Aleria was startled at the sudden interruption. The girl had come out of nowhere, randomly slapped him across the face after accusing her of being TJ's girlfriend, and then left in tears. Before she could figure out how to react, he had already gone to his noodle stand, leaving her standing there in confusion. What was with the people at this school? She'd been misunderstood to be TJ's girlfriend twice already. She sure hoped she wasn't making enemies with some of the girls at this school. That was the last thing she needed.

She scanned the area in search of some food that caught her eye, hoping to see a pasta stand. She was craving alfredo for some reason. She gave a silent cheer when her eyes stopped on one: Mario's Pasta. How original. She thought sarcastically, making her way to the stand. After she'd ordered her food, she took her tray and scanned the crowd for TJ. It was extremely busy and it was hard to tell where he was. Maybe he was still in the line.

She took her tray to an empty table and sat down. taking a bite of her pasta. Hmm... not bad... but not nearly as good as... she stopped herself before she could finish her thoughts. Her adoptive mother had made the best pasta in the entire world, but to think that she'd never be able to eat it again... As much as she didn't want to think about her adoptive family, it kept coming up over and over again. Honestly, she was sick of it. All the pain... the heartache... she couldn't stand it. It was eating her inside out, but she kept a confident face on, not letting it get to her because she knew if she let it, it would completely destroy her.

TJ got his lunch and tried to find Aleria amongst the crowd of people that flooded the dining hall. He wondered if she had even managed to actually get any food with the number of people that were crowding around all of the stands. He found her sitting at a table by her self staring into her lunch.

"What is going through that girls mind?" He went over to the table and sat down to join here.

"So, you managed to get some food then. Pasta is a nice choice to have, it's good to remain comfortable until you get your confidence up. What's wrong? Are you feeling okay? You look like I've just shot your dog or something!" He waited to see if she would respond to him, hoping that she would break her gaze from her food in front of her.

"Aleria? What's wrong? You know that you can tell me what's the matter don't you? I mean that's what friends are for right!" He waited and still nothing he decided to start on his Ramen until she responded, with food in his mouth he managed to utter.

"Aleria?"

"Oh, I was just thinking of..." she shook the thought out of her head and slowly turned towards TJ, "of how I can become as good at casting the elements as you are." She said quickly, stuffing a forkful of pasta in her mouth so she wouldn't have to say anything else.

After she finished chewing she spoke up, "Friends... huh... What exactly are friends for? They always end up... leaving anyways..." she pushed the noodles around on her plate, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore, "wouldn't it be easier just to not have any friends? That way you won't have to feel so heartbroken after they leave..." She shook her head, "nevermind, you probably won't understand what I'm talking about... I mean, you're popular and everything. I bet you have lots of people that care about you." She managed a half-smile, trying to reassure him that she was okay. As nice as it felt having someone concerned for her again, she didn't want him to worry about her. That was the first step toward friendship, and she was trying to stay away from that. Her studies was all that mattered right now. This would just slow her down.

She pushed her plate away, not feeling like eating it anymore. "So... where to after?" she asked, watching him hungrily scarf down his ramen. At that moment, she realized how much she had missed having the company of another person. That past year had been a lonely one, but she promised herself she wouldn't enjoy herself until that man was dead. The man who'd killed her family.

TJ finished his Ramen and looked toward Aleria.

Your day keeps getting better and better doesn't it! If you want help with any of your studies just give us a bell, casting, paperwork, whatever! It's always fun to practise with someone, most elementalists I know are pathetic and can barely do anything, but with me at your side I'll make you as good as me, well maybe not as good as me, but close enough!"

He chuckled but his laughter was only skin deep. He knew that something was bothering her because she became more tense than she usually was, they had only been together for a few hours but he had already noticed that something was different about Aleria.

"As if you don't know what friends are for! Silly girl!" He knocked her on the head.

Friends are there so that they can help you through thick and thin, and anyway I won't be going anywhere soon! I'm trapped here like everyone else in this place. After today I will be very surprised if we don't meet at least once a day, there may be a lot of people here but it can be a small world." He waited for Aleria to finish eating and heard her say something about him being popular.

