Nova Academy

Tis The Season

"Headmaster Shaun just called an assembly."

Steven watched Mrs. Ruemanns paler than usual face closely, looking for signs of what it could all mean. "We just got back from Winter Break! Is something wrong?"

"I can't say." She cleared her throat and hobbled toward the door. "Come on, son. We'll miss it if we don't hurry."

Fear. He could hear it as well as he could have if she collapsed into his arms in tears. She was afraid.

Of what?

The air was tense. A hushed room full of people was almost never a good thing. He felt there should be life in this near lifeless gym, but there was nothing that should be there.

There were no cheers, only quiet and anxious speculation. There was no joyous uprising of the crowd as one, no, they were huddled together in one large group in the middle as if a crisis had left the rest of the world uninhabitable. Like they only had each other.

Headmaster Shaun was pacing back and forth, his face tight. His face was heavy with unreadable emotion as he walked, and Steven didn't need his empathetic powers to know something had gone terribly wrong.

His friends stuck their hands up and he walked over briskly. "What's going on?"

Connie and Alex made a spot for him to sit, and his girlfriend intertwined their fingers.

"I don't know. But it doesn't look good. All of the teachers have been acting off. I missed you." Her forehead was wrinkled with worry, she almost looked like her mother. The only difference besides the obvious was the crease between her eyebrows, something he had not seen since their last battle.

He'd spent the last day of break with the Diamonds, making sure nothing was progressing as it shouldn't and making plans for expansion to living spaces. Blue was clingy, Yellow was just as flat as ever, and White insufferable. He didn't know why he kept going, only responsibility and dread forcing him to make sure another literally world shattering revolution was not at hand.

"I missed you, too." Even with the panic he was starting to feel in heavy unrelenting waves, the simple gesture made him feel a little better.

"Bubbles thinks there may have been some kind of data leak or something. Nova Academy is really tight lipped." Jasmin's hand drifted over his cheek while she played with his hair.

Steven raised an eyebrow at their behavior, but said nothing.

His eyes were closed as if he were sleeping, but he spoke clearly. "I'm almost entirely certain it's that. Gut feeling. A very strong one."

"Do clowns get gut feelings?" Alex joked weakly. That was almost the scariest part. Alex's jabs were always sharp, but this was dull and he felt that was the worst confirmation he could get.

"Mostly gas, but yes on occasion we do get the 'something bad is coming' kind." He shifted, his eyes squeezing shut. "I really do hate being perceptive like this."

They fell quiet, all feeling the growing anxiety. School was supposed to be boring, and also fun. They learned about sex to extreme degrees together, they had grown into what it meant and how to ensure tolerance and understanding between any gender or partner. And they did the menial feeling worksheets, the tedious essays and math tests. They did Student Government, they did paperwork. But the structure they'd had crumbled as they saw teachers speaking on the far side, away from any prying ears. Professor Adams patted Rueman on the back solemnly. Even Zir Guildmann seemed to be on frayed nerves, from the distance Steven was he could see his tense expression.

"Nova Academy students."

Headmasters voice was like a blade plunging into his heart, so serious it felt fatal. The room became completely still as they waited for him to continue, not even a breath to be heard.