Rrrrringgggggggggggg! The alarm clocked blared. I rolled my eyes shocked out of my sleep. Gigi slammed her hand on the alarm shutting it off.
"Good morning." Gigi gruntled.
"Good morning. Last night was crazy!"
We both giggled. Gigi slowly sat up in her bad.
"Yessss! We had so much fun! Even though I had to tell gremlin off!" Gigi added.
" I know that whole encounter was so awkward! I hope I don't have to see her today."
"Don't be afraid of her! I think you could take her!" Gigi spoke.
"I hope so." I whispered.
I hopped out of bed and began scrambling for my supplies for my first day of class. Gigi went into the bathroom and started getting ready.
Although my body still felt half asleep, I hurried to my first class. Gigi showed me the way although she had a different class to attend.
After walking down many halls and up several flights of stairs, we'd finally made it to my classroom.
The tardy bell rang.
"Thank you for showing me the way! I'm sorry I made you late on your first day!" I spoke to Gigi as she ran off to class.
"It's all good girl I'm always late anyways!" She screamed from halfway down the hall.
I knocked on my classroom door.
A middle aged short man opened the door.
"You're late little missy! And it's the first day too! I know you're a first year so this is going to be your only warning! I do not tolerate tardiness!" The short old man scolded. He had three grey hair on top his head, but a full grey goatee. The old man wore sagging large black framed glasses, he never cared to push his glasses into the proper position.
There were many rows of wooden desks with books and quills on top. The old man now stood in front a larger desk that faced the students. I sat in an empty desk next to an unexpected familiar face, Karmen from the train!
"Heyyyy Stella!" She whispered excitedly.
"Oh my gosh, hiiiii!" I whispered back. We smiled at each other.
"Good morning new cadets! I'm Professor Millsburry! Welcome to Bending Basics 101! This semester you will learn the most common offensive and defensive techniques benders use in battle! If you open up your books you will see diagrams of different bending stances, and common moves used in dueling! In this class we will only learn about these moves, but if you look at your schedule you should also be taking a class specifically for your bending type, and you should also be enrolled in a dueling course where you will get to use what you learn in your other two classes! So the things you learn in this course are very essential to your bending careers, so pay very very close attention!" The professor explained.
I glanced at my schedule.
Stella Vix Year 1
First Period: Bending Basics 101
Second Period: Water Bending 101
Third Period: Dueling 101
"If you look on page one you can see common bending poses." The professor performed some of the different poses in real life. Some students giggled.
"You think this is funny?! It's not going to be funny when you have to duel someone and walk out there looking like a dimwit!" The professor scoffed slamming the handbook on his desk.
"As we know there are four elements water, fire, earth, and air. Water benders are known to be the best adapters! Waters fluid in its natural form can fill and take shape —absorb— its surroundings. Water benders have the ability to heal, and can learn to blood bend which gives them full control over the body of whoever's blood they're bending! Fire benders those hot heads! Not that all of them are hot heads, but maybe hot hands? Not funny? Ok. Anyways, fire bender have the ability to combustion-bend, and even generate and redirect lighting—"
"What is combustion bending?" A student asked.
"I was getting to that! Don't ask questions until I'm finished speaking please!" Professor Gidby uttered.
"Combustion-bending is the ability to direct heat with the fire bender's mind. They can then ignite whichever object they direct their mind onto by sight!" Professor Gidby threw his hands upwards and made an explosion noise.
Students gasped. Even I hadn't heard of that and my father is a fire bender!
"Earth benders may be some of the most grounded folks out there. They have the ability to feel the vibrations moving around them which gives them almost like a third eye! They can feel where something is without actually seeing it! Awesome! They can also learn to metal and lava bend which I think is pretty self explanatory! Air benders are some of the most spiritual and peaceful practicing benders out there. Air benders can learn the ability to fly, and usually have an easier time achieving spiritual projection! Air benders are usually known to play defense but I've been seeing a lot of offensive air benders popping up at the academy lately! So exciting!"
The professor went on an on guiding us through the book, showcasing us basic poses, and techniques we can use in battle.
"When your attacker is gaining on you, bring out your defensive techniques! Block and dodge their attacks until you gain your ground and begin again with your offensive techniques! Got it?"
Ding. Dong. Ding. Dong.
The bell rang for class to be over. Everyone started gathering their belongings.
"Ah!Ah!Ah! The bell doesn't dismiss you , I do!" Professor Millsburry called out. Everyone froze in their tracks some students sighed dropping their belongings back onto their desks.
"Okay, now you're dismissed. Study everything we went over today for homework and I will see you in the morning!"
Outside in the hall me and Karmen started to our next classes.
