Beep. Beep. Beep.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSCf4HIPcG
An annoying sound pierces my ear, repeating itself in a desperate bid to wake me up. However, I have more power than the sound. I lift my hand, feeling around for the pestilent object. Once I find it, I hit snooze and pull the covers over my head, triumphant.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeNcN09tnE
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GyA3sIUZ5
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvaghLMvpK
Fully awake now, I roll off my bed and brush through my morning routine. I check the time. Eight thirty. Wait. Eight thirty? I must have overslept! I’ll be late! As I struggle to put my shoes on, I hop down the stairs. I look around. No one here, no food waiting for me. Dang it. Guess I’m going hungry. I pull up a bus schedule. The next bus arrives in thirty minutes. That won’t work. Walking it is. 409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7jYjI1aTE
The very second I think that, it starts to rain. Seriously? I have to walk in the rain, hungry and cold? This day is a disaster already. Why'd it have to be my sixteenth birthday?409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgKwMDFgc4
***409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRXRttGgig
I manage to get to school right on time, albeit soaking wet. I slip into my seat at the back of the class and open my notebook.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehoN1yI1MD
“Psst. Cordelia.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3kDqkl74z
I turn to my right, my attention immediately caught by the girl speaking to me. Her beauty is striking, rivalled by very few. Beautiful brown locks flow down her back, a path delicately brushing her waist. Her pale skin has an otherworldly glow, but her freckles are a reminder that she’s still a human being. 409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9UIg2UVYd
My gaze shifts to her eyes, and I forget all about her imperfections. They’re kaleidoscopes, dancing and shifting from one vibrant colour to another. At the moment, they appear to be both green and blue, combining to create a stunning pigment that reminds me of nature. 409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMddKVGjNP
Her clothes are simple and classic, a white t-shirt and blue jeans to accentuate her beauty. Her sneakers are a painting depicting intricate designs of the forest, connecting her to nature. As if begging the trees to take her, her hair is adorned with flowers and dried leaves, depicting her as nature’s friend, a mythical creature from the woods. In fact, a mythical creature does her no justice. She could be Mother Nature herself, one of the few girls who need no makeup. Her name floats around in my mind. Savannah. A natural name to describe a natural person. It’s a wonder that such a being even knows my name.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgIGGNYStA
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxw9SjA064
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaD2OHlIsF
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4qKCVmbIe
“Excuse me! Miss Kingsly, is there something you’d like to share with the class?” The teacher says, glaring at me.
“Oh, it was my fault, Mr Williams.” Savannah comes to my aid immediately. She winks at me. “I was wishing her a happy birthday.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5pBLzHX2k
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24V6BmOjo6
Just as Mr Williams turns back to the board, a girl saunters in, her very presence demanding the attention of all who dare to throw a glance her way. Flaming red locks flow in wild braids, announcing that she is a spirited person who refuses to bow down to the concept of normalcy. Her eyes are a luminous green, shining with a fiery intensity and mirroring her personality. Her skin is glowing, though unlike Savannah’s, it’s flawless, free of imperfections. While Savannah wears simple clothes, spares no expense to wear clothes of verdant hues. A green sleeveless shirt graces her form, with green cargo pants to tell tales of her adventurous spirit. Even her shoes are a vibrant shade of green, worn as if it’s a thousand years old. This girl is a pure force of nature, nothing could possibly hope to get in her way.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaIyk2ktyo
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuRMQ43iHE
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBwzWD0rV6
She sits and props her feet up on the desk. “Yes, yes, I know.” She smiles. “But it’s my birthday. Cut me some slack.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2YBSi73YC
***409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcL6jL6Q15
The rest of the day flies by, uneventful and boring. That is, until the girl in green strides towards me with Savannah a few paces behind.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lACmRgSHJ
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaS9iZtdwjF
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjD5omXCJS
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUhS11z01i
These two are clearly familiar enough to have nicknames. I, on the other hand, don’t really have friends. It’s surprising anyone knows my name.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0xfCyuGmr
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMK1GzMARU
The girl grins. “Thanks.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPL9Hi79Y5C
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1o9hrP0OI
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyLTtOvxzW
“Yeah, the fact that you guys are talking to me,” I say, staring stonily ahead. For some reason, I want nothing to do with the two of them.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFoNDMcvZ3
“I know, but I mean something weird like, I dunno…” Ember lowers her voice to a whisper. “Anything glowy? Or like, a random blast of water or something?”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WjIwrfYAi
What? “I don’t understand.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqeOqB8000
“I told you to stop beating around the bush, Emmy.” Savannah turns to me. “You’re sixteen today. What Emmy is trying to ask is, have you seen anything out of the ordinary today? Anything at all? Aside from us, of course.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3kvmzhq2i
Maybe if I answer them, they’ll leave me alone. I think back, trying hard to remember anything weird happening. Then it hits me as suddenly as a brick falling on my head.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YMf8MhmIw
“It rained this morning.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdg81tEhmk
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROpkrCidkq
“So, I overslept today. I skipped breakfast and missed my bus. I was thinking about how much of a disaster the day was, and then it rained. I thought it was just chance at first. A cruel prank fate decided to pull on my sixteenth. But now,” I look at Ember and Savannah. “Maybe not.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEDEM0sskq
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVMpgh1B0Y
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1rwEgXoLb
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0ovNTyGDv
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHemLHY5MG
“Fine.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiCmwLI2hK
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfOUNFEYVP
