Junior year of trade school, and first day jitters circle about my middle as they usually do. Especially at this crazy school, if I have to take one more reading different types of maps class I will literally yeet myself. Anyways, my first few years at Elderidge University have been normal, sort of?
I was engrossed in studying, working out, and practices so anyone who didn't live in the same room as I never got my attention. All of the graduating years lived together in one of the many sweeping spirals staircases opening to grand halls with rooms for us. This year, we each had three roommates. The number of roommates dwindled down through the year as even more cuts kept coming to our numbers from dismissals professors made in their classes. The only people I had bonded with were Alayna, obviously, and two other girls in our year named Jessica and Audrey.
My freshman year, I was in classes such as: Languages, Intro to Electronics, Psychology, Blueprint Reading, PE, and Self Defense. Yes, two workout classes in the same year. We had the classes for one year and surprisingly I was a natural born talent at self-defense. I guess wrestling my siblings did actually come in handy. You would assume that languages would be like one or two languages, right? Wrong, not this pretentious school. We learned: Spanish, Italian, French, and Latin all in one year. It wasn't even basics things either. My entire year was classes, study, workout, sleep and repeat. I refused to fall behind all of the other students who had way more resources than I did growing up. I will prove to everyone and myself that I belong here.
Sophomore year was much like the first with more strenuous classes. Languages, Weaponry, Jiu-Jitsu, Electronics 2, Chemistry, Combat Training were the lineup this year. I have learned German, Korean, Japanese. This year we only had 1 roommate and I was able to pick to room with Alayna! We hung out and did girly things like face masks, spa nights, horror binges, and other things like that in our spare time. We bonded and are now as tight as ever, basically attached at the hip and I loved it. I never would have thought that I could be a girl with an actual girl who's a friend. Everyone at my old high school told me I was butch for not knowing how to do girly girl things.
With Alayna, everything came easily and we enjoyed all parts of school together. Studying, practicing, and our best friend time. We loved being little introverts, I should have known it wasn't going to last very long.
This year however, I am living in a single person dwelling with a decent full-sized bed, desk and open space to do my workouts and yoga. Turning my room into a deco-modern feel with emerald, black, and gold making it feel lavish and comfortable. I feel like I am really settling into a good rhythm here. It is weird that I have never spoken to the upperclassmen. They were never around, only the sophomore and freshman classes communicated with one another. They must have incredible talent to be in the Adaptability Program for these many years.
I crawl out of bed and got dressed in my school approved uniform for the day which consisted of a white button up shirt, black blazer with golden accents on the buttons and trimming. We are lucky in the sense that our uniform had multiple options for all of the seasons including skirts, pants, or midi shorts. I choose to wear a black A-line mini skirt today and slide on my platform leather loafers; my hair falling in its usual glossy brown waves. I wanted my makeup look today to be fresh. With a bit of pink gloss, blush, highlighter and brown eyeliner to bring out my light blue foxlike eyes and tan skin.
Happy with my final look, I grab my black leather square backpack and head out to the mess hall to meet with Alayna like always. I spot a short blonde girl with a black sweater, black and gold pleated skirt, knee-high stockings and loafers. I speed walk to crouch behind her back.
With a quick jab to the ribs Alayna whips around ready to fight anyone who touched her. I snicker and pop up; she gasps and gives me a playful smack on my arm and wrapped her arms around my neck for a tight Alayna trademark hug.
Pulling away from her I exclaim, "Omg girl you are looking so freaking cute today!" She repays the compliments, and we walk hand in hand to our first classroom, Psychology 2 Physical Application. The ominous tone in the word physical makes me slightly rethink my mini skirt for the first day. The room is set up with a white board, screen and pulpit for the teacher at the very front of the room. There are levels going up five rows with long black tables with insanely cushions black leather seats filling each of them.
Alayna follows me to the third-row center table, a favorite of ours. Our class traveled all together to each of our classes in the exact same schedule. It definitely relieves stress that you can't ever get lost because there is always going to be a buddy system. Our class files in around us and take up the twenty of the forty seats int he room. All of us in relatively the same uniform just put together in different ways. Something is different about all of us today, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
The professor walks in, and I instantly recognize him as the older gentleman that announced the race and mall endeavor. Side note, the university had a deal with the mall and after we finished the event. Our instructors had us give back all of our merchandise to donate to good will since the stores wouldn't take them. The university paid the stores what we owed them from basically robbing them all blind, like all of us literally stole to pass but hey I got in.
The professor introduces himself as Dr. Hedward, a 55-year-old psychologist/ psychiatrist to the criminally insane and a conglomerate board member. The way his hair was greased to the side in a terrible combover, the long sleeve turtleneck sweater, black slacks, and black loafers with a gold watch gave him a mafia type feel instead of the greaseball first impression I had.
Another person walks into the room, my metaphorical jaw just dropped to the floor. He's tall, olive skin tone, deep eyes that look mysterious and deadly, a shade I couldn't quite make out. His black hair laying sexually shaggy on his head and bits of forehead and down his neck. He was wearing our school student uniform. He walks over to Dr. Hedward with a slip of paper before seating himself in the first row farthest to the right.
"Alright class your attention please, quiet down!" He bellows out to the room, " This class is a trial for a new course the dean and I are making to make the students in the Adaptability Program of Elderidge University even more adequate. This is about using psychology to your best advantage in physical real-world situations."
He explained a bit more saying we all would have to be partnered with a member of the opposite sex for the first half of the semester and same sex for the second half of the semester. My junior class started talking amongst themselves at the thought of having to pick two different partners. Dr. Holland cuts in with, "I have already assigned you a partner for both semesters. Do not fret."
He begins to call out names on his predetermined list and as he continues down to the end with my name not being said until very last. "Miss Flora Foster," professor calls out, "you were originally supposed to be paired with Adam. However, he had an unfortunate injury while free style mountain climbing and fell."
The entire class gasps at the bluntness and candid attitude this professor has towards a third year student in this institution. I didn't ever talk to Adam, but still it was a shock. "So, in that case with our class being uneven you will partner with our new student, " he pauses to look at the slip of paper from the student late to class," Nicholas. Count your blessings girl, you have a professional partnering you." I could feel the eyes of the other students as I tried to remain unphased in my seat with my legs and arms crossed.
With further explanation he explains we will be learning how to make other's feel specific things through actions we perform. He clarified that this is not a physical education class, yet we will still be moving about. I have no idea what to imagine, but I am even more stressed knowing all the other 10 girls in my group peering daggers at me.
Thankfully today is just going over syllabuses, because the list of things we are learning are running circles in my mind. This year's classes are even more bizarre causing my panic to rise to skyscraper heights. Combat Training 2, Flexibility, Psychology Physical Application, First Aid, Agility, and Silence made up my year. What the hell is Silence supposed to mean, so freaking menacing. Acting? This is all seriously out of left field. What are we even training to become; honestly, this school makes me question its ideology.
With all of the questions racing through my mind I keep going back to the same conclusion every time. I have no other desire to pursue other things, and I am actually pretty damn good at whatever the hell I am doing here. Might as well ride this out to completion.