Monster Trainer Academy, page 19
“Nice to see you too,” Claudette giggled.
“Oh, right, I mean,” the flustered professor ran a hand through his messy hair, attempting to smooth it done but definitely unable to, “it’s very nice to see you, Claudette. How have you been? What brings you to the Academy on such a beautiful night?”
Grayson started laughing, but he was the only one, although Claudette definitely had a big smirk on her face. It seemed both Claudette and Grayson knew the man.
The professor immediately snapped his head toward Grayson. “Do I need to call your father as well, Mr. Adair?”
Grayson immediately stopped laughing and shook his head quickly from side to side.
“That’s what I thought,” Rusty said, turning back to Claudette. “Anyway. You were saying?”
“Well, I made some new friends in Plott Town, so I thought I’d tag along to the city. It’s their first time here.” Claudette gestured to Abigail and me.
“Aw, some new meat… I mean recruits,” Rusty chuckled at his own joke, even snorting a little.
“Are you still using that one?” Claudette asked in her enthusiastic voice.
Rusty shrugged and gave a cheesy grin. “If it’s funny, it’s funny.”
“Yeah, it’s not funny,” Grayson laughed.
Rusty shot him a stern look again, but there was definitely a smile curing up the sides of his mouth. Grayson raised his hands and backed away a little bit, silently promising not to say anything else.
“Well, how about we all walked to the Academy together, then? I can get all you newbies enrolled.” Rusty held a hand out, waiting for us all to start off in the direction of the Academy.
Claudette led the way, but Rusty immediately jogged to catch up with her. The rest of us followed the pair along the path that wound through the courtyard toward the glowing spiral building.
“He definitely likes her,” Abigail whispered as we watched Rusty and Claudette laugh and chat.
“He’s way out of her league, and he knows it,” Grayson whispered on the other side of me.
“Was he your teacher or something?” I asked Grayson.
“Yeah, he will be again, I guess,” Grayson chuckled. “He’s a cool guy. I like him.”
“Do you think they had a thing?” I asked as I watched Rusty interact with Claudette.
“Well, she definitely was a student here, so they would have met that way. Who knows if it’s more than that, though,” Abigail commented, but she had a huge smile on her face. “It’s kind of cute.”
“Who, him?” I asked, only half-joking.
“No, them. Or how he acts around her, I guess,” Abi clarified.
“It is kind of funny to see one of your professors get all nervous just because of some hot lady,” Grayson added.
“Poor guy,” I chuckled, making everyone laugh.
“I don’t think he’s her type,” Sarah interjected. She had been pretty quiet the whole time, and I had hoped the encounter with Breck did not shake her up.
“What’s her type?” Dom asked, also speaking for the first time in a while.
“Not him,” Sarah giggled.
Dom looked a little disappointed that he wasn’t being told how to be more desirable to Claudette and also a little jealous that she was up ahead with Rusty.
We followed after them until the twisting Academy towered above us. When Claudette and Rusty neared the large glass doors, Rusty ran up ahead to make sure he opened them for her. Claudette gave him a smile as she strode into the building like the confident woman she was.
The rest of us followed, but our monsters opted to stay outside with Bawfa, who was just a bit too big to be inside the building comfortably. The big pack monster munched away at some leaves in a nearby tree as Kiba, Thom, Dargo, and Titan all played a game of tag in the grass. Aki and Pearl both came inside with us.
“Those are some good monsters you have there,” Rusty smiled at us as we walked into a large, oddly shaped atrium.
It looked just as sleek and clean on the inside as it did on the outside. The metallic structure was exposed on the inside and twisted its way up many stories above us. Large, angular panes of glass and giant slabs of metal attached to the iron bars, forming the structure’s walls.
“Let’s come over here, and we can get you guys all set up.” Rusty led us to a group of monitors along one wall. “Just fill out the questions, scan your license, and you guys will officially be the newest members of the Haven City Monster Trainer Academy.”
After we had all filled out the enrollment form, which was a simple series of questions, we were automatically enrolled in a class called Monster Training 101. It was one of the many prerequisite classes that every beginner trainer had to take if they wanted to graduate from the Academy.
Once we all had our enrollment forms, we collected our monsters and said goodnight to Claudette. Rusty insisted on walking her to the inn, even though she countered his offers multiple times.
“Bawfa is a bigger deterrent to any unsavory people than you,” Claudette teased Rusty, but the man would not be swayed.
After we said our goodbyes, Grayson led us up a set of winding stairs to the fourth floor where, to my surprise, our dorms were. Basically, the five of us shared a dorm, each with separate rooms, two shared bathrooms, a shared kitchen, and a living room.
“We made it.” Abigail gave a big sigh of relief.
17
The next day, I woke up to the vibrant morning sun streaming in through the large glass window of my bedroom. It cast red and yellow hues across the metal walls as it rose in the blue morning sky.
It wasn’t the amazing sunrise that woke me up, and it wasn’t just me who was waking up. The melodic tones of a bell followed by a woman’s cheery voice woke the whole school up, telling the whole Academy good morning, along with some announcements for the day.
