The Arena (9 page)

I
woke
up with just a little bit of drool on the corner of my mouth. Yeah, I just admitted that. Hey, it could happen to anyone. The limo slowed down, giving me some time to wipe off the evidence and come to my senses. Long car rides always had that kind of effect on me. Something about the gentle motion of the car just put me right out. Unplugging my laptop, I tossed it back into my bag. When the door opened, I gave the seats around me one final check for anything I may have left behind and then exited the car. The bright afternoon sun temporarily blinded my eyes, and the heat was stifling after the cool air conditioning I had enjoyed on my ride to campus.

The weather was still oppressively hot here, so I knew I couldn’t be too far from home. The academy’s campus wasn’t what I expected. There were four three-story buildings, one on each corner, and a huge central courtyard. After the splendor of the mansion, I felt slightly let down walking onto campus for the first time. The buildings were formed from a simple brick construction; each level had a wide bank of windows. The buildings themselves were squat square structures with no architectural significance. Purely function over form. They could have just as easily belonged in an office park anywhere in Arizona.

Looking around, I spotted signs for New Student Enrollment and headed in that direction. I hoped the signs were actually for new students and not some prank by the ones already enrolled here. You never knew, or maybe I had just watched too many college comedies. I could not shake the feeling that something was off. Everything I looked at was so normal, but this was a school for people who could use magic. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t just some nice office buildings. I started to wonder if I was late, or if maybe it was the wrong day to enroll. There were no lines, or clubs recruiting. It was so different than how I imagined enrollment at a normal university.

Slowly walking through the courtyard, I finally made it to the table for registration. I was promptly greeted by a plump older woman with a nametag that read
Betty.
She reminded me of your classic grandma from a fairytale; the only thing missing was the milk and cookies. Instantly I felt better about the time I was going to be spending here.

Betty gave me a good-natured smile and said, “Name, please.”

I returned the smile. “Jackson. Jackson Fairfield.”

She started working down a small list of names on her clipboard. “Oh, here you are, Mr. Fairfield. Let me just grab your welcoming package and badge.”

Betty pulled out a black binder and handed me a badge. “The most important thing you have here is your badge. This is going to get you into your room and all the buildings. Think of it like the card key at a hotel. Any areas you are restricted from entering will just remain red when you swipe it. I would suggest if a door turns red that you double-check where you are.”

She looked at me to make sure I was still listening. “Yes, ma’am, red means turn around. I think I get it. Anything else I should know?”

She passed over the binder after placing a few more sheets of paper into it. “There is an orientation meeting tonight at seven. I’ve included a map in your binder so you can find your way around.”

She pointed to the left of us. “These are the dorm rooms. Your room is number 304. Very nice; most first-year students don’t get rooms on the third floor.” She pointed off to the right. “That building is where the cafeteria is and where the orientation meeting will be held tonight.”

I flipped through the first couple pages of the binder. Nothing too earth-shattering, just directions and hours of operation for some of the more important services, like when the cafeteria was open. Was there really anything more important than food? From the look of it, all first-semester kids had the same classes. So I could find a group and just follow them around if I had to.

I smiled at Betty again. “Thanks for all your help.” I started off to the left toward the building she indicated was the dorms. I could not wait to get my bags up into the room and get out of the sun. I hoped this place had decent A/C.

Heading inside, I made a beeline for the elevators. Even though I was in great shape, lugging my bags up three flights of stairs didn’t sound like a great way to spend my time at school. All I needed from my room was a bed, a desk, and some really great A/C. What I got when I opened the door was more than I ever expected. I was starting to understand why Betty was shocked I had a room on the third floor.

This place was nice. I almost felt like I had walked into the reveal on one of those home renovation shows. The floor had nice long tiles that looked like hardwood. The kitchen was amazing. Did I just say my dorm room had a kitchen? Yep, I sure did. Not only that, but it was filled with stainless steel appliances and some kind of fancy stone countertops. Walking past the fully furnished living room, I dumped my bags onto the floor of the bedroom.

