Riptide Academy

Principle Howards

HOWARDS POV:

I looked up to see me niece approaching my table.

I was glad she had made friends; her parents, my sister even, treated her like a robot basically. The girl did everything she could do to impress them- she never had a childhood as she was too busy acting like a grown up with all the instrument and schoolwork; everything she did she was manipulated into doing.

I hated seeing her sad all the time I visited, even though she would show a little happiness, she was still depressed. But that all changed when she came to stay with me. She used to be an energetic and boisterous teen- a kid who hadn't had the chance to grown up basically. I smiled at the thought of seeing her living her life without restraint and with friends.

"What are you smirking at?" a rather impatient voice interrupted my relishing memories.

"Demi, your niece is here!" Thalnindor mumbled through the food in his mouth.

I leant out of my chair and swatted him on the arm, "You didn't see that." I commented smirking to my niece who now had a huge grin on her face.

"Ouch!" Thal whispered, glaring at me; I gave him an eyeroll.

"I just remembered that I need the map of the school to show the art kids where we are going to hang things up and to see if it all fits together." Charli asked.

"Is that so?" I mused "this doesn't have anything to do with your friends you were just having a conversation with?".

She shuffled her stance a bit obviously being caught somewhat; this wasn't like Charli, to not straight up tell me.

"It's so they can help, they don't know their way around the grounds as much as the high school art students do. And plus, they asked to help."

"Hmm. Do you have your key?" her hand started to move towards her necklace but stopped once she realised she was at a table full of teachers, "Alright, go on, but don't let anyone see you with the map. I don't want people questioning why as student has a map of the school so easily." I sighed.

She beamed a smile at me and said, "Thank you!" in a high-pitched whisper.

Kyia was giving me sceptical eyes, like she didn't approve of what I allowed her to do.

"What?".

"You let her have a map of the school grounds, Howards."

"She is my Niece and I know she won't do anything wrong with it. Plus, it will be good for Alex to see the lay out of the school; maybe she can find out why I found the stuff that was going to be used to sabotage the centenary near here house."

"Fine." Kyia grumbled, "Just fine."

The only bad thing about Kyia being the police officer for the school is that she could practically see how much access Charli has to the school.

But thankfully she mainly stayed in her office when she was at the academy, doing all kinds of police stuff with the amount of paperwork stacked on her desk. You'd think a high school with a university wouldn't really need a police officer on hand- but trust me there has been a few incidents.

I sat on the edge of my bed staring out at the night sky. It had been a few days since Charli had asked for and returned the map. The night sky glistened through my balcony glass doors, the curtains on them drawn back. I got up and walked, padding out to my balcony, my bare feet making small thuds as they hit the carpeted floor; leaning against the railing I let the night breeze blow at my frame- my shirt ruffling with my hair in the wind.

I loved the wind.

How it could be so ravaging, fierce and free.Wild cool, calm, collected and controlled the next.

It could go from a slight, gentle cool breeze to a raging gust in a matter of seconds- or the other way around. Something about the wind has always had me mesmerised by it; gentle and soothing but also fast and vicious.

Closing my eyes, I let the air flow around me and let out a long sigh- letting the wind carry away all my problems.

"I'll see how the girls are going in the morning." I said on a surprised yawn.

I made my way back inside, shutting the door the door behind me and closing the curtains before plopping onto my bed and falling asleep.

I awoke to a boom. With a jolt I was up and out on my balcony looking around to see what had exploded. It sounded like a bomb exploding- and close to the school. The morning sun rays heated up my body as I used their golden light to observe where the explosion had come from, the slightly overcast blue sky filled with puffs of white fluffy clouds showed no sign of any planes or jets; only a perfect picturesque photo shot.

Then what made that sound?

"Looks like I am going to have to investigate." I mumbled than made my way back inside to get ready.

After I had made sure both of my plats in my hair were not going to come undone and my white converse laces were done up, I made my way into my office.

It was a Sunday, so a black leather jacket mixed with some ripped denim jeans at the knees and a red checkered flannel not buttoned up because of the Timmy Trumpet I had on underneath was fine to wear. Call it too casual for a principle but I had to wear these clothes sometimes and it was the weekend, so technically there was no school.

I exited my office and made my way down the spiral staircase to the schools' office and headed out the main door; I headed straight for where I heard the sound come from. The Lysdren eucalyptus tree forest. The mountains forest was a national park and surrounded the whole mountain; it was not just full of eucalyptus trees but there was a huge amount of them, so they named the bush surrounding the mountain: 'The Lysdren eucalyptus tree forest' or The Lysdren forest. The place had many names; but I was sure I knew which particular part of the forest the sound had come from.