“Good morning, students of Haven City Monster Trainer Academy. The time is eight o’clock, and that means it’s time to start your days. First off, I’d like to welcome all the new students who enrolled yesterday. Remember to bring your Trainer License and enrollment form with you to your first class. Your form will tell you when your class is and where it is located.”
“Secondly, I just want to remind everyone that for the time being, it is prohibited to travel into the Cadda Forest. As you all have probably heard, there are rumors of hunters in the area. The Minders are taking care of it, but we just want to ensure that all of our students are safe.”
“Now, I hope you all have a wonderful day and remember to make the most of it!”
I rolled out of bed as the same bell tone chimed its little song. When my bare feet were on the cool metal floor, I stretched the stiffness of sleep away and yawned as I sauntered over to the large window. I had an amazing view of the green courtyard with a barrier of forest and the rising mountains just behind.
With that view, it was kind of crazy to think that I was actually in a giant city in a crazy metal building since the Academy was situated in its own peaceful little park. If I looked to my right, though, the winding, glistening spires of Haven City towered into the sky, reminding me exactly where I was.
As I admired the gorgeous scenery, I wondered if Claudette was awake yet and what she was doing. If I remembered correctly, the inn she was staying at was on the other side of the park. I wasn’t sure where the market was, but my guess was that Claudette was probably already there getting her stall set up.
Part of me wished I was there with her to help. Also, I just really liked her company. There was something very nice about being around her. Like, if anything happened, I knew she would be right there, ready to back me up or to take charge. It was so nice to be around such smart and capable people. My only hope was that I would live up to the standard they had set for me, but I knew I could and would.
I had a lot to learn, about Monster Training, about this world, but I think for maybe the first time in my life, I knew I could succeed. Sure, there would be failure along the way, but that was just a part of the process.
After admiring the scenery for a minute and getting lost in my thoughts, I returned my attention to my room. It wasn’t very big and was oddly shaped, kind of like a triangle, probably because of the interesting structure of the building. My bed was angled in a corner with the twisted and exposed metal frame just behind it. It was another reminder that I was in a crazy, futuristic city.
I was still trying to wrap my head around it. Honestly, I was still trying to wrap my head around all the events of the past few days. So much had been happening that I didn’t really have much time at all to think about it or to process it, so the few times I had some quiet moments, my brain flooded with thoughts as it tried to analyze what had been happening.
I turned away from the large window that took up most of the wall across from my bed. There was a simple metal desk on one adjacent wall and a black dresser along the other. The room was pretty small, and there wasn’t much in it, but it was all a student needed.
Grayson had mentioned something about a uniform, and sure enough, when I opened the dresser, there were some clothes folded up inside. I grabbed the first piece of clothing out of the dressing, letting it unfold as I held it up to study it.
It was a fitted, zip-up, black shirt made of some kind of durable yet breathable material that felt nice to the touch. I slid my arms through the long sleeves that had thick marron cuffs at the end. The shirt went down to my waist and was ringed with more maroon trim. Two pockets hung down on either side of my legs, marked by maroon and silver zippers.
The pants were baggy and white and had similar maroon trim pockets with silver zippers. Once I slid on the black, shiny boots, ready for my first day as a student.
I grabbed my pack with all of my gear, not knowing exactly what I would need and I had become so used to carrying with me, anyway. It also had everything I would need and offered me some kind of security in this strange new place.
Titan was curled up at the foot of my bed, still snoozing, even after I got up to get ready. As soon as I placed my hand on the metal knob and called his name, he launched off the bed and stood by my side.
“How are you today, buddy?” I asked as I scratched behind one of the dragon’s long, feathery ears.
His tongue slipped out of his mouth as he gave me a content smile, so I knew he was well, but I could also sense it. Instead of only guessing out what it might be, I was now sure that this connection was real. It only got stronger as the days went on.
“Oh! That reminds me!” I ran over to my pants that I had chucked onto the floor last night before crawling into bed, exhausted. I pulled the Monster Mansion cube out of my pocket and unhooked it from the belt loop. “I wonder if Chipper is feeling better yet.”
I pressed the little button near the corner, and the green pointer of light appeared. I positioned it on the surface of the desk, where it flared out. The little fluffy and winged body of a charder appeared in a green silhouette. Pinpoints of light appeared like twinkling stars, and Chipper fully materialized on the desk.
“Hey, Chip, how are you feeling?” I asked the creature, using a finger to gently pat his tiny head.
The little monster chittered happily, and I could sense that he was not only cheerful, but he felt much better. He skittered in a circle on the desk as I pet him, and his splint fell right off.
“It looks like you’re doing great.” I laughed as the little squirrel leapt onto my arm. He ran up it until he perched on my shoulder.
I put the Mansion in one of the zippered pockets of my jacket and left my room.
Abigail, Sarah, and Grayson were already in the dining area. They all sat around the metal table joking and laughing as Dom carried in a skillet from the kitchen. He had a big smile on his face and an apron over his school uniform.
“Dom made us omelets.” Abigail grinned widely as I entered the room.
