Speech class

"Where am I?"

I got up from the ground I was laying on while brushing the dirt and leaves off me.

"How the hell did I get here!?"

There were trees everywhere and the night sky looked very ominous and cloudy.

"It's… A forest! But how? I was just in bed sleeping! This can't be right!"

I looked around everywhere scratching my head in confusion trying to see if I could figure out how I ended up there.

Let's see, there were no roads in sight or any nearby cities. Only land and trees. This doesn't make any sense to me.

I kept pacing back and forth in frustration because I did not know which way was home, "I am screwed if I can't get out of here."

That is when I felt this intense pressure coming from inside my body. It felt as if my whole body was pulsing, and it was getting ready to rip open.

"What's going on?!" I have never felt this pain before. I got down on one knee as I was trying to endure the pain.

I saw my shadow had been cast on the ground, and I looked around to see what was illuminating the area and saw nothing. I immediately looked at the sky.

"A full moon?!"

"AHH! It hurts! Make it stop! What's happening to me!!"

As I was on the ground in agony, Wes appeared before me, "What are you doing here?!" I asked.

"I needed to come and check on you to see how you were doing and to also tell you this, WAKE UP DUMBASS! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR CLASS!"

"Ahh shit!! Again?!"

I saw the sun starting to creep in through the blinds.

"Hurry up! Quit looking so dumbfounded and get going!" Wes's voice echoed inside my head.

"Next time I see him, I will make sure to ask him to teach it to me."

I jumped out of my bed and grabbed the first set of clothes I could find and put them on; not caring what I looked like, but I was struggling to put them on, I had forgotten that I have a built body now. Tossing the jeans aside I picked up some joggers since they stretch. I ran out of my room and out the front door in a hurry.

Just like that I fired up the engine in my car and sped to class.

I passed up red lights and I did not even care if I got pulled over and given a speeding citation.

"There is the campus!" I parked in front of the C-4 building this time.

I looked down at my phone and jumped out of the car. I had two minutes left before class started. I rushed into the building, turned left, and saw my class at the end of the hall.

"I think I can make it!"

I ran as fast as I could, while almost tripping on my own two feet.

I stepped inside and the professor looked in my direction.

"Paul!"

"Hey mom!"

"I'm so glad that you could make it! Wes told me what happened, and I am glad to see that you are okay. By the way son, have you been working out? You're looking a bit muscular there."

"What? No, I just got fat."

"Well anyways, go ahead and take a seat son. I'm about to start my lecture.

I nodded my head as I walked past her and took my usual seat in the back corner of the class next to a cabinet.

This is the class that I would not miss for the world, speech.

You are probably thinking that I am crazy about not wanting to miss this class, and I get it. A lot of people have a fear of public speaking, but that is not why I like this class. It is because of my mother. Professor Julian is not my real mother, but she acts as one with me. She doesn't have any kids of her own and she treats her students as if they were hers.'

I have known mom since high school, she would come to teach there sometimes because they had a shortage of teachers, and since then we have grown close.

When I first walked into her class, I liked the way she presented herself. She wore a long black tuxedo coat with a tail long enough to touch the tip of the leather boots she was wearing.

Mom would often tell me that she gets her tuxedo from the men's department. She also wore a red with black leaf and vine pattern pants. Most of the time she looked as if she came out of a vampire movie. It does not help that she has pale skin with her black hair slicked back into a small ponytail that screamed, "Vampire!" She is a short and energetic woman with a voice that booms when she speaks. People would often look her way and say, "That came out of her?!" The look on their faces was priceless.

"Did you have any more encounters with anyone wanting to be the sorcerer's apprentice?"

"No!" I told Anthony, who was sitting to my left. "Did you take any of the fliers down?"

He gave me a crazy look, "Why would I do that? I need proof that witchcraft exists."

Figures he didn't…

As I was sitting at my desk, I noticed that the view in front of me was much clearer than usual. I can see everyone and mom in sight. That is when I realized that the desk in front of me was empty and a dirty blond-haired girl was missing.

"Where is Bree at? She is never late for class."

Anthony shrugged his shoulders childish like, "I haven't seen her since last class and that's about two days ago."

That's weird. That girl is usually never late to class.

Anthony broke my train of thought, "It also looks as if your girlfriend isn't here."

"No way?! Are you serious?!" I shouted.

"Is everything okay son? You just disrupted the class."

"I am okay," I said as I laughed nervously.

Everyone in the classroom darted their eyes at me, even though I apologized.

From the corner of my eye, I can see Anthony trying to hold his laughter. That asshole! But he is right, Regan isn't here either.

This sucks! Now my entire day is ruined because she isn't here!

"Is someone sad because the love of their life isn't here?"

I glared at Anthony, "Quit messing with me! You know that I am sensitive when it comes to her!"

Anthony kept taunting me while I was busy fighting with him to pay attention in class.

"You two are always acting so childish."

Childish?!

That struck a nerve.

I turned away from Anthony to start barking back to the owner of the voice, "Who the hell are you callin-!"

