Riptide Academy

Celebrations

Howards POV:

Now that Alex knew, I could trust Charli to tone down her excess amount of work. Well, sort of. She still hasn't broken from the mental reigns of my sister. Eugh. Why did I not see it sooner.

Students had been reporting sightings of mysterious people who had extraordinary powers. I called Kyia to explain. She was the one who called bullshit. Maybe somehow making deranged stories up from Marcus fight with Alexandra.

About that. The whole school staff and committee had to be convinced that Marcus had attacked Charli.

Considering Charli was my Niece it was an outrageous allegation. And Marcus's father, Christopher, was one who could buy everyone's opinion. He certainly had the money. He could also pull funding for most of the school.

But enough of that.

I had been calling the statements bluff until Kyia showed me a video. A video caught on a police body camera of the weird encounter with this shadowy monster that had made the front page of just about everything. In the footage stood, very clearly, five people. And as the clip progressed my mind changed about what people had been saying. They. Did. Have. Powers.

"The people higher up don't want to press charges. They just want to find out who these people are and why the attacks are so frequent around the school."

I swiveled in my chair, "Has anyone seen or reported odd behavior by students around the school?"

"No," She replied. "Though, some have noticed Marcus giving Charli and her friends a wide berth. Especially Alex and Charli."

I laughed at that.

"No. I don't think any of our students would cope with living double lives. Especially after the school has been sent into lockdown twice because of these....attacks'."

"Don't worry Demitry. My colleagues and I are working every second we get to try and find out who they are and what is causing this."

"Thanks Kyia. I'll see you down at the Centenary parade in a few minutes. Going to get changed into something more....professional." I sighed.

"What's more professional than Howards in an oversized T-shirt and pajama pants with her hair in a messy bun." Kyia laughed.

"Ohh! Go shoot your funny business somewhere else. I'm almost late." I said, shutting the door to my room.

I did up the buttons on my white dress shirt before making sure my black dress pants were secure with the black belt I had fastened around my waist before chucking on my denim blue coloured blazer and fastened the buttons.

I never dressed up fancy. Only on special occasions for the school. And the students seemed to love it. Charli, on the other hand, found it hilarious.

About just over a month ago Charli had seen me walking past her house, so she had came to talk to me about something. I made it clear that all the plans she had made were still going ahead and nothing had changed. Also, it was her choice if she wanted to stand up on stage with me.

I descended the spiral stairwell. I could already hear the music building up just before the beat dropped through the walls. The orchestra would be playing soon but that didn't stop the DJ's from cranking out their best tunes. The music students were loving having an audience. A wave of colours and onslaught of people hit my eyesight as I stepped out of the office building.

Smells of all different types, food, flowers and cologne abated my nose. This really looked like a colossal party. Charli had done a miraculous job at combining the different types of classes like music and culinary arts to contribute to today's big event.

Suddenly, the music cut off and within a few seconds a new sound began. Up on stage was the orchestra, playing a piece of music everyone should know. 'Test Drive'. From 'How to Train your Dragon' by John Powell and DreamWorks.

I listened to the bass and percussion on the drums as they played the perfected introduction notes, next the strings crescendoed into the melody a bar later, the raspy brass hitting their marks during the strings solo. Then the horns came in with their version of the melody; their over arching sound over the top of the stings. The rest of the orchestra joining in on bar four.

The conductor smiled and nodded her head to me as I passed. Charlis' eyes lifted from her sheet music for a split second, during a rest she winked at me before nudging Alexandra and continuing to focus on her music. Alex lifted her eyes and smiled quickly before going back to counting her rests. The conductor cued them in with a shoving gesture of her hands and they began to play with the rest of the band.

Soon the song was over. And the crowd clapped widely. Some students even made shrill whistles at the performance. After all it was majestical. The conductor gave them another cue, to lift their instruments, and they begin the next song.

The strings started their staccato melody. Soon the orchestra exploded into 'He's A pirate'. The crowd went even more berserk.

After they finished playing the stage was cleared and set up for presentations and speakers. The chairs on stage were lined with guest speakers and one by one they went. Until. My turn came.

"Wow. I can not believe that this academy has been standing and running for a hundred years now. Can I just say congrats to those high school and University kids who made it here today. You guys have so much talent and plenty more in store for us to unpack! I have been this schools principal for twenty years now. God, not only do I feel old but I also feel proud." A few students and staff chuckled.

"Of our school, the students and the work we produce. All I can say is: Thank you for your dedication, devotion, teachers, school staff, University, and high school students. Your hard work. Your determination. And your ability to strive. Thank you for doing your greatest and challenging yourselves to your limits! Now, let's celebrate this centenary!"

The crowed cheered like it was the Olympics.

Charli was winking at me and giving me thumbs up.

Other staff and guest speakers finished off the speeches. And now, that the celebration was mainly over, I tried to return to my room.