Academy

Chapter Eight : Fire Alarms

‘We were young and we were foolish

School books in our arms

Dodging homework, dodging classes

To set off fire alarms’

Ed Sheeran, Fire Alarms

For all the misery her fourth year at the Academy had brought her, Gabby was just glad for the illusion of freedom that the school offered her. Her port screen told her she'd missed a call from home last night, she ignored the notification. It was that easy to avoid an ugly conversation, that easy to pretend everything was okay.

But it wasn't.

Orientation confirmed her fears, this year was going to be as horrible as the last.

They'd sat as a team, presenting a unified front as all Squads were expected to. But Jupiter squad was not a team. Nothing about the formation of her squad made for easy connection. The Festival had been a timid occasion. Elex had left early. Pan had hardly uttered a word after whatever had gone down in that conversation with her sister. Rowan made no noise, he said nothing at all. On the flip side it was near impossible to get Max to shut up for half a heartbeat. He talked and talked and talked and between it all Gabby couldn't find a second of peace to relax with Connor.

Not to mention that, at every available opportunity, Landon made some snide remark that made the air around Elex literally shudder.

They ate breakfast and lunch at Raven's table.

There was no other way to describe this particular table which was identical to every other in the cafeteria. It just was Raven's table. It was the table Raven Elex sat at every meal. Even at its busiest no one took that table, no one dared.

Gabby didn't think Raven cared about the table. Even so, if she wasn't on Jupiter Squad and being dragged by Connor and Max, Gabby wouldn't have had the nerve to sit there either. Frankly Elex didn't seem too pleased to have them there anyway. She kept her nose buried in a book.

So of course Landon and his squad had taken the table next to it. Gabby sat with her back to that table, desperate to avoid Landon's sneering.

But it seemed to crush Pan every time she looked up and saw her sister and got no response.

Landon's rules, no doubt, kept Belladonna Read from even daring to smile at her sister. He wasn't even Captain yet and he had a choke hold on them all.

Thankfully her seventh period class was Spirit.

The Academy school day was divided in two; before lunch were the academic classes, sorted by year group. Each student took eight academic classes, four one day and four the next and round and round. After lunch were the Guardian specific classes of which there were six, three each day. All sorted by squad except for Spirit training which was sorted by manifestation.

The morning was lost to Orientation, Professor Avery handed each student their class lists and took them on a walking tour of the school. She took them back over the rules and regulations, the exam schedules, warned them all to be prepared for the Captaincy test in a two weeks time and sent them off to lunch with a healthy dose of trepidation for the coming year. Whatever it took to keep them all in line right.

After lunch their first class was gym. Connor's favourite class.

Professor Whitmore had set up an obstacle course for a 'fun' activity to start the year. Of the five squads, thirty people, in their class Pan was the smallest and the youngest and had the least training. And it was clear from the word go that she had no chance of keeping up. And in a class dominated by fifth and sixth years Professor Whitmore wasn't really interested in coaching the new kid.

Connor, of course, was at the front of the class. Gabby would've have been right there with him, if Landon wasn't right on his heels. Instead she dropped intentionally, right to the back of the class, watching Pandora struggle and fumble and sweat. Ignoring Whitmore's barking and ridicule.

She could feel the cool, steady gaze of Raven Elex on her back.

By the end of gym the whole class was muttering about her.

Let them talk, she thought bitterly, let the whole school start gossiping. They were bound to find some reason to stare at her at some point.

Sixth period Sparring with Professor Avery was just as bad. None of them rose from their seats, as Avery was running over rules again, for safety of course, because there was no teacher more prudent than Avery. But even from behind their desks Gabby knew the others were still talking about Jupiter squad.

When Avery called for volunteers at the end of the lesson to demonstrate sparring she deliberately asked Gabby to step up. But Gabby knew Landon would jump at the opportunity to beat her down so she abruptly declined. Even Connor wouldn't volunteer to face off with Landon.

In the end two sixth years from different squads stepped up. By which point the gossip in the class had reached quite a volume.

But seventh period, last class of the day, was Spirit. Which meant that Gabby was finally free. Spirit was her favourite class, despite the fact Connor was in a whole other building for an hour.

Gabby's Spirit was fire. A heat the smouldered in her veins all day and all night. She lived and breathed for flame, it was her curse and her legacy. This class, this one class where she was free to release it all. Free to just let it and not be afraid that anyone was going to get hurt, to not worry she would destroy something.

