Chapter Twenty-One:

“Alright, people.” David said excitedly. "We've got a lot to go through!"

At least David could hold the room, Jess thought bitterly. Everyone was now gazing with complete attention, but Jess could hardly blame them. David was one of the Captain America types. It didn't really matter what you about him. When he spoke- You listened.

“So, we’re breaking off into groups for training. We’re going to try to bring everyone up to a standard before we start training as a team. We all fall short in some way so we’re not going to be able to work well as a team until we’re strong alone. The weakest link makes or breaks this.” David said, taking time to give a quick glance and nod to everyone. “So, the groups are as follows: we have team one: Kate, Gwen and Armando. Gwen is more than fit to lead, so she'll be in charge of team one.”

Gwen jolted in surprise at being picked as leader. She was the best academically, but she didn’t have much leaderships skills- unless this was going to be a fascist regime. But she nodded humbly and professionally and David seemed happy.

“Team one is a specialty team. So your training will mostly be honing your skills, maybe improving them if you can. You three have all been in military courses- and Kate’s the only support role we have so we need team one to be at their best. The second group will be: Hana, Matt, Raj and myself. There’s a bit to work on here. You three are exceptional in your fields, but we’ll have to train to get you up to military shape. But as I’ve said in your own fields you are exceptional.” David said, “So, whilst we train together, I’m hoping to pick up your strengths and see how we can use them.”

David was being overly kind, team two was a team of useless members that David would have to personally oversee. To call them deadweight was a kindness. An art student, a first year, and the tae bo twit weren’t going to be any damn help. And that first group might just be even worse- no one in their right mind would make Gwen a leader.

Let’s just see where David put him, Jess thought gratingly.

“Team three will be made of Jess, Nora, and Brentley. With Brentley being captain.” David said. “I know Brentley isn’t here now, but I’ve already spoken to him about this, so your team is covered. The third team is more of our wildcard team.”

Wildcard? Jess couldn’t believe it. David managed to make a misfit team inside the misfit f\dorm. How on earth did he manage that. Who the hell was David anyway to run this entire thing? Did David think he was in one flew over the cuckoo’s next? That he rest of them just had to jump when he said so? And he thought making Brentley a captain was reasonable?

Jess almost said something but everyone's heads had just flickered to Nora, who was sitting stiffly in her chair with one hand raised like she was in school. She was probably sitting stiffly because she was wearing an extremely poofy and dense dress that looked suspiciously like some sort of princessy wedding dress but was a hideous oily raven black colour.

“I would prefer to train by myself.” She said.

David nodded. “I understand but right now we also need to focus on working on a team where we can. I want these smaller groups of people to know each other, because you all have complementary abilities.”

She raised her hand again.

“You can go ahead,” David said quietly.

“I did not ask to participate.” Nora stated. “I never consented to being put into a team. And I never consented to be in the dorm games.”

“I know,” David answered. “But we need you. We need everyone.”

And that was enough to make Nora lower her hand.

A sudden wave of guilt hit Jess. He was being a moody little shit the entire day- the entire holiday. Upset over a problem he’d started off in the first place. None of them asked for this and the only thing keeping them here was David.

Jess hadn’t done anything.

“Jess, you happy with the team?”

Jess almost hadn’t heard David speaking to him.

“Um- yeah. Yeah. Thanks.”

“Perfect.” David said and carried on going over their training routines.

Jess barely paid attention, he had an apology to make and straight after the meeting he went to Gwen.

“Hey, can I talk to you?” he asked pulling her aside.

“So, now you wanna talk to me?" She said, immediately folding her arms. "Unfortunately, other people don’t just hang around until you’re ready to talk to them. You had the whole holiday to talk to me.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, about all of that.” he apologized again.

“Oh.” She said taken aback by his apology, and he was taken aback by her surprise.

“I got kind of moody there for second.” He said, rubbing his hair in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I was being unfair to a lot of people recently.”

“Yeah, you were.” She agreed. “But… Thanks for apologizing by the way.” She said softly. “Most people would hate me by now, or we’d just keep fighting.”

“That’s okay.” Jess said, feeling a bit of pity for his cousin. She really did have a hard time with people.

“Hey, um. Actually, I could use your help with something.” Jess said.

“Is that why you apologized?” she asked immediately angering.

“No. I just need an opinion.” Jess said quickly. “I haven’t picked my classes for this semester yet. I wanted to hear what you thought of the classes.”

“You haven’t picked your classes yet???”

“The grimoire said I had until today. So, I’m still on time, right?”

Right?

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

“How many classes am I taking this semester?” Jess asked, slouching down on his bed.

“You’ll have to take five classes.” Gwen answered looking through the registration page in his grimoire. “And you’ll have to write supplementary exam for the courses you failed so far, at the end of the year. Or you can enroll in completely new ones.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“But won’t that be a lot?” Jess said, trying to wrap his head around everything.

“Register for the supp exam.” Gwen said not explaining. “If you register for new classes instead of the failed ones you would have to attend those classes, lessons, assignments. That’s an insane workload. If you just take the supps for first semester then you’d be fine. You only have to take supps for the two exams you were enrolled here for. Be grateful for that, they’re being extremely lenient letting your slacker home-school lessons count for the other classes.”

“Okay.” Jess said finally grasping some sense of the situation. “So, two supplementary exams for credits at the end of the semester and now I have to register for five modules for this semester.”

Gwen nodded and made some markings in his grimoire. “I registered you for the supps. Here, choose your five classes.”

She tossed the book unnecessarily harshly at him, and it took him a bit of his muscle on his part to catch it.

“Okay- Jesus!” He gasped. “That many classes? How are they teaching all this?” he asked gazing at the seemingly endless list on the grimoire. The list of subjects kept swimming on down the page.

