High Garden Academy

I heard a knock on my door late at night, it was the night before I had to leave to go to my new school. Everything was packed and by the Garage, I skipped downstairs to find my parents sitting in the living room reading their books. I walked over to the door and I was shoved outside of the house. Confused I tried to fight back, a blindfold was wrapped around my eyes and giggles were whispering in me ears.

“Don’t keep him out too late.” I heard my father by the door closing it behind me.

I wish I could take them with me, but they aren’t Mages - I’ve already checked. they don’t have to go to such lengths for me. I’m too emotional of a guy.

The Miami shores sit right behind my parents house, I could smell the salty breeze once we made it down the stairs. The Sand started to shift underneath my feet, the smell of burning wood enveloped in the air.I have a feeling I know where this is going.

I chuckle as my hands flail about as they force me to sit down on a wooden stump, light and warmth move throughout my face and body. They take the blindfold of to reveal a bonfire, with 6 of my closest friends sitting around it. Underneath the night sky, the moons light glistens off the ocean waves in front of me. I take the time to ingrain this memory into my head.

“SURPRISE” everyone says in unison, Tears start to well up in my eyes.

I’ll never see them again

They hold up some soda pops and a large bag of fries that we can all eat together. I laughed and thanked everyone for doing this for me.

I dragged everyone into the ocean, we splashed around, laughing and playing Mark-o-polo. Using the water from the ocean to mask the tears streaming down my smiling face. I wanted to enjoy tonight before I leave in the morning. I wanted to let the water wash away all my guilt.

Throughout the night we sat next to the fire, singing and drinking 4 locos. We told stories of the very few years we spent together, then got up and danced to the music that came out of Rob’s Guitar, singing like drunken sailors. We were obnoxiously loud even drowning out the waves with our noise.

I grabbed everyone’s attention before the night was over.

“I appreciate each and everyone of you. This has been the best night a guy could ever ask for, and it’s all thanks to you, I love you all. Now lemme walk you home I got a flight in the morning” I smiled, laughed and waved my drink around we all cheered and drank what was left.

I helped everyone throw the trash away, as we picked up the items from off the floor and put out the fire. I walked everyone to their cars and for the ones that lived down the street I stumbled my way to each one of their houses.

I’ll have to order them gifts for being so thoughtful

The bright light from Florida Sun forced my eyes open, groggy I was thankful everything was already packed. My dorm room decor and other larger items were already sent to the school.

We arrived at the airport on time and we boarded without a problem.

Once I was seated I pulled out my laptop, opened up my writing folder to start a new journal entry:

08/27

Hi,

I am now a student at High Garden Academy, sometimes it doesn’t even seem real. Even though I’ve been practicing magic with my father ever since I was an infant. Yet, I still feel like there is still so much for me to learn. Needless to say I am quite exceptional. With only 2 years of high school on my belt I still finished at the top of my class, I was the captain of the swimming and basketball team as a freshman. So safe to say I am not too worried. Starting over is always intimidating, but courage is not the absence of fear it is the strength to move forward despite it.

Aiden C.

The Flight was about seven hours and my parents spent most of their time napping, drinking coffee and either getting ready for the day or reading their books.

My mom looked over at me, she has such beautiful warm brown tones in her skin. We have that in common, I have her curls although mine are much looser. I also have her beautiful hazel eyes, wide lips and broad smile according to Dad.

She smiles at me with a soft longing in her eyes “What am I going to do now that you’re leaving me.” she pouts and wraps her arms around me with such strength. I hug her back grabbing her tighter.

I chuckled a bit, loosen my grip “Maybe a belly dancing class, those are very popular now a days.”

She rolled her eyes “I bet your Father told you to put that silly idea in my head, well I don’t buy it for a second, he knows how much I’ve been wanting to take pole dancing classes like the other ladies at my firm.” She states loud enough for him to get his nose out of the book he was reading.