"Hmm I wouldn't say that I was "popular" just well known amongst the community as I'm sure you guessed from earlies scene, but surprisingly I don't have that many people here that care about me, there's Shane, some people in my class and Nina but she doesn't really count, oh Nina was that girl that slapped me."

He took Aleria half finished plate of pasta which she had abandoned and placed in onto his tray.

"Not hungry are we?" He got up and went over to a near by table and dumped their rubbish there.

Now we are going to the classrooms, I'll show you my classroom and then I'll show you yours. Now because you're an elementleist you need space, Correct? So your class room is in the Basement area of the school because there's lot's of space downthere. So shall we go?

"Help me, huh?" she pondered the thought. What TJ had said contradicted with how she viewed friends. She thought they slowed her down, while he thought they were there to help. Why were their views different? It used to be so clear to her, but those few words had caused her assurance to falter a little. She wasn't so sure anymore.

"So... Nina is your girlfriend?" she stood up from her seat and followed TJ. Judging from the previous incident, this girl was probably his ex-girlfriend, but she didn't want to bring it up for fear of offending him.

She glanced back and saw that their spot had already been snatched by another group who had been standing around looking for a seat in the masses of students. TJ mentioned something about going to his classroom and she nodded. "What are you studying right now?" she picked up the pace a little so that she was walking beside him rather than falling in step behind him. He was taller than her and she couldn't see anything when she walked behind him. If he'd moved to the side suddenly to avoid something, she would probably run into it if she continued to walk behind him.

She was curious as to what the classrooms looked like. She'd seen mortal classrooms before and they were nothing special, but she'd heard a few conversations around campus about the classrooms being really cool and unique. Apparently the herbology classroom resembled a real rainforest complete with actual creatures and even the damp air. She was also curious as to what TJ was studying at the moment. He was already so good at manipulating the elements, what else could there be to study?

TJ and Aleria walked out of the lunch hall and towards a nearby portal.

"Nina? Yeah she's my ex-girlfriend. Hence the shouting and slapping!" He chuckled as they walked.

"You know she wasn't that bad, then she just whet crazy one day without warning and then she dumped me in front of a crowed of about 20 people..." They reached a portal, it was glowing blue and shimmering at the edges but the center was a wash of black and blue blotches.

"Don't worry it won't bite! Just needs a bit of cleaning that's all! Now on you go, just think about the 3rd floor and bam, your there! Aleria was a bit hesitant but stepped through, TJ followed a few seconds later.

"Here we are! The 3rd floor!" Despite the grand introduction it looked like a normal corridor in the school the marble floor, the wooden walls, the uncountable number of paintings of honer students, old head teachers, and important people of the magical community. They made their way down the hall and TJ stopped infront of a door.

"Now, when we go in try to stay calm and try to resist anything that people may say to you, yes they are in my class but we practice Illusion Magic, so basically magic and the mind. All I can do is silence people at the moment, but that doesn't mean stop them talking, it stops them from casting spells which can prove useful wouldn't you agree? Now, shall we go in?" TJ placed his hand on the door handle and turned it and slowly opened the door, they both walked in and the room was empty.

"Oh well I wasn't..." Suddenly TJ was hit square in the chest and a large puff of green smoke rose up, TJ froze and all he could manage was a grunting noise before falling to the floor in the position that he was frozen in.

"What the hell? TJ?" Aleria hurriedly bent down to see if he was okay. His heart was still beating and he was still breathing, but it didn't look like he could move on his own will. "What's going on? Who's there?" She looked around, but realized the entire classroom had taken a completely different form. She instantly recognized it and her heart stopped in its place. Her breath fell short and her eyes could only stare in disbelief.

