OCs are now closed! I've got a bunch of characters to work with now! If I find I need more characters I'll re-open it, but for now, the roster is full! People who have submitted OCs, thank you! If you read something you don't like that involves your character, just PM me. Now, on with the chapter!

Getting To Know You

The first day of classes was upon the students now. Aki had deviated from the norm for academy schedules and started the school day at 9:30am, giving the students an extra half hour to get themselves ready for the day, which Hino was currently taking advantage of at the moment.

Hino shared a room with Kheika, someone she had barely exchanged two words with over the past three days they had been roommates. It's not that she didn't like Kheika, she just didn't have anything to talk to her about. They were both in the same age group class though, so at least she had a potential homework buddy.

Hino was a little disappointed that Xerxes was 4 years younger than her, and therefore had absolutely no chance of having any classes with her. She and Xerxes had managed to create a conversation the night before at the student reception thing. Hino found that her and Xerxes had some similarities that made it easy for the two to get along, which she was thankful for. She needed a friend here.

It was quarter to nine and Kheika was still asleep in her bed. Hino tried to be as quiet as possible taking her shower, getting dressed in her usual outfit, and getting together her school supplies for the day ahead of her.

The door knocked at around ten after nine, waking Kheika. Hino answered it to find a tired-looking Xerxes staring plainly at her recently-acquired friend. Hino was about to greet her before she was yanked from the room and dragged down the hallway to Xerxes' dorm room.

"Look at my roommate." Xerxes commanded as she shoved Hino's face in the doorway.

Hino's eyes quickly found a familiar dark haired french girl applying some mascara and semi-admiring herself in the mirror.

Hino pulled her face out of the doorway, trying to maintain a straight face as Xerxes closed the door.

"Afraid you wont make it to the end of the year?" Hino lightly teased.

Xerxes just stared at her friend as she replied. "No, I'm afraid she wont make to the end of the year."

Hino giggled at her new friend's remark as they walked back to Hino's dorm room so she could collect her things for the day.

"Excited for class today?" Hino asked, trying to conjure a casual conversation.

"Hardly. Take a look at my schedule." Xerxes replied levelled as she handed Hino her time table.

First period: Math with Bruno-sensei

Second period: Physics with Yusei-sensei

Third period: English with Carly-sensei

Lunch

Fourth period: French with Sherry-sensei

Fifth period: History with Professor Ariyashi

Sixth period: Psychic Abilities with Aki-sensei

Hino frowned when she came to the sixth period slot on Xerxes' time table. Hino had psychic abilities during that block as well. But they weren't in the same age group.

"I have psychic abilities during sixth as well." Hino informed the bluenette confusedly.

"So?" Xerxes replied, not seeing anything wrong with the scheduling.

"We're in different age group classes. This doesn't make sense." Hino explained.

"I'm sure there's a reason for it being that way." Xerxes assured Hino, literally having no clue why she was so worked up about it.

The two girls meandered over to Xerxes' first class room, keeping a light conversation going as they went along. The two parted ways after reaching the classroom and Hino pulled out her time table to see which class she had first.

First period: Writer's Craft with Carly-sensei

Second period: Chemistry with Bruno-sensei

Third period: Physics with Yusei-sensei

Lunch

Fourth period: English with Carly-Sensei

Fifth period: History with Jack-Sensei

Sixth period: Psychic Abilities with Aki-sensei

Hino made her way over to Carly-sensei's classroom, observing some of the paintings and other décor in the hallways as she strolled along. The building was quite beautiful. Chancellor Aki was obviously dedicated to this school.

Hino found the classroom with 5 minutes to spare. Carly was sitting at her desk at the front of the room, reading a book through her goofy glasses. Cleotra, another student in her age group class, was already sitting at a desk, reading a book as well. Though the book she was reading was large and bound loosely. It looked old, like some witches spell book.

Hino took a seat near the front and got out a bunch of her supplies. Writer's craft should be a fun class.

Out of nowhere, Jeff appeared in the desk next to her. Great, he was in her age group class. That meant she would have her entire schedule with him.

Suddenly her mood went from positive and determined, to negative and doubtful.

"Hey Hino!" Jeff greeted the pinkette.

Hino gave an internal groan as she swivelled her head and gave a very forced smile. "Morning."

Jeff titled his head at her as he turned his chair to face her. "Looks like you're not a morning person. That's too bad. I'll have to do something about that!"

"Oh joy…" Hino gave less than enthusiastically.

Jeff shook his head at her with a little smile on his face, finding this kind of cute on her. "Cheer up, Hino. Hey, where's your friend Sunshine?"

"She's in a different age group class." Hino gave disappointedly, temporarily letting some true emotion show.

Jeff frowned a little, trying to make her guard stay down a little longer. "That's unfortunate."

"Yeah." Hino agreed before she snapped back into her annoyed state.

During the conversation, Zebel had entered the room and taken a seat in the middle of the room.

The bell rung, signalling the start of class. Carly stood up and wrote her name on the board before beginning the class.

"Good morning you four! I'm Carly, your Writer's Craft teacher! I'm so excited to be teaching you! Today we're going to dive write into our poetry unit!" The over-enthusiastic teacher exclaimed.

Cleotra rolled her eyes at the teacher, clearly not excited for the class.

"To start off, I want you each to take out a piece of paper and just write about whatever is on your mind! Just anything! Be as descriptive as you can! We'll share after you're all done." Carly instructed.

