Today was the day of our entrance exam for Hexside. To be honest, Luz and I were both nervous. "I'm not ready for this, Eda." Luz hesitates. "Maybe we should go back." "Nah, you got this." Eda encouraged. "Just like we practiced." "But, what if we fuck something up?" I asked. "Or what if we do something wrong? What if we die?" "Hey, calm down. I had to do the same thing when I was a witchling." Eda explains. "It's like a rite of passage. Granted, I was a little more skilled." "Eda." Luz said. "Right, sorry." Eda apologized. "Now get pumped, get ready, now go!" She pushed us out on the stage where we saw Principal Bump in the audience. "From the humblest of beginnings, two heroes will rise." I narrated. "We have traveled from another realm and trained with a powerful witch to master dark and forbidden magic." Luz added. "We are, Luz Noceda." "And Peter Yenkins." I introduced. Luz got nervous and threw some confetti. "Right, the humans that want to be witches." Principal Bump said. "Against my better judgement, I've allowed you to take this exam into Hexside. But can you even do magic with all your human parts?" "We sure can." Luz replied as she grabbed two of each glyph from her bag. "It's said that humans can't do magic, but we've discovered a lost technique that changes everything." I explained. Both of us activated the glyphs, leaving Principal Bump in shock. "Spells cast with paper? I've never heard of such a thing." Principal Bump commented. But is it enough to pass the exam?" All of a sudden, Luz slipped on the melted ice, accidentally activating another glyph. "We failed, didn't we?" I asked. "Believe it or not, I've seen worse." He replied. "Welcome, Luz and Peter, to Hexside School of Magic and Demonics."

The next morning, it was our first day at Hexside. Eda used Owlbert to fly us there. "We gotta go back. This is a mistake!" Luz panicked. "I'm gonna mess things up again and everyone will see, and..." "Luz, you're spiraling." I said. "You keep this up and you'll have a panic attack." "What are you nervous about?" Eda asked. "You've both been to school before." "That's why I'm nervous. At our human school, I didn't make a good first impression." Luz explains. "This is a chance to be seen as something other than a screwup." "Luz, don't worry about what those assholes think." I encouraged. "Us weirdos have to stick together, remember?" "Aw, thanks, Pete." Luz smiled as we landed on campus. "Last chance to back out and earn a brand new Bad Girl Coven patch." Eda said. "Quitting. It's like trying, but easier." "I think I'm gonna pass." I replied. "Nah, I'll just earn it when I quit showering. Bye." "Hold up!" Eda called. "Just try not to be too much of a goody loose shoes. You got this. "Thanks, Eda!" We replied. "In fact, I have written a heartfelt sonnet to commemorate this occasion." Luz added. "Oops! A gust of wind just got me." Eda said, flying away. "See you after school. Byeeee!"

We ran into Amity and Alexa with their abomination projects. "Hey guys, congrats on getting in, and not being in the baby class." Amity compliments. "I'm so proud of you." Alexa added. "Thanks, Amity, Alexa." Luz replied. "Up top. The twins gave us each a high five, along with their abominations mirroring their moves. "Wow, our first day at Hexside." I said. "A chance to discover true magical potential." "And maybe meet a hot, yet vulnerable upperclassman." Luz added. "Dream on!" King scoffed from Luz's backpack. "Looks like we've got a stowaway." I said. "King, why are you in my bag?" Luz asked. "You're a free ride to the best buffet in town." King explains, diving into the trash. "The trash cans here are filled with half-eaten gold." "Okay, but if anyone asks, you don't know us." I explained. At the entrance, we saw Willow and Gus. "Luz, Peter!" They cheered. "Hello, fellow Hexoleos." I greeted. "Hello, classmates." Willow said. "You did it, guys." Gus added, revealing an illusion that said Better Luck Next Time. "Sorry, I was covering all my bases." "So, do you know who those witches are?" Willow asked. "Those are the heads of the main nine covens. Each one excelled at a magic school like Glandus, Saint Epiderm, and of course, Hexside. Are you prepared to enter these hallowed halls?" "Hm, that's what we're about to figure out right now." Luz replied. "See you on the other side, friends." "Bye, Gus." I waved. "Bye, Willow."

We had to go to Principal Bump's office to get our schedule for the semester. "Hiya, Princy-B." I greeted. "Can I call you that?" "Absolutely not." Principal Bump replied. "Now, today we'll be visited by the Emperor's Coven for a routine inspection. If we want to impress them, you'll both need to join a coven track before they arrive." "Actually, Principal Bump, Peter and I have made our own schedule." Luz explains. "First, vet care for mythical beasts, then healing and dealing..." "Studying multiple tracks at once?" He asked. "No one does that." "Then we'll be the first." I replied. "No, you won't. According to the rules, a good witch needs to hocus-focus." Principal Bump explains. "You can only pick one of the nine tracks. And you do not want to embarrass me in front of the inspector." "But all the tracks are so cool." Luz whined. "Is there some sort of enchanted article of clothing that could sort this out for us?" "You mean like in Harry Potter?" I asked. "Well, there used to be, but..." He replied. "I don't know if either of us could choose just one." Luz said. "Then I'll choose one for you." Principal Bump said, changing Luz's uniform to yellow. "Ah, yes. The potions track. You humans are filled with liquids, right?" "I guess I've always liked pouring things into other things." Luz explains. "And you, my boy, you look like a very talented musician." He changed my uniform colors to red after the bard track. "I do enjoy writing poetry." I nodded. "Now, you two better be on your best behavior. Based on the costly repairs from recent incidents, we could really use a donation from the Emperor's Coven." Principal Bump explains. "Now, off to class."

