Chapter Three:

Team Players

A man stepped up to a podium just ahead of the table that the teachers were seated at. He was in a darker-than-tan suit with a blue dress shirt underneath, had large glasses that kept slipping down his nose, matted white hair that reached just beyond the lobes of his ears, and I could guess that he was probably in his sixties. His beard was what caught my attention though; it had a very… strange design that I wasn't familiar with. The edges almost seemed like they were sharp.

He cleared his throat, and all went quiet. I guessed that he was probably the principal of the school. He was well respected, as well, considering he didn't have to yell over the crazy teens in the hall.

"Welcome, welcome," he started, "to the seventh official year of the Academy for the Gifted."

There was a short applause. The teachers, I could see, looked excitedly at us first-years. I had a feeling we were a piece of meat in the eyes of a dog.

"Of course," the principal said as the applause died down, "that would not have been possible without you all. You, and a few of the faculty here, are the gifted that the school's name suggests." He leaned forward on the podium, a small smile coming to his lips. "Be proud of who you are. Be proud of what you are. There is no greater glory than accepting one's own self."

No one applauded. Everyone seemed riveted on his words. I admit, even I was. He was pretty good at speeches.

"But this is not what we're here for today!" The old principal smiled and straightened out. "We're here to celebrate our return to the school, and those who have joined our family."

This one got an applause. The principal motioned to the mass of first-years and applauded himself for a time. We all just shuffled around, not knowing what to do.

"Now, we'll call you up to front by your names and sort you into the teams. The teams are as follows: Sojourn, Paragon, and Hero. The terms that you will be sorted are: your previous marks in your previous school; your personality when I shake your hand; and the choices you've made in the past to get yourself here. When I call your name, simply come to the front, and our vice-principal, Ms. Thatcher, will announce what team you belong in. Not until after you're sorted will you be told of what your team represents. This allows us to ensure that no tricks are made with any of your powers."

The principal motioned to a woman seated at the table. She was a tall woman (who seemed to favour the colour green) and looked like she enjoyed pursing her lips as opposed to smiling. Her auburn hair was tied neatly in a bun on her head, but she had no glasses, despite her age. She stood and briskly walked over to the principal until she stood beside him.

"Thank-you, Mr. Wallace," she said. "Now, students, ensure that you allow the person we call up to get to the stage as swiftly as possible. I'm sure you're all tired from your journey."

"Speaking of our 'journey'," Vi said, imitating Ms. Thatcher's haughty voice on the last word, "why did we take a damn train?"

A girl leaned over to Vi. "Because there's a barrier around the property, and only the train has access through it. If a car or an airplane, or even a flying Conduit tried to get through, they'd be destroyed immediately."

Vi blinked. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "My sister graduated from here two years ago. She works security now. She'd never lie."

Mr. Wallace cleared his throat. "Now, let's see…" He pulled a list out of his suit and pushed his glasses up his nose for the fourth time since he'd approached the podium. "Dani Strauss?"

The girl beside us straightened and hobbled up to the stage. But by the time she grasped Mr. Wallace's hand, it seemed like she'd regained some control over herself.

Ms. Thatcher looked at a list of her own. "Hero," she announced loudly.

Several students in the crowd clapped thunderously. Dani grinned as she was directed to a seat near the front.

"Victoria Stafford."

A girl who seemed like she could fall on her face at any moment because of her five-inch heels walked up and clasped Mr. Wallace's hand. She seemed confident, but there was something about her smile that I just didn't like…

"Sojourn," Ms. Thatcher announced.

Several more student cheered, some of the boys wolf-whistling while Victoria was being led to her seat.

"I recognize some of them!" Vi exclaimed as she pointed to the boys. "Look; that guy was the one who slammed his face into the wall when they ambushed Trish!"

I shrugged. I wasn't the one who saw the security footage, so I couldn't exactly agree with her.

"Violet Chance!"

