5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Quinn ~Day One~

I wake up to the sound of my alarm blaring beside me and let out a groan in response. It feels like I closed my eyes just a moment ago yet somehow it’s already time to wake up. Part of me is tempted to hit the snooze button but instead, I turn it off before forcing myself to sit up.

As much as I’d like to catch a few extra minutes of snoozing, I know I’ll be less groggy if I just get my ass up and into the shower.

With one last wiggle and stretch, I get myself out of bed before stumbling into my bathroom. After showering, brushing my teeth, applying deodorant, getting dressed, and then styling my hair, I make my way into my kitchen.

I grab a bagel and put it into the toaster. While that goes, I quickly feed Fluffy. Then I wander back to my fridge, cursing past Quinn for drinking the last of the iced coffee without getting any more ready for present Quinn. It’s too late to brew a new pot. Maybe if I hustle, I can stop at the coffee shop on the way and get myself something there.

Once my bagel pops, I slather it with cream cheese and take it with me to eat on my walk to school.

With my bag tossed over my shoulder, my scarf wrapped around my throat, and a warm bagel in hand, I start walking. I couldn’t have asked for a better fall day. The sun shines down while the air is warm enough that I’m not shivering but cool enough I can comfortably wear my scarf. Perfect.

A happy sigh leaves my lips as I start down the road towards school. I’m lucky to have a house so close to campus, inherited from my grandparents when they passed away. They always complained about the other houses being bought out and then rented to frats. Apparently they were up all hours of the night partying. Thankfully, my experience hasn’t been anything like that. I don’t know if it’s because I’m less sensitive to noises or because they know I’m their neighbor but either way, I don’t have much to complain about.

All the kids who rent around me are always respectful. They don’t usually host parties, but when they do, they make sure to take things inside by the time the sun goes down.

A nice stroll to work is one of my favorite ways to fully wake up. If only I’d had time to make myself an iced coffee that I could sip along the way. I nod at a student also making their way to campus, letting them have a tiny bit of space in front of me so it’s not weird for him. I have enough self awareness to know he doesn’t want to be seen hanging out with one of the teachers.

As I walk, there’s something nagging me at the back of my mind. Have I forgotten something? Is there something weird going on? Just as I’m about to cross the street, the sound of a car speeding by hits my ears. Without even thinking, I grab the backpack of the kid in front of me, yanking him back.

“Fuck,” I gasp out, my heart hammering against my ribs at what just happened. Or rather, what could have just happened if I hadn’t noticed that fucking car. The student was typing something on his phone and not paying attention. If I hadn’t tugged him back-- no, I’m not even letting myself think about that.

“Jesus Christ,” the guy says, clutching at his chest. “Fuck you!”

“I think he’s too far away to hear you curse him out,” I say, sucking in a sharp breath, doing my best to keep myself from panicking. Nothing actually happened. Everyone’s safe.

“Still,” the guy says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Fuck him. What sort of idiot speeds around campus where tons of people are always walking. Asshole.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more.”

Looking both ways down the street, the two of us continue on our way to school. With that adrenaline rush, maybe I don’t need a cup of coffee after all. My hands are shaking so I stuff them into my pockets, sucking in a sharp breath as I try to calm my racing heart.

Once I’m just outside campus, I slow my steps. There’s a coffee shop that I like to stop at once in a while as a little treat. After what just happened, a little treat would be most welcome.

I look through their front windows and pause. Huh. Is that Bennet? I didn’t think he drank coffee. Not that I know , of course! It’s just something I maybe, sort of noticed about him. He usually gets tea rather than coffee. So what’s he doing here?

My hand seems to have a mind of its own, reaching out for the door handle but I freeze as Bennet turns towards the door. He’s got two coffees in his hands instead of one. My stomach sinks.

It’s obvious now that I think about it. Why would he be here getting coffee unless the coffee wasn’t for him? He’s getting a coffee for someone.

Fuck. I quickly turn away from the door, not wanting him to see me. My steps pick up speed as I make my way towards campus to my classroom. There’s no way I’m letting him see me like this.

I’m glad Bennet has someone to buy coffee for. Truly. He deserves it. He’s so sweet and wonderful towards his students, always having this welcoming aura around himself that draws people in. I don’t think he even realizes the pull he has on other people.

I should have done everything in my power to extinguish this little crush before it had time to bloom into full-fledged feelings, but here I am, painfully pining over the Tracker and Field coach. He was kind enough to spend time with me last night but that’s just who Bennet is, he’s kind .

My steps quicken as my heart gives the saddest little twinge of disappointment. I tell myself that I don’t have a crush on Bennet but the hurt I feel thinking about him having a partner tells me everything I need to know about my true feelings.

I’m completely fucked.

The walk to my office is a blur. I don’t even know why my feelings are so hurt. It’s not like there was anything between us to begin with. He’s a jock who stopped adventuring when he was hurt on the job. He’s everything students who plan to adventure in the future should strive to be like, while I’m just a nerd who retired because it was scary. Nothing was ever gonna happen between us.

“Thank you again for sorting everything last night.”