A king-sized bed drew my attention first. It looked so comfortable, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to crawl out of it. The bed had one of those foam mattresses that you just sink into. Interestingly, there was no storage in the room, just a bedside table with a lamp on each side of the bed. A ceiling fan over the bed would provide a little extra cooling for the hot summer.

What was behind door number one? A giant walk-in closet with enough storage for anything I could buy. Well, that explained the lack of storage in the bedroom itself. Door number two must lead into the bathroom. Opening the door showed that that was the right assumption to make. The bathroom, if that is what you could call the huge space, was as spectacular as everything else I had run into. Full-sized Jacuzzi tub and a separate shower. In hopes of being completely blown away, I looked for a certain set of knobs by the light switch. I let out a little shout of joy while rocking a righteous fist pump. “YEAH!” I had heated floors. Seriously, I couldn’t have asked for more if I’d built it myself.

With my bags firmly secured in their new resting place on the bedroom floor, I moved back into the main living quarters to check it out. The back wall had been turned into a workstation. A very nice steel and glass-topped corner desk was in place. The wall behind the desk had a solid built in bookshelf. To the right and left of the desk were two small cabinets for storage. The rest of the room was dominated by an oversized futon and an even bigger TV. I couldn’t help but notice there was the latest PlayStation hooked up and an assortment of games. Wow. I had been begging my parents for one of these, and it never materialized. To be fair, I had burned their house down, so they had been less inclined to give into me when I asked for one.

The only thing that could make this better was if somehow the kitchen was stocked with food. Opening the freezer, to my delight I found it crammed full of frozen pizzas. Just what a growing boy needed. I pulled one out and placed it in the oven. Then I gave the fridge a look. It was stuffed full of Gatorade and some basic items like eggs and milk. I knew we had a cafeteria, but I might never have to go. As far as making an amazing first impression, the academy had done that as soon as I saw my room. The outside of the buildings sure didn’t hint at the opulence within. I went to my room and took my Kindle out of my backpack. It was time to test out this new futon while I waited for my pizza.

Finishing the pizza in near record time, I turned my attention toward my bottle of Gatorade. Once that was polished off, I kicked off my shoes and leaned back into the couch for some reading time. I decided to set my alarm just in case I fell asleep. Sometimes, like car rides . . . well, let’s just say reading could put me to sleep quickly, and with a belly full of pizza, the chances of that happening were more likely than not. I picked out a new book and started down the rabbit hole. I loved to let my imagination run wild, and a book was the best place I knew to go when I wanted it to run wild.

Nothing filled me with joy like waking up to the incessant ringing of the basic alarm tone on my phone. I headed back into the bedroom, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. After a quick detour to the bathroom, I pulled my backpack up from the floor. A few quick shakes brought my water bottle to the surface. Grabbing that and my laptop bag, I headed toward the kitchen. Laptop and newly filled water bottle secured, I was ready to run out the door. I wanted to get to the orientation meeting on time. Last thing I wanted to do was make a horrible impression on my first day.

Making my way across the darkened campus was made easier by the faint blue lights that lined the path. The lights gave the campus an ethereal feel by basking it in a misty blue glow. It felt like I was walking in another world. The delicate blue glow was just enough to light the paths between buildings, while leaving the rest of the campus draped in shadows. I loved it, just another lavish touch that made my new home stand out. It was something that most people around campus probably took for granted, but to me, it just added another layer of awe.

Finding the auditorium was easy. I took a quick look at my map before I left, but I didn’t need to worry. The signs on campus were actually pretty helpful. The room was surprisingly big considering I had yet to see another person on campus. There had to be seating for several hundred people and balcony seating for an additional hundred. The dark wood of the seats stood in stark contrast to the navy blue fabric of the pad. Each was emblazoned with a symbol that I didn’t know. I had to assume it was some kind of symbol that represented the academy. I bet I could find out what it was when I got back to my room. The folder Betty had given me included a few pages on the history of the school and how it was founded.

