Enchantment

Chapter 1
chapter 1

Chapter Description: Jamie has arrived at L.B.U. and meets the Professors and some of the students.

The summer wind is slowly dying as a new school year begins. Jamie couldn't wait to start her first class at Lynda Barnes University, one of the premier Ivy League schools in all of Lancaster, P.a. It's red brick buildings cast an ominous shadow over the 14,000-acre land it rests upon.

Well, here's to new beginnings. Jamie walks up the stairs to the main door, pausing slightly before opening it. Breath, girl, everything will be ok; there is nothing to fear, only new possibilities. She opens the door and walks in.

As the door closes behind her, a yellow taxi pulls up. "Here we are, madam Lynda Barnes University." The cabbie smiled into his rearview mirror at the lady sitting in the back.

"Thank you for the safe journey. I can't begin to tell you some of the taxies I've taken over the years where I thought I might die."

"No worries, madam, I'm Glad you enjoyed the ride; that'll be forty dollars even, Miss?

"Oh my apologies it's Mrs Thorne and you are"?

"Eh just call me Mick."

"Well Mick here's your forty thanks again."

Amanda Thorne opens the taxi cab door and steps into the mild heat, signaling the end of summer, and turns around to grab her suitcase. She closes the taxi door with the suitcase in hand, bidding Mick a safe journey as she turns to her new job and home.

"After years of teaching in the city, I've finally been accepted to teach here." She takes a deep breath and walks up the stairs and into her future.

Alone in her dorm room, Jaime eyes herself in the bathroom mirror. "

Mmmm, I look like a snack. Hopefully, there isn't too much competition id hate to fight anybody over a guy." She muses, lost in thought, before turning out her light and heading back to her computer, where the college home page has posted an update.

Dear students old and new, I'd like to take this time to welcome all of you to L.B.U.; it is a pleasure to see your smiling faces. Now, for those of you who are new, I expect you to go through your introduction packet and read it, and for all of you who are returning, I'd like to introduce our newest Professor, Mrs. Amanda Thorne; please show her the same respect you've shown me and all of the staff here at L.B.U., and lastly, there will be a rally in our gymnasium tomorrow at 9 a.m sharp to go over a few things and to meet Professor Thorne and the rest of the faculty in person til then happy learning and God bless. -Dean Adams

Jamie closed the tab, smiling to herself. Dean Adams is straight-laced. I might have to keep an eye on him, she pondered.

In the school's lobby stands Amanda Thorne, a stocky woman of 35 years, moderately dressed with a cross necklace hanging from her neck. 

"Mrs Thorne?"

Amanda Turns to see a wispy middle-aged man standing just outside an office door. "That's me, and who might you be she asked.

"My name is Thomas Adams. I'm the dean of this fine establishment, and it is a pleasure to have you on our staff".

"The pleasure is all my Dean Adams. If I may ask, where will my office and lodging be?"

"Why certainly, Mrs. Thorne I'd be happy to show you where your office and lodging will be, but first me and the staff have put together a little welcoming party if you'll just follow me to our staff lounge." Amanda perks up as she follows Dean Adams, interested in seeing what he and the rest of the staff have put together in her honor.

"Dean Adams, this is a dream come true; I've wanted to teach here for quite some time."

"Well, Mrs Thorne we are lucky to have a brilliant mind such as yours here and please do call me Tom."

"You are far too kind, Tom; in all of my years as a teacher, no one has ever shown me much courtesy."

"Well, Mrs. Thorne, I firmly believe in kindness over violence, as you soon shall see." Finally, they arrive at the teacher's lounge, a modest room lined with tables, bookshelves, and a small kitchenette with a freshly baked cake on the countertop.

"Mrs. Thorne, let me introduce you to some of your colleagues. First is Professor Raquel Valasquez, head of art and music. Amanda smiles and extends her hand to Raquel, a slightly older woman with salt and pepper hair and a smile that holds a grandmother's love while maintaining years of experience."

"It's nice to meet you, Professor. I heard you'll be taking up our English department."