I startle, looking up at the source of the voice. I’d almost run head first into the head of my department without even realizing it.

I do my best to give Stephan a smile. “It was no problem at all and I made sure to submit my dinner receipt so you had it for your records.”

“I saw that and already sent the proper paperwork so you’d be reimbursed. You always do such a fine job around here, Quinn. Thank you.”

Okay, so that bit of praise helps soothe the ache going on inside my chest. I’m good at what I do, an asset to the department. I bring a lot to the table even if I’m not out there battling dragons or evil liches.

Unlocking the door to my office, I step inside and toss my bag onto the floor beside my desk. I sit down and open my laptop, pulling my planner from my bag. Flipping my planner open, I see that I have a few things I should note down before classes start which is a wonderful way to keep my mind occupied so it’s not completely fixated on Bennet who may or may not be having a morning date before his own classes start.

Man, I’ve got it bad.

As I start making a note of something, there’s a knock at the door that makes me look up. I’m expecting a student or maybe Mister Addemac again but instead, it’s Bennet. I try my damndest not to let the shock I’m feeling show on my face, instead plastering a wide grin across my mouth.

“Morning,” he says as he steps into my office, holding out an iced coffee for me. “I really hope you drink coffee. I thought maybe you could use the pick-me-up after we were here so late last night.”

Fuck, how am I supposed to hide my reaction to that ? I was so prepared to deal with the idea of Bennet having a partner but it turns out he stopped and got coffee. For me .

A goofy grin crosses my face as I look up at Bennet with something close to wonder. “You’re my knight in shining armor,” I tell him seriously as I take the coffee from him. His cheeks turn the most adorable red as I thank him. The way my chest blooms at the sight is just another reminder of how this fucking crush is digging it’s claws even deeper into my heart.

We catch up for a few minutes. Bennet learns that I have a turtle named Fluffy and watching the amusement cross his features was worth all the panic I was experiencing earlier this morning. I feel silly for the way my assumptions jumped straight into Bennet having a partner. They say assumptions make an ass out of you and apparently that’s more true than I care to believe.

Not that it matters if he has a partner or not! Either way, I still don’t stand a chance.

Once he leaves, I sit back in my chair and smile to myself. Even the fact that whatever's going on between us will always just be friends, I don’t care. He thought of me! He brought me a coffee because he knows I like drinking it! That’s special to me no matter how I slice it.

After going through my lesson plan, typing out a few emails, sorting through a few of the magical items from last night, and finishing my iced coffee, I get ready for my first class. I’ll be seeing this class in the lecture hall again this morning.

I keep wondering if this excitement for my classes will ever fade over time. I just love watching people learn, watching as things click in their heads. I love seeing them come into their magic with new understanding. This truly is my dream job.

Today’s lesson is about the well from which people cast magic from within themselves. A few students’ eyes glaze over as I explain things but for the most part, everyone is actively listening and taking notes.

“It’s important to know yourself,” I say, walking from one side of the lecture floor to the other, needing to keep myself moving as I teach. It’s a habit I just can’t seem to break. Thankfully, it seems to keep everyone engaged so maybe it’s not such a bad habit after all. “In the heat of battle or doing a strenuous spell, you can injure yourself if you overexert that well within you. In extreme cases, running that well completely dry can cause you to lose your magic altogether.”

Someone in the front row raises their hand and I nod to them to speak. “What about other forms of magic that don’t necessarily use mana?”

“Excellent question,” I say, pointing at the person in the back who spoke up on the first day, declaring themselves a warlock. “What do you think, Ulysses? What would your patron do if you ran through the well of magic they gave you? Could you just continue to cast or would you be completely depleted without any risks?”

He scratches at his head for a moment. “I guess I could always ask them for a bigger well if I knew I was about to embark on something super dangerous? I’ve never run out before so I don’t actually know what would happen.”

The guy next to him pipes up. “Aren’t there other ways to fill that well? Like blood magic?”

“That’s an interesting point,” I tell them, beginning to walk once more. “If you were desperate, you could tap into your own life force to complete a spell. But to what end? Once you’re out of life force you’re not just out of mana, you’re dead. There are some teachers who would tell you that blood magic is evil and that you should never resort to that but this is a school devoted to preparing adventurers so it would be foolish of me to tell you that it’s completely off the table. If you’re in a life or death situation, sometimes the risk is worth taking.”

I get to the desk at the front of the lecture hall and I lean my back against it, crossing my legs at the ankle. “I would remind you to deal with blood magic with extreme caution though. There are some people drawn to that sort of magic, who’ve been gifted with the ability to toy with the line between life or death. Necromancy is one of those such classes of magic, the ability to animate that which has already passed into the next life, recycling that which most people would deem unusable.”

I shake my head at myself, chuckling softly. “Sorry, I’m getting a bit off topic. Today we’re talking about mana.” I nod at the student in the front row. “To answer your question, yes, there’s other forms of magic you can pull from. Divine magic for instance. A deity bestows magic upon you. That magic can also run out but instead of depleting yourself, it depletes that which they gave you. It’s like a credit card. Once you run out of credit, the card will no longer work to make purchases but that card isn’t taken away, not unless you stop making payments.”

