Shielded

Chapter One

  The next morning, the school was a hive of activity.
  Students and professors were setting up the elegant dining hall, placing plates and cutlery down on one of the five large mahogany tables, complete with ornate chairs and a marble fireplace at the far end of the room. One of the younger boys was perched on the ceiling, screwing a new light bulb into one of the four chandeliers hanging above the room, his slender tail dangling directly above the jug of orange juice in the centre of the table.
  There were only a small number of students that weren't in the dining hall this morning. The others were either catching up on some lost sleep or taking their time getting up.
  In the kitchen, three students made a small assortment of breakfasts, including eggs and bacon and waffles. It was a large kitchen equipped with all the latest technologies and a whole load of food stocked for the handful of students who attended the school.
  "Hey Robyn," A young man around the age of sixteen called out from his leaning position against the counter, "Loving the new look" He smirked as he motioned towards Robyn's matted mane of red hair. She just rolled her eyes as she stood by the stove. His smile soon wavered, however, as the spatula laying on the counter next to him floated up into the air and slapped him across the face. He cried out and grabbed an empty carton of juice, mumbling something about the recycling before trudging out of the room.
  The dark-skinned girl across the room laughed at him as he left, tucking a few of her long black dreads behind her ear as she cooked eggs on the second stove.
  "I think Jonathan has a little crush." She sniggered.
  Robyn turned to her and the corner of her mouth twitched into a smile, but quickly faded. "I don't think so." She turned back to the bacon just as another boy teleported next to her in a puff of silver smoke.
  "I agree with Addie." He said in his thick Irish accent the minute he arrived, making both girls jump and causing Adelaide to drop the spoon she was holding.
  "Mitchell!" Robyn screamed, "You have to stop doing that! Even a telepath doesn't know when you're gonna pop out of nowhere!" She turned the stove off and angrily placed the mound of bacon onto a serving dish, soon followed by Addie as she placed the last of the eggs onto another.
  "You have to admit though," Mitch said as he took both of the plates from them, one in each hand,  "it is funny." He then teleported back to the dining room and several screams and yells came floating through the hall.
  The girls laughed and shook their heads as they picked up the toast and butter and took it with them into the next room.
  There weren't many students altogether, seeing as the school only recently just re-opened. A handful of students left to stay with their family after the previous Headmaster's untimely death. Professor Linfoot came to the rescue however and took over as Headmistress after expanding the school.
  The remaining number of students sat around the table closest to the door, seeming extremely small against the size of the room and the four empty tables beside them. But they thought nothing of it.
  Especially today.
  Everyone tucked into the eggs and bacon, which were joined by waffles and cereal with all sorts of fruit juices in jugs along the table. At one end, some of the younger kids laughed as they talked about their plans for the day off, while at the far end of the table, more serious conversations were being held.
  Professor Linfoot sat at the head of the table, taking short but frequent sips of her large coffee. Beside her sat Professor Barnes, sitting spectacularly proper as ever, his posture dead straight and his spectacles perched on his thin nose. He looked out across the handful of students he was to give instructions to importantly. On Linfoot's right, was the polar opposite of Professor Barnes. Mr Rankin sat lazily on his chair with a tight fitting t-shirt and track suit bottoms, loudly tucking into his bacon sandwich.
  On the left, sat Jonny and Adelaide, both enjoying a plate of waffles and bacon, and on the right sat Robyn, tucking into what was left of her eggs on toast, with Alice beside her drinking a glass of fresh apple juice. Ciara, who had only just returned from the bathroom, grabbed a plate and went to sit next to Robyn, grunting about how early it was and how she didn't have time to dry her hair.
  Then it was Mitchell's turn to enter, or rather re-enter. The fair-haired boy teleported from the other side of the room and sat in Ciara's chair before she could even blink, with a mouthful of food and a plate piled high.
  Ciara scoffed and sat directly opposite him, giving him a glare that could kill. He just smiled at himself and continued eating.
  "As you are all aware," Linfoot began after placing her empty mug on the coaster in front of her, gaining everyone at her end of the table's attention, "there will be quite a large number of new students arriving in the next few days." The group of students in front of her nodded in understanding, all except Jonathan, who was smirking.
"Awesome," He cut in with his last mouthful of waffle, "fresh meat."
Mitch chuckled.