"O.m.g. I saw you at the party last night! I wanted to come check on you after I saw what happened with that crazy chick but my room mate was a drunken mess!" Karmen called out.
"Oh you saw that.. yeah, that guy came up and started dancing and talking to me first, and out of nowhere his crazy girlfriend popped up bitching at me!" I replied.
"I heard he's really popular, and she's really rich!" Karmen added.
"Yeah, they sound like the perfect couple!" I added sarcastically rolling my eyes before ranting on.
"She threatened me and my roommate! I see I have dueling after this class... I hope I don't have to go against her! I barely know how to bend and I heard she's good!" I whimpered.
"Yeah I heard that too... Hopefully you don't have to see her in a match any time soon. She seems batty! I have dueling too after Earth Bending 101." Karmen said.
"I'm going to Water Bending 101 now. I guess I'll see you after class!"
We hugged each other before parting down adjacent corridors.
As I made my way down the hall to my class, my heart dropped to my stomach. Kimberly and her identical twin — who wore noticeably less makeup but was nevertheless still beautiful— strut down the hall in front of their girl squad.
She noticed me. Her resting unbothered bitch face had now shriveled into a disgusted scowl. She took two fingers and pointed them at her eyes and then at me before pointing the middle finger. Her clique passed me with a face of disgust as they made their way down the hall. One of the girls from their squad stuck their tongue out at me as she passed; another threw up an L shape with her hand.
I paced down the hall faster as my heart raced.
I finally made it to my second class. A beautiful European-looking older woman with dark blonde curls stood in front of her desk. This class had a noticeably less amount of students in it. The professor wore bright pink lipstick.
"Please be seated everyone! I'm Professor Tipton one of the finest water benders in the lands if I must add! I'm delighted to be teaching you all what I know this school year! All of you are first year water benders so that means you're all at the beginning of an extremely enriching journey! Unlike our opposite bending sign, Earth, us water benders are more fluid with our bending dynamics. We can switch from an offensive move to a defensive move in the same action. We're constantly changing our bending by what's being thrown at us , sometimes literally! Our bending is powered by the moon and the ocean spirits. Our powers are the strongest at night! Fun fact the first ever water benders learned by watching how the moon pulled the ocean tides back and forth."
Professor Wilbur twirled her hands around and water began to swirl around her following the motions of her hands. She threw her hands towards us lightly spraying us all with water.
The class laughed, some students were noticeably upset by the water. I needed it to wake up! Although, I was really happy learning about water bending.
"Now what are you water benders going to do about that? Stay wet? Bend it off!"
Some students started to bend the water droplets off of their areas.
"Professor, I don't know how." I called out, embarrassed.
A rude student in the back of the class laughed.
"What's funny? Didn't you have to start somewhere too?!" The Professor screamed at the arrogant student.
"Feel it. It's within you. Everything you need is already inside of you my dear!" The professor smiled showing her beautiful pearly whites.
I closed my eyes. I felt the water on my skin and could see the droplets all over my desk. I imagined bending them off me in my mind..
But nothing happened! I strained my brain as hard as I could!
"Don't kill yourself." The same arrogant boy in the back commented.
"ONE MORE PEEP OUT OF YOU AND IM SENDING YOU STRAIGHT TO THE PRINCIPALS OFFICE!" The professor blared.
"It's okay. Today's only the first day, you will get it!" She added before bending the water off of me. I was the only student in the entire class who couldn't do it. What was wrong with me?
On your desks are ancient water bending scrolls with basic water bending moves that I want you guys to practice for homework. I'm going to go through them right now.
She moved her hands in a clock wise position make a blob of water rotate around her in a perfect orbit as the blobbed approached her right side, she flicked her right arm quickly sending the water flailing against the far wall.
Pssssshhhhhhhhh! The water crashed against the stone wall.
She did this same technique although this time she did it quicker and constantly threw water against the two side walls repeatedly now with her left and right arms; alternating each time.
SPLISH! Splash! SPLISH! Splash! The two walls were now drenched with water.
She stopped.
All of us applauded her.
"And that's how you water whip! For our last exercise today we're going to play water bomb. Pass the blob of water around to your classmates whoever drops it gets bombed with water. Even if you don't think you're ready, try!" The professors formed a blob of water before flicking her arm towards a student who then used both of their hands to guide the blob of water to the next student, and so on.
The water blob shook and dripped as it passed down the rows of students. My heart beat raced faster as it grew closer to me.
Three students away, two students away, one student away. OH SHIT IT WAS MY TURN! I maneuvered my hands towards the next student—
SPLASHHHH! The blob of water drenched me.