A few people nod along at my explanation, the note takers all furiously taking down my words. Looking at the clock, I realize today’s class is just about over.

“Over the weekend I want you all to sit down, clear your mind, and do a little introspection.” I hear a few grumbles that make me chuckle to myself. I adjust my glasses, nodding along to their grumblings. “I know, I know. But this is important, I promise you. I’d like you to sit with yourself and find that well within yourself. Test it a bit, press against it, visualize it. Then I want you to write down what you find. Before we can properly start practicing any type of magic, you need to know about that mana well inside of you. Email me what you find sometime before class on Monday.”

After dismissing everyone, I sit down at the desk here in the lecture hall, changing my notes over from this class to my next. This next class is my advanced class. This will be their last year here before they graduate and head out into adventuring full-time if that’s what they so choose to do. A bittersweet feeling washes over me as I think about them graduating. I don’t think it’s possible for me to be prouder, but at the same time, there’s a small part that hopes at least a few of them stay for additional classes before they’re off jumping into adventures.

Before any of the students arrive, I make a quick stop to my office, picking up a box that I’ve had hiding in the corner for this very class. Lugging the box to the lecture hall, my thoughts flit back to Bennet. It would have been nice to have his muscles carry this box for me and not just so I can see the way his arms tense when he carries things around.

I set the box down on the table that’s closest to the front of the hall. My timing is just right because as soon as I set it down, students begin to come inside, finding their seats. There’s a lot of familiar faces, students I’ve taught since they were freshman, just starting out. I have no doubts in my mind that each of these people will go on to be accomplished witches whether they decide to adventure or open magical shops, or anything else they might decide to do.

I think I overheard one student last year say they wanted to open a book shop that specializes in spell books. I hope he decides to go through with it so I can go visit it because it sounds downright delightful.

“Hello everyone,” I say in greeting, smiling at my students. They all greet me back or give me nods or waves. “Before you all get comfortable, I want you to make a line down at the front and pick up a new sketchbook. Take your time in order to pick the one that speaks to you because you’re going to be getting intimate with this book during the span of this class.”

One of my students groans. “Why must you say it like that?”

I chuckle along with a handful of the other students. “I would say I’m sorry, but I’m lying. There’s a reason I use the word intimate.” I pick up my own sketchbook from my desk, holding it up. It’s black with well worn edges. The love I have for my own sketchbook is clear by how thoroughly worn out the whole thing is. “Your sketchbook is an important tool you’ll be using this year and I’ll get into why in a moment.”

I lean against the desk, watching everyone pick out the sketchbook they want. I smile to myself when Charlotte picks the bright pink one. I had a feeling she’d love that one.

Once everyone has a sketchbook, I officially begin our lesson. “This is advanced conjuration which means you all have a fairly good grasp on not only conjuration magic but also, magic in general. These sketchbooks are going to be your final project this year. Before you can begin conjuring larger things such as magical mansions or steeds or fortresses or woodland creatures, you have to be able to imagine them. I’m not talking about broad strokes here, people, I want you to be able to picture them in your mind with exact detail. That’s where your sketchbooks are going to come in.”

Someone raises their hand and I nod at them to speak. “What if we’re not very good at drawing?”

“You’ll have to find something that works for you, whether that’s practicing your drawing skills or at least mastering simple shapes and the details will come later.” I hold up my sketchbook again. “This is one of your most useful weapons. There are times when I needed to conjure something on the fly when I was out in the field. I could only do that because I had already sketched the basics. I was able to flip to that page, take it all in, and then fill in the details as needed.”

Another hand goes up. “What if we don’t have time to get into our sketchbook?”

“Excellent question. That’s when you go with things you already have memorized. The sketchbook is your foundation. Right now, I have the utmost confidence each and every single one of you could conjure your phantom hand on the fly without hesitation or second thought, correct?” There’s a handful of nods. “It’s the same principle. Your phantom hand is a conjuration spell you learn because it’s easy, it’s an extension of you and you practice it until you can do it without thought. These bigger spells will eventually be the same. So long as you’re willing to put in the time and practice to build your spells from the ground up.”

The rest of the class is me explaining what everyone can expect from this class and what their final project will entail. They have ages to work on it, but I know there’s some students who like knowing what to expect straight away so they can prepare themselves. Already I can see a few of them personalizing the front of their journals. The sight sparks warmth within me.

I finish up the class, pack up my things, and head to my office. I have a little time to file things away and make a few notes for next week. Past Quinn might have fucked me over this morning but present Quinn plans on sucking up to future me by actually having things done ahead of time for once.

With that done and dusted, I pack everything up before I head outside. Passing the athletic field outside, I wave to Bennet. He seems to startle as we meet eyes, dropping his whistle and waving back. My stomach flutters and I almost have a skip to my step as I make my way back home.

The rest of my evening passes uneventfully. I have some leftover lasagna from two nights ago, watch a little tv, scroll on my phone for a while, before eventually moving from the couch to bed.

Having no plans for tomorrow, I look forward to having an easy morning where I can sleep in.