"We want them to feel welcome here, not scared shitless that some kid is gonna glide around the corner and give them a wedgie." Mr Rankin sniggered.
"Thank you, Aaron." Professor Linfoot snapped, glancing sideways at Mr Rankin with a warning look before she continued, "Yes, the goal is to befriend them and make them feel as welcome as possible."
"However, we're faced with a bit of a problem," Piped Professor Barnes in his mellow voice, "some of the children we reached out to have yet to respond." He looked to Professor Linfoot as if to ask if he could continue, "Considering the fact that you are the eldest students who attend this school, we've decided that you should reach out to them yourselves."
"Maybe someone closer to their own age will have better luck persuading them," Mr Rankin butted in, "you all know very well how hard it is to contain and control your powers at this particular age. Heck, even I still struggle sometimes."
"So without further ado," Professor Linfoot chirped, "Mitchell, Ciara and Robyn, you'll be visiting the foster home in town, where you'll hopefully find Clifford and Annie Bennett. Twins I believe," There was a buzz of excitement as the students listened to their assignments with awe, "Alice and Jonathan, you are to visit Clay Evans in the suburbs, east of Dorset,"
Alice let out a spiteful grunt at the mention of Jonathan, who sat in the seat across from her.
  "And finally, Addie and Jarrett-" Professor Linfoot looked up to finally notice that someone was missing from the group, "Where is Jarrett? Has anyone seen him yet this morning?"
As if on cue, the brown-haired boy trudged into the dining hall, his body slouching as he buried his face into a tissue.
"Sorry I'm late," He began through a heavily blocked nose, "I overslept." He sneezed loudly as he sat down next to Ciara and a silvery white hedgehog fell onto the table with a quiet thud. The others watched as its translucent legs scuttled around, trying to eat the scraps of food on the plates, but to no avail.
Jarrett waved his hand and the hedgehog dispersed in a whiff of silver dust, fading into the air.
"You look dreadful." Ciara stated, slowly inching her chair away from the virus that sat next to her.
"I'm fine, just a cold." He was about to sneeze again but managed to reach for a tissue in time, which glowed a silver colour briefly as be blew into it before it disappeared into his pocket.
"I was just filling everyone in on their assignments for the day and-" Linfoot stopped, looking at him once more, "Are you sure you're up for this Jarrett?"
"I'll take any opportunity to meet new people, this lot's got a bit boring if you ask me." Jarrett joked, despite the heavy cold attempting to weigh down his notorious smile.
"If you're sure." Professor Linfoot continued, "You and Addie will be heading slightly further south, towards the coast, in search of Frederick Lewis and one Heather Anderson." Jarrett grinned across the table and Adelaide returned it, a slight sympathy hinting in her eyebrows.
The other students spoke excitedly about their upcoming assignments as they finished the last few mouthfuls of breakfast and drank the last of their juice.
Once they were done, Linfoot spoke up to the far end of the table (where the small number of the remaining students sat) in a booming voice.
"Those of you on clearing up duty this morning, if you could please begin now that'd be great. And I'd like to see you all back here afterwards." She smiled at the handful of children before turning back to the older ones, all of which were starting to get up from the table, stacking their plates and cutlery and creating a pile in the middle.
Jonathan stretched his arms out behind him and yawned loudly.
"Right, Jonnyboy and Alice," Jonathan scowled at Mr Rankin, who knew he hated that nickname, "you two are with me, I'll drive you into Dorset." He threw his keys up in the air and caught them in a swift movement, grinning at Jonny as he continued to glare in his direction.
"I'll be assisting Jarrett and Adelaide." Professor Barnes stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"What about us? Who's driving us?" Robyn asked, slightly confused. Surely Professor Linfoot couldn't leave the students unattended.
"Oh you won't be driving," Linfoot replied, followed by a short and excited squeal from Mitch, "I've comprised a list of destinations for you Mitchell, each just within your boundaries. Please, take your time and don't teleport quickly, it wouldn't be fair on the girls." Mitchell smiled down at the list of addresses noted down on the piece of paper on the table, which he grabbed and began memorising at once.
"Right then," Linfoot continued, "Good luck to you all, off you go."
  As the plates were cleared by some of the younger students, Professor Linfoot watched as the children that Headmaster Galloway, with the help of herself and the rest of the staff, had transformed into young adults.