“What is the hold up, Bees?” She asked in her ‘pinch-your-nose’ sounding voice.
“Oh nothing,” Scarlett replied, her voice changing from know-it-all-diva, to sweet-little-precious-girl, “Just a misunderstanding.”
“Well, thank you, but it still doesn’t explain why you kids are…” Mrs. Johns glanced at the wall clock, “10 minutes late to my class.”
Whoops! Harmony signed to Paisley in their secret sign language, Huge trouble now!
Yeah Paisley signed back.
“Now, that was NOT an invitation to stand there. Enter my room quietly.” Mrs. Johns turned and walked in.
Scarlett whipped her long black hair in a circle and pushed through the crowd, sauntering in after Mrs. Johns with Pixie trailing right behind her.
Once everyone was in their 2 foot high 6 square foot cubicle, Mrs. Johns started class.
“Today we will be discovering the most important skill you will need in life, whether you are in Herbania or Stellar, the skills you are about to discover you have are crucial.”
Everyone nodded, eager to finally get a fun assignment.
“Can anyone guess what it is?” Mrs. Johns asked.
Scarlett waved her hand in the air.
“Miss Blackmist?”
“It is Basic Spells.” She said, sure she was right.
A roar of giggles drowned out what Mrs. Johns said in reply.
“Scarlett! We learned that when we were like, Ladybugs!” Fitz Mallan laughed.
“Good guess. But no.” Mrs. Johns answered, glaring daggers at Fitz.
Paisley raised her hand meekly.
“Power Finding?” Paisley suggested, “Like we find our true inner power that helps the Destin Ceremony choose our job and placement.”
“Correct!” Mrs. Johns exclaimed.
Mrs. Johns explained that they were going to fill out an electronic sheet with information about themselves. They also had to answer all these questions and do some tests. This is what Paisley’s sheet looked like.
Name Paisley Waterborne
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How old are you? I am 10 years old.
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When were you born? I was born on May 13th.
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How many siblings do you have? I have 3 siblings, Kia, Charlotte, and Eli.
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What is your best subject? My best subject is Magical Training
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What is your strong point? My strong point is art, writing, and singing.
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Who is your best friend? My best friend is Harmony Whitewater.
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What is your Buddy? (Name and species) My Buddy is a Fonx, and her name is Autumn.
When Paisley finished filling her sheet out, she handed it to Mrs. Johns.
“I’m done.” She told her.
“Great, now follow me,” Mrs. Johns led her to a glass box about the height of her mom, and took her inside.
“Answer every question honestly, then you should receive a slip of paper. Retrieve the slip and exit.”
Paisley nodded, glancing around at the clear box. It seemed to have nothing else in it. She didn’t bother asking how exactly she would hear the voice because Mrs. Johns had already shut the door.
“PAISLEY WATERBORNE!” Paisley heard a voice boom from nowhere.
“Yes?” Paisley shyly replied.
“You like art?”
“Yes”
“You like acting?”
“Kind of”
“You like writing?”
“Yes”
It kept on ping-ponging back and forth. The Voice would say something and Paisley would reply. Finally, Paisley saw a claw-like mechanical hand descend from the ceiling, holding a slip of paper. It was blank apparently.
Paisley grabbed the paper and saw that the door had opened. She stepped out and miraculously, words appeared. She read them out loud.
Paisley Thelma Waterborne is a Artist, Polyanima, and a Sent.
“Mrs. Johns?” Paisley called after reading this.
“Yes?” Mrs. Johns replied, not looking up from her desk.
“What are these things?” Paisley asked.
“What are what things?” Mrs. Johns glanced up and looked quizzically at Paisley.
“Artist, Polyanima, and Sent?”
“Oh, forgive me,” Mrs. Johns said, then addressing the whole class, “Put away everything except one pencil.”
Everyone did that.
“I am going to hand out worksheets that you will have to go over. They will say your powers, what they are, and what they are used for.”
Mrs. Johns passed out worksheets, one to each person. After each one was set down on someone’s desk, she snapped her fingers and muttered a spell.
Canis Kinnis Minus Minnis Write And everyone’s paper magically had words appear as if an invisible pen were scratching down and writing.
Being an artist, Paisley’s read, Is when you can draw something and then chant a spell and it becomes real. You can also use standard art items such as paper clips, pencils, and paper to make weapons, do daily tasks, and cast spell.
When you are a Polyanima, you can speak to any animal and understand them. You can also speak every language of every species, human, and animal.
Finally, a Sent can picture a message in their mind, then picture a person's face, mentally tie them together, and throw them. That will send a message to anyone.
Paisley was pretty happy with her powers, and she glanced over to see if Harmony was too. She was bent over her sheet, reading what was on it.
Ahem! Ahem! Paisley cleared her throat and then tapped 3 times on her desk, the secret signal of Harmony and Paisley that indicated wanting to do the sign language.
Harmony glanced up from her paper, and over at Paisley.
What did you get? Paisley signed, I am an Artist, Polyanima, and Sent.
I am a Songman, a Sent, and a Conjurer. Harmony signed back.
Paisley nodded and they went back to whatever they were doing.
“Children!” Mrs. Johns said, when she reentered the room, back from escorting the last student to the Power Finder. “I am going to give you your new schedules for Basic Power Training. You will get 2 or 3 person capacity classes with a single teacher for each of your abilities. Those of you with 1 ability will have study hall for the 2nd and 3rd power periods.”
Mrs. Johns handed out the papers and said, “Now, this schedule starts tomorrow, and continues until the end of the Bee Year.”
Everyone nodded, and then the bell rang.
There was a rush of kids, ready to go home. They poured out the door and into the hallways. Paisley scanned the heads as they exited, having lost Harmony in the rushed crowd. Being taller than most of the kids, she looked for Harmony’s signature blond haired ponytail held up with a teal scrunchie.
Black hair. No. More Black. Blond….nope, not her...there she is!
Paisley spotted Harmony.
She pushed through the crowd, against the current of the rushing people. She finally got to her and tapped her shoulder.
“Hey!”
“Oh! Hi Pais!” Harmony looked up, startled.
“Whatcha reading?” Paisley asked, peeking at Harmony’s book. Harmony was always reading.
“Aqua Time: The Oceaners.” Harmony replied, looking back down at the book, letting Paisley guide her through the crowd.
“Oh, cool! What part are you at?” Paisley queried. She had already read all of the books by the author of Aqua Time, Including all the Aqua Time books that had been written, which were only 2. Oceaners and Return. But she was looking forward to a so-called new series that was coming out. She had also read The Secret: In the Cave and The Secret: Away from Home, along with Gallop to the Finish.
“I’m at the part when Regan finds Blue with Axel.” Harmony replied.
“Ok, that’s like my favorite part.” Paisley said, “But let’s talk about something else.”
“Ok.” Harmony slipped the blue covered book into her backpack, and they started toward the door, “So do want to come over today?”
“No, sorry, I have to babysit Kia and Charlotte.” Paisley rolled her eyes. Her little twin sisters could sometimes be a pain. They were both 3, and Eli was Paisley’s 7 year old brother.
“Oh!” Harmony let out a small yelp.
“What?” Paisley asked.
“I just remembered! Melody’s Writing Contest is tomorrow!”
Melody was Harmony’s twin sister, but she had to go to special classes to practice, so she hadn’t been able to walk home with Paisley and Harmony for the past few days.
“Oh! Wish her luck for me!” Paisley replied, And please please PLEASE let her win. She added silently.
They walked the rest of the way home in silence, thinking each about different things.
