Mundane University

2 ~ Magic Doesn't Exist

I wake up to see my dorm mate sleeping the bed next to mine. I must've fallen asleep before she showed up. After that personality test I'm sure just got me kicked out of the university, I explored the campus and got familiar with everything. I had lunch in the cafeteria and saw Kija but he was talking with someone so I didn't bother. And after day one of no classes, I see an envelope under my door that must be my schedule.

I get up and open it, seeing a very short, simple week. Except for one thing. I have a class at the end of every day, from 5-7, titled, "MEM". I guess I'll find out later. But not choosing my own classes wasn't as bad as I thought. They put me in a lot of interesting courses. Even one on genetics which I love, even though I probably wouldn't major in it.

My phone buzzes from the family group chat. Mom asks how my first day went and dad's just checking in on me. Dad was super excited when he found out about this place but mom is still sketchy. I'd be too, after seeing what that contract stated.

After responding to them, I get ready and head to my first class of the day, Intro to Science. It makes me wonder how different people here are. It's supposed to be a class everyone takes even though some students haven't taken an intro class since freshman year of high school. Others somehow got here with much lower GPAs. At least that's what I'm assuming considering there wasn't a GPA requirement.

I enter my class with the same fifty people from initiation. I spot Kija somewhere in the middle and sit next to him.

"Salem, right?"

"Yeah, Kija?"

"Yep. You excited?"

"Yeah! A little scared, considering I have no idea what's in store."

Kija shows off his pearly whites yet again, "I think it'll be fun. Get out of your comfort zone."

"That's fun to you?" I laugh.

"I did travel thousands of miles to be here. And so did you so you must have some daredevil in you."

"I guess. Somehow flying to another continent seemed easier than going to community college and staying in my stressful household."

"Is there... a story behind that?" Kija looks at me but I try not to make eye contact. He realizes and says, "Didn't mean to pry. Sorry."

"It's not a big deal. I just don't want to come home everyday to my parents arguing about who or what I should be. I don't know. Which is why me and 200 other people are here."

"You're right. No one said we have to have everything figured out."

"Settle down, everyone. Welcome to Intro to Science. Each year a different scientist leads this class. This year it'll be me, Dr. Angelica Marino. I will act as your president for the next four years," I recognize her from the personality test, "There is a lot to learn and a lot you don't know yet about how we run this school. You will see that each of you have a class at the end of every day titled BEM. That stands for Basic Experiment Meeting. You will learn more about that later today. But I want you to pay attention to the one student who has a different last class, Salem Charles."

Kija and I share a confused glance. Dr. Marino asks, "Salem, raise your hand for me please?"

I do as I'm told and all of a sudden all eyes are on me. "Salem here has MEM. That means Monstrous Experiment Meeting. I know that may sound odd and frightening to you all but this is the highest honor a student can get. So I expect you all to respect her and follow her lead."

I want to tell her that I'm not prepared or qualified for this but it's probably better for people not to get a bad first impression of me.

"Now we will continue with our first lesson, What is Science?"