I wake up early the next day and open the door to see people bristling around putting last-minute touches around the school. Just seeing people was a sore sight. I had been here for a week, a week since my life had been uprooted, and I had only seen Dodobi and Yolene up till now. There were cooks in aprons, janitors with brooms, and people with clipboards barking at them to hurry up. The school rush had begun.

Yolene wasn't in the room, so I set off in search of her and of food.

Walking to the main dining room, I'm surprised about the change in atmosphere at the school. It's like a breath of life had been given to it as students were coming. I lightly nibble on some food as I watch people running about. No one seems to take much interest in me, so I'm still deprived of human contact. Signing, I throw away my garbage and head out.

Out in the courtyard, I see Yolene talking with a group of girls.

I guess students have started arriving, I thought as I made my way to them.

"Hey" I say, stopping next to a girl shorter than me with apple-red hair.

The girls mumble hello, but seems rather refined.

One of them, standing opposite of me, and completely towering over me with her 12-inch heels, spoke up and said "What type are you?" Based on the stuff Yolene told me, this was probably the make-it-or-break-it moment I deciding if we were actually friends.

I looked at Yolene and asked, "Is it okay to tell now? Or is it still a secret"

She gestured for me to go ahead, her head tilting to the side, letting me know she was as curious as I was to find out each other's types.

I looked back to Long Heels, smiled, and held out my hand saying "Well, for starters, I'm Olivia."

She reluctantly shook my hand and said "Georgia".

The other girls mumbled out their names as I turned to address them as well.

Georgia looks at me expectantly and impatiently signaled for me to answer her question.

"Well," I say, lacing my hands together, "According to Headmaster Dodobi, I am a Ghostilios".

Georgia held a smug smile while the other girls laughed into their hands.

Yolene just rolled her eyes, seeming slightly disappointed by my answer, and said a quick, "Let's go" to the other girls. As she passes me she quietly says, "We're Linopia." The message was sent, and Sse turned and walked off without a backward glance.

I was stunned.

They had no idea the type of person I was. My personality, characteristics, preferences, all of that was unknown to them, but they didn't like me?

I had at least spent a lot of time with Yolene, and even she was feeding important to the feud.

If everyone is like this, then how well will the group thing work out?

Shaking off these unwelcome feelings, I walk back inside to see that the halls had been filled. All the students were in groups, and there was open hostility between groups of students.

I was still enraged by my earlier encounter, so not caring any longer, I pushed through the crowd angrily as I made my way to the library.

A guy bumped into me and said sorry as he steadied me. He looks at me quite boldly and says "You're cute". Pushing his hair back, he flashes me a dashing smile and holds out his hand, saying, "Nelson Roderick. Linopia, And you are?"

I laugh and go to shake his hand, feeling some of the earlier tension leaving me. "Olivia O'Henry. Ghostilios", I say, replying in a similar manner.

His smile fades and his eyes darken and he retracts his hand. "Ohhh, not cute anymore", he says with a grimace and saunters away.

I'm taken aback

I feel my earlier annoyance returning.

Wow, I thought as I continued my way to the library, people here are so superficial.

As I reach the doors I see a hole open up in the wall and a cuckoo bird pops out.

I expect it to make normal cuckoo noises, but instead, Dodobi's loud voice screams out, and I flinch at the surprise.

"Welcome back students. I hope everyone is ready for the upcoming school year. I would like to ask you all to make your way to the courtyard for teacher introductions and team announcements. If you are a returning student, you may be in the same group as last year. Just be aware that because of the additional new students and leaving students, many of the previous teams have been changed, so be prepared for new friends. I repeat, please be in the courtyard in the next 10 minutes. Have a great year." Dodobi managed to say the whole announcement in a completely monotone voice, and if that didn't scare me, then the groans of all students around me sure did.

Have a great year my foot, I don't think I can even manage to have a good day here.

☆☆☆

The courtyard was filled with rows upon rows of chairs. Tables with food were placed along the sides, and a huge tent wearing the Magicks symbol covered it all.

Multiple times I had tried to sit down somewhere, but people were making excuses that it was saved for someone else. I had a feeling that they didn't want me sitting there because they didn't know what type I was.

I decided to just stand by the drapes. It was better for me here, the food kept me company.

Dodobi stood on the podium, with several other figures, who I assumed were teachers, around him.

