. What's Airball?"
"I'll tell you when season starts," he told her.
She spent the first part of the day looking at dissected marsupials and algebra. Lunch came and all of the year eights were excited about the second part of the day with all the magic classes. Amongst them were Clair and Andrew. They were very keen on the second part of the day, until they got there...