The Academy for Shinobi and Other Wannabe Fighters
By: Black Rose Crystal
Chapter One: The Beginning
Fall had finally begun, meaning school had started trapping kids and teenagers in the boring white walls of buildings reminiscent of jail, without the thick iron bars of course. Boring classes would teach children how to be adults and, depending on the teacher, suck all the fun out of living from their young bodies. At least that's what Roxanne believed.
Attending school had become a mind-numbing routine for Roxanne Long. From high school to the small university in her hometown, the African American girl could not get any excitement from sitting in a dreary classroom all day listening to a teacher drone on and on about the muscles of the human body. She would much rather be outside reading, writing something on the novel she promised her mother she would write, or training at the dojo Kaylie's grandfather owned where she was learning Taijutsu. While she was quite intelligent Roxanne hated anything that could not hold her attention for long. Sitting in her Anatomy and Physiology lecture was one of those things. And yet she was known as an uber-geek around the school as she usually had her nose in a book and was usually the target for ridicule because she was half Chinese and had weird friends.
So the girl sat at her desk with the hood of her cat-eared hoodie pulled up over her head and text messaged her friend Kaylie who was at the Bayville high school only a street over. She was so busy arguing with the girl on how she did not act like Shikamaru from Naruto-even though she was just as lazy as the boy and tended to stare at the sky at random moments- she did not notice the shadow looming over her desk. She was snapped out of her conversation with a large hand with sharp nails, manicured to be insanely sharp and painted puke up pink grabbed her shoulder and squeezed.
"Ow..." The girl whines as the nails dig into her shoulder through her hoodie. She glances up at her Anatomy and Physiology teacher and attempts to smile innocently only to receive a glare from the woman named Mrs. Weatherly, aka the White Bitch of Bayville U.
"Mrs. Long I suppose you didn't hear me calling your name even though I have been trying to get your attention for the last eight minutes," Mrs. Weatherly says smiling slightly, "I know you must think my class is quite boring as you are failing it so I can see why you have tuned me out."
"I'm sorry Mrs. Weatherly." Roxanne says softly trying to ignore the loud laughter of the other students.
"I'm sure you are. Anyhow I was trying to tell you that you have been called to the main office and you are to get your things and head over there immediately. You will not need to make up the parts of the class you will miss as it simply won't matter anyway. Good bye" The gray haired woman sneers at Roxanne who simply stares at the piece of spinach caught in between the woman's front teeth. It seemed to move every time the woman spoke but never slipped from its spot and it was a large piece of spinach too. It didn't help that the woman's breath smelled like ass.
"Um…sure, thanks Mrs. Weatherly." Roxanne says tearing her eyes away from the woman's teeth and grabbing her things. She walks out of the classroom, ignoring the catcalls of the other students and glances at the student aid waiting for her.
"So what did I do now?" She mumbles to the blond boy leaning against the wall near the door. He was one of the popular kids, the kind that only talked to a person when they wanted answers to homework or too beat up a smaller student. It was a shame that Bayville University had cliques but as most of the students had gone to the high school nearby there was no need to change their ways since everybody knew each other. To the students there you would always bee the same kid that ate paste in kindergarten and received daily swirlies in high school. You were simply stuck being whatever the other people believed you were and you couldn't change it, not in Bayville.
The boy was Luke Gravies, star quarterback of the foot ball team and hottest boy on campus though Roxanne couldn't really see why; it was probably because of his short blond hair and "dreamy" hazel eyes. He was tall and muscular and was actually quite intelligent though he didn't apply himself since "The A-listers don't do homework." As he often told Roxanne to get her to do his homework for him. She never did and when he threatened her she fought back, which annoyed him to no end. She had given him a black eye once which shocked him and made him the laughing stock of the school, for a day, but he never forgot that and tried to make her life hell anyway he could.
"I don't know. The dean wants to see you in his office so he told me to come and get you retard. You try to kill somebody or something?" Luke asks standing up and heading down the hall towards the main office. Roxanne struggles to keep up with his long strides while cursing her short legs.
