Cora

Chapter 2: "Wow, I wish I had wings in times like these."

 I can't say that I'm not surprised that the school didn't burn down while we were gone for the summer. After all, it is a school for supernaturals. I never know if it'll still be standing when I get back. Who knows what those phoenixes are up to anyways? They could definitely burn down the school if they wanted to.

However, the School of Stellarum still stands there amid the roaring waterfalls. The dark blue of the rooftops and steel gray stone shine in the morning sunlight as students rush into the castle-like building.

The waterfalls rush underneath us as Caleb and I make our way with the thousands of other students that are crossing the bridge that connects the school on the waters to the land of Stellarum. I look up as many students also fly above the crowd.

Wow, I wish I had wings in times like these. Then I wouldn't have to wait in lines that took forever just to get to my dorm.

Since I'm a freshman, now, I will be dorming with the rest of the freshman mermaids. Professor Kalandriel, the Headmaster, hopes that by grouping all the freshmen with their race, we will become comfortable with our powers and our species before we branch out and make new friends. I really wish it was different, but I can't give up an opportunity in trying to make peace with my rival Chloe Aequor.

Yeah, like that's going to happen. At least I will have some people that I don't want to punch in the face dorming with me.

As Caleb and I slowly make our way to the wide-open huge doors of the school, I wonder what this year will be like. Plus, I wonder if the second half of the school is even more beautiful and full of secrets as the first I've explored?

From elementary school to middle school, kids are kept in one half of the school so as to distance themselves from the older and more chaotic young adults. So, I've only seen a small part of the castle that looms before me. Still, my best friend Lyra and I found many secret passageways that led to different parts of the first half of the castle. Sadly, for us, we never found one that led to the second half and we have been dying to see what it looks like.

Lyra has been my best friend ever since kindergarten. It was hard for me to make friends because I was too shy so Lyra came up to me with her big heart and pointed ears and asked if I wanted to play with her. I immediately agreed, of course, and we have been the best of friends ever since. She is an elf so she can do cool magic that I was a little jealous of for a small amount of time until I found out that I could control water.

I smile at the memories of our sister-like bond when someone behind me steps on the back of my shoe. A hesitant sorry reaches my ears and I whisper back, "It's ok." With so many people around me, I'm surprised that it took this long for someone to step on me. The school is full of so many different species that sometimes I wonder how big the school really is if it can fit all of these people.

It houses the normal supernaturals like countless vampires, werewolves, and witches. Though, there are many more different kinds of beings. We have mermaids, like me, ghosts, angels, demons, jinn; genie-like creatures that love to cause mischief, cyclops, centaurs, satyrs, fairies, elves, griffins, harpies, phoenixes, unicorns; which do have a human form, pirates, valkyries that each have their own winged horse, and gorgons. Out of all the species, gorgons are the only ones that will always freak me out. Even if they are required to wear sunglasses wherever they go, they could still turn me to stone if I ever anger one of them. Of course, there are many more supernaturals on our little island, but I've never been very good at listening in history class.

Our island is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean just below Hawaii. It is hidden from the human view so it makes sense that no one knows we are here. Just how we like it. It's quite a wonderful place to live, even if there are so many students that attend the one school on this piece of land. However, Caleb and I finally get to the open doors and after a kiss on my forehead and a big hug, we part ways.