Chapter Twenty:

“Where the hell is everyone?”

Jess wandered around the dorm on Saturday morning, staring at the suspiciously empty place.

It was the first day of the holiday and yet somehow, he felt like he was stuck in a bad Home Alone movie sequel. Not even a straight to DVD one- even worse- a straight to Netflix one. Had everyone forgot to take him to breakfast or training or something? It was only eleven in the morning! He hadn’t slept in for that much of the day, but David probably had them running laps already.

Ah, well. He’d catch up on training a bit later but right now he knew that you couldn’t train on an empty stomach, so he wandered into the kitchen where Gwen sat eating a bowl of oats and fruit.

“Oh, hey.” He said cheerily. “Back from training?”

“What training?” she snapped and then shoved a spoon full of oats into her mouth and swallowed with chewing or tasting it. “None of these cancer dorm dingbats stayed behind!”

“What! I thought you were setting up a training thing!” Jess said, blaming her in the panic. “Everyone agreed to stay behind!”

“They did agree in that big peer pressure circle, but everyone dropped out one by one- even though I hassled them.” Gwen said bitterly. “All the internationals went home. They can’t travel home to another country over the weekend, so they all left for the long holiday.”

“Kate and Nora?” Jess asked hopefully. Maybe they would be staying in Keralia? Surely the Keralian students would be staying behind.

“They just couldn’t miss mummy and daddy’s summer garden party.” Gwen said in a mockingly sweet voice.

“David?”

“He helps the kids at his orphanage over the summer with their studies, and he had no reason to stay since everyone was gone. But at least he said he’ll be back early to train with whoever does come back.”

“Okay, at least. And Brentley?” Jess asked even though he knew Brentley was long gone.

“On holiday with his friends in Europe.” Gwen said. “They all left early this morning, with most of the school. Notice how I said most of the school? That’s because all of the serious dorms all stayed behind to train! Even the morons that don’t have a chance are here!”

“So, no one stayed behind?” Jess asked again pathetically. “Did you ask them too?”

“Many times.”

“Well,” Jess said. “Guess we should go home. You want to come? We can go out and get food or something?”

“Are you well?” Gwen snapped. “Just because those plebian failures decided a holiday was more important than the dorm games it doesn’t mean we’re not going to train. And I’ve already started writing to them and their families. Their parents need to know what unambitious npc’s they’re sending out into the world. At the very least I’m going to guilt them into coming back early. But in the meantime, I’m going to train you.”

Jess laughed.

“I’m good.” He said politely refusing.

“No, you’re not good. That’s why you need training.”

“Listen, I don’t need training.” Jess insisted. “Even if I am behind, I’ll catch up.”

“No, you haven’t been amongst wizards for a long time, you don’t understand how far behind you are.”

“Relax.”

She snapped, clenching her fists. “You’re exhausting.”

He sighed and left the room and returned with a pair of running shoes.

“Fine. We’ll train.” He said as he tied his laces. “Ready for a jog?”

“No.” she answered immediately.

“What the hell?” he asked in disbelief, throwing his shoes aside.

“We need to work on your weak areas.” Gwen said. “Any idiot can run in a straight line.”

“Fine then. What are my weak areas?” he asked, throwing himself into a bar stool at the kitchen.

“You’re years behind mages your age in skill and knowledge-”

“I can catch up, I’m smarter than half these guys anyway.” Jess said in annoyance.

“On a test maybe, but magic takes years to master and your mana pool is low."

“How do you even know that? I don’t even know my mana pool!”

“It’s because of how exhausted you are all the time.” She answered quietly. “It’s taking you too long to adjust to the magic density at the school."

“How long did it take you to adjust?” Jess asked.

“A day. And that was when I was twelve.”

Jess sucked some air into his mouth, like he was trying to cool himself down.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“How long do other students take?”

“Only the bad ones take as long as you.” She admitted. “Or the ones not interested or good at using magical talents.”

Jess inhaled again.

“I’m going for a run.” He said, leaving without his running shoes.

“What time will you get back-”

“Don’t know.”

****************************************************************************

No one came back early.

Not a single person bothered to come back till the day before school started again. And on that day, Jess kept himself locked in his room, ignoring everyone and trying not to get his foot ripped off in his sleep by Brainrot.

He was even more bitter when he woke the next morning realising all these people were just going to get on with their lives like they hadn’t broken their promises. Like they weren’t messing around with a serious competition.

He was in no mood for them.

He shrugged on his uniform, not bothering to iron or neaten it and stomped down the stairs where he heard voices from the kitchen.

They really had the audacity to be joking. Now?

“Lads, I’m not gonna lie, it’s good morning.” Matt toasted.

“Shut up, you wanker.” Jess swore seethingly, as he walked into the kitchen and Matt, Fernando and Raj joking about.

“Woah, cool it, cool it.” Matt said hoping Jess was joking.

“Weren’t you supposed to stay here to train for the dorm games?” Jess asked.

“Train? Yes. But we had to go home too.” Matt answered. “I’ve got friends and family I need to see, and a girlfriend. And she’s a human. I can’t tell her I’m missing our anniversary because I need to play in the death bowl. And ‘sides, I did some training whilst I was home. I did taibo with my mum.” He said cheerily. “I can lift my leg up to head now.”

“You literally trained to get effed.” Jess said in disbelief.

“I too trained,” Raj said. “My family was excited I was taking part in something. My cousins helped me train for combat.”