“I highly doubt you can do that with your schedule.” He grumbles under his breath,

“Believe me I sure can, I am able to take up a new hobby and create a new free persona base off of it. If you loved me you would support me.” My mother says as she lays her head on his shoulder batting her eyes at him.

My father closes his book, tilts his glasses down and peers over his frames. I get my slim eyes and thick black hair from him, along with his broads shoulders and tall frame.

He got just close enough to her face to see into her soul and says “I refuse to have my quality of love tested, do as you please Gina just please this time, prove me wrong and stick with it.” He pulled her head towards him and kissed her forehead.

“AHH Bernard, you love me so. Thank you my darling.”

I shake my head amused and sip on my lukewarm coffee as we land.

From there it was a strict schedule of back to back transportation to my new school. Once we got off the plane, a car took us to the nearest train station, from there it was an hour train ride to the town nearest to the school. Then once I arrived in the town, we still had to pay for a taxi to drive us an hour into the mountains.

High Garden is praised for its exclusivity, bordering the line between the United States and Canada. Its views really were quite breathtaking.

The taxi brought us to the front of a large golden gate, we got out paid and thanked the taxi driver.

I made my way over to the trunk to help my dad with my bags, we started walking forward towards the gate, they must have been about 16 ft tall.

Not something I could climb over.

We were greeted by a man about 6′3. He had on an all tan outfit with beige sunglasses and an ear piece the color of his skin tone.

This must be the schools security system, good to know.

“Name?” the man asked

“Aiden Carter.”

The man tapped the side of his shades and a screen lights up on the lens. He used his fingers to scroll thru a list, then said “Yes, Mr. Carter we have you paired up with Suzanne, she will be showing you around the school grounds and guiding you to your testing station. Please come with me.”

He turns around and walks towards the gates as they slowly start opening. Inside I see a girl walking towards us. She was a short pale woman with blonde curls and a very wide smile.

“Hello Aiden, I am Susie and I’ll be showing you around the school.” Her eyes practically lit up once she looked at me. She seemed in shock and started to stutter.

Once I said “Thank you that would be very helpful.” She snaps out of it, I send her a soft smile and a nod, soon we walk toward the school.

She followed right behind, my parents thanked the security guard and followed shortly behind.

The second I turn towards the courtyard the Castle bares down on me like the Burj Khalifa. The school is amazing. With tall windows on every wall, dark brown brick sculpting the sides, with lots of sharp roofs and large corridors.

I’ve read about this somewhere:

The School is said to be encapsulated inside of a large invisible dome, surrounded by the golden gate we just walked thru. The Castle sits directly in the middle of the circle and spreads across the diameter of the space. The front half of the Castle (the South end) is home to the courtyard, the arts and cultural facilities side on the West side in front of the Dark forest, and on the East side is herbal/agricultural garden with a livestock barn behind it on the east side. The Back of the Castle (The North end) Is supposed to be a large open courtyard that drops off a cliff side. Sitting high on a mountain the cliff is supposed to be for the Pegasus to fly about without the worry of onlookers. The North side is also said to have all of the sports and recreational facilities - what I am looking most forward to. Along with a large lake that travels down the valley creating the river that travels by the nearest town.

I am enthralled by everything. Susie, our guide shows us around each of the buildings in the front half before making our way to the castle itself. My parents are asking non stop questions while I smile at every person I see.

Students with their parents, grandparents, familiars, and some rich kids even brought their foot elves. Most of the other students watch me as I stride in through the front doors of each building, not bothering to smile back.

We continue walking to the fountain in front of the main door to the large castle that started to surround us. Susie then, stepped a couple of feet in front of us, turns around and says “This is the grand hall to High Garden Academy, this illustrious school as you may well know, houses 4 different wings and two different schools. Aiden Carter i’m sure you know you will have to forgo a few tests to see which house you’re going to be in.”

“I hope that would be alright.” she looked at me then looked away shyly, her cheeks turned a shade of red.

“That won’t be a problem in the slightest” I smiled at her, guilty and trying to hide my excitement.