Finally, some signs of life. There was a group of kids huddled together in the center of the room. A few of them looked up when I had walked in, but quickly went back to whatever they were doing. One boy made eye contact with me, and just stared at me with a smug look on his face. I broke the eye contact and headed toward an empty chair down in the front. I wondered what that guy’s problem was. Shit, my first thirty seconds around people and I’d already made an enemy. I wasn’t sure how I knew that I’d have to deal with him sooner or later, but I knew that I would.

I looked back up at the group of kids one more time. Yep, I was still getting the evil eye from the blond-haired bastard. On the plus side, he didn’t look so tough. He was just a six-foot-three jock, with muscles to spare. My glance did tell me a few things, though. A lot of the kids obviously knew each other already. My guess was they either grew up with each other or had attended school with each other before today. That put me at a disadvantage right away. Breaking into a new clique of people was never easy. They already had an established order, and anything that threatened that would receive the same kind of treatment in return.

Another couple quick glances around the auditorium revealed few outliers like myself. At least I wasn’t the only one who had come to campus without any friends. Hopefully I’d have some better luck talking to a few of them. No one else had any paper or their laptops out, so I just hooked my bag on the back of my chair. It made sense, I guess; how many notes could you possibly take during an orientation speech? I was sure most of them had an idea of why they were here and what to expect. I was totally in the dark, so this was going to be all new for me. I hoped the speaker wouldn’t just gloss over things. I really wanted to know more about why I was here.

An older man walked out from the side of the room and up to the podium. He had grey hair and a beard to match. His beard was in keeping with today’s style and cut closer to the face. He was wearing glasses and a tweed jacket with elbow patches. It was like stepping into a time machine to the seventies. At least that was the vibe I got from him. I could imagine him sitting around a campfire singing songs, just as easily as teaching a class. When he walked up to the podium, the entire hall went instantly silent.

His voice came out clear and with a crisp tone of authority. It was the voice of someone used to being in charge. The quiet confidence he spoke with left you with the feeling that he was passionate about his beliefs. It reminded me of the way Mr. Stillman spoke, except he gave me a much warmer feeling. This man wanted you to believe as he did, but he did not tell you to.

“Welcome to the academy! My name is Professor Simons, and I am in charge of handling your orientation. Take a look around you. Everyone in this room is also here for their first day.”

I took a quick look around, making sure to avoid the cluster in the center of the room. Right before the speaker started again, I chanced a glance in their direction and found that Blondie still had me locked in his sights. Awesome!

“You have been granted the unique opportunity to train here with the best of the best. While you are a student at the academy, we ask that you take a step back from any preconceived notions about what we do. Here we work as one unit, one team. With that being said, we expect you to set aside any grudges or family quarrels at the door. There are stiff penalties here for students found fighting outside of the arena.”

Stepping back from the podium, the professor took the time to make eye contact briefly with everyone in the room. It made a strong point when he took the time to emphasize it by looking at you until you acknowledged his words.

The moment of uncomfortable silence ended as he stepped back in front and started speaking again. “With that out of the way, let me tell you a little bit about what you can expect during your time here. Each semester will be filled with tasks for you to complete. Some of these will be announced; some of them will not. All of the tasks you encounter will be used to rank your position inside of your class. Your rank in the class will determine your seed at the end of the semester tournament.”

A few cheers broke out among the students. Apparently the end of the semester tournament was a pretty big deal.

“Our goal here at the academy is to shape your future in our world. There are plenty of positions that we need filled. We have spots for every potential skill set. You can also decide that you would not like to accept a position with us.” He gave a little frown as he said the last sentence, as if even saying it left a bad taste in his mouth. “For those of you who excel and whom we deem ready, there is field work. Those who excel in the field will be offered a chance to join the Ascendancy.”