“You get any training done yourself?” Matt asked, still not taking offense even though was slightly annoyed when he had come in.

Jess thought about answering then shrugged. He’d rather not think about the last week. He’d struggled with even some of the basic spells Gwen had thrown at him no matter how simple. There was just too much to do, so he ended up dropping out from her regime a day or two in and resorted to teach himself. And somehow even though he never resorted to teaching with violence or threats or insults or any other teaching methods Gwen employed his self-study didn’t go any better.

In fact, it went worse because he constantly rewarded himself with breaks and treats for just thinking about studying or training. He’d actually put on a little flab from the late-night splurges in the cafeteria.

“I couldn’t get much done.” Jess admitted.

“Then why be upset?” Fernando said, rocking back in his chair. “You didn’t train either did you?”

“Whatever, I’m going to class.”

“Why not wait?” Fernando asked. “We have the same class this morning.”

“I’d rather head there now.” Jess said, not looking back at them as he left.

The damn front door didn’t budge again, even when he rammed his shoulder into it.

“Open, you little shit.” He hissed at it.

Again, it didn’t budge and this time he broke the handle, and he didn’t really care and flung the broken handle into the pool.

The classroom for history was in the arts wing of the campus.

He was sure another time he would stop and look at the wonderful décor and the strange and wonderful sounds and smells around him, but everything seemed quite bitter to him this morning. He found the history classroom and walked into the room. Most of the class was already here. The classroom was a long room with large flat desks everywhere for students to sit in pairs. At the back of the room were shelves and shelves of books and maps.

And there was Gwen at her table for two, sitting alone. With her grimoire and textbooks open waiting for the lesson to start. He slid into the seat next to her. He didn’t bother checking for his dorm-mates if they cared they would have been here during the holiday.

“Do you not know when people are ignoring you?” Gwen blurted out the moment he sat down.

“I don’t have anywhere else to sit.”

“Well, boohoo to you. Maybe if you didn’t spend all your time sulking people wouldn’t mind sharing a desk with you.”

“I’m sorry,” Jess said sarcastically. “Who were you saving this seat for?"

“Just don’t talk to me.” She shot back, refusing to make eye contact with him or even just look up from her books.

“Alright now class,” the history professor said walking inside with stacks of papers in tow behind him and a glowing purple musket for some reason.

The professor looked about fifty in human years. But for a mage he could be any age. He was pleasantly plump in the face and had curly grey hair and wore old British wizard’s robes with frills and gild silks on the pants and shoulders. He looked surprisingly energetic given his subject and even moved with a strange lightness. Hopping a little with each step and staying a bit longer in the air than normal. He looked like he was walking on a trampoline at times.

“All settled in, are we?” he asked pleasantly.

The class at least looked alive and responded well to him. Given how they behaved in the exam Jess would have thought they didn’t take this subject too seriously.

“So, how did everyone enjoy their holidays?” he asked, walking around and chatting to a few students warmly, and they responded equally as enthusiastically. He seemed like a genuinely good teacher.

And Jess felt remarkably guilty that this poor man had to sit down during his holiday and read the shit that Jess had written in his paper. Jess wanted to hide his face behind something, but in his rush to leave the dorm this morning he’d once again forgotten his books and his grimoire.

God, he was sick of that dorm.

“Okay now class,” the Professor continued. “For the first lesson back, as always, we’ll be reviewing the past exam and finding out where we can do better! Because as historians that is our most important job! Not just memorizing facts and dates but seeing what we were and what can be, yes? Yes!”

The professor snapped his fingers, and the stacks of exam papers settled into his hands.

“Goldwyn.” He called enthusiastically. “96%! Well done!” he said, passing the top exam script Gwen. “Everyone a hand for Miss Goldwyn, for scoring the highest on the exam!”

A few people clapped, but most scowled- more from their bitterness at not scoring better than from any dislike of Gwen.

How Jess wished some of the cancer dorm had some of the fight. Then they probably would have stayed over the holidays.

The professor kept calling names out, handing out papers from the highest mark to the lowest. After about twenty names Jess started panicking. Gwen didn’t even bother to make fun of him, because she was too busy scowling at the section where she’d lost marks.

Another twenty names went by and then some more. Some giggles and jokes were called as the last few students got their dismal marks back. Of course, the professor quelled the mocking quickly. But then he only had one exam paper left in his hand, and he came rather quietly and handed it to Jess.

“I must say, this was one of the more entertaining exams I’ve read.” The professor said. “A bit of conspiracy theorist, perhaps?”

“Just clueless.” Jess answered quietly.

“Well, I doubt that very much.” The Professor said. “I look forward to having you in my class this year. This will be your first year in a school, wouldn’t it? I’m sure there’s a lot you’ll be getting used to. But your cousin is sure to be helping you- right Miss Goldwyn?"

“I’m not a teacher, that’s not my job.” She answered back.

Jeez, she really did answer teachers the same as anyone else.

“It’s good to have Goldwyn’s again!” The professor laughed and carried on with the lesson.

Jess wasn’t totally absorbed in the little conversation just now. He could see and hear the satisfaction his classmates had seeing him score the lowest in class. But now their heads were all fixed on the professor going through the exam.

“What did you get?” Gwen asked, finally speaking to him.

“Seven.”

“You got seven percent?”

“No, seven out of a hundred and fifty.”