She looked amazing in her sleek, form-fitted uniform. She had her sleeves rolled up to just below her elbow, revealing her chocolatey skin. Her brown hair was pulled up into a round bun on the top of her head. Honestly, she just looked radiant.
“Wow, Dom, you’re really amazing,” I said, tearing my attention away from Abi. “I think we’re pretty lucky to have a good cook in our dorm.”
“Yeah, we really are,” Grayson nodded. “Even though the school provides some basic ingredients for all the students, it doesn’t really matter if nobody knows how to cook well.”
“Isn’t there a dining hall, too?” Abi asked, cutting into her steaming yellow omelet with her fork.
“Yeah, they do, but then you have to go all the way there,” Grayson laughed.
“You’re pretty lazy for a Monster Trainer,” Sarah giggled next to him.
“No, I’m just busy and don’t have the time, although the food is really good. I ate most of my meals there when I was first enrolled.” Grayson took a healthy bite of his own omelet.
I sat down in the open seat next to Abi. Dom came back into the room and plopped a hearty omelet down onto the plate that had been set out.
“Thanks, man. This smells amazing.” I took a huge bite and almost rolled out of my chair, it was so good.
“How is it?” Dom asked in his quiet voice.
“Thish ish ahmazhing,” I mumbled with a mouthful of warm, delicious, eggy goodness.
Dom grinned and sauntered back into the kitchen.
“I’m glad to see Chipper is doing well,” Abigail said as the little squirrel monster ran down my arm to get a sniff at the eggs.
Dom came back with more eggs for Titan and Chipper. He called them to the living where Kiba, Thom, Dargo, and Pearl scarfed down their own plates of food.
“Wow, even the monsters are getting spoiled.” I smiled as I watched the monsters lick up every last crumb on all the plates.
After we had finished our food and grabbed our stuff, it was about 8:30. After checking my enrollment form, I learned that our Monster Trainer: 101 glass started at 9, so it was time to go.
“I already took that class, so I won’t be in with you guys, but that’s awesome you all got a class with Professor Sanborn,” Grayson commented as he walked with us through the halls of glass and metal.
Students, all dressed in uniforms, moved through the surrounding halls, all going to their various classes. Grayson took us up to the 10th floor, where our class was supposed to be. He even showed us to the room before he went off to wherever his class was.
The room was a large open space with a polished concrete floor. Three large windows were separated by the metal pylons that twisted all the way up to the top of the building. There were some chairs spread around along the edges of the room and an open space in the center.
When Abigail, Sarah, Dom, and I all walked into the room, there were already a few other students in there. Some of them sat quietly in the chairs with their monsters, and others stood and chatted happily with each other.
“Where should we sit?” I asked my friends, letting them lead the way.
“Let’s sit by the window.” Sarah led us to a group of chairs near the large pane of glass.
Just as we sat down, a group of people entered the room. Even though they weren’t in their red jumpsuits, you could tell by the way they carried themselves that they were Ruby Runners. As the group fanned out into the room, Breck emerged from the center, looking as arrogant as ever.
Much to my dismay, Benny, with his own conceited grin, walked into the room right behind Breck.
“Well, look who it is.” Breck immediately noticed me sitting across the room. He walked straight across, not caring that all eyes were on him. Some of those eyes nervously darted to me as Breck targeted me with his icy stare.
“What the hell? How do you know this asshole?” Benny sniveled, running up beside Breck like he was his little toadie.
That thought made me chuckle, and Breck really did not like that. I’m sure he wasn’t used to someone standing up against his bullying ways. From the way he acted to the way he spoke and carried himself, Breck was definitely a person who was used to getting away with pushing people around.
Well, that was going to change.
“Is something funny?” Breck said through clenched teeth as he stood only inches away from me. He glared down, flaring his nostrils.
I also thought that was very funny and made sure to laugh loudly and kicked my legs out so that one went right between Breck’s leg and the other stuck out to the left of him.
He snapped his head down at my legs and scoffed, kicking them away from him and stepping back.
“Freak,” he spat.
I just sat there with my legs stretched out and hands folded across my chest, with a wide grin on my face. I probably did look like some kind of weirdo, but I didn’t care. I was succeeding in riling up Breck, and that was my goal.
“Seriously, how do you know this loser,” Benny sneered as he marched beside Breck, bumping into him.
Breck glared at Benny and then turned his mad gaze back to me. “This freak,” he spat the word, “doesn’t seem to know his place.”
“Oh, that’s really original,” I chuckled. “What, just because you have a dorky jumpsuit that means you can be rude to people?”
There were some murmurings from the class and a few nervous glances. I guess other people weren’t used to Breck being stood up to either.
Breck really didn’t like it. He fumed as he stepped closer again, kicking my leg out of the way, hard. He lowered his face down toward mine, fuming so hard I could practically see steam pouring from his beet-red ears.
“Mr. Winters.” Professor Sanborn entered the classroom just at the perfect time, catching Breck being a total jerk, just like he had last night.
Breck immediately backed off and spun around.
The professor, looking just as disheveled as he did last night, walked into the middle of the room. “I think that’s enough from you. I don’t want you in my class today. Let’s go have a talk with the dean, shall we?”
