Fowler School of Magic's

Star

One of her classes was Botany, or rather which plants could be used to boost magical energy. The teacher, a stout woman who looked older than the building itself but still ran around and spoke as if she were in her early twenties, also told them they'd be learning about which plants could be eaten and which were poisonous. She also spoke of plants that could be useful in potions, a class they'd have later this year or the next.

Calla rather liked it, sitting cross legged in her pants at the back of the classroom, Hugo sitting in the window sill beside her. The company was nice and the room was nicer. Dark green walls with wood accents, she'd had an interior design phase. It was the contents of the room that really caught her eye though, plants occupied nearly every empty surface and hung from the ceiling too. Posters were plastered on the wall with different plants and their anatomy. The whole room had an old feeling to it, like she'd been here before. It made it hard to focus on what was being said.

Still, she made it to the next class, math. Because, "While this may be a magic academy, you still need your basics. Though this is different from your old schools, this class teaches you want you need to know." Calla couldn't help but wonder if they would get back to the normal world and be helpless because they'd been mathematically neglected. She didn't ask though, learning math she didn't have to wasn't exactly high on her list of things she wanted to do.

Her third class was better. Mostly because the girl from the party was there. She'd already forgotten her name. It was a class on the schools history and it's abilities. She tried to pay attention, she really did, but she couldn't help but drift off as the professor read the syllabus.

The girl was also in her next class about magical creatures. To Calla's surprise, she chose to sit next to her this time. "Hey it's you!" She whispered, sliding into the chair beside her as the professor a tall woman with glasses too big for her face and a kind voice, her favorite professor so far, drew a cat on the board as she rambled on about what they'd be learning this year.

"This class seems cool right? Magical creatures? The teacher can apparently transform into animals, she's mentoring my roommate with the same ability."
"Miss Jimenez, if you have something to say to the class-"
"Jimenez. And no ma'am."

Calla winced, not only had she pronounced it wrong, the girl had the courage to correct her. She waited for the woman to explode, instead she nodded and got back to her drawing as she tapped her fingers on the desk.

Ramona was her name. She'd known it'd started with an R but she couldn't remember the rest. She only found out when she invited her to eat lunch with her in the courtyard and Ramona J. was written on the outside of her bag.

"That was weird right?"
"What?"
"The name thing?"

Calla hadn't thought much of it after they left the classroom. She also didn't see it as odd since teachers mispronounced her name often. She shrugged.

"In third period, the professor said that everyone here can communicate because they hear what is being said in their first language or the language they choose. So I hear everything in Spanish, but she pronounced it with a J sound instead of a H so-"
"I can see where you're going with this. I don't think so, because if I pronounce a name like... say James, wrong, you still hear it wrong in all languages."

She frowned, then thought about it. After a few moments she nodded, Calla continued to eat her sandwich.

"You're much smarter than you let on Calla."
"I have my moments. But also you said you speak Spanish? Where are you from?"

She smiled, obviously fond of her home. Calla couldn't help but smile too, it was infectious.

"Spain. You?"
"Indiana,"
"That is...?"
"In America."

She nodded, though Calla wasn't surprised. Indiana wasn't like New York or Texas or even California or Florida. It was a nowhere state full of nowhere people.

"I have never been to America but I suppose it would be cool to go. After I finish school here I want to teach literature and Spanish."
"I'm not sure what I want to do."

She wasn't sure of anything truthfully. She thought of being one of those psychics or mediums or whatever they call them seeing as she was the real deal. People didn't believe in it though, not enough for a business. She wanted to help people. Then again she never thought she'd get this far.

Lunch was over soon enough. The rest of her classes consisted of science, reading, history of magic, and a special class for intermediate death students called Death I. There was also Death N and Death G for the other levels. This one she had with her roommate finally, letting them walk back to their dorm together after class. The rest of the day was free time.

Free time she used to go to the pond. She would summon whoever was in the pond if it took all year.

The woman showed up again, Dorothy. She walked down the path, cane clicking on the stones. "What did I tell you about being careful with your pulling?" She quickly apologized, giving up on her reaching.

"Why not find someone like you who's living. Someone who can mentor you."
"I've yet to find anyone like me Mrs. Dorothy. I don't know if that's going to change anytime soon."

Hugo gave her a sympathetic thumbs up. "Everyone has their someone. I didn't think I'd find my William but, there he was." He let his face rest in his hands, feet swinging idly as he lay on the pond. William was a past lover of his, long dead now.

"Just look around dear, your friend is right."
"Can you tell me who's there? What they are? Who they are?"
"That's not mine to tell dear, now go ahead back to your dorm, a storm is rolling in."

She didn't believe her but left anyway, she wasn't wanted there right now. She found Nathan heading toward the Mortem hangout but caught him before he went too far.

"I can see ghosts. I can talk to them. I need your help. Is there anyone else who can? It's important!"

He laughed, running a hand over his shaved head. A pack of cigarettes fell out of his pocket when his jacket moved to follow his arm. They spilled into grass and he sighed, though they didn't look like cigarettes. They looked like rolled up pieces of paper. He watched her look at them for a few seconds before he picked them up.

"I trust you'll stay quiet about this yeah?"
"Give me what I need. Someone like me."

He groaned and stuffed the box back in his pocket. She'd backed him into a corner and she didn't even mean to.

"There's no one that I know of. They graduated last year. Their name is Star Byrne. That's all I got for you kid. Now I have to go take care of some things. Please don't say anything."

She never planned to anyway, at least now she had somewhere to start with this Star person.