“Doctor Reed?” Emilia reacts.

The chairwoman's assistant is surprised to see the doctor casually walk into the chair's office while holding a drink tray on one hand, and a bag on the other.

“Emilia, it's been a long time no see,” Carol replies with a smile.

Emilia immediately gets up from her chair and bows to the doctor.

“I was not made aware that you would be visiting the academy. I could have marked it on the schedule” Emilia says.

“Really?” Carol asks rhetorically. “I'm pretty sure I should already be in the books,” she says with a smile.

The response puzzles Emilia since she is the one who cleared the chairwoman's schedule today. She can swear there are no appointments for the remainder of the day.

Carol offers Emilia a coffee from her drink tray.

“Uh, th-thank you,” she accepts the doctor's kindness. 

The chairwoman suddenly appears from the backroom, heading straight for her desk space to grab her coat and keys.

“Emilia, I have an appointment to attend to. I'll be down ... town- eh?” she suddenly sees a guest standing by her assistant's desk.

Carol smiles and shows off the drinks and takeout food she brought with her.

“Location's changed,” Carol says, “We couldn't wait any longer.”

She walks over to the living area of the office to set the food for herself and Julie, the chairwoman.

“Um, doctor Reed is here, ma'am,” Emilia announces.

“I can see that,” the chairwoman responds and drops her keys back on her desk.

“Lunch, Jules?” Carol asks. “I know you haven't eaten anything.”

The chairwoman peers across the room wondering where the transfer student is.

“And Sam?”

“He's already eaten.”

“That's not what I meant,” Julie replies in a scolding tone, but her friend just ignores her.

Carol finishes up serving the food and holds up a cup of coffee, offering it to her friend with a smile on her face. There is a brief moment with the two women staring at each other in silence, but Julie soon gives in. She sighs as she heads over to Carol to accept the drink.

The two friends both take a seat.

“The kid is fine. I brought him here myself after all,” Carol assures her. “By now, he is probably making friends”

 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

 

“You must be the new transfer.”

An academy student suddenly appears right in front of me. He has a friendly smile on, but his eyes are watching me closely. Studying me.

“You know who I am?” I ask somewhat curious.

“They know who you are,” he says while pointing behind him with his thumb.

I peak over his shoulder and see two more academy students pacing towards us. One girl and one boy.

“Who the hell are they?” I ask with an eyebrow raised.

The boy is startled. “Really?” he asks, “I was under the impression you all were already acquainted.”

Well, I do not know who they are, so

“I think I've spent more time with you than ... well ... anyone else here.”

The boy ponders for a moment as if my words were not believable. Then a smirk appears,

“What do you say about you and I becoming friends?” he asks.

His words and demeanor are friendly, but I cannot help but get this uncomfortable feeling from him.

“I am always kind to my juniors,” he says.

“Ah ...” I huff, ‘he’s the pompous type.’ 

He offers to shake my hand, but in a swift movement, his hand is stopped by the tip of a wand pressed against the palm of his hand. The female student arriving briskly to my right. Her aggression filled eyes directed at the boy I am speaking with.

“Back off,” the girl orders him.

“Why?” he asks in an arrogant tone, “I am only making a new friend with my junior.”

“Josh,” the other student calls out as he arrives to my left, “he's our responsibility, man. Give us a break already.”

'Josh, huh?'

I cannot help but wonder what the deal is with this place. It just looks like everyone is on edge ... or maybe I am attracting them.

The thought causes me to chuckle a bit and all eyes turn on me.

“... Alright,” I respond and raise my hand to accept the handshake.

He looks the type that always wants to assert himself into things. The type that believes anything he wants should be given to him. From the corner of my eye, I can see a group of students making their way here with weapons drawn. They are probably his underlings. So, he is likely the popular type. And though he has not made any demands, I can tell that he wants something from me. He has that itchy nose that wants to sniff out things. It is hard to hide a trait like that sometimes, and I can feel his imposing itself ...

'But what can I say?'

“Let's be friends,” I tell him with a smirk on my face.

'I'm not that easy to manipulate either.'

He grins from ear to ear, shaking off the other two students.

“Of course, of course. It's always good to make your first friend,” He says. “We'll have loads to talk about-”

“Except, I've already made my first friend,” I interject, “and he handcuffed me to a table. So, what are you going to do to me?”

My words must have stunned them as there is a sudden stillness in the air with everyone, including the group of students in the back, frozen on their tracks. All shocked to silence.

“W-w-wha-what?” Josh stutters.

He looks about at his friends, they all look at him awkwardly, and it makes the situation more uncomfortable for them.

“I want to know how to prepare myself,” I reply calmly. “Am I going to need shoes? ... or pants-”

“Are you hitting on me?!” he snarls with his face contorting in visible disgust.

My slight smirk has not disappeared as I am enjoying this. I take a step forward and all the guys simultaneously take a step back.

“Well, I'm starting to like guys like you.”

“Pfft” the girl beside me snorts. She immediately pans away, shielding her face with the back of her hand, and her shoulders jittery from her trying to hold in her laughter. Everyone else take another step back, but this time, away from Josh.

Realizing this, Josh frantically tries to regain his composure, lining his shoulders and straightening his uniform.

“… Ahem,” he clears his throat, “I'll have to rethink this again ... We'll talk ... again.”

He turns and walks away. The rest of the other students leave with him. Only the girl with the wand and the boy with a cloak hanging over his shoulders remain. I keep my eyes on the party leaving feeling somewhat amused,

“Ah geez, that's probably going to hurt his reputation I'm guessing,” I chuckle.

“Wow!” the girl exclaims while clapping her hands slowly, “He is not an easy person to get rid of, so I am impressed. Really,” she says with a smile. “I'm Carrie Sosa by the way, a second year here in Roan Academy.”

“Thanks,” I reply. “Sam Holt. I'm new here, I guess.”

“Welcome!” she says excitedly, “my team and I have been tasked with escorting you around the school and getting you settled. There are four of us in our party, but the other two are busy. So, for now it's me, and this is-” Carrie turns to her teammate expecting him to introduce himself.

He remains silent, unwilling to say anything at first. He only looks at me in a funny way, and then-

“You don't really ... swing that way, right?” he blurts out.

The question catches both Carrie and I by surprise and I could her Carrie let out a sigh.

“This is an idiot,” she says. Basically, introducing him that way.

There was a moment that I thought he was really joking, but the guy seems really insistent on having me answer his question as he continues to stare at me weirdly.

“Why?” I retort. “Am I your type?”

“Pfft...” Carrie snorts again.

The boy sharpens his glare,

“No,” he says, “I can't tell if you are serious or not.”

“It's a joke, you idiot,” Carrie responds with a smack on the back of his head. She turns to Sam and formally introduces her teammate, “Logan Wright. He's on his second year just like me.”

“Nice to meet you,” I greet him with a friendly smile. 

“Yeah,” he responds with nothing else.

“Just ignore him,” Carrie says, “follow us and we'll show you around to your new home.”