The Doorknob Society (The Doorknob Society Saga) by MJ Fletcher

first day at a new school waving at the cute guy like a moron.
    The teacher sat at a large desk in front of the room. She was a big woman and wore a pair of glasses with several magnifying lens attached that kept flipping up and down as she read the papers she held.
    The sound of the bell ceased and we all sat waiting for her to start class but she just sat reading her papers as if we weren’t even in the room. She kept turning the pages and as she did the lenses on her glasses would maneuver up and down. It was so odd that it was fascinating.
    I turned to Edgar wondering if this was normal and he shrugged so I assumed he was as clueless as me.
    “Welcome to another year at the Paladin Academy,” the teacher finally said
    I smiled to myself. Now maybe I’ll finally get some answers.

Chapter 10
    Status: Time to learn something.
     
    When I turned my attention on the teacher I was startled to see that she was standing in front of the class. My eyes had only been off her for a moment. How did she get from behind the desk so quickly? And were those big purple flowers on her dress moving?
    “I’m Mrs. Flint your homeroom teacher for the year. If you have any issues or concerns, bring them to me.”
    Her round face beamed with a smile and her glasses now appeared normal except for the gears on the side where the magnifying glasses had disappeared.
    “I know first time students are nervous, but there’s no need to worry. We teach all of the disciplines and will help you to understand and control your unique abilities. Any of you that are undeclared will be studying all the disciplines but also apprenticing in each of the groups. I know this may seem a daunting task but there is no need for concern. The declared students are here to help you and can be an invaluable resource for you. Outside of the school you may find the various groups at odds with one another. Not so at the academy. Here we all live under a banner of truce... at all times.”
    Someone should tell that to Nightshade , I thought to myself.
    “I heard the truces were called off?” Slade called out.
    “Michael Slade,” —Mrs. Flint shook her head adamantly— “you know that isn’t true. I am aware that there are many rumors but no truce has been broken.”
    “What about the disappearances? They say the entire Gregor family is missing?” Edgar chimed in with a bit of information that I hadn’t heard before.
    “The Honorable & Venerable Order of Detective Inspectors haven’t determined whether that is the case or not. I’m sure upon further investigation they’ll find the Gregors most likely vacationing in some isolated little spot and all the worry will have been for nothing. Now enough of this rumor mongering. This is a school and you’re here to learn. Respect it as such and behave accordingly.”
    Mrs. Flint then launched into a long discussion of the rules and regulations and the appropriate and inappropriate uses of our abilities. Of course the newer students were more restricted while the older ones were given freer rein.
    The Academy is set up very much like an art school where students of different ages and levels have classes together and only younger students are restricted from the most difficult classes. The various societies attend classes together and each is cross trained in the other disciplines until the student is ready to declare. Once you declare you mostly train with members of that group, but still carry a regular workload of mandatory classes.
    Once Mrs. Flint finished going through the rules she announced that she would take us on a tour of the Paladin Academy. Following her directions we all stood and as we filed out of the room I recalled my first day in kindergarten and walking single file through a long hall that overwhelmed.
    This time was different. I wasn’t five and I wasn’t scared... I was curious.
    We passed numerous classrooms where we heard the teacher going over the same rules and regulations we’d just