He wore an outfit resembling the one he wore when we first met, though this one with polka dots, and a matching pair of shoes. All the other people around him wore more refined clothes.

"Good morning students, and welcome to what I hope will be another great year," Dodobi says in his mastered monotone, completely unexcited, thoroughly professional, voice.

He goes off into a speech about school rules and regulations, and I tune him out and take out my phone.

I had about a hundred and one notifications from Ten alone.

"Where r u" - Ten

"Where u at dude" -Lukas

"I'm actually worried, it's been 2 weeks no sign of you or Gran. You guys okay?" -Ten

"I'm filing a missing person report"- Lukas

"Are you even alive at this point" - Ten

"If you're dead, just know that you will live on through my clothes"- Ten

Laughing quietly, I think about what I'm supposed to tell them. When I had first received texts from them, back when I first got here, Yolene had told me to forget about them. She had referred to them as 'humans', in a disgusted voice as if she were another species. Dodobi never said I couldn't tell anyone about us. Then again, he mentioned that our kind was being hunted. Obviously, we wouldn't hurt ourselves, even with the mutual hatred between the types, so it must be humans hunting us, right?

"Ahem", I startle as Dodobi struggles to capture not just my attention, but the whole student body as well. He lost our focus real fast. I shoot a quick text to them letting them know me and Gran are fine. I cringe at the vagueness of it, knowing full well that may spiral them in worry, but not knowing what else to write.

"Now that we are done with teacher introductions-", whoops, I missed that much? "-we can start with team announcements".

The figures beside him begin to file out, and I curse myself for not paying attention when they introduced themselves. It would have been nice to at least get a feel for them beforehand.

"I understand that our policy is to have the same groups until graduation, but I'm afraid we have had to change quite a lot of groups due to a large amount of leaving and coming students".

He looks over at the crowd and takes in the uniform way everyone held their breaths. Heaving a long sigh."Please listen as I call your names"

With that, he began to call off names. Many people rejoiced at being with their friends but glared daggers at the other type in their teams.

From what I understand, two Linopia, two Ghostilio, two boys, two girls- as Yolene had told me. Or at least, that was how the majority of the teams were. One group had one Linopia and three Ghostilios, and still none of them looked too pleased. I winced at the poor Linopias fate, knowing firsthand how the hate feels. There were a few teams like that, and the uneasiness of the balance bothered even me.

Georgia and Yolene were in the same group and seemed rather happy about it.

What does it mean to be in a team? What is it for? I thought as I saw Nelson Roderick embrace another guy in his team.

"Olivia O'Henry, Ghostilios", Dodobi calls out, gesturing for me to stand at his side. I moved across the courtyard, hearing whispers conversations about people finally knowing my type.

"And with Olivia we have" he looks through his papers "Hana Jacker, Linopia".

A couple of girls boo and make sad faces as a girl- presumably Hana- makes her way over. They give her hugs as if she's going off to war or something.

I scoff. I'm not that bad.

She comes and stands away from me, and keeps her head held high as she waits for him to continue.

She was drop-dead gorgeous, with coffee skin, sleek raven hair, and striking blue eyes. She wore a skirt and a crop top, heels to make her stand out, and had a cute handbag. On her shoulder was a lizard of some sort, and around her neck was a snake. A bold statement piece.

"Accompanying them, Mr Cedrick Quille II, Ghostilios".

From the right, a guy walks over and gives an awkward hello.

He was a scrawny kid and looked to be about as brave as a cat. He wore an oversized shirt with jeans, which reminded me of Lukas, sending a wave of homesickness through me. His hair was overgrown and was in his eyes and he moved it to look at us.

"Lastly, joining them, Danial Osa, Linopia".

Hanas face lights up as a guy walked over.

He had his AirPods in and a nonchalant look as he studied me and Cedrick. He cracked a smile at Hana, almost reluctantly as if not wanting me or Cedrick to see his crack in demeanor, and listened to Hana as she gushed over being in the same group. He wore a leather jacket and jeans and seemed to not like me or Cedrick on the spot.

Dodobi finished with the team stuff as we all stood there, only Hana breaking the silence with her one-sided conversations with Danial.

The rest of us were silently praying this year would somehow magically just end.

A/N- AHHHH WHat do you guys think? The group was finally introduced! What do you think is gonna happen next?! Stay tuneedddddd!!!!