"Doesn't it feel different? We're the so-called super senior," Gitto wondered as they walked their way to the academic bulletin board that was plastered at the right side of Academic Affair Office (AcA) on the administration wing. Many students ranging from 7th grade to 12th grade are either swarming the AcA counter or the bulletin board. Mostly they make themselves crowded in front of the magical board, bobbing their heads, pushing each other if the opportunity allows so that they can see their class schedules.
Stella and her best friend went on the far side of the board where she saw a few familiar faces that will be taking the same class as her and Gitto; the Advance Class, though the number was not as great as when they were in 12th grade. She heard that many of her peers choose on taking Whiz Course, a similar class as them at the Royale University at the capital.
Stella's eyebrow knitted. "Your name is missing," she said as her eyes scanned back the list of the names that will be taking the Advance Class this semester. Classes that exist once every year selecting high school graduates on terms that the graduate itself apply for the class. It is more or less a preparation class to decide whether the graduates better suited as a scholar/government orient or as a soldier/officer orient. There are a lot of other profession universities with a variety of courses like engineering and many other practical practices but most of the magic wielders, such profession are for when one did not have good proficient in magic, especially someone like her. Yet here she was, searching for Gitto's name whereas her name had been found easily, listed among others.
"Impossible," he said, brows knotted and frowned although he tried to cover it with his grin and small laughter. He knows that she would never joke with him, not that she never tried but she has zero sense of humor. After scanning the list a few times over, his bright face goes into a severe expression that Stella seldom sees.
"You didn't apply for Whiz Course last year did you?" she asked. Her eyes were still trying to find her best friend name among many. But it was hard to miss. The list itself was not that long. There were only 25 of them and yet no Gitto Lee.
"Or maybe you didn't pass 12th grade?" It was absurd for a genius like him to not pass the grade when he excels in every exam and assessment.
"Not funny Stell." Gitto's fingers ghosted every line of the names, eyes squinted to will his name to appear. Even if he can magic it, the board won't budge to any force of magic and strong will power. The board itself was one of the many magical items in this institute that cannot be tempered with any kind of magic. Gitto's mouth starts to mumble words of disbelieve and colourful curse words that she does not want to know its meaning. Slowly his feet dragged his body to 12th-grade name list and their classes and not long after, he came back paler than ever. His pupils are static and his head is shaking left to right.
"Gitt?"
"You wait here a sec." His feet stride in a big leap, his expression changes again. This time was a look that he usually wears when he had an argument to prove whenever he had a fight with Lily.
"What's that stupid up to now?"
Stella turned to see her little sister that stands behind her with books in her arms close to her heart. Her friends are nowhere to be seen.
"My guess is that his name is in 12th grade."
Lily smirks. "Serves him right, that stupid. He thought that he was so clever that he can skip a grade, now God gives him a lesson. Gitto Lee got held back a year. Hah!" she spat. Her face was smug and if anyone would ever notice how contrasted her little sister personality with her ladylike demeanor.
Stella glanced at her sister, fitted in a new uniform. It looks foreign however blend she is with an ocean of navy blue pinafore and coats mingle with milky white counterparts; a colour division for the senior (10th grade until 12th grade) and the latter colour for junior (7th grade until 9th grade). While the Advance Class or the super senior as Gitto and everyone described them wore the same colour as the senior division with the difference of having dual gold coloured stripes on their collar. Her little sister, she realizes, looks a bit more mature in her new uniform. The colour does suit her. "Have you seen your name?"
"Yes. I'm in class B under professor... I don't know. Don't remember. Have you registered? Advance Class can pick whatever class they want to be in right?" Her sister peeked behind two towering shoulders belongs to male students, to get a glimpse of how the system of her class will be organized. The two male students that Stella did not even know their names noticed that her sister is standing behind them; they generously gave her little sister some space to look at the classes. Both of their cheeks were gone red when she offered a sweet smile and small nod relaying her gratefulness but then those red cheeks quickly disappeared replaced with a sneer seeing Stella standing nearby.
It is what usually happens.
Stella's attention wanes more to her sister rather than giving attention to such negative vibes people kept on sending to ever since who know when. She reads the list of subjects offered and how many classes will be open for each subject. Since the number of students that enrolled for Advanced Class is 25 students, the institute pre-set the terms of three class maximum per subjects for not more than 10 students and the minimum will be five students.
"This is a new instructor, right? The one that people gossiping about." Lily puts her finger below the name that had been listed among other instructors that will be responsible for this year Advance Class.
