Calypso High
Episode 5: Wizarding Class
"Wizarding, particularly formal spell-casting, is a documented science," the wizard at the front of the room droned. Marianna couldn't remember his name, but his voice was too loud and too dramatic for the course material. "Hence," he continued, "the large textbooks that should be on your desks right now. And if they aren't covered by Thursday, it's three points off your final average."
That last comment was directed at Mari, the only person out of twenty who had yet to cover her text. Usually she was better about such things, but her job at the Pilgrim's Bodega had been taking up way too much of her time since the beginning of the semester.
"Wizarding is also an art. If you don't have the gift, this class will be extremely difficult for you." Dark, beady eyes scanned the class, again resting on Mari. "Some of you," pause for effect, "have already demonstrated the gift. The class could be slightly less difficult for you... but I'm giving you extra assignments to cultivate the gift."
/Sadistic--/ Mari started to think, and stopped when another sharp glance came her way. /--mind reader,/ she concluded with an internal sigh.
"The first assignment, due for Thursday's class, is to read chapters one through three-- take note, that is one-hundred fifty-seven pages-- and do the _written_ exercises at the end of each chapter." The teacher paused ominously. "If _any_ of you try the spellcasting exercises, the entire class will be punished." Too many eyes shot toward Mari -- oh, joy, the entire class knew about her illegal misadventure with a love spell freshman year. Dava's eyes bored into the back of her head particularly potently. She started picking up thoughts... very mean ones, in fact.
"So keep your classmates under control," the teacher interrupted. Mari wasn't sure, but she thought she was picking up very pleased vibes from him. Why did everyone have to hate her over one stupid spell that she had already been punished for multiple times? "_Most_ of you may begin the assignment now. I'd like to see the following students around my desk."
He started reading a list that included Mari, Dava, and four other students, who (with the exception of Dava) warily approached the desk. Mari recognized Quinn and Eve from classes, and Luca was familiar-- the class president-- but the fourth was so far unknown to her. He looked... average. Not short, not tall, hair-colored hair and eye-colored eyes. She concentrated on him while the teacher shuffled pages, and eventually got the response /I'm new here, ok?/ fired into her brain.
"I heard that," the teacher said. "Don't make me fit you with mental inhibitors." As all six immediately looked guilty and fearful, Mari had to assume that hers was not the only exchange. "Marianna and Dan are on probation. _However_, due to the fact that you have been showing evidence of the gift-- all six of you-- you will be placed in pairs and given special assignments. Dava and Eve, a dissertation on the Dark Side, how to avoid it and how to defeat use of simple Dark Arts spells. Luca and Quinn, Raising the Dead and why we don't do it. Marianna and Dan, _under my supervision_, you will be explaining why Love Spells are a Bad Thing."
Mari hated her ability to understand capital letters in spoken words. Then it dawned on her... Dan must have done a love spell, too.
"All of these papers will have a minimum of eight references, maximum three may be from the Internet. Parenthetical documentation, sources cited, plus bibliography. Seven to ten pages, if you want to write more ask permission. No, you may not ask permission to write less. Oral presentation of fifteen to twenty minutes, including demonstration of one spell on a non-human subject. That's what we have green mice for."
/Green mice?/ Mari thought. /_Green_?/
"Those are available through the Wizarding Department office in room 256. Never touch Dr. Wharf's mice, just the ones that are in the cage labeled 'for student use'. And ask someone to put them in a take-home cage for you, they can chew through shoeboxes and backpacks. Marianna, Dan, you will only be allowed to use the mice under the supervision of myself or another accredited Wizard or Sorceress."
The bell rang, but Marianna hesitated, quite sure that she would not be allowed to go just yet. Sure enough...
"Hold on!" the Wizarding teacher said. "One more thing: if _any_ of you discuss your Wizarding courses with someone outside the program, including parents, siblings, boyfriends and girlfriends, best friends, and therapists, you will be expelled and a brain-wipe will be performed on you and all affected parties." An ominous hush fell over the room. "That is all; class dismissed. Hold it, DeSka."
Marianna dropped the book she'd been trying to stuff in her backpack and looked up, trying her best to keep her face and thoughts neutral. Something in the back of her head was thinking about getting on the bus before it left, though.
"Oh, you have a job?" the teacher said, mock-sweetly. "That's lovely for you, but it had better leave time for spellcasting sessions. I'm only available for half an hour after school each day."
Dan, who was also still around, glanced at Mari. "Am I to take it you're addressing me, as well, since I am under the same restrictions as her?" he asked. "Because I live in La Place, and as you know, there is no late bus out that way, and juniors are no longer allowed to drive to school because of a policy _you_ introduced."
