A Year of High School To Remember

Prologue

I've gone to school here my whole life, each year the same. My junior year was different though. I'm Jackson Overland and me and my friends are some of the most well known people. There are me and my six other friends against the three "pretty", rich girls. They were accepted because of their money and their father's witchcraft. We go to Magrotic University, where only the most talented power holders attend school. I have enjoyed it here for the most part. Being called "Mr. Popular" has been great except for the expectations that come with it. I'm smart, but not a brainy-ac. I do most of my work while I focus on basketball.

Being the captain isn't easy when practices occur everyday with games on Saturday. Even though we live on campus, having a personal life with friends is tough when worries are on school and basketball. I guess commitment is everything, but I am committed to my friendships.

Speaking of friends, I've got six. There is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Astrid Hofferson, Eugene Fitzherbert, Rapunzel Coroanna, Kristoff Bjorgman, and Anna Aridella. Hiccup and I are the closest. We share a dorm and study a lot together. Rapunzel and I are just coming out of a rough spot in our friendship. See, I had been crushing on her since the beginning of second semester last year. I had told Hiccup and he told Astrid who told Rapunzel. We later got together and became really close. Until halfway through last semester, I was occupied with lots of basketball tournaments, so we weren't able to hang much. She didn't like me focusing on other things, so she broke up with me. And since then, Rapunzel and Eugene seem to be flirting. But I'm surprised because he plays basketball too. You'd think she'd want to be with the captain. Whatever.

Anyways, Eugene and I are pretty close too. We've played basketball together since we were young. The only thing that bothers me, is that whenever we face our closest rivals, the Warlogic Sharks, he brings a frying pan and leaves it on the bench. All the freshmen and new players question him, but we all know that frying pans are the best weapon to fight with.

Kristoff is a little strange but we've learned to put up with him. He can be really emotional, especially in the winter and around ice water. He seems to study the ice and try to keep it cool. Even though we are his closest in-school friends, we don't quite understand him.

Astrid and Hiccup are really close. Some nights after my basketball practice, they will be sitting in bed together watching some tv show that they insist to watch every week. Astrid is really smart. Hiccup is too, but the only difference is Hiccup can be really nerdy while Astrid is normal with a small group of three or four girls that are smart, but can avoid bullies. Hiccup, being nerdy, would have to worry about bullies, but everyone knows he is one of my best friends, so they don't mess with him.

See, I'm pretty sure everyone looks up to me. That can be both good and bad, it depends on the situation. The other day, I was coming back from the laundromat and the basket was full with clothes blocking most of my sight. On the stairs, most people obey normal road traffic rules. But this one day, I was walking up and a freshman was walking down, and on the wrong side too. With me unable to see and her texting on her phone, we collided and my clean clothes covered the ground. Being looked up to in this situation meant that everyone made sure she knew her mistake. But for it to be bad for me, I have to be the one doing something wrong. Like me failing chemistry when my powers should have helped the class.

Yes, that is right. I said powers. Our school is one that includes witches, wizards, warlocks, sorcerers and sorceresses. I guess you could call me a wizard, but we, as in students and teachers, never refer to us like that. To us, we are normal people with gifts that we train to control for the good of the world. Not all of us are sorcerers, sorceresses, or warlocks, but the few of us that are are in a special group so teachers and administrators can watch us to ensure our powers are controlled for everyone's good.