Chasing Dreams and Chasing Trouble

Midterm exams began in October. The atmosphere in the classroom was tense, with Mrs. Garrett's vigilant presence looming over the students like a watchful hawk. Known for her strict demeanour, Mrs Garrett's mere presence could instil fear in the hearts of students, as she was notorious for administering swift reprimands to those caught misbehaving.

Maya, feeling unprepared for the test, realized her mistake upon leaving multiple blank answers on her paper. Determined to avoid a poor grade, she discreetly summoned Leo for assistance by subtly tapping her rose necklace.

Leo, initially puzzled by Maya's unusual call in a crowded classroom, quickly grasped the situation upon seeing her tapping on her test beside unanswered questions. Mindful of the risk of arousing suspicion from Mrs. Garrett, Maya waited anxiously as Leo surveyed the room for potential answers.

From her first-row seat, she couldn't direct Leo with her eyes toward the students who were more likely to know the answers and had to trust his judgement as he recited them to her.

Under an intense rush of adrenalin and a guilty conscience, Maya couldn't quell her mind with reason. Hers was the most undetectable method of cheating there was, but it was still cheating.

With her nerves already being under a lot of pressure, Mrs Garret's sudden shout and fist slamming a desk made Maya jump in her seat.

"Miss Petrova!"

It seems she wasn't the only one as all the students were startled and compelled to look at the back of the classroom where the person in question was seated. In stark contrast to the teacher's face red with fury, Elena was blinking disoriented and asked in a groggy voice:

"What time is it?" 

Elena didn't even try to hide that she had been sleeping.

"It's time to start taking your test. You have ten more minutes," the teacher said clenching her teeth, and turned back to the class. "Everyone, eyes on your tests!"

Today wasn't a lucky day for Elena. First, she had dozed off in class and got in trouble with Mrs Garrett. Then on the way out of the classroom, Kasper awaited her. The year rep was unfortunate enough to be tasked with reprimanding Elena again. This time he was prepared and intercepted Elena before she could give him a slip.

However, after seeing him, the speed at which Elena set off into a run was incredible. But Kasper, taking his duties seriously, gave her a chase. He wasn't giving up easily today.

"No running in the halls!" Professor's words fell on deaf ears and they were gone like the wind.

'This might take a while.'

"Midterms have begun, how are you fairing?" Andrea inquired as they walked together.

Maya already knew there was no point in waiting for Elena today as she will be occupied. Either by hiding and running away, or being caught and dragged to the faculty office.

"You're smart, right? I've joined a couple of study groups but I don't see any progress in my grades," Andrea lamented.

"That's because you don't go there to study but to be a busybody," Linda brought up.

Andrea waved her head. "Groups tend to socialize. It's hard not to."

"You can always come study with Isaac and me," Linda offered.

"I don't want to be your third wheel," she continued to complain.

"Andrea, we are actually studying! And besides—"

A gasp of a student near them grabbed their attention. They looked up where two nimble figures were running across the roof, one chasing the other, rendering all onlookers extras on an action movie set.

"What's all that ruckus? Wait, is that Kasper chasing Elena over the rooftops! ?" Andrea exclaimed, recognizing them. "Seriously, what trouble did she cause now?"

"They are still going…" Maya was amazed. "I swear, Kasper must have a degree in parkour. Otherwise, how is he able to chase her even across the rooftops?"

This had been going on for a while in the background. Scenes like similar things casually happening would remind them that they were attending an academy for mages.

"Seriously, he keeps chasing her day after day. Do I need to break some rules for him to notice me as well?" Andrea pouted. "This is unfair. It seems everyone's love life is advancing except for mine."

Lately, Andrea had been endlessly frustrated because her crush never seemed to notice her.

"Why do you like Kasper so much," Maya wondered. "Have you even talked to him once?"

"I haven't. He's always so busy to casually approach him. But just look at him! He is cute as a button! He is like a golden retriever, I just want to cuddle him all day long," Andrea hugged herself, imagining herself in his embrace.

"A golden retriever?"

Maya had to admit with his light brown hair, golden eyes and well-natured demeanour Kasper would remind you of the man's best friend. However, it was a little strange that that aspect of him was the main pull for Andrea.

"It's not just that. I mean, he is the year rep! What can I say? I like guys with authority. Hehe."

Maya silently patted Andrea on the shoulder, pitying her unrequited love. Even Maya talked to him on more occasions than Andrea did, but she hoped for her future fortune and a chance to confess to him.

