Beep. Beep. Beep.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKGOPgKXCN
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0hNMnk9fL
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LZQ8UJxaE
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5MiqydhmM
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. 255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOdiHSRahg
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?255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPralQahcPj
***255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriqSjNRHRK
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIKuRYm4C1
“Psst. Cordelia.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4E9DI1N56
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. 255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Z7LexjWvg
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. 255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3JYCP87qy
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30hRVT5POO
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoPtLz5XDr
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeaX8CUZDe
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPVUA7PeoJ
“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.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXZzE9Ubb9
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuNXEgnrju
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdTUhoFGHq
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIo4J1oNpD
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWH5wEKnAnb
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.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGeDi1L3x6
***255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNhpWIRgx8
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjY5xgP01E
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Lv8H3vuwr
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjg0ug9gh9
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UUy7OSkme
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHfvP7diAv
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIa982UghY
The girl grins. “Thanks.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHaajtAVfib
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1mMgsPixw
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbqZOQKlBP
“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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugU1HXd7lx
“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?”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijfnjuf4rp
What? “I don’t understand.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdR8G7Ywj4j
“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.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzjjPDUSBV
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUMZjw5JGT
“It rained this morning.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdMl81Xssw
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHBPzAhGlE
“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.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqzrkTE6pX
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXdFi4PSar
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwQhLFJ0Fh
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0CDT4CawD
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWR3y0GaGX
“Fine.”255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgI3Im9fEZ
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfxW3zlgZA