Language studies (Any language of your choice)

Mathematics

Physics

History of Magic

International Affairs

Biology

Magical Engineering and Design

Magical Support and Healing

Life orientation/Health and Civics

Economics and accountancy

Charms and enchanting

Chemistry and potions

Physical Education(General)

Physical Education (Military)

Combat Magic

Demonology and Other beings(summoning)

Astronomy

Astrology and Divination

Magical Theory

Defensive Magic

Magic practice

Human Studies(non-mage society)

Meditation hour (compulsory one hour a day)

Art

Literature

Music

Philosophy

Botany

Magical Energy Theory and Research

Magical Creature Studies

Geology and Minerology

Religious studies

Political studies

Sport and Recreation

Psychology

“Those are only the classes available below Seventh year.” Gwen said. “They get more specialized afterwards.”

“Man, this all looks interesting.” Jess in awe. Most of these subjects weren’t familiar to him because they couldn’t be self-studied at home. So, he had only been aware of a few of them. “There’s a lot to choose from.” He said, trying to read through everything.

“Of course there is. Just think on your career choices for a bit. What modules would be relevant you? What subjects you’d want to specialize in your seventh year? Whether you intend to do more military courses?”

Jess nodded. He knew what he should do.

“So, which is the easiest module?”

Gwen scowled at his question and grabbed his grimoire.

“Fine, just do that then. Waste a Boxtens education! I hope you know though…” she said glaring up at him. “There is no easy class here. These aren’t like the highschool classes you were doing. They don’t teach fingerpainting in the art classes here.” She flung the grimoire back at him. “Pick something you actually want to do.”

Jess clicked his tongue. “Just tell me what’s easiest, between the dorm games and supps I don’t have time for any difficult classes.”

“You’re not getting it, there is no easy class." she said desperately. "The standards are incredibly high and if you pick something you’re not interested in you’re never going to want to work at it. So even if it was easy you just wouldn’t care enough to study and you’d still fail.”

She did have a fair point. The history class was supposed to be easy but he knew that even if he had studied he probably would have messed that exam up for himself.

“Yeah, you got a point.” He admitted.

“I’m sorry, was it in doubt?” she said in annoyance.

He flung an old and freshly Brainrot-chewed shirt at her, and carried on looking through the subjects as she shrieked.

“How can they teach any language?” he asked in disbelief.

“Boxtens will hire a tutor for the languages the professors can’t teach.” She answered, flinging his shirt back at him.

He tossed it back to the floor where Brainrot pounced on it and started gnawing.

“I’m leaving.” She said, throwing her hands up. “You flung your dogs spit stained chew toy at me.”

“You wouldn’t stop talking.” Jess explained calmly. “But please stay and talk to me. Is this mediation hour one of the five modules we have to do?”

“No,” she answered sitting back down reluctantly as she sprayed herself with a tiny aerosol sanitizer that she took out from her blazer pocket. “That’s just to help with our magic control, it’s not a class. But you have to book a time to do it in your timetable, so you have to choose it like an elective.”

He nodded and stared at the page. He hesitated slightly before he marked off his first module of choice.

“Military physical education.”

Gwen stared up in surprise and glee. “I knew you would take that.” She said, surprisingly in a cheerful voice and not an all-knowing arrogant one.

“It’s just to help with the dorm games.” Jess said. “I’m still not on board with the whole military regime thing. I’ll take Biology as well. I was already taking that in the muggle school. It’s normal biology right? Not magical stuff?”

“No magical stuff.” Gwen answered, pulling out her grimoire now, and looking through her own modules. “You’ll start those classes tomorrow.” She told him. “The first day back is generally for you to pick your classes and get your last semesters exam scripts back.”

“What classes are you taking?” He asked, after she finished speak.

“Just the military ones now.”

“How come you took history?” he asked.

“I’ve taken a bit of everything.” She answered not looking up. “it’s important to have a wide knowledge base. It’s not about just marks, you need to build your understanding and adapt your knowledge and skills. Biology, maths, literature, combat- they all require different skills and make you think and behave in different ways. So I take the military courses and then apply to do electives on the side. And Boxtens teachers are the best in their field, so what you can learn from them you can’t get in any book or school.”

“You mean you take extra subjects.” Jess asked in alarm.

“Most students do it here.” She answered. “You need to give yourself as much of a chance as you can.”

“Yeah…”

“Will you take Magic support?” Gwen asked inquisitively. “You said you’d want to be a healer if you could.”

“Yeah- I did.” He hesitated. It was always a nice dream, but it was years of study and doing the most specialised subjects- and he’d probably be way too behind now. “I think I’ll take Chemistry and potions, and maybe… Botany.”

“Oh, yeah. Being a farmer is definitely going to save lives.”

“Oh, damn!” Jess said, ignoring her. “Human studies should be easy, I lived a lot more in the human world.”

“Good luck with that, it’s endless essays.”

“Yeah, but I can probably mouth off to one of those autonomous quills or something.” Jess suggested.

“Maybe you should take the civics class,” Gwen said earnestly. “Learn not to cheat on exams, or be late for them, or get kicked out of your old school.”

“I thought you liked me!” he joked, but she didn't match it.

“I do," Gwen replied. "Which why it annoys me that you’re wasting your time with this! At least take the combat magic class!”

“No.” he sighed. “How is that even a class… They have magic practice. I’ll take that. It’ll give me a chance to catch up.”

She frowned slightly, creasing her forehead and making her hair fall over her eyes.

“Well, good luck then.” She said as she rose and left. She didn’t even slam the door or make a comment as she left.

It felt a bit lonely now.