The class burst out into laughter. The Professor frowned before bending the water off of me once again.
Ding. Dong. Ding. Dong. The bell to dismiss class had rang. Everyone started gathering their belongings.
"Are we going to learn to blood bend?" A student blurted out over the sound of papers rattling and book bag zippers.
"Hell no! I would never teach such a demonic form of bending! Nor are we allowed to, and that's the last I want to hear it mentioned in my classroom! Practice your scrolls for homework. See you all tomorrow!"
I moped my way out of the classroom. I had zero motivation to go to dueling class now. I just wanted to lock myself in my dorm for the rest of the year! I was utterly humiliated not once but twice in class. Why was I the only one who couldn't bend?
I sighed as I made my way to the dueling building.
Outside the main building, I approached a dome shaped building made of white stone with two large glass doors at the entrance, fancy. There was already a crowd of students making their way into the building. I spotted Karmen through the crowd and ran over to her desperate to vent.
"Hey Karmen!" I called out over the ruckus of the other students.
"Hey Stella, what's up?" Karmen sported her usual friendly smile as we walked inside.
"My last class was a disaster! Hopefully this one goes better..." I frowned.
Karmen rubbed my shoulder.
"You'll be fine. Remember today's only the first day!"
I wish I was feeling as perky as she was right now. My eyes shot open as we entered the arena! There stadium was flooded with seats. In the middle of the floor sat a large dueling floor. The dueling floor was marked with red colored half circles on each end. I guessed that's where the duelers would stand before the match began. Two red lines spaced a feet apart were marked straight across the center of the ring.
On one side of the ring sat a judging table that sat on top of platinum poles that hoisted it slightly over the ring for the best view possible! and behind that table sat ,no one other than,President Ruth! She sported an evil grin as the seats crowded with students. As we began to sit she screamed into a loudspeaker.
"Good evening students! I hope you've had as great a day as I. I know some of you are probably shaking in your boots wondering if you're about to end up on that floor today, but no worries we never duel on the first day. Tomorrow, we will fight! In this course you must duel at least two times a week! On the days you aren't scheduled for a duel you may either spectate your class's duels, or report to the indoor Gymnasium and practice your skills during this class's time period! Either or and nothing else in between. To pass this course your must successfully win at least half the battles you compete in during this semester! You will only be placed against students one year above , below, or the same as you. Absolutely No blood bending allowed AT ALL! No lightning, fire benders, unless your going against another fire bender! Check the bulletin on the wall by the entrance for your dueling dates. As for today report to the gymnasium to practice." Professor Ruth gather her stack of papers and made her way out of the arena.
Students flocked to the bulletin board by the entrance trying to see when their first duel was scheduled. I pushed my way through the crowd, to the front, to read the bulletin board.
My eyes fell straight to my name.
Stella Vix - Tuesday, Wednesday
I wanted to barf. I literally started to feel sick. I couldn't believe I had to duel ,not only tomorrow, but the day after that too! I still have no idea how to bend!
Karmen and Gigi were also scanning for their names.
"Woohoo! Thursday and Friday!" Gigi clapped, throwing her hands into the air.
" Ya girl did not feel like fighting tomorrow! I'm still hungover from the party." Gigi added. Her blonde hair strands sprawled out in different directions. It looks like she didn't bother brushing her hair this morning, but who cares? Gigi doesn't!
"Tuesday and Friday for me." Karmen called out.
"I guess I'll be fighting tomorrow too..." Karmen said looking over at me.
This is the first time I've heard her sound a bit uneasy.
"Wednesday and Thursday!" A familiar soft yet bitchy voice boasted. It was no one other than Kimberly Mendoza.
Holy shit Kimberly and I have one of the same dueling days! Played through my mind repeatedly.
"Come on, let's go to the gym and practice!" Gigi said to me hooking me by the arm.
"I could definitely use some! Wait, I haven't introduced you two. Karmen this is my roommate Gigi! Gigi this is my friend Karmen that I met on the train ride here!" They both smiled and waved at each other and we all walked out of the arena back into the autumn warmth, and walked down the sidewalk until we made it into the gymnasium.
Inside the large room students had already began practicing. On one side of the gym we're a group of punching bags that students had already began unleashing their bending on sending their bags flying in all directions. On another side there were students standing across from each other practicing close combat moves. A fire bender formed flame daggers with both his hands as he tried to burn his opponent who dodged every attempted attack! Beside them an earth bending was chucking small rocks at his opponent who kicked and punched every slab into pebbles. In the middle of the gymnasium sat a large obstacle course. All four elements were incorporated into it. From the ignited rings of fire, to the rock wall most had to scale, to the tightrope hoisted high in the air sitting over a pool of water that led you to the finish line. There were also obstacles of every element waiting to hit you as you made your way through the course. I knew this is where I needed to be!
