Wizards

CHAPTER 11: Roses are Red

Rei woke up with either excitement or nervousness. She can't tell which; after all, it felt the same — sweating, a rush of heartbeat, and a little shakiness.

     "Ready, Rei?" Brooke asked. It was unfair that it took her seconds to take out her robes, took her just a second to put all those to herself.

     "Almost done, Brooke, wait —" she was rudely interrupted by her floating pieces of stuff that moved on their own — her white blouse flew into her body and wore itself to her, her standard black robe wrapped around her, and her hair fixed itself. Rei looked at Brooke who was pointing her wand at her and said. "What happened to magic aren't supposed to cripple us into laziness?"

     "Well, you are slow and we are running late. I believe there are some exemptions, Rei, so come on!"

     They weren't late, thanks to all the gods Brooke knew the way around the halo-shaped castle. And they didn't have to use the map at all.

     Slamming the door open and quickly finding a seat wasn't as hard as running around the castle while avoiding collision with students who were in their vacant period. The noise inside covered the slamming door; it was barely noticeable.

     "We made it, Rei," Brooke opened after catching their breaths.

     Rei was barely listening. She was rather busy examining the classroom they're in. Their classmates were wearing the same standard black robes as theirs; all of them were interacting with each other like they already knew each other very well, some of them were even pulling pranks on somebody already. Some were already gossiping — really? And beside her was a man sleeping face down on his arm on the table.

     Rei wondered her eyes and thought: there wasn't much of a difference at all. It was the same as any kind of classroom as if it was the "standard" design; aligned tables, teacher's table at front, blackboard and chalks, windows for distraction — it was all the same as those in her world. Rei sighed hard. . . . Since when did she start calling it "world" as if it wasn't home?

     "I don't think anyone would like to introduce themselves to us, Rei. . . ."

     "Why is that?"

     "Because I am Brooke Binder — let's leave it at that. . . . But I do know some of them," she continued and then pointing at a sweaty large man with spiky hair, wearing foggy eyeglasses. "That one is Andrew Brown, I met him in one of my father's gatherings. He's a friend, but we're not really close. They own the Brown Burgers and Burp and Beers."

     On the far end of the room, by the window, was Joanna Severina, beside her were Michelle Nix and Lucy Farra.

     "Severina's family own the company called Seven, specializing in electric cars and top-class technologies in Terravir — Seven is Binder Corp.'s top competitor," said Brooke. "Would you believe it if I told you that Brandon Severina was once my father's best friend since childhood? But the race to fame and riches split that solid friendship in half."

     The man sleeping beside Rei lifted his head and stared at them.

     "No wonder it's loud. . . ." he said.

     "Neil!" Rei greeted.

     "I'm not loud," Brooke argued. "And you're not supposed to be sleeping here!"

     Brooke scoffed and pointed at another one of their classmates —

     "Everyone, quiet down or I will turn you all into frogs," said a man's voice in front of the room. It was lacking enthusiastic energy as though even speaking was bothersome — Rei, however, thought she heard that voice somewhere.