Vi went rigid and looked at me pleadingly. We both hated to be put on the spot, but this was something we had to do.

"Go on," I muttered. "You don't want them to call your name again."

Vi nodded and approached the stage. She breathed in and out in an attempt to calm herself.

Mr. Wallace offered his hand, and Vi took it without giving it a second thought. It made me wonder why they would judge how you were sorted by how you greeted the school's principal. Maybe it'd be explained, along with the different teams, when the time came.

"Miss Chance, I've met with your father once," Mr. Wallace said. "Good man. Good shot, too. Saved my life."

"O-Oh…" Vi seemed at a loss for words.

Ms. Thatcher looked at her list. "Paragon!"

The kids (who, by now, I assumed were on the same team as my newly-inducted cousin) cheered as Vi was led to her seat. Trish patted Vi affectionately on the shoulder. They were on the same team.

"Nicholas Young?"

A boy about a head taller than me carefully pushed me out of the way. He had jet-black hair that seemed too unnatural to be real, slightly tanned skin (evidence that he spent some time outside), and eyes that were the colour of a cloudy sky. He cast me one last look before he got onto the stage, and I could see a pendant hanging around his neck. It reminded me of some sort of… well, to me, it looked like it could become a spaceship one day. It was silver, but it didn't shine, and the edges were black.

Nicholas clasped the principal's hand firmly and smiled slightly. It seemed gentle, intelligent and… careful?

"Paragon!"

More cheers. I was awakened from my stupor of just looking at him when a few more people passed me, their names being called. A while later, there were only a few of us first-years left, and I started to get an uneasy feeling in my stomach that, maybe, I'd been forgotten from the list, and I'd need to stand in one place until they called up the random person who was still standing.

"Kayce Grey!"

I carefully made my way up to the stage, my legs feeling like lead. I dreaded every step. When I finally realized that everyone was staring at me with these looks on their faces that said, "I-swear-I-know-you-so-who-the-hell-are-you?", I was already at the front.

"Ah, Miss Grey!" Mr. Wallace said as soon as I'd taken his hand. "It's about time I've met you! I was wondering when one of the Grey children would come!"

I gulped as I heard the few murmurs around the main hall. "Joan." "Kayce." "The fire Conduit." By this time, it felt like my stomach was doing somersaults! I couldn't imagine how Trish had felt when she had to be sorted!

It felt like time had slowed while Ms. Thatcher was looking at her list. Finally, she looked up at me and yelled, "Paragon!"

I think I was that close to fainting, but a third-year led me down the steps while the other Paragons cheered. I was grateful to sit down beside Vi and ahead of Trish, who locked her arm around my neck and kissed the back of my head.

From across the room, I saw Jay smile and nod at me. I'd seen him cheering when Dani was announced as a Hero, so I assumed that he was one too. The last of the first-years were called (none had been forgotten), but it seemed that Vi, Nicholas and I, plus about two or three other people, were first-year Paragons. The Heroes and the Sojourns outnumbered us, but I don't think anyone minded much.

"May the Scales of Justice be with you," Mr. Wallace said. "Now, you're all dismissed to do as you please tomorrow, but come Monday, classes will start!"

There were a few groans in the crowd, but nothing major. The loudest sound was applauding until all the teachers had left, and then the students got up and congratulated their new team-members. Trish hugged me and Vi at the same time.

"Ha! I knew you two'd be Paragons!" she exclaimed. "I got a bit worried with you though, Kayce. Ms. Thatcher couldn't seem to make a decision."

"Really?" It'd felt slow, but at the same time blindingly fast.

Trish shrugged. "Hey, it doesn't matter now. The leader of the Paragon team speaks with the first-years when they're chosen for the Paragon team, but I'm not sure who the leader is this year…"

"So… now what?" Vi asked.

"We can go back to the dorm. I'm sure that the leader probably wouldn't want to keep us away from our beds any longer." Trish grinned. "C'mon; let's go."