Chapter One

More Than What Meets the Eye

Yellow brick roads would have been far more exciting than the old cobblestone that Donovan Marshall walked on every single day. It was the road that she walked from her dorm room to the school - her magic school, Delawell School for the Magically Gifted. Donovan had been ecstatic when her parents had revealed to her that she was one of the magically gifted. Not everyone living in Elmwood is gifted. There are some trolls, some demons, and elves, as well many more different types of magical species. Elmwood was the place where magic was accepted - the only place in all the galaxies. Elmwood was where magic dwelled just in the midst of joyous laughter.

Donovan discovered at age ten that she was a witch, something that she had always wished she would be. Once a child turns ten years old, they are sent to their District Hall so that the officials could determine what magical species they were born as. Just because their parents were one thing didn't mean that they would continue with their legacy. It all depended on the choice that they mentally made as a baby, completely subconsciously. That decision followed how the baby lives its life, and the choices they make. However, as the baby grows up, they do not remember the choice that they made. Their identity is a mystery until they turn ten. At the District Hall, the child must undergo a series of magical tasks and tests, which show the officials that child's strengths. Their magical identity is then revealed.

Delawell School for the Magically Gifted is a school that supports wizards, witches, vampires, trolls, and demons. Wizards and witches are allowed to take any classes that they wish at Delawell, since they can perform the most magic. However, the vampires, trolls, and demons have a limited amount of classes that they can choose from, since they can only perform certain aspects of magic. In this way, wizards and witches are superior to vampires, trolls, and demons, which holds a grudge between the two groups. The wizards and witches have a clique against the three other species. Drama, magic battles, and hexes constantly occur during lunches, usually resulting with at least one hospital visit per month from Delawell, if not a death or two.

Donovan usually hung low, though. She never tried to get involved in any fights or duels - death wasn't currently on her agenda. All she wanted to do was graduate and get out of Delawell. She loved her school to death, and although she was quite popular amongst all of the student body, Donovan often felt alone. Even her best friend, Joanne H., felt alone most of the time. It seemed as though everyone surrounding them were far happier with their lives. Donovan and Jo just couldn't wait to graduate, though, even if that meant leaving Delawell. It was complicated, but it made sense to them. They were currently in their eighth and final year of their studies. Afterwards, the two friends would move on to get jobs somewhere. There was no schooling after they left Delawell - or whichever other school that one would attend in Elmwood.

A few trolls raced past Donovan up the hill to Delawell. It was apparent that they were going to be late for their first period class. Donovan on the other hand didn't have class until fourth period today, which meant that she technically could have slept in longer. There was no need for her to report anywhere beforehand, so she was free to do whatever she pleased until the fourth period bell rang. However, it just so happened that Donovan had a love for getting to school far earlier than she was supposed to, and just hanging around in secret areas of the school that not even some of the faculty knew about. Donovan liked to explore, and explore she did.

Delawell is an ancient castle that was built for the sole purpose of being transformed into a school, which made the building quite archaic and lovely. There were always secret passageways being discovered that no one knew about, and of course no one would tell - why give away a discreet studying place or hang out? Tell one person, and virtually the whole school will know about your secret, little hiding place. Donovan has found quite a few hidden places around the school since her first year at Delawell, and no one else had ever found them, unless she had invited them to passageways. How did they stay so hidden? Donovan casted a few simple charms on them to keep them private and hers. There were plenty of other passageways that other students could charm for themselves. However, as soon as the year ended, Donovan would need to remove the charm to allow for new first years to find it and claim it as theirs.

Or, at least that would be the right thing to do. Donovan was still debating if that was the route that she wanted to go with her hidden places, or did she want to keep them completely hidden, so that no one else could steal her places and that those places could live on in her legacy? Decisions, decisions!

"Donny!" A voice called from somewhere on the path. Donovan recognized the voice as belonging to Joanne, or Jo, as her friends call her. A bit frantically, Donovan swirled around in her place looking for Jo. With a sharp jab in the back, Donovan screamed.