Hino took out her piece of paper and a pen. She tried to come up with a topic to write about but couldn't think of anything. She started biting on her pen out of frustration.

"Why is this so hard?" Hino whispered to herself.

"Just close your eyes and relax." Jeff whispered to her.

Hino had forgotten Jeff was there. She looked at his page to find it filled up. A small streak of jealousy zipped across her momentarily before she registered his comment.

"Just… relax?" She asked in disbelief.

Jeff nodded. "Yeah. Just clear your head and something will come to you. Try it." He encouraged her.

She gave him a small double take before she took his advice and closed her eyes. She cleared her mind as best as she could and just sat there for a while. At first, nothing came to her. Then she remembered Jeff was most likely watching her which made her feel a little flustered. Why did he keep trying to talk her? She wasn't that interesting… Was she?

Come to think of it, Jeff was kind of interesting himself. His hair reminded her of orchids, which was kind of weird, but also kind of neat. Was she really thinking about Jeff's hair right now?

She opened her eyes and grabbed her pen, setting to work on her poem. She finished in 5 minutes and sat back in her chair, satisfied with her results. She looked around to see Cleotra reading her book again and Zebel staring at his paper and nodding at it.

"See? I told you something would come." Jeff gloated a little.

Hino rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly.

Carly stood up from her desk again and called up Jeff to read his poem first. He stood at the front of the class confidently, lifting up his paper just high enough to be able to read it clearly, but just low enough that you could still see his face.

"A creamy beauty, dusted with flakes of strawberry

Captures attention demandingly

Gives an aura of tranquility

Evokes infatuation from it's victims.

Sheer layers of shimmering, shining light

Grasps my vision without mercy

It is gorgeous

It is the Rose"

Hino was extremely surprised at Jeff's revealed hidden talent. The poem was beautiful and had made her tingle all over. Carly stood and clapped.

"Bravo, Jeff! That was beautiful!" Carly exclaimed.

"Thank you, Carly-sensei!" Jeff thanked as he sat down next to Hino again.

"Hino? Would you like to go?" Carly pretty much volun-told her.

Hino nodded as she got up and timidly made her way to the front. She was slightly hunched over, not wanting to share her poem and feeling a little nervous.

"Annoyance and confusion

Two things I know well

Both brought on by

Orchids

Though Orchids are beautiful

They make me feel crowded

Though I love to look at them.

This is where my confusion sets in.

Orchids

So simple

Yet so complex"

Jeff and Carly both clapped for her. Cleotra and Zebel had perplexed looks on their faces, not getting the point of the poem.

Hino sat back down as soon as she had finished her poem, her cheeks dusting a light pink.

"That was beautiful." Jeff complimented.

Hino didn't even look at him and just gave a quick, "Thank you."

This would be an interesting term.

/

"Now, you take your brushes and move them across the canvas. Do it now." Jack commanded his class of 17 and 18 year old students.

This class was the largest out of all the age group classes. Alexianna, Takeshi, Kheika, Vanitas, Stephanie and Grace were all in this class along with a couple other students.

Alexianna and Kheika were sitting together at their canvases, keeping a light conversation going as they attempted to paint. Vanitas and Grace were also another set of painters sitting together, though they didn't really say anything unless it was to compliment the other, or ask advice from the other.

Takeshi and Stephanie had chosen to sit the furthest back together and talked as they made random brush strokes across their canvases.

"Exactly how is Jack-sensei qualified to teach art?" Stephanie questioned her new friend as they both regarded their heinously dressed teacher splashing paint all over the place with his eyes closed and his face serious.

Takeshi shook his head. "I don't… think he is… qualified…"

"Probably." Stephanie agreed.

Alexianna and Kheika started to laugh at their little paired painting station.

Takeshi groaned as he stared at the two girls, Alexianna in particular.

"Don't like her?" Stephanie guessed at him.

He gave a glance toward Stephanie before returning his intense gaze back to the french girl and shook his head. "She abuses her powers… That's not right…"

"Not everyone can control their powers I guess." Stephanie mediated, trying to see Alexianna's side before complete dismissing her as a bad person.

"She does it deliberately… I've seen her…" Takeshi rebutted.

Stephanie just shrugged as she returned back to her painting.

Alexianna caught sight of Takeshi's stare and froze at the intensity of it. Her breathe hitched in her throat as she waited for him to look away, but he never did. Her stomach started to flutter a little as she shrunk back under his gaze and quickly turned back to her painting, unable to continue painting but just needing a place to look besides her fellow psychic.

Takeshi watched her for a few more moments before returning to his painting, feeling his emotions string out over the girl, but were they all bad?

Alexianna looked back after a minute or two to see if he was still staring, to find his focus back on his painting. She turned back to her painting and gave a small sigh before closing her eyes and calming herself.

Stephanie looked at Takeshi's tense expression and decided to try and lift it.

"Alexianna's pretty cute though. You can't deny that." Stephanie jabbed at him, hoping he might crack a smile.

He gave a glance towards said girl then looked back down. "I guess." He responded intensely.

Stephanie frowned at the response and returned to her painting.

Tension was already starting to rise within the group of students.

END

Sorry guys, I know some of the characters didn't get a lot or any screen time. There are still some characters I have to introduce actually, but I felt obligated to get two of the main storylines started. Don't worry, there are others! And I promise I will get the other characters introduced in the story! Please review guys!