In class, we were assigned to write a song to use for a sleeping spell. I grabbed my notepad out and wrote down some ideas. I thought this would be easy, but I only had one idea. "What does a Willow Tree have to do with sleeping?" I asked myself. "Flowers, plants, this is shitty." I wish Luz was in my class. My teacher came to check my progress, only to see my ideas. "Are you trying to study multiple tracks?" The teacher asked. "What? No! I was just writing down ideas for a sleeping spell like you asked us to." I explained. "Out!" The teacher shouted, sending me to detention. "Shit." I cursed.

A few minutes later, Principal Bump came to the classroom with Luz. "What is this place?" Luz asked. "This is a place where all troublemakers go." Bump explains, changing both our uniforms to grey. "The detention track." "No!" Luz shouted. "The detention track? This can't be possible! I thought we..." "Sir, I was falsely accused." I said. "Not another word, Mr Yenkins." He replied. "Yes, actual detention still needs repairs. In the meantime, I am keeping all troublemakers far away from the eyes of the inspector. You both may try for a new track next year." "But we'll be back in the human world by then!" Luz explains. "Maybe you'll do better in a human school." Bump said, leaving us behind the door. "You got axed too, huh?" I asked. "Yeah, for using a crystal ball from the Oracle track." Luz sighed. "What about you?" "I was writing down an assignment for the Bard professor, but I wrote down ideas about nature." I explained. "Piece of shit." "Hey, fellow detentioners." Luz greeted our classmates. "Room for one more?" No answer. "I like the little spikeys in your hair." "Hey! You all better be quiet!" The teacher snapped. "Unless you want to scrub the classroom again." "Hey! Don't blame any of them. I'm the one who started talking." Luz argued. "Oh, hooray. A hero." He said sarcastically, giving her cleaning supplies.

About an hour later, I practiced some of my writing while Luz talked to Willow and Gus. All of a sudden, the girl told me to grab Luz and follow her. As the teacher fell asleep, the girl created a passage with the chalkboard and we followed her inside. "What the hell is this place?" I asked. "This is the last room you'll ever see alive." She joked. "Nah, I'm just messing with you. I'm Viney." "Peter, and that's Luz." I introduced. "Thanks for standing up for us back there, Luz. Not many people would do that." Viney said. "C'mon, I want to show you guys something. You're both troublemakers, so you guys get access to the secret room of shortcuts." Viney showed us a top secret room with a lot of doors. "Hey, Jerbo, Barcus!" Viney called. "You can stop hiding now." "How do we know they're cool, man?" Jerbo asked. "How do we know they won't turn us in? What do you think?" Barcus barked in response. "Barcus says your aura is strong and silly, like a baby's laughter. And yours is being a complete asshole." Jerbo said. "Welcome." "I love secret rooms." Luz gasped, opening one of the doors. "Where do the doors go?" "So, you two go to the same school now." I heard Amity say. "You had me and ya lost me, sis." Alexa replied as Luz shuts the door. "This place connects to different parts of the school." Viney explains. "We found it after being thrown in the detention track. The witch who made it is known as Lord Calamity." "They started this troublemaker wall and we added our names in their honor." Jerbo added. "This place is amazing." I complimented. "I bet you guys could get into so much trouble in here." "Sure we can, but we can also do much more." Viney said, pointing at Barcus listening to an Oracle class. "We're not allowed to study any kind of magic. So, we study every kind of magic. In secret." "You actually like school?" Luz asked. "Yeah, we might've liked it too much." Viney replied. "I tried mixing plant magic with abominations. Bump was not thrilled." Jerbo explains. "Barcus mixed potions with Oracle magic." "Mixing healing and beast keeping was slightly unconventional. But, Puddles was a great assistant, dang it." Viney added. "We all want to be in more than one coven track, but Bump just says we need to focus." "Sounds like Bump's priorities are out of whack." Luz said. "I'm glad you're one of us." Viney smiled. "You've made a great first impression. Would you guys like to add your names to the troublemaker wall?" "Luz, Peter, we're here to help you get out of this horrible class!" Willow called as I kinda blushed. "They're probably looking for some other Luz and Peter." Luz lied. Viney peeked through the entrance to see Willow and Gus. "Maybe they already booked it." Gus said. "Luz did say that they were both better than this place." "Oh, you think you're better than us?" Viney asked. "I never said that." I replied. "No, no, it's not like that." Luz explains. "I just didn't think me and Peter deserved, I mean, none of us deserve..." "I should've known you'd look down on us." Jerbo said. "Everyone else does." Barcus hissed at both of us. "It's fine, it's just, I thought someone finally understood us." Viney frowned. "But, maybe both of you should just leave." "I understand." Luz sighed.