"Mom... dad..." She reached her hand towards them and they smiled at her, that all-too familiar smile. Her three siblings were running around them, playing tag and laughing.
"Aleria! Come join us!" They chimed together, giggling. She looked down and saw that she was standing in a green field with the wind rustling the long blades of grass around her.
"Coming!" She felt her lips curve into a smile, which felt odd because she hadn't smiled in such a long time. It felt stiff, but nevertheless, it was genuine. She took a few steps towards them, but then broke into a run, longing to hold them in her arms. What? She widened her eyes when she noticed that she wasn't getting any closer to them at all. She ran faster, but they stayed the same distance away and she didn't feel like she'd moved at all.

She saw her parents get up and gather her siblings. "It's time to go kids! It's almost dinner. Say goodbye to Aleria!" Her parents turned around to wave at her and they walked off further down the path.
"Bye sis! We gotta go now!" Her sister's bright green eyes sparkled as she waved.

"N-no! Wait! Ann!" She chased after them, but again, to no avail. Her youngest brother, who was 8, stuck his tongue out at her as if teasing her and asking her to catch him, and after that, he was gone. The tree stump where her family once was, was now empty. She felt the air grow colder and there she was... left alone again. She brought her hands over her face to cover the tears that began to roll down her face. "Why... did you leave me?" She dropped to the ground, her hands still covering her face.

TJ was completely aware of what was going on around him, he could see Aleria knelling next to him, then she got up and walked further into the room.

"NO,NO,NO! Don't go Aleria, Don't!" He screamed in his head but still couldn't move, he heard her mutter "Mom and Dad" but couldn't make out what it could have ment. Then the worst thing he could hear made it's way into his ears, he could hear Aleria crying.

"NO! That's it you've crossed the line you assholes!" TJ could feel the anger building up inside of him, but he still couldn't move, and he could hear Aleria crying still, the more he heard her cry the more anger filled his body, he could see red mist slowly making it's way into his mind. Then, the faint whisper of wind made it's way to his finger tips, he was regaining movement again, the spell had worn off. Before he knew it he was on his feet and charging in to the class room screaming at the top of his lungs.

"That's it you have crossed the fucking line! Don't you fucking touch her!" He made a swiping motion and wall of wind made it's way across the room sending tables, chairs, books and equipment all over the place. He ran over to Aleria and wrapped his arms around her pulling her head to his chest, he could still hear her crying, and he started to whimper at the sound of her crying as well. He waved his hand and made a wall of ice across the room dividing it from them and the rest of the room.

TJ whispered "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, I'm sorry. None of this was ever meant to happen" TJ then broke down as well and tears started to flood from his eyes and down his face. The wall shattered and small shards of ice went all over the floor, the room suddenly became very cold.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the little droplets of water from rolling down her face, even as TJ had made his way over to her and pulled her head to his chest. All the feeling in her body was lost so she couldn't even flinch or push him away so she sat there with her head against his warm chest, with only the sound of his heartbeat pulsing in her ears. The only thought running through her head was why her? Why had all of this happened to her? Why had she been so unlucky? What had she ever done?

She shut her eyes tightly, the memory of her adoptive family suddenly very vivid in her mind. She thought she'd manage to forget about it, push it to the back of her mind, but now it was back, ready to torment and haunt her. She was brought back to reality when she felt something wet drip onto her face. She looked up and saw that TJ was also crying... but why? Was it because of her? "TJ... why are you crying?" she was tempted to take his face in her hands and wipe the tears away, just like when she'd used to comfort her little brother, but remembered that she barely knew the guy.

She quickly took the back of her hand and wiped the tears off her face, rubbing her eyes to stop them from reforming. "It's okay... I'm... I'm fine." She slowly stood up, using one of the nearest desks for support. "It was just... a bad memory. That's all." She said quietly, offering a hand to help him up. She then noticed that her hands were shaking. It was probably because the room had suddenly dropped in temperature, and all she had on was a thin, summer-y dress.

Aleria moved away from TJ drying her face, he got up as well and rid his face of tears and looked at the mess that he'd made he turned to Aleria, his eyes still looking red and puffy.