"Gotcha!" Jo laughed, stabbing Donovan in the back with the tip of her chestnut wand. Donovan grimaced. Her friend was always up to silly jokes that caused Donovan so much fear.

"Funny." Donovan rolled her eyes, sarcastically. She didn't need this from her friend, especially not on a day like today. This particular day was the one where Donovan was sure that Adam Russler - the absolute hottest wizard at Delawell - was going to ask her out. She could just feel it in her blood. Plus, she overheard someone talking about it yesterday.

"Loosen up!" Jo laughed in her shrilly voice.

Donovan only shook her head. "Adam is going to be mine soon. How am I supposed to loosen up?" She had been crushing on this wizard ever since she had first arrived at Delawell for her first year - it had been eight years of crushing, and some action was definitely in order.

"If he doesn't ask you, I'm going to have a lot of cleaning up today," Jo murmured.

Donovan's head snapped in Jo's direction. "What was that?"

Brightening up fast, Jo threw on a cheery smile. "Nothing, doll! He is so going to ask you out," she said in a fake-supportive tone. Donovan sighed, wishing that she had a more supportive sidekick, but she supposed that she got what she deserved.

"Why do you think that he won't?" Donovan pouted. She didn't want her heart to be broken, and who would?

"He's a coward and a player," Jo said, simply shrugging it off.

"And the number one Linsink star!" Donovan smiled, dreamily. In Elmwood, Linsink was their main sport - something that would be compared to what Earthlings would call "football".

"Whatever!" Jo shrieked. "He's still broken many hearts in the past, and even went as far as to beat some of his old girlfriends before."

"That's just rumor and speculation, darling." Donovan flipped her hair over her shoulder. "He wouldn't hurt a fly."

"So you think!" Jo laughed. She flipped her strawberry blonde hair behind her shoulder and skipped down the cobblestone. Everything Jo did seemed so daring, brave, and graceful to Donovan, while she just felt like a clumsy mess. Both girls were rather popular, but neither liked to admit to that. They were well loved and admired by all and they hung out with all of the cool kids, but it didn't mean anything to them. They liked doing their own thing, and wouldn't care if that caused them to be ranked lower on the social totem. They were low key hipsters, basically.

Donovan hoisted her brown leather bag's strap higher onto her shoulder. The bag enjoyed just sliding down her shoulder from time to time. She dived her hand into the bag and withdrew her pink feathered quill pen. It was her favorite quill, and it had come from her favorite designer quill store located in Harcwich, a district not too far from school. On the weekends, students were allowed to travel anywhere they wanted, just as long as they were back in time for school during first period.

"What are you doing?" Jo asked as Donovan took out a piece of paper and fell to the ground. She began scribbling something onto the paper quickly, leaving Jo to give her a look full of judgement.

"Are you writing your last will and testimony for your heart before he asks you out and completely destroys it?" Jo gave her a satisfied grin, but Donovan only groaned.

"Actually, I'm writing out an idea before I forget it, so hush while I do so! I can't forget this one!" Donovan responded in a rush. Jo just sighed and tapped her foot repeatedly, not appreciating having to wait. After all, she was a bit impatient from time to time.

"Hey!" called a voice from somewhere down the road. Donovan blocked out the voice, too concentrated on her work.

Jo, on the other hand, acknowledged the voice. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, and let out a high pitched, "Hi!"

To be continued...

*****

Author's Note:

Hello friends! Welcome to my new novel "Elmwood". I hope that you enjoyed this first bit. Notice that I am posting half a chapter a day. So tomorrow, I will post Chapter 1-B. If this bit seemed short, well, that's because it's only half a chapter.

I am so stoked for Camp NaNoWriMo! Good luck to everyone else who is participating! I will be entering this novel in the Watty's, by the way!

Now just because I'm curious to see how many people actually read my author notes... Comment down below "The holy chicken will come to save us". It will be our little secret for those who skip over author notes! :P

Make sure that this novel is added to your library, so that you'll be notified about new updates. While you're waiting for another update, make sure to check out "The Starbucks Queen", which is also being entered into the Watty's.

Thanks guys! I'll see you soon (:

Lots of love,
Ali xoxo