The Mistyard Academy

Mmmmm Hair

I jolt up swatting away Brielle's sticky hands, "Get your sweaty mitts away from me, I'm awake and ok."

"Alright, alright just checking, you've been out for like an hour. Some nosy nellies are watching, and they don't know about how your power works so let's get moving," Brielle says this last part through clenched teeth.

"Let's go then," I lower my voice "I need to tell you guys something, the dream went through this time, and I think Mrs. Hopkins should hear about this one right now."

Brielle looks shocked, which is completely understandable because any dream that Mrs. Hopkins needs to know about immediately cannot be a good one. I meet Brielle's eyes with what I think is a grim look but could also possibly just make me appear vaguely constipated and/ or confused based on the look she gives me in return. I blame my lingering tiredness from the vision for my lack of functional facial expressions.

I grab onto Brielle's arm and use it to hoist myself up and then scrunch my nose at her smell, "Ok, we'll go after you shower how does that sound?"

Brielle sniffs her armpit and nods in agreement before following Reina and Effie to the shower and changing room. I stand swaying slightly with exhaustion as they walk away, considering what I'll tell my scary headmistress mentor lady.

I wait outside of Mrs. Hopkins' office, arm raised to knock with Brielle standing by my side very impatiently waiting for me to just knock already. I'm thankful she hasn't just knocked herself, but it might things go a little faster, do I want it to? I mean she needs to know about the Extractor thing but how do you tell someone "Hey so I saw this machine thing and I don't know what it does, but it made me feel weird so I'm telling you about it thanks!" it doesn't roll like that.

"Just come in Miss Parker I can feel your thoughts racing from here!" Mrs. Hopkins' voice carries out from behind her closed door.

My cheeks burn in embarrassment, but I open the door nevertheless and tug Brielle in behind me. Actually, I lied Brielle was doing the dragging she went right in.

Mrs. Hopkins is seated behind her large oak desk reading over some paperwork with small glasses sat low on her nose. She looks up when we enter and sets down the huge stack of papers she was holding.

"Hello girls, how can I help you?"

"Actually, Aloisia May here had something that she needed to tell you about," Brielle gives me a small push on the back, and I step forward slightly.

"Well... Mrs. Hopkins I managed to trigger a vision while I was sitting out during Combat today and during it I saw people talking around a table of plans and arguing..." I relay to her and the crinkle between her brows slowly gets deeper and deeper, "... so I figured I should come to you right away."

Judging by her expression I made the correct choice, if I wasn't worried before I definitely am now with the look Mrs. Hopkins has on her face right now. I feel a hand on my shoulder leading towards one of the chairs in front of the desk, I turn slightly and see its Brielle, I completely forgot she was here.

Mrs. Hopkins rests her head in her hands and speaks tiredly to us, "If you would please round up Miss Sanchez, Mr. Hayes, Miss Quinn, both Mr. Quinns, Mr. Shustermann and Mr. Rachevsky and Miss Whang. Tell them to meet here after lunch at 12:15 and until then to not make a fuss about this summons and the reasoning."

"Yes ma'am," Brielle and I intone.

We hurry out the door and make our way towards the dining hall where all our friends should be eating lunch. As soon as we enter, I spot Reina, Ryan, Lawrence, Eion, Jamie and Effie at our usual table, Brielle heads over to collect them while I find Maxim and Alana. I don't see them right away but it's certain they're here since you know, lunch. However, I didn't expect that Maxim and Alana would find me first well, Maxim would find me first.

"Ally! You're here!" I almost jump out of my skin when Maxim yells from behind me.

"Jesus Max!" I cry clutching my chest, "Don't scare me like that!"

"Ok!" He says cheerfully "Anyway, how was your little visit with Hoppy, what did she say about that dream? Also you just slumping over like that is really unsettling, you were barely breathing and Alana said your heartbeat was slower."

"How did you know about my visit to Mrs. Hopkins or how my breathing changed?"

"I can sense changes in the air like sound waves and also the ripples from breathing it's kind of strange. So yeah, I can eavesdrop almost as well as Hoppy."

"That's good to know but, my meeting is actually what I wanted to talk to you about, Mrs. Hopkins wants you and Alana to meet us in her office at 12:15."

"Oooo a mystery meeting, I'm down and I'll tell Alana too."

"Thank you and also, please don't call Mrs. Hopkins 'Hoppy' to her face today, it's not the time."

Maxim frowns "Well... I guess I could" suddenly he's back to cheerful, "Alright, see you later Ally!" With that he ambles across the dining hall to a table occupied by just Alana.

I shake my head at the enigma that is Maxim Rachevsky and go to join my friends at our usual table. They all seem puzzled and concerned by the summons from Mrs. Hopkins. I raise a questioning brow at Brielle, and she shakes her head, they don't know the details of why they're being asked to come.

By the end of lunch, a sort of nervous energy has settled over the group as if we are all on-edge for the upcoming meeting. Everyone at my table at least has a nervous energy and I'm guessing that Alana does too but I'm pretty sure Max is the exact same as always –always full of energy anyway.

As soon as the clanging bells mark the end of lunch period, we all stand and immediately start towards the wing that houses all of the teachers' offices. Alana and Maxim arrive just after us and we stand together in front of the door as if in a silent battle of who has to knock before Reina sighs and does it herself. The sharp raps on wood ring through the hall and it just puts me more on edge and I know what this meeting is about –at least I think I do.

"Come in," Mrs. Hopkin's voice calls out and it sounds more tired than it did just forty-five minutes ago.

We all share a look before Reina pushes the door open and we all file into the cramped space dominated by Mrs. Hopkins' desk. As the eight of us squish in its a bit of a squeeze and long story short I end up with Effie's hair in my mouth and Max's armpit pressed against my ear.

Mrs. Hopkins looks around at us all contorted strangely to fit "Perhaps we should talk somewhere larger. Perhaps one of your common rooms?"

"Our common room is empty right now," Ryan suggests from where he is sandwiched between Jamie and Eion.

"Excellent idea, let's go there."

It takes a large amount of shuffling and cursing before we are all out of that cramped office and into the spacious hallway. Brielle grumbles about why she even brought us all in there just for us to leave again while I pick a strand of Effie's hair off my tongue and pretend to pay attention. Alana looks a little scared which I think might be because she was pressed against Lawrence and he's very scary and Reina too, but she smiles so... not as scary.

Everyone finds a seat on one of the comfy sofas or chairs scattered around the shared common room. Mrs. Hopkins doesn't sit but instead paces from one side of the room to the other. We all watch her attempt to wear a hole in the carpet with curious attention for several minutes before she stops in the center of the room, fingers tapping against her upper thigh.

"So," She begins, "today I received some very disturbing news about the Accomides." Everyone except me and Brielle look at her in shock from this news, except maybe Lawrence, he seems to know everything. I wonder if he has spies, that would be cool.

"It has come to my attention that the Accomides are creating a weapon called an Extractor. I have reason to believe that when built, it will be able to be able to steal a Mystikal's ability." We all freeze, mouths falling open like a large group of codfish in the fish market. How could this be possible? If it was possible to take away a Mystikal's power then the Accomides could do anything.