I bit my tongue as soon as I saw who said it. It was her…

The love of my life.

I was caught up in fighting with Anthony that I did not hear the classroom door open or see her walk in.

Anthony lend in and whispered in my left ear, "I know she is gorgeous and all, but say something or close your mouth. You're drooling all over the place."

The problem was, I could not say anything, I was loss for words.

Usually, she has an alluring voice and when she speaks, I automatically know it is her, but today, she spoke as if she was already annoyed.

She looked at me with her eyebrow raised, and arms crossed and gave off a feeling as if she were getting ready to beat me.

I was just a bit taller than her, but she is still a bit intimidating. (I'm five-foot-nine and she is five-foot-seven.) Bryanna is just another two inches shorter than Regan. She is the opposite of Bryanna as well. Rae has long straight honey blonde hair that reaches all the way down the middle of her back.

Her eyes are a beautiful sea-green color, and you can see the yellow pigment around her pupil. The red glasses that she wears just adds that sexy nerdy look to it.

She also has the silhouette of a model, and unlike Bryanna, Regan dresses girly and looks beautiful in blue jeans with holes at the knees and a fitted shirt with unique designs. Occasionally, she would come wearing a dress with boots.

Despite her girly look, do not let that fool you; she will fight back against anyone. At the corner of her right-hand pocket jeans, you can see a shiny silvery clip; that is her pocketknife. Weapons were always a part of her life. As she was growing up, she told me about how her entire family is armed and ready to shoot. Her older brother was in the military and has also taught her to fight, which kind of concerns me. I do not want her to kick my butt like that little girl.

Just staring at her standing in front of me makes me fall in love with her all over again.

"Hey… umm, Rae… what's going on?" I have no problem when it comes to talking with Bryanna or someone younger than me, but I stutter and get tongue-tied whenever it is an attractive woman or a girl that I like.

I just get all nervous and forget how to speak. I hate this.

"Where is Bryanna at?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know. That's the same thing I asked Anthony."

She sat down in front of me where Bryanna usually sits, and the breeze she made by taking the seat carried the scent of her perfume over to me.

Man, she smells nice….

Regan pulled out what appeared like a letter and tossed it over to Anthony, "What the hell is the meaning of this flier asking for recruitment? Are you still looking for some?"

"What makes you think that I posted that?"

"Because it has your contact information at the bottom. Why does it also say that you have to put a spell on Paul?"

"It's quite simple," Anthony said in an overconfident voice. "Paul is looking for recruitment and I want proof that witchcraft exists."

"Then why do you have to put Paul in danger?!"

"It's just a bonus to see Paul fight something back like that if it does exist."

"You know, you can be a real jerk sometimes."

Rae turned to look at me, "Are you still looking for that extra person?"

"I still am, but I don't know if I would recommend it-"

She smiled, "That's for me to decide."

I felt myself blush because of her smile. I did not want her to become an apprentice because I did not want to put her in danger or see something bad happen to her. I care about her too much.

"Wait! You must meet the requirement and perform a spell on him! You have to do what the flier asks for!"

"Fuck your requirements! I don't have to do anything that stupid flier says, because unlike you, I actually care about my friend's well-being."

"Whatever" and Anthony decided not to argue with her anymore.

That's just great… I have been friend zone!

"Huh? Paul, are you okay? You seem to have gotten sad and quiet suddenly." She started to poke my right cheek with her finger as I laid my head on the desk.

"Yeah… I'm fine. I should warn you if you are considering about becoming a witch, that it will be dangerous, and you will have to be prepared to fight all sorts of things. Even now, I still get my butt whooped and I have trouble holding my own against possessed people. To top it all off, the people that I was supposed to help almost wound up getting killed because I was too busy trying to take the easy way out instead of keeping the demonic girl occupied."

She placed her right hand on my cheek, "Look, I'm pretty sure that what happened was probably not even your fault."

Her hand is warm!

"No, trust me, it was my fault. Wes put me in charge of that girl, and she almost suffocated her father."

"Listen, that girl was possessed, so it was out of your control."

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but the situation could have been much worse."

Regan started to play with my hair, swirling it around her finger that she was using to poke my face with, "It will be fine. You will have me now to help back you up if you get into a bind. Come on, cheer up already."

I popped my head up from the desk, "You're deciding already?!"

She smiled, "If I decide to join, I will have your back." Rae stared at Anthony, "Unlike him who had the whole school chasing you for a requirement that people didn't need."

She is really trying to pick a fight with him.

Rae moved her desk sideways, "Sorry, I don't like to have my back turned on people when I am talking to them. If I do decide to join, will Wes teach me how to use spells and stuff?"

"He will be the one doing the initiation and teach you everything you need to know about magic and spell works. Wes usually teaches people what they are strongly suited for, but don't worry, he will work with you the whole time."

I saw Anthony from the corner of my eye drawing doodles and refused to join our conversation since Rae got onto him.

Something just occurred to me, now she is going to see how easily a little kid can drop me.

I do not like the sound of this.