Marianna's mouth wanted to drop open. The audacity of the new kid... wow! He could be her hero!
The teacher glanced sharply at her, and she made a mental note to read up on mental blocks. "You'll have to find alternate transportation then," he sniffed, then started to sweep out of the room.
Dan said, "You're not the only accredited Wizard we could have spellcasting sessions with. Both my parents are Wizards first-class, with defense-force privileges. And, incidentally, our home in La Place is a green mouse farm."
The teacher stopped in his tracks. "Well, isn't that just wonderful for you. Good luck on your project, then."
Mari watched the teacher's back as he disappeared into the hallway, then took a deep breath. "Thanks a lot, now we're in even more trouble than before!" She chucked a chewed-up pencil at his head.
"What? You can't get in trouble for something I said!"
"You're new here. You don't know how things work. That man is evil, pure evil. Oh, sure, he's never done a Dark Side spell outside of a safe lab-- that we know of-- but he lives to torture students. And ever since I did that damn love spell freshman year, he's been out to get my head on a platter."
"They shouldn't put spell books like that in public libraries if they don't want you to try to cast spells," Dan said calmly, ignoring most of Mari's tirade.
"Are you listening to me?! You push him over the edge, and I'm going to catch the worst of it! Couldn't you hold off till the end of the year, when I might know some self-defense spells?" Mari stomped her foot, then caught sight of the clock. "Oh, no! I bet I missed my bus!" She grabbed her bag and her textbook and flew out the door and down the hall.
/Damn, damn, damn,/ she grumbled internally. She was never late to work, definitely never for something as stupid as missing her bus. Luckily, it was one of the last buses in the queue, so it might not have gotten out of the parking lot yet...
* * *
"You look disgruntled," Kiri Heyward remarked, slightly bemused, as Mari slammed into the back office of Pilgrim's Bodega. "Something happen at school?"
"Nothing I can discuss without both of us getting a lobotomy over it," Mari said, dropping her bookbag onto a chair and wresting her cute jean jacket off. "Damn, I'm wearing jeans."
"Ooh, I don't think I've ever heard you swear before," Kiri said, perching on the manager's desk. "Do you have something to change into? I'll keep all the men out of here. All one and a half of them," Kiri snorted. She had dated one of the managers, and he had been dubbed "half-a-man" since dumping her.
"No, nothing to change into. I'm punched in already, too. Well, let them fire me if they want to, it'll at least free up time for homework."
"Yeah, I'd like to see them fire you. That would be like firing me. If they got rid of either one of us the place would go under!"
Mari joined Kiri in laughing at the ineptitude of the "adults" who ran the Bodega. "Yes, well, they're lucky I'm desperate for the money, measly though it is, or I would have quit a long time ago."
"You've only been working here a few months," Kiri pointed out.
"Yes, but like you said, I'm irreplaceable already." Mari tied her apron on, trying to hide as much of her jeans as she could with the unattractive smock. "Do you think they'll notice? The jeans, I mean."
"As long as you keep a register between you and any managers at all times, you should be okay. And if they notice, and say something, then make up an excuse, like your mother hasn't done laundry in two weeks or something." Kiri grinned. "I used that one once, but then my mother came in a few hours later and blew it for me."
"Maybe I should call my sisters to bring in something," Mari worried.
"No, you'd better get out there, the old ladies are getting restless." Kiri was referring to the older women who ran the Bodega during the day, until Kiri, Mari, and their friends got out of their respective high schools (Surf Strip School, Layla:) PHS, and Newshregsburg Private School, mostly).
Mari nodded, still worried, and went into the front office to grab a cash drawer out of the safe. Kiri followed, since she was working the office that afternoon and she should be out there on the off-chance that a customer might show up. "So, Mari, how's junior year going so far?"
"You mean besides wanting to kill my teachers and maim the other students?" Mari said, rolling her eyes. "I actually like trig, we've got a cool teacher, but other than that, it's the same as always. Chorus is really gonna suck this year, it's mostly freshmen. One, two, three," she muttered, counting out dollars in quarters. "Oh, wait, this is your drawer from last night. It's balanced, right?"
"Yeah, sure," Kiri shrugged. "Didn't notice any problems when I did it last night."
Mari nodded and left the office. She plastered on a smile, one of the stupider policies at the Bodega, along with the no-jeans policy. Part of her mind, though, was not on work. It kept nagging her about her massive homework assignments. The Wizarding teacher hadn't even given a due date for those special research papers.
* * *