Spring had just rolled around. The sun was bright as it beamed down onto the campus. The leaves were as green as emeralds. Laughter filled the air as I walked down the outside corridor.

“Oh my god, did you hear about~” a random voice said from the right side of the corridor where 3 girls were huddled up whispering and giggling.

The usual gossip.

I put my head down and put my hands in my pockets. I walked down the marble path outside to my next class.

I turned the corner.

SMACK

I collided face first with a stranger.

“Ugh… I’m sorry,” I said, holding out my hand.

“It’s okay, I should’ve watched where I was going,” a soft womanly voice replied, grabbing my hand.

“Wow,” I thought to myself.

“What? Is there something on my face?” She started wiping at her face; with a bewildered expression.

I must’ve said that out loud.

“Oh, uh, nothing. Just wondering why you have so many books.”

“Oh, I’m on an errand from my teacher. She asked me to bring these books back to the library. I’m not too sure why she couldn’t do this herself, though.”

“Here, I’ll help.”

“You don’t have to…” she cut herself off.

“Too late now, isn’t it?” She said, chuckling, as I finished picking up the books that

remained on the ground.

We walked and talked the whole time. We walked for a while since the library was on the other side of campus.

Stolen novel; please report.

My dad always told me, “Son, girls like talking about themselves more than anything,”

Turns out that was true. Although, it was nice getting to know her. Thanks Dad!

“Hey, stranger,” she said, poking me with her free hand.

“Huh?” I shook my head to clear the daydreaming.

“I never got your name.”

“Oh, my name? I’m Nicolas,” I told her, smiling.

“I’m Carolyn,” she said, smiling back.

“Nice to meet you, Carolyn.”

“You, too, Nic.”

I hate that nickname.

We arrived at the library after 10 minutes of walking and getting to know one another. Well, mainly getting to know her.

It’s rude to interrupt when a woman is talking and my mama raised me right.

A woman was watching me from the window of the library, as if I had just stolen her lunch or something. She continued to stare at me while I walked the books to the back of the library.

“Thanks, Nic, for helping with these,” she said, as she set the books down.

“Yep, anytime,” I replied.

“Really?”

“No, not anytime.”

“Bummer.”

I got a note from the librarian to excuse my tardiness and headed back to the gym for Magic Sports, my favorite class of the day. Me and Carolyn walked to the gym together. For the first time in a while, I felt at peace.

“TODAY IS A 5V5 MOCK BATTLE! WE WILL CHOOSE THE LOCATION OF THE MOCK BATTLE IN 5 MINUTES SO GATHER INTO TEAMS WITH YOUR CLASSMATES AND DECIDE WHO WILL GO FIRST!” Ms. Smith yelled. She yelled it really loud, actually.

I might have some ear damage.

I gathered into a group with the people who were left out of other groups. We would be going in for the 2nd match. Our class decided that our two best groups should be first and last. It’s a good plan.

“Hold up, Dad,” Dominick said.

“Why are you interrupting me, son?” I responded, pretending to be hurt.

“Why are you telling me about your Terrain War?”

“‘Cause that’s where it started. It's an important part. You’ll see why so shut up and listen… Where was I again? Ah, that’s right.”

The first group went in for each group. While the matches were underway, me and my group discussed strategy and decided it’d be best for the 3 best combat mages to be in the front line while we have a mage and a healer in the back for support. The first group just separated and went their own way. The other team split into a group of 2 and 3 and pursued each of them one at a time until our classes’ group was down to 2. They put up a good fight and took out 2 of them but eventually succumbed to the overwhelming numbers disadvantage.

“Class T has taken Match 1,”the automated scorekeeper announced.

We are not Class T.

“Next groups gather at your starting points and wait until my mark to begin.”

My group and I gathered at the starting point ready and raring to go or at least I was. Mr.

Terry’s group gathered across from us. Carolyn looked over at me. She smiled and waved before we were teleported into the battleground.

BEGIN