"I heard whispers of a party coming up soon," Andrea continued. "You know, like a proper house party. No supervision. Hehehe. I hope they pull it off."

While Maya and her friends were cutting through the courtyard, they could see those two returning to the ground. Elena must've determined it was better to try and lose him in the crowd.

However, things weren't going as smoothly. While slightly faster and more nimble Elena was trying to escape through the arcades, she stumbled upon Mrs Garrett. The strict teacher immediately wanted to reprimand Elena — a known troublemaker.

"Oh, no. She's in trouble."

Elena was now trapped in between them, with the danger of her punishment getting much worse than initially. She was caught completely off guard, glancing back, evaluating if she could still run in that direction before Kasper closed in.

There was no hope. Furious Mrs Garret on the one side, and out of breath Kasper on the other. And then, in a quick reaction, Elena resulted to the most ridiculous method of getting out of trouble Maya had seen her try so far. She pretended to faint.

Mrs Garrett was stunned by a student suddenly going limp right in front of her. Her frail old hands that, seconds prior, were ready to strike a young student, now fumbled trying to catch her. Kasper was there in an instant, helping the old lady with Elena.

"Oh no, it looks like she's anaemic again. I have to quickly carry her to the infirmary." Kasper surprised everyone by thinking quickly on his feet and deciding to act along with Elena.

"Oh, ugh. What happened?" Mrs Garrett was stupefied.

"I'm sorry Mrs Garrett, Elena was just so intent on fulfilling her fallen-behind duties that she skipped lunch. I had to chase her to check if she was okay."

"Oh, my," Mrs Garrett seemed truly concerned.

"You see how thin and pale as paper she is. I have to quickly take her to the nurse."

Maya, Andrea and Linda, witnessing this were completely flabbergasted.

'Even Kasper can lie through his teeth, huh?'

Although a stickler for rules, Kasper knows this teacher gives out unjust punishments to students she has it out for. Elena was now essentially caught and there was no need to reprimand her more than she was already going to suffer.

Unfortunately, despite convincing Mrs Garrett otherwise, Elena won't be escorted to the infirmary but to the Headmistress's office instead.

🜺🜺🜺🜺

For the Elemental Practices, with her new elements, Maya was assigned new mentors. Or at least the Earth mentor was new. With Tanya, she got two for one, Fire and Air, and Water stayed the same as before the re-appraisal.

Coincidentally, for Earth, she was grouped with Linda, and Andrea was always nearby. So Earth manipulation days were always fun for Maya. The Water group was unfortunately made up of strangers, and Elena's group was far away.

With a hundred children of each element, all of them couldn't be near. However, Elena often slacked off and hung around Maya at practice time. It went as far as her mentor having to switch places with another group so that the two of them could be closer and her mentor wouldn't have to chase her around the practice ground.

Strange how Elena eventually got her way, having the entire group cater to her whims. It's possible when you have a mentor as kind and considerable as she does.

While doing her stretches, Maya saw Elena returning from the faculty wing. Being late and noticeably pissed off Elena was still trying to put her slipper on. After dropping her bag carelessly on the ground, she placed her hands on her hips glancing around, not feeling like practising today.

Maya approached her and asked what was wrong.

"The Cockatrice Crone isn't pleased with my grades," Elena was frustrated.

After talking to the Headmistress, it was no wonder. Elena's grades were horrible. She was failing at way too many classes and barely passing the rest. It was already apparent even before midterms that something needed to be done.

The problem lay in her sleeping through exams, being late and showing up drunk to the classes. Teachers have begun complaining about her. It was a miracle they were tolerant up to this point.

"You can't blame her. You managed to fail even the easiest of classes."

"What does she have to do with that? She's a headmistress of an academy, why is she so fixated on one student? She doesn't need to invent some stupid rules of minimal score to lower my allowance just to get at me."

"She did not make that up for you. It's an existing rule," Maya informed her.

"Since when?"

"Since ever. You probably slept through it when they explained it to us."

"You're right. I was probably late," Elena brushed it off and pulled out her thermos bottle from her bag, taking a sip.

Maya was horrified by how blatantly she would drink and tried to grab it away from her. "This is the exact reason why you're in trouble!"

Elena didn't let go and they ended up scuffling over the bottle.

Suddenly, a second-year student fell to the ground from the Tachde-tu arena and grabbed his ankle. Medical support quickly arrived to attend to his injury, but it was clear that he couldn't continue playing. The teams began to argue about how to finish the game since one team was now missing a player. As it turned out, the missing player was of the Water element.

Elena wasted no time and volunteered.