"That is correct, and I cannot wait to get started I'm sure there are plenty of students eager to learn."

"Professor Thorne, this is Professor Richard Holden, head of our science and biology department. Standing next to Dean Adams is a short, stocky man of middle age wearing a pinned stripped blazer and glasses with short cropped hair."

"Professor Thorne, it is so lovely to meet you; I'm sorry that Raquel nor I weren't present during your committee for this position."

"Oh, Professor Holden, it's perfectly fine. But unfortunately, I understand all too well the pressures and responsibilities of academic life."

"Well enough, with introductions, there's a cake to cut." Dean Adams grabs the knife and begins to slice, "here's to a new school year, a new Professor, and students that behave, and if they don't, we might have to re-educate them." All the professors laugh at the Dean's joke as the atmosphere brightens and then dims as if there is magic in the air that has altered reality.

The next morning began like any other school day for Jaime; she awoke and stretched, heading to the bathroom and looking at herself in the full-length mirror. "Nothing new to look at; I swear I don't understand my compulsion; sometimes, it's like I have to reassure myself of how good I look." She sighs, going into the bathroom to shower and prepare for the school rally.

The auditorium was buzzing with activity as Professors and students settled in for the morning announcements before the rally. Making her way to the auditorium in a bit of a rush, Jaime pushes past another girl.

"Watch it, pipsqueak. I'm late as it is. I don't need a small fry like you standing in my way. The girl stares at Jaime dumbfounded. "I'm No pipsqueak. Were the same height, Miss?" Jaime Looks quizcally at the girl. "I'm taller than you, small fry." Jaime puts her hand on her head, moving it across only to hit the other girl in the head. The girl scoffs as she walks to the auditorium to find her seat. "That's odd. I could've sworn I was at least 5'11, yet that girl could easily be 5'5 or 5'4.

Dean Adams walked onto the stage and podium. "Students, please settle down; we have a new professor to introduce, and this awful noise needs to cease." The auditorium grew quiet. "That's better. Now as I was saying on the community message board yesterday, I'd like to welcome you all to L.B.U. I trust that all of you have read your introduction packets; if not, I highly recommend that you do as there is vital information that is crucial to your success here at L.B.U. Now for the real reason, I've brought you all here today. I want to introduce our newest Professor, Mrs. Amanda Thorne. The auditorium erupted into applause as Amanda got up and walked over to the podium. "Good morning, everyone. I want to thank you all for welcoming me to this university. I'm sure we will all have fun and learn a thing or two as I help you all with your academic quests." The auditorium roared with applause one final time as Amanda returned to her seat. "Thank you, Professor Thorne, that was very inciteful; now I wish all of you a healthy and happy school year. Dean stepped off the podium as students and teachers began to file out on their way to their respective classes.

Jaime left the auditorium, still perplexed about how she had shrunk in height. "Maybe I'm just tired from the moving and unpacking I've been doing recently. Jaime mused as she continued throughout her day. For the rest of the fall semester, classes for Jaime were going smoothly; she even put the shrinking incident out of her mind and continued moving forward. She even had more energy as of late, like she was a kid again, and with winter break fast approaching, Jaime was more than ready to go home and visit her mom and show her all the fantastic K-pop merchandise she started collecting again, just like her high school days.

A cold chill blows through the air as the first snowflakes of the season begin to pepper the landscape surrounding L.B.U. as the students and staff prepare for winter break. Some of them are just wrapping up their respective school tasks. Amanda Thorne sits at her office desk, reviewing some last-minute lesson plans for the spring semester.

"So how do you like it hear thus far?"

Amanda pauses over her paper and looks up to see Dean Adams standing in the doorway."It's great, Tom; all of the students seem so eager to learn I hardly have any trouble except for the occasional sleepy heads."

"That's Fantastic, Professor Thorne. I'm so happy that the students have taken to you so well."

"You and me both, Tom, it has been a refreshing change of pace, but please call me Amanda."

"Well, Amanda, I'll leave you to it. You enjoy the winter holiday; you certainly have earned it."