The Ember building was tall imposing, grand and dark. It's exterior was decorated with sweeping, slate grey titanium sculptures of sharp flame. The interior was similarly dark, its smooth, shiny surfaces were all fireproof. Its class rooms were massive training floors with viewing stadiums for the teachers.

It was her favourite building on campus, it was the reason she wanted to attend Ashbourne.

The school, born in the legacy of the greatest fire spirit in history, celebrated flame like no other. Of all the academies on the continent none had a building like this one.

It was half the reason her father had let her leave Portum in the first place. If she was to be legendary fire Guardian he expected she needed to training from the best fire Guardians available, and everyone knew that Ashbourne was the place to be.

She stood on the training floor. Her professor having given her free reign, Gabby was unsupervised and unmotivated. She'd felt much the same all afternoon. This expanding numbness in her chest that was just draining.

An hour passed and Gabby didn't move.

The professor came to check on her only once and didn't seem to catch her lie that she was just resting for a minute. She hadn't done a thing.

But then, she didn't really need to anymore.

She trudged back to the dormitory trying to remember when she'd found this place to be fun. Once it had been a haven. Now it was just another prison.

Unlike the previous year, there was no one to force her to work to the bone.

Back in their dorm Max was playing video games on his port. Elex was locked in her room. Rowan was sprawled across the sofa. Connor and Pan wouldn't return for hours.

Gabby changed from her uniform into simple jeans and a shirt. She wandered the yard until dinner.

Though they sat again at Raven Elex's table, hardly a word was spoken amongst them. The cafeteria around them was exploding with sound. But, despite Max's best efforts, conversation could not be held amongst the Jupiter Squad.

The first week passed by in much that same routine. Gabby zoned out in her classes. She had her ass beaten in training and she sat at the dinner table listening to Max and Connor ramble.

When the second week of classes began Gabby was reminded of her previous team - Connor, in an attempt to force some energy into their squad, dragged them out for a run together. Elex remained locked in her room. Poor little Pan still couldn't keep up, though at least she was speaking up a little more now.

"We need to prepare," Connor huffed when they were back in the dorm. "The Captaincy test is this weekend - we're only two weeks out from our first exam and we're not ready."

Gabby rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you were expecting," she flipped idly through a textbook, wondering how much trouble she'd get in if she just didn't complete this week's homework project. "Raven Elex is renowned for being too important for the rest of us. As for the others… well they're not quite at your level anyway."

"Do you even care that we're starting off the season in a complete mess?" he was pacing the length of the living room, crossing and uncrossing his arms, huffing as he sulked. "I want to finish well Gab - this is important, it's my last year."

"The Guardians already know what you can do," she quipped, "there's no need to stress."

He shot her a dirty look. "You know it doesn't work like that," he snapped, "just because you can't handle it anymore, doesn't mean-"

Gabby closed her book and arched an eyebrow at him. "I can't handle it? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He stopped pacing and turned to face her properly. Though he was still tense there was a sad, tenderness in his face as he spoke. "It means I know you don't want to be here anymore - and I know you can't go home - so you're stuck doing something you hate." Gabby felt heat rising in her belly, a scowl twisted at her features. Sensing her mood shift Connor went on the defensive. "But you only hate it because of Landon, so prove him wrong this year Gabby. Stop moping about how rough last year was and get moving dammit," he implored, throwing his arms about as though gesturing at something to support his point. They were alone in the lounge, there was nothing around them.

After a moment of unbearable silence between them he sighed, his shoulders sagged. He strode toward the sofa and collapsed beside her. His solid presence always brought her added warmth.

"I just…" She sighed, leaning into him. "I don't want to have to fight so hard this year."

"I know Gab, I know."

She dropped her head onto his shoulder, wishing desperately that he'd put his arm around her. Wishing he could just take her away from it all, just a for a moment. But he wouldn't. He had too much self-control, too ambition, to given in to her.

"Let's just," He cleared his throat, "Let's just get past the Captains Exam."

Gabby chuckled softly. "Yeah we all know you're set for it this year."

His laughed boom, rattling her head where it rested on his shoulder. But that sound brought a smile to her face. It was so warm, it filled her chest. "I'll do my best, but everyone know's the Captaincy is Raven's if she wants it."

"She doesn't," Gabby whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.