“Nova. Nova! Hey wake up!”

The panda felt his headphones being pulled out of his ears and the figure of his father standing outside was the first image he saw when he opened his eyes.

“Huh…?” He wasn't able to gather words that he yawned, “Did we arrive?”

“Yes we did. I just parked the car. Let's go.” The older panda explained, leading the way towards the school.

Nova stood up, closed the car and waited for his father to lock it then he put back everything inside his pockets and followed his father through the main gate.

The name lived up to that place. Phoenix statues and decorations were hanging around that closed metal gate with only the intercom sticking out on the left. Voices of students were clearly audible in the distance, there must've been some sort of club activity not so far from where they were. Judging from the time school lessons should've been already over.

“Yes? Who's there?”

The voice of a middle aged man reached our ears that shaken them in surprise when they perceived the aggressiveness in his manners. It felt like they weren't welcomed there right from the get go.

“Good afternoon sir! I'd like to meet the headmistress.”

Nova's father cleared his throat, pushed away that first bad impression and faked a polite answer that didn't match what he really wanted to say.

The intercom went silent after his answer and nothing happened for a few minutes, enough time to start questioning if they were actually going to let us in but, weirdly enough, the gate unlocked right before his dad was going to ring twice.

“Wait in front of the door.”

The voice spoke up again, mildly annoyed and bored. It seemed the reaction of someone who didn't want to deal with a thing that repetitively was coming back only to torture him.

The older panda casually walked through, as if everything was perfectly fine and all of those warning signals were a mere coincidence. Nova couldn't argue, he just had to deal with it, reluctantly following his old man.

The garden left Nova breathless. Statues made out of big bushes represented animals of every kind and shape. The level of details in their poses and clothes were extraordinary. Those six statues were strategically placed all around the center of that area; A Phoenix fountain.

“Wow…” Nova commented out loud, looking at that Phoenix, portrayed in the last moments before taking off. The water poured from her mouth and her claws.

“Seems more like a five star hotel than a school…” His father said, turning back to his son now that he reached the famous door.

“Dad you should turn around…”

Nova silently pointed at the buffalo standing behind him. His black attire was extremely elegant and professional, maybe too much for a school environment.

“What is the purpose of your visit here?”

He gently asked to the bigger panda, but focusing somewhere else or, to be more clear, on someone else.

Nova was feeling extremely uncomfortable and out of place. He knew that this guy was staring at him, analyzing his white paws. That one small thing made him different and he hated it.

“I want to enroll my son here.”

“The auditions are closed.” He coldly replied, “Your son can try next summer.”

The buffalo didn't wait for a response that instantly went back inside and closed the door.

“No, wait!” Nova's father grabbed just at the last second the door shoving his paw inside.

The animal noticed that he could've hurt himself and loosened the door, but he didn't seem very interested to change his mind.

“All the slots are taken. I do not have the power or the authority to insert your son.”

He explained, stepping back.

“Then let me talk with the headmistress. I won't cause any trouble…”

The buffalo breathed out, a small smoke came out of his nose that quickly faded away. His pitiful scene worked out somehow as he rolled his eyes, hinting to follow him inside.

“See? We can do this.” He whispered at his son that didn't reply, trying to contain the embarrassment.

The office must've been deeper inside the school, allowing the two pandas to have a quick glance around the building where nothing out of the ordinary caught their attention. It perfectly resembled a common school. If there was more, the best places must've been where visitors can't go.

Nova saw something else though. The students that they met on their way were quite unusual. They weren't necessarily wearing the school uniform. Some of them were using some weren't. They all looked different and unique by their body shapes, accessories and mostly from what they were carrying with them. He didn't see one guy having a small bag or holding books of some sort. He saw a guy holding a guitar, another one carrying a toolbox and even an animal with bow and arrow on his back.

His eyes were scouting the entire place except for the place where they should've been, bumping into a gorilla that was minding his own businesses.

“I-I'm sorry!” The panda apologized, patting his head.

“Don't worry small friend, Reggie didn't feel anything.”

His Australian accent resonated through the hallway, impressing the young panda for having students from another country.

“Let Reggie help you.” He said, lending his hand and putting Nova back to his feet.

The black gorilla just stood there, making the thing awkward and confusing for him. His father and the buffalo also stopped but he didn't realize it right away because he fell.

“This is her office.” The buffalo said, announcing it with a bored voice, “make it fast and leave. I have things to attend to.”

He walked away, leaving them with that gorilla who was now ignoring them, as if he was busy doing something.

“I'm really lost…” Nova commented scratching his head, “Are you just going to stand there?”

The gorilla simply moved his eyes back to the panda, “Reggie is a bodyguard. That's what Reggie does to earn his credits.”

Nova wanted to know more but his father grabbed his paw and pulled him in. The gorilla closed the door when they went through and resumed his job.

A lioness, wearing a brown leather jacket, purple shirt and black pants was gracefully writing on a book when two pandas barged suddenly in front of her causing more than one question to raise in her head.

“Good afternoon! Are you the headmistress?” His father questioned, taking a seat without asking for permission beforehand.

The lioness stared at them through her glasses, “Yes, I am.”

“Great!” He replied, excited.

Nova, instead, stood there. She didn't allow them to sit and he felt like it could've been perceived as rude and the situation wasn't the best.

“Son what are you doing there? Sit! There is a chair next to me.”

Despite his invite Nova didn't move until his father forced him to sit by dragging his paws out of the pockets. He was hiding them to not obtain another awkward scenario in which he was now because of his stubborn father.

“Please state your business.” She said, placing her paws together. Her tone showed an hint of interest towards the panda.

“My son wants to enroll in your school so I brought him here.”

Nova blinked in surprise when he heard that. He didn't care whether he would go here or not. His father pressured him with something he couldn't refuse.

“I-I yes, I'd like to…” He added with a submissive voice.

The lioness quickly glanced at them, “Is your son a mixed species?”

“Oh, that.” His father blushed, scratching his head, “My wife is a polar bear.”

“Interesting.” She said, “What's your name?”

“Nova…”

“Alright, Nova. I'm willing to offer you a place in my school, but you must prove that you're meant to be in this school.”

“Prove…?” He tilted his head, confused and scared.

“Give me his documents.” She asked, extending her paws towards his father.

Nova's father pulled out a few pieces of paper from his jacket and handed them over.

“...average.” She relented, skimming through the text, “Tell me something you can do.”

“Something I can do?” The panda remarked, oblivious.

“An hobby, a passion, an interest, you have one, right?”

“Well… I don't know. Nothing comes to mind.”

“A job? An aspiration? What do you want to do?”

“...” Nova tilted his head in silence. He felt ashamed of not being able to reply.

“What's the point of asking those questions?” His father chimed in, seeing his son in trouble, “He's still young, not everyone knows what they wanna do or their passion! It's subjective!”

“I never mentioned anything related to that.” She cut him off, “But, if you want the truth, panda I don't see any real reason as to why I should take him in. This school is an important place for whoever knows what they want to do with their lives and I work to make their dream possible. My students would feel offended by my decision to enroll a panda that knows nothing. How am I supposed to help him if he has no idea of his future? He kept quiet even for the easiest question.”

“We just transferred! He must feel confused and lost! He is a second year, there is still a lot of time to find a suitable path! I don't want to force him.”

“If you don't want to force him maybe you should reconsider the idea of trying to enrolling him here without his consent.”

His father widened his eyes and turned to Nova who moved them further away.

“I am his father. I know that this school can be a good thing for him. In here he could find that path, I'm sure of it. That's why I'm trying my hardest to get him in here.”

“Believe in him. He has to take his choices and walk through the road he wants.” She returned the documents, “The auditions are open every summer. I'll be glad to test him personally next year.”

“But he can-"

“Dad…” Nova placed his paw on his shoulder, “Can we go now? You promised.”

“She's making a mistake. You're good enough for this school!”

The lioness walked them out all the way back outside, despite Nova's father complains and attempts to change her mind nothing happened. The gorilla, under the headmistress request, grabbed the stubborn parent and dropped him outside, back to the gate.

“No, no don't worry I'll walk on my own!” The younger panda shook his paw, worried.

“Reggie hopes he can see panda again next summer! Bye!” The animal locked the gate and waved at the pandas as they moved away.

“Reggie how many times should I tell you that a bodyguard mustn't be friendly with every person they meet.” She sighed, cleaning her glasses.

“Me really sorry I just liked the small guy. He seemed cool.”

“I can't deny that I felt something similar but rules are rules, also he wasn't ready yet. I hope he will find that something special we all strive towards to.”