Then all of a sudden the president swooped in.
"AH! AH!AH! WHO SAID YOU COULD RUN MY OBSTACLE COURSE?! EVERYONE GET OFF IT NOW AND GET IN A LINE! EVERYONEEEEE!" The President screamed.
Phew! I'm happy I hadn't step foot on it yet!
All the students in the room quickly made one line.
"I want everyone to go down the line and hit the punching bag with all the force you can. You get one hit. BEGIN!"
My heart lit back up. I wasn't too far from the beginning of the line and now the whole class was watching.
Rio was at the beginning of the line. He walked over to the punching bag and without hesitating he joined his palms together aiming them at the punching bag before bending an enormous blast of fire! The punching bag dismantled, exploding into many ignited pieces.
The president laughed manically.
"You're such show off! NEXT!" She screamed
Behind him was Gigi who walked over to another punching bag before jumping into the air while lifting her arms high above her head, mid air she aimed her feet at the bag sending a powerful lash of wind toward the punching bag, knocking the bag off of its chain and onto the ground!
BOOOOM! You could hear the power behind her bending as it connected with the punching bag.
"Not too shabby, but I've seen better! NEXT!" The president nagged.
There was no one in front of me. Oh shit! It was my turn...
I slowly walked over to a punching bag.
"You've got this Stella!" Gigi called out from the sidelines.
"Can you walk a little faster we don't have all day?" The president mocked.
I stumbled over to the punching bag. My knees shook beneath me. My horrible first day replayed over and over, and I realized this could be my chance to make it better. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and threw my arm towards the punching bag hoping water would appear, but... there was nothing.
"Did I blink too fast?" The president asked; peering from behind.
Students laughed from the sidelines. Kimberly made sure to be the loudest. She fell on the floor and started rolling around as she cackled.
I closed my eyes again , attempting to block out my surroundings. I aimed my palms towards the punching bag, and imagined me obliterating it with a blast of water, but still, there was nothing!
"This is who caught your eye last night? A bum who can't even bend?!" Kimberly blurted to Rio. She continued to laugh, even louder than before.
"Im going to light your ass up in a match!" Kimberly spoke, now staring directly at me.
As I looked into her evil brown eyes my body filled with scorn. In an instant I looked back at the punching bag and swung my arms towards it unleashing a splash of water that knocked the punching backwards and forwards!
My anxiety was now replaced with excitement as my heart lit up once more! I could feel my eyes begin to swell with tears but I held them back... I couldn't believe I just bended!
I noticed Rio, Gigi, Karmen, and others cheered for me in the sidelines. Kimberly was trying to get Rio to stop placing her hands over his mouth. He shoved her away.
"Thirds times a charm. I guess? You'll have to do way better then that if you want to survive at this academy!" The president screamed.
"Exactly! Because that was absolutely pitiful! I don't know what everyone's cheering for?"Kimberly added.
She then skipped the line, walked over to a punching bag and with the point of one finger a small orange flame appeared at her finger tip before exploding into a huge blast that completely obliterated the punching bag!
KABOoOoOoOoOMMMMMMM!
The walls shook from the explosion.
"That's what I'm gonna do to your face!" She said looking back at me, grinning evilly.
I was absolutely terrified as my body shook from the shockwave of the explosion.
Rio walked over to me placing his warm hand on my shoulder. He gazed into my eyes with his piercing hazel eyes. He wore a tank top exposing his larger than average biceps.
"Don't mind her! She's just wants to throw you off your A game. You just rocked that punching bag with your bending, and you can rock her too!" Rio exclaimed before looking back over to Kimberly.
"HAHAHAAA! I want to see her try! That's so cute how you're over there taking her side, defending her and shit! Just remember the side you chose Rio Salvatore, because I promise... I promise you're going to regret leaving my side!" She screamed. Her voice wavered with anger and hurt.
"You were such a toxic girlfriend Kimberly! If you weren't having a good day, no one was, and if you are having a good one you still put everyone around you down! You're evil, and you're selfish! I would never date someone like you again!" Rio screamed angrily at her.
"Never say never Rio... I'm sure your mother told you that." Kimberly snickered.
Rio's eyes lit up with rage. I could see him ready to explode!
"HEY! This isn't soap opera class. It's practice time! Save your anger for your dueling matches tomorrow! Who's next?" President Ruth screamed.
We continued down the line of students who sent their bending attacks towards the punching bags, all the way until the very last student, and then President Ruth dismissed the class.