"I shouldn't have brought you here, I knew it was a bad idea. Bu..but I still did... I don't know why but I thought I'd show you my classroom..." He started to move the furniture back into place, picking up books and putting them were they belong. It took him a while to move just one table alone but he could manage it he picked up stationary and threw away broken pencils, and damaged equipment. When he had finished he took Aleria hand and led her out of the room, quickly shutting the door behind them.

"What you just experienced was more then a bad memory, like I said I study Illusion Magic, that was a trap spell planted to torment the subject to submission, It takes a happy memory that you have and then twists it so it acts against you, I'm guessing that for you it was your family, I could hear everything that was going on, I was hit by a paralysis spell so I was concious, but couldn't move. They were deliberately placed, I forgot to tell you in my excitement, but I should tell you that I didn't plant them, It was most likley my teacher so student's like me didn't go in and snoop around... I should take you to your classroom, at least nothing will happen there." TJ left without warning and headed to the end of the corridor.

"After you" He said quietly and followed Aleria through the portal. When they arrived they walked down what looked like an exact copy of where they just were but there were people milling around and waiting. They soon arrived at Aleria's classroom.

"Here we are, I'll leave you to go in and you can have your first lesson. I'd better go and sort some things out, I hope that you enjoy it." TJ's normal cheerful attitude that he had was covered by this quiet, stern version of himself, even he found it unsettling, but there was little that he could do about it. He left Aleria to go to her lesson and headed back they way that they had come from.

Aleria could only nod as TJ left to tend to his own issues. She was still in shock from the previous incident. It had felt like she'd just poured salt into fresh wounds. She'd worked so hard to try and erase the memory from her head, or at least push it to the back of her mind, but now... she couldn't stop thinking about it.

She slowly sat down at a desk near the large window and stared around the classroom, looking at things, but not really seeing anything. She was in a daze. The strong, sharp voice of a woman suddenly rang in her ears.

"Everyone! To your seats. NOW." The voice had shaken her out of her thoughts and the room became clear again. The tall woman standing at the front of the room was dressed in a pencil skirt and blouse, although it was decorated with small, turquoise, water-droplet-shaped crystals. Aleria was almost mesmerized by them as the light pouring in through the window glistened off of them.

Everyone else scrambled to get to their seats, suddenly looking quite frightened. The woman looked very tough, after all. "Now that's what I like to see." The woman grinned with satisfaction. "You may call me Miss Delora." There was something about this woman that caught Aleria's attention, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

TJ walked down the hall he could only think about what had happened in his classroom. The image of Aleria crying was still vivid in his mind, he was kicking himself mentally. He aimlessly walked towards the portal and stepped through he was back on his boarding floor and making his way his room. On his way there, he heard the occasional "TJ you feeling okay buddy?" or "Dude what's up?" but he just ignored them and made his way into his room. When he got I'm and flopped onto his bed.

"I'm such an idiot. Damnit TJ! Damn you to hell! He jolted upright when he heard the door open. He was hoping that it was Shane but it was just someone from down the hall saying that they could hear him from his room. TJ apologied and went in to the bathroom to calm himself down.

"Oh TJ what have you done, look you just can't let one little mistake effect everything now can you? Well that's the thing though isn't it! It wasn't a little mistake, was it? It was a huge mistake. The mistake of all mistakes is what it should be called. I took an innocent young girl and brought her to tears and it's all my fault. Listen this is what you should do, just, forget about it. But it's not that simple though is it, I mean, what's Aleria going to think of me now because of what I have done. I'm going insane. I've just had a conversation with myself. Right just get calm and composed and just try and see the best solution to this." TJ splayed his face with some cold water and left his room. He walked back down the hall and wondered around the school waiting for Aleria's lesson to finish.

"Come on TJ pull your self together. Right the bells will be going off soon I'd better make my way down to Aleria's class room." TJ walked towards one of the many portals that are found around the school building and then waited outside Aleria's classroom. The chime of bells was soon heard and students started to pile out into the hallway. He looked for Aleria out of the mass of children but couldn't find her. He looked in the room and saw her standing with Miss Delora.

"Oh god here we go. Uhh, Hi Miss Delora is everything alright with Aleria? I hope it's nothing too serious."