Beep. Beep. Beep.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALEOGFxQh6
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.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQd4CUHZwtc
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MQanTVuOW
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesZAI4JPZj
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. 176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyyb4fSMry
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?176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpy3AxeZ1R
***176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8EfwyzzJr
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.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7EzqnV9ci
“Psst. Cordelia.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlRfI6Bp44
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. 176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtz9PirME1
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. 176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ykVrFutob
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.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGas14kblT9
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCA9GjpniQ
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kCRcJMwMh
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo72zGjrQ1j
“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.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡob4d7LjuG3
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywuq8DuyC3
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.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaH6khArMiU
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXVBDNQxPI
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvZp8By2Bb
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.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRjlDUiMnr
***176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXeDfmRuqP
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.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhBeMSZZDc
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1bx4F97KH
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2EIZwFUeC
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydqlivjDBw
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.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHoxJmYx85
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rVkliQ14T
The girl grins. “Thanks.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWB0FIo9sLL
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQSCHQgB0F
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnuAkcNpWD
“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.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Bo5vT9s7S
“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?”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCAVilBCpg
What? “I don’t understand.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cFROMvlQo
“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.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgY7wbiu9U2
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.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wc1Disvld
“It rained this morning.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsEJYed8cw
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2a8yQ5oNV
“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.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5qUssoO7k
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobm5D5mlAA
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsrldD2OPp
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpmIDkcymz
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQH1soUHgO
“Fine.”176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83o9F6Le1b
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03yHV0xSze