Effan Knight.
Stella blinked her eyes. Trying to remember whichever gossips she heard over the grapevine at bazaar when the institute was closed for the year-end holiday and at that time she and Lily were helping her father mended the apothecary. She heard many but none catches her attention. As long it was not concerning their family or that her behavior has caused any gripping news. "I don't know," she answered honestly and her answer made her sister snicker.
The sudden bristled among students, especially female students stopped Lily. The crowd screamed and some even shouting making the narrow hall compact with students with varying colours shuddered and deafened. Both of the sisters look at each other then their attention was taken on the far end hall where the entrance to the administration wing opened.
"Prince!"
"Prince!"
"Prince?" Stella's curiosity was piqued. "I never know that the queen has a son?" According to what she had learned past a few years ago, supposedly every firstborn of every queen from every royal family should be a daughter. If the first born is a son it means the end of the royal family tree and to be replaced with the next royal family in the royal line. And as far as she knew, the queen had a daughter. Either the princess was dead or missing.
Her little sister scoffed. "Silly Stel. If the queen had a son, we won't be in this kind of economic crisis."
True.
"But I do hear people said about this city own little prince this morning that he will be joining our institute Advance Class all the way from Kimberly Institute," she chattered then harried off to see the list of names that will be taking this year Advance Class. The list that she and Gitto had been prodding it over and over just now. Her little sister's finger runs across the list, her eyes sharp like a hawk and when she sees her prey, she stops just below four alphabets consisting K.I.S.E.
"Kimberly Institute's Student Exchange," she said. "Jacq Wisdoms and Jill Wisdoms. Twin."
"Yup, that's us." A voice said behind them.
Stella had considered that the voice she heard just now belongs to a girl because it's sound soft and melodic yet a bit gruff. What she has not considered is that the voice belongs to one of the tallest girls she ever saw, even taller than her twin brother who had soft features and a kind smile. Stella had to stretch up her neck to look up at both of the siblings. Gitto was tall too, though she never had to hurt her neck like this.
What was more, the voice that she thought belongs to the sister came from the other twin? It belongs to the brother to be exact.
"Hai, I'm Jacq," he said making all sense with the way his melodic and edgy voice was, soft features and looked as charming compared to the sister who Stella finally realized could be a hard match.
Jacq hand out his hand and Lily did not hesitate to take his hand to shake although Stella could hear all those piercing screamed, showing how much they felt looking at their 'prince' shaking hands with her little sister. Then he offered his to her. She as her little sister is, took up the friendly offer and repaid it as much. She did not know if the brother senses it but she did.
His grip was a vice, full of assurance and confidence that she can felt one electrocuting flow flowed through her straight to her heart, making it beat two times faster. It was foreign and it did not pose a threat either. Somehow it was a familiar yet strange like it had been long gone to be home now. She looked at Jacq's face behind her black curtain of long front hair. She never felt something like this. Like a push behind her back yet her feet grounded to the earth at the same time. What makes it even worse was when Jacq suddenly dropped to kiss her hand as if a true prince would to his damsel making the crowded hall turning it into some kind of mayhem fiasco. She did not expect that to happen nor was her little sister.
Jacq lets her hand go and the sensation she felt just now has gone as fast as it came. Her heart continues to beat at a normal pace. She had never been caught off guard, not even when she always around the unpredictable Gitto.
"And this is my twin sister Jill," he introduced casually after his flamboyant act.
Jill nodded her head gracefully. Her long hair which Stella noticed is a lot longer than her little sister was and that it shines its silver colour and it flowed smoothly mirroring her every move. When her eyes level with Jill, she saw it. Her beautiful bright blue rimmed eyes tinged with green, the same colour as her twin but the way her eyelashes curled with her very own complex makes it all the more beautiful and awkwardly handsome at the same time that Stella could felt that her heart stop beating. Her breath caught. Maybe because the Wisdoms sister was all the way up there, standing so tall that Stella did not notice it before but now that she knew, she has to admit that this was the first time she ever met someone as beautiful as her little sister. Unfortunately, her personality was not as nice as her twin brother because her smile was cold and there were no pleasantries given contrasting her twin personality.
"I'm Lily Ghotham and this is my sister, Stella," Lily said instead to fill out the sudden silence that befalls them. Even Jacq fans went quiet. Her little sister efforts could not salvage the awkwardness. Something about Jill that begged coldness and attention that Lily could never tolerate because she continued to speak again.
"Welcome to Chamberly Institute."