Riptide Academy

Project Time

Alexandra's POV:

I don't know how or what we are going to do for this project. All I know is that Me and Elijah could work on creating a story that Jack could draw into comics.

But even though it seems like a lot of work, it seems like the basic thing to do.

Henderson encourages us to be creative, but it's a lot harder than she thinks. Where as Wells just wants us to be able to work together and do equal amounts of work.

"I'll be happy to make a comic out of one of your stories you two make." Jack whispers beside me.

"No. That's too original." Eli sighs.

"But it'd hard to be creative." I grumble.

"Alright, thank you for coming everyone. Now, fly and be free. You've got lots of work to do." Henderson says.

A few students scoff. Most just sigh. The three of us make our way out of the room and towards the food hall.

"Why don't I sit at your table so I can show you my sketches?" Jack asks.

"Yeah. Sure!" Eli agrees eagerly.

I resist the urge to snicker.

"Just don't sit on the wall side." I say.

"Why?"

"Cause Charli might set you on fire from stealing her seat." I chuckle.

Jack pales then laughs. But Elijah understands what I mean, and I can feel him side eying me as he chuckles nervously.

We're greeted with a roar of kids once we reach the canteen hall. Now that the seasons have changed more and more high school kids are out on their ovals playing Rugby League- well.....as close as they can when the teachers are looking- which they're ovals end right near our canteen.

"Geez!" Jack exclaims.

One kid is sprinting along the field and being chased by about ten kids.

"He's gonna get hurt." Eli's voice sounds eagerly and sad to see the kid being pummeled by his friends bodies.

"Oww-Ch!" I cringe when he dives and slides over the try-line harshly.

The kids chasing him are having a hard time stopping.

"Your late." Jaimie mumbles around her meat pie.

"Teachers like to yap when they teach their favourite thing." Jack bites back teasingly.

Jaimie scoffs playfully as she rolls her eyes.

"He is right though, Jaim." Em says.

"What you doin' here?" Charli asks.

"I was going to sit with you guys so I could help Alex and Elijah with our project. I was wanting to show them my sketches." Jack states.

"Nick a chair from the other tables first." Charli smiles.

Jack grins and walks over to our neighboring table, luckily empty and takes a chair. He plops down next to Eli and grabs a stack of a few pieces of paper and a book out of his bag before placing them on the table.

"Wow!" Jaimie gasps when she sees one of her running during the Grand  final game.

"Whoa!" Ember laughs in astonishment at one of her cheering in the stands.

I even find one of me saving a goal by almost high fiving the ball mid air. It looks as if it's been ripped straight out of an action cartoon.

"Wow! Jack th- these are amazing!" I exclaim holding up mine for everyone to see.

He laughs nervously, "Yeah...Thanks."

"You can keep that one." He nods towards me. "I drew and extra."

"Thanks." I mumble, putting it in my bag as he produces more sketches.

"I get why Howards warned us to stay away from they're battles but it sucks. Those were some awesome scenes to draw." Jack sighs.

"What?" Jaimie and Ember shriek.

Charli glowers at him. 

"You were the one who kept putting yourself in danger just to capture these drawings?"

"No, no. I never went near they're battles; I only drew what I saw." Jack quickly states, "Though they always seem to fight near the academy. Always............OMG! They have to be students or staff."

"Jack."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." I state.

"But it all makes sense now!"

"Jack, do you really think that anyone of us- teacher and or students- would have the time let alone be able to escape this place?" Charli tries to convince him.

"I- I guess your right...." he mumbles.

"How about we work on this project first before we solve any secret identities?" Eli suggests.

"Wait! Why don't we do our project based on them. I mean it's perfect for a concept idea. You guys can create a story based on the events happening around us and I draw the comic?"

"Isn't that what everyone else would be doing? I don't mean the superhero notion, I mean the 'whole: we right a story and you draw the comic' thing." 

"Alex is right. most people will be doing that." Eli adds.

"So......Why don't we reverse it? I draw the comics, we both create a story but you guys write the comic while I draw it." Jack exclaimed.

"Uhh.... What?" my eyebrows scrunch in confusion.

"Normally as you said the writers would write a story and the comic person would draw a comic to go with it. So what if instead; I draw a comic's storyline and you guys write the comic?"

"So, we'd write the action scenes to the comics story line?" Eli explains in simpler terms.

"I don't see how that's any different." I state.

"It isn't- really. But the comic tells the story whereas the story writing shows and tells you what happens in the still pictures." Jack explains.

"That's......not a bad idea actually." I smile.

"It better not be, I don't want to have to punish more idiot kids." Howards states as she walks past.

Jack jumps, surprised at the sound of her voice. Charli rolls her eyes. And the rest of us watch with amusement. Howards taps her bracelet on her wrist as she slowly walked past our table. All of us glanced at each other while Jack muttered about how Howards could teleport. The fire alarm blared to life throughout the academy grounds. Jack glanced at all of us, looking us in the eyes as we waited for everyone to rush out of the doors.

"Are you guys okay with dying?" he asks.

"Maybe." I state, "We're just waiting for the mad rush everyone creates when they panic as they exit out the doors."

"That's.........smart- actually." Jack huffs.

He slings his backpack on and runs towards the doors, he almost trips as he stumbles out of the canteen. Kyia opens the other emergency escape doors now that everyone has fled, with a slam they echo around the hall. Causing Kyia to wince a little.

"Oops..." She mutters.

"No need for that, you used them what they were meant for." Charli states as she digs her key out of her pocket.

"We better get moving." I state.

"Mystery lady is gonna be waiting." Eli chuckles.