"Would I try to kill anybody, Luke?" The African-American girl rolls her eyes and blows a strand of her red streaked black hair away from her face as she walks.
"You know how you nerds snap when provoked too much. Now stop talking to me." Luke waves at one of his girlfriends and ignores his rival to flirt with her. Roxanne just rolls her eyes and checks her phone for any new text messages from Kaylie as she heads to the office alone.
"Been sent to the office for some reason, text you when I get out Kaylie" The last text she had gotten said. It was quite a coincidence that the both of them would be sent to the office at the exact same time, a very weird coincidence.
Upon reaching the main office she says hello to the secretary, a nice young woman named Miss. Blake, and is told to go on inside after being given a lollipop and asked about her family. While vaguely wondering why the university even had a principal, probably because it was so small, the girl enters the principal's office and takes her usual seat in a chair near his desk.
"Ms. Long. I wasn't expecting to see you here so early in the school year but luckily this time you aren't in any trouble. In fact this might be the last time you see me at all!" Mr. Winter says looking at her over his laptop.
"What do you mean sir?" Roxanne asks slightly confused.
Mr. Winter smiles slightly, "I'll cut right to the chase. It seems you have received a scholar ship to a very prestigious school in Japan. Do you remember entering a Martial Arts contest at the beginning of the year? The one you and a Mrs. Kaylie Nakanara tied for first place in?"
Roxanne nods. She and Kaylie had entered the contest for fun and to test their abilities, not really expecting to get as far as they did in the competition. They ended up fighting each other in the final round in a rare Senior/Junior Mixed Division fight and tying for first. The judge had never explained what the prize was, saying that it was to be a surprise for the winner/winners of the contest. When she and Kaylie won their parents were sent a letter that Roxanne didn't really care to read and her mother never got around to telling her about because she ran out of the house. It was all very strange.
"Well your scholarship is for 10,000 dollars to attend the Shinobi Academy for the Marital Arts. The full scholarship was for 20,000 dollars but as they had to give it to both of you they cut it in have. Luckily this scholarship covers everything you need while staying at this school: room and board, meal plans, books, etc. The only thing is do you wish to leave this school and start afresh in Tokyo, Japan?"
"Uh..." Roxanne falls silent thinking about how she would have to leave her family to go to a whole other country very far away. She knew how to speak, read, and write Japanese thanks to staying with the old Japanese woman, named Mrs. Erizawa, who lived across from her during summer vacations when her parents wanted to be alone. Those times were spent having martial arts contests in the woman's backyard and being her student while grudgingly learning the language by trial and error (and being hit over the head with a paper fan when she got things wrong).
"Roxanne, I think going to this school would be good for you. I know leaving your family and friends will be hard but that's what learning how to be an adult is all about. This school is highly credited and does not just teach the martial arts but other occupations and majors as well. You will meet new people and get to travel to a country you have never been too before. But it is your decision and I will respect it." Mr. Winter says leaning back in his chair and rifling through his desk drawers for a few minutes. Soon he pulls out a pamphlet for the school and hands it, a letter of application, and Roxanne's letter of approval to the girl.
"Think about it Roxanne."
Roxanne looks down at the items handed to her then glances back at her principal, "I will Mr. Winter. Thank You."
Mr. Winter nods and waves her away, "Now go on home. Miss. Blake has already sent your transcript to the school. In fact she sent it months ago. I don't believe you need to go to anymore of your classes and I suppose you want to go squeal about your scholarship to your friends. Correct?"
"Yes Sir. Thank you so much sir," Roxanne turns towards the door then turns back and walks around the desk to give the elder man a hug, "I'll miss you."
"It was nice teaching you, Roxanne Long. Now do your best at that school you hear me or I'll kick your but in Tai jutsu myself!" Mr. Winters returns the hug and Roxanne blinks at his statement before noticing the Tai jutsu awards on a shelf nearby. She opens her mouth to speak but Mr. Winter only smiles and points her towards the door.
She waves and walks out of his office then gets a note of leave from Miss. Blake before running out of the main office to get her things out of her locker and sell back the books she had with her. Once she was done she walks out of the school and heads over to the high school to wait for Kaylie.