The campus looked like a winter wonderland as Jaime stepped out of the main building heading for her taxi that sat idling at the curb."Finally a chance to take a break and go home for awhile I wonder what mom might be doing right now." The ride to the airport was uneventful, and the country turned into a city in record time. Jaime thought it might have taken longer as the taxi cab pulled up next to the airport entrance.

"Here we are, Miss, that'll be fifty dollars and twenty-five cent."

Jaime broke from her reverie to see the cabbie staring at her from his rearview mirror."Here you go; thanks for the ride." Jaime said as she grabbed her bags and opened the taxi door, stepping out to the loud sounds of the Philadelphia International Airport. "God, I'm such an idiot. Sometimes, I need to check which gate I'm at. I hope I'm on time.

She ran up the steps and into the main lobby looking for the service counter for Jetblue, "Where is the damn counter." She mumbled as she scanned the area, spotting it amidst the sea of travelers. "Thank God! Now maybe I can get somewhere."

As Jaime approached, the service counter was bustling with people checking in and dropping off their luggage."Excuse me, Ma'am, but the line starts back there." Jaime quickly apologized, looking at the T.S.A. agent before asking where is the gate for flight 143 bound for Pocatello Regional Airport. The T.S.A agent smiles warmly at Jaime." Well, Ma'am, that'd be gate D3, but if you haven't checked in, you'll have to get in line." Jaime thanked the T.S.A. worker profusely before walking over to get in line. "Geez, I should've gotten here earlier this line is a little long, at least i now know what gate I'm at." she mused while inching forward with the crowd.

Amanda sat at her desk in her room, reminiscing on how well the school year had gone and how the students, for the most part, had been well-behaved except for the occasional troublemakers who were well on their way to becoming model students, even if they might have to re-learn something's, they will be right as rain in no time.

At long last, Jaime finally got through the T.S.A. checkpoint and headed toward her gate. At the same time, on her way, she couldn't help but notice a mother and son standing in a corner. When the mother dropped to one knee and proceeded to drop her son's pants, exposing the wet pull-up, Jaime inhaled sharply at the site as she expected the mother to have some decency around other people. Still, when pressed for time, any place will do. It's a good thing little ones don't have any modesty, Jaime thought as she kept walking, the child's protest bringing her back from pondering and drawing her attention to the duo. To Jaime's surprise, the little boy wasn't so little matter of fact; the boy looked to be about nine years old. "Mama please do'nt do this here people will see and laugh at me!"

"Well, Jake, you should have thought of that when you decided to make fun of Thomas at school last year."

"Mama, he had wet himself in front of the whole class like he wasn't potty trained. It's not my fault he couldn't control himself, besides I wasn't the only one laughing at him. Mrs T. did not have to punish me this way she could have given me a suspenion and sent me home!"

"Be that as it may, Jake, next time, you will think before you speak and stop blaming that teacher for you being back in pull-ups and re-potty training. That could very well be due to stress or anxiety; at any rate, she had forewarned you that any bullying would have consequences, and since you ran your mouth to poor Thomas, it looks like you're the one who can't control yourself. Now stay still so I can get you all cleaned up and into a dry pull-up, and maybe next time, you will tell me when you have to go potty." Hanging his head in shame, Jake let his mom tend to him, his mother oblivious to the onlookers and the rest of the airport. Jaime hurried along, not wanting to think about a nine-year-old who, by the sound of it, was magically put back into training pants and forced to re-learn the potty when she heard the announcement that her flight was beginning to board. Jaime quickly made a mad dash for her gate, barely making it. "Whew, finally made it, and no more weird distractions. Now all I have is a lovely flight home and winter vacation to look forward too." 

Strapping herself in, Jaime soon closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, not waking up until the plane had landed and one of the flight attendants shaking her gently.

"Ma'am, the plane has landed, and everyone has deboarded except you. Please get up and make your way to the exit so we can deboard and prepare the aircraft for the next flight.

Rubbing her eyes, Jaime nodded, quickly grabbed her things, and headed for the exit. Once inside the airport, Jaime headed for the rental car kiosk so she could get a car and finally go home.