The Academy: Detective Stories - Part I

Chapter 2. No Difference

Their classes started the following morning. Elisa walked into the classroom side by side with Jackie. Today, she wore a black cadet uniform with a golden dragon embroidery on the shoulder. Her hair was prudently brushed into a ponytail in the hope she would look more serious and not attract too much attention. The hell it worked.

When the heavy doors of the classroom slammed shut behind them, all heads turned in their direction. Ten young men stared at them, and a loud whistle mixed with laughter filled the room. Jackie gave Elisa a worried look, her eyes shimmering like two emeralds.

"Watch and learn," Elisa winked, addressing her. Then she clapped her hands, and the room fell silent. "Good morning, cadets! Maybe someone has a question for us? Ask it now because I'll answer only once."

The male cadets exchanged glances, and a young man with red hair who sat closer to them stood up. He was tall, so he looked down upon Elisa with his laughing blue eyes. "What did you ladies forget here? The perfume shop is on a trade street!"

The rest of the class burst into heavy laughter. Elisa grinned. Perfect, one more silly boy trying to mock me. He was the first one brave enough to speak up, though. Maybe he wasn't a bad guy, but boys only understood one language – shameless honesty.

Elisa gazed patiently at his stern face. "Is this all?!"

The laughter died down, and now everyone looked at her in silence, anticipating the continuation of the drama.

His eyebrows twitched. "Stubborn, then."

"Don't play with fire." Elisa took a step toward him, but he didn't move back.

"Why not? I'm a masterful player." His eyes darkened, and his pupils turned red. He raised his hand, and the flames ignited on his fingertips. Clearly, the guy possessed a Fire Gift. But if he was going to scare her away with this ridiculous performance, it didn't work.

Elisa gave him a scornful look. "Sorry, pal, this isn't high school anymore. Can you behave like a real guardian?"

He scoffed. "A real guardian?! What do you possibly know about it?"

"All right, I'll show you how to behave," Elisa declared, scanning the room. "First, thank you for the directions to the perfume shop. We might buy something there, right, Jackie?"

Jackie met her gaze and nodded. "For sure."

"Secondly, we're here to make this world a better place," Elisa continued, shifting her focus to the red-haired cadet. "Personally, I aim to apprehend those who think they can harm innocent people. Is that clear?"

The cadet nodded, his eyes now filled with interest.

Elisa adjusted her ponytail, moving it to the back where it belonged. "Well," she said, "I've answered your questions, so if you'll excuse us, we'll take our seats."

A red-haired cadet quickly sat down and opened his book, pretending to be engrossed in reading. Elisa chuckled softly and made her way to her desk, ignoring the rest of the class. She retrieved her notebooks and supplies from her bag and arranged them neatly on her desk.

Jackie smiled and placed her palm on her chest. Studying at the Academy was expected to be a challenging journey filled with obstacles, but at least she wasn't alone. She observed as Elisa settled into her seat and retrieved a heavy book from her backpack. In the morning sunlight, Elisa's golden hair gleamed like a beacon, brightening the otherwise dim classroom.

Jackie was seated at her desk when another cadet stood up and approached her. His hazel eyes held a sly expression. His naturally light-brown skin indicated he was from the South. Though not particularly tall, he possessed broad shoulders and a quirky haircut that reminded Jackie of the urchins she used to encounter in the bay, prompting a smile to form on her lips.