Beep. Beep. Beep.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJz9hhn7es7
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.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEFL0DnPbF
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgGUpMzUfh
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5y7lQiwoMm
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. 355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8NYK2AjUj
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?355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FPfBLcMa5
***355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ070vzvNr4s
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.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENZMaIafU6
“Psst. Cordelia.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWbhAgIuJr
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. 355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSANpQJvPu
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. 355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbi9JdyY02p
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.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU45tBPw4UB
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eLsWydWD2
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR63LPY0jF2
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1a6kEwCBjO
“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.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bn6A52pha
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2BXJGfRI6
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.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHzRV5dL7h
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14EJ1MIyFG
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxthMTut0F
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.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LRRpR3uwS
***355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotmYWDdlLr
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.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5GnM3jsIb
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9h09NXKZ0
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDHBabr6ld
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPYihBAxQO
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.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpX0pX213X
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcoSWsV7uG
The girl grins. “Thanks.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4TFrhkLQS
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1Zi53Jd4y
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlDkBGEkMt
“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.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2DoJRgXyc
“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?”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmSaZuoO6f
What? “I don’t understand.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKciiHACYnb
“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.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0LZPsBPtq
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.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gxIlZpYPV
“It rained this morning.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FPvqn74CP
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfUGzgCAJp
“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.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡac41gicCAD
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDhgdvKnUZ
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxibavTCJQ
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HnZOym7Gf
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmQYas0MbR
“Fine.”355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmi6tx2GIyT
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnx0rukSV5
