"Rey? Get up already, it's time for school!"
Mei's harsh tone was commanding, immediately getting me up from my bed. I shifted towards my closet, grabbing a blue t-shirt with bold white lettering saying "Harlem is My Home". I grabbed some khakis as well, which, with my lack of fashion, didn't look too bad. I took a walk towards the mirror. My skin was a medium-toned brown, nearly light brown, with curly black hair cut short so I don't end up with an afro. My eyes were a strong brown color, and my nose was pretty small. I was short for a 12 year old kid, only 5 feet tall, and my arms were pretty skinny, along with the rest of my body.
Ignoring that, I trudged out of my room, where Mei was cooking in our kitchen apartment. She handed me my lunchbox and pointed to the front of the door, where a bookbag was laying.
"Don't be late for school, alright?" Mei sighed. I nodded, not wanting to make my mom any more annoyed than she already was. I grabbed the bookbag and looked inside. There, instead of normal textbooks, were magical study books, spell books, and a lot more. Other than that were my suitcases, full to the brim with clothes, utensils, brushes, lotion, everything I would need for the next few months. I picked up the bag, opened the door, and prepared my very short journey to the Western Branch Academy.
The crisp, sharp wind of fall was clearly noticed, even in September. .I felt…weird
You see, I knew I was a mage. My Mom, Mei Karn, was a powerful, respected mage, a master of fire and an ally to the Western Branch Academy, sometimes going there to tutor junior fire mages. However, I had never shown any skill in fire, or any element, at that matter. In fact, I was so certain I was magicless, I had practically begged Mom to let me go to regular school again just so I wouldn’t get humiliated. But of course, that wasn’t going to happen.
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The trudge to the subway felt awkward. Mom hadn’t given me a very large goodbye, even though she knew I wouldn’t see her for months. But that didn’t matter very much. She had just wanted me to go, knowing that if she did try and celebrate, I would just get angry. So, she quietly said goodbye and waved.
No matter what I did, the fear of school was dreadful, if not painful. I knew what was coming-going to school in Harlem was bad enough. Bullying was commonplace, as everyone fought to be top dog in everything, especially popularity. If you weren’t up there, then you were crushed to the very bottom. Unfortunately, because of my nerdy demeanor, you can probably assume where I ended up.
But more than that, this was going to be way worse. The school is, obviously, based on having magical skill. If I lacked the one thing you needed, then I wouldn’t just be bullied…I could be completely kicked out in general.
But, of course, I still went along with it. I took the stairs down to the Metro, swiped my card, and found my way to Platform 1. The dark, shadowy tunnel from both sides reminded me of my head. Was I truly doomed?
Eventually, I cleared my head of all that self-pity and focused on what mattered. Not failing. I needed to work hard, and maybe, just maybe, I’d get affiliated with one of the elements. If I didn’t…well, that would be unfortunate.
The subway zoomed forward, lurching and creaking to a stop, and the doors flew open. I stepped inside, grabbed a handrail, and prepared to reach the Academy.