Luz and I went to the exit in disappointment. "Hey, guys." I sighed. "We found you a way to get you guys out to talk to Principal Bump." Willow explains. "We found some disguises. They both got holes for your gangly teenaged legs." Gus added. "Yeah, that's right where we belong." Luz sighed. "And this way, the inspector won't see you either." Gus continued as we both got into the two trash cans and walked away.

Willow and Gus were taking us to talk to Principal Bump. "Don't worry, guys. Once we talk to Bump, we'll get everything sorted out." Willow said. "I know, but what's the point if people get hurt on the way?" Luz asked. "That is a fair question." Gus said. "Here's another question. What the fuck is that?!" I asked, pointing at some kind of dragon, or snake creature, draining the magic from the students. "More cute morsels." The monster said. "We may be cute, but we're nobody's morsel." Willow replied, casting a spell. "Willow, no!" I shouted. "Time for a power up." Gus said, casting an illusion, but the monster still drained their magic. "I feel so weak." Willow groaned. "Eat this!" Luz shouted, tossing a glyph in the monster's mouth.

While it was distracted, we took Willow and Gus to safety in the secret room. "Guys, we need your help!" I begged. "Oh, you're back." Viney groaned. "I'm sorry for hurting your feelings, but please listen." Luz apologized as Willow and Gus were getting weaker and the troublemakers gasped. "What happened to them?" Viney asked. "Something horrible is loose in the school." Luz explains, showing the creature through a door. "Don't let it see us!" Viney exclaimed. "I think that's a Greater Basilisk. I heard about them in a class. My cousin at St Epiderm said she saw one, but those things should be extinct." "It must've attacked the other schools, and now it's come for us." I said. "We have to do something!" "But, if Bump catches us mixing magic again..." Jerbo explains. "He'd kick us out of school." Viney added. "Hexoleos are out there getting hurt and we're the only ones who can save them." Luz said. "We're troublemakers, right? So let's get out there and make some trouble!"

In the hallway, the Basilisk was still roaming the hall. Luz activated an ice glyph. "From the humblest of beginnings, two heroes will rise." I narrated. "We've trained with a secret society to discover the power of mixing magic." Luz said. "We are..." "Dinner!" The Basilisk shouted as it crashed into the ice and began following us. "Viney, do the thing! Do the thing!" I screamed. Viney's assistant, Puddles, charged at the Basilisk. Jerbo created a door as Luz and I followed it down. "It's all you now, Barcus." Luz said. Barcus used a potion with Oracle magic to see it's future. "What's he saying?" The Basilisk asked. "He's reading your palm, and your future looks like shit." I replied. Jerbo's  abomination and Puddles took out the creature and the magic was restored. "You did it!" Luz cheered. "You were amazing. You guys..." "Are in so much trouble." Principal Bump interrupted. "Leaving your homeroom, mixing magic, and is that a secret hideout?" "Yeah, it is. But let's think about this, Principal Bump. Why would kids in the detention track need a secret hideout?" I asked. "I don't care to know the ins and outs of rascality." Principal Bump replied. "But if the Emperor's Coven can send an actual inspector this time..." "Okay, so you need coven money." Luz said. "But if you have to hurt your students to get it, what's the point? They saved Hexside. They should get to study what they wish." "Alright, I'm smart enough to know when I've made a mistake." Principal Bump explains. "Which tracks would you like to be in?" "Healing and beast keeping." Viney replied. "Plants and abomination." Jerbo responded. Barcus barked. "Then so be it." He said as their uniforms changed to their designated colors. "But if any of you cause more property damage, I'm feeding you to the Choosy Hat. And you?" "Oh, I still can't choose." Luz replied. "Maybe it's crazy, but, I wish I could study a little bit of everything." "And you, Mr Yenkins?" Bump asked. "Well, the whole reason I'm here is because of my best friend." I explained. "If I were to study any track, I'd choose to be in the same track as Luz." All of a sudden, our uniforms were changed to the colors of every track. "Yeah, we're gonna study everything!" We cheered. "You know, only one other student wanted to study every track." Bump explains, showing a painting from the hideout. "Unfortunately, she was never given the opportunity." The painting looked like Eda at a young age. We gasped.

I was suddenly in the same state that I was on the Knee a few days ago. I saw that young girl again, but this time, I had a clearer visual. I saw her sleeping peacefully in her bed. I realized at that moment, I was seeing Eda. I waited for the other person, but I woke up as Eda's bedroom door opened.