Beep. Beep. Beep.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpvc25SJsE
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.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLM9kq8y8a6
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlU8qqdAfEb
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzw4yxPIJKx
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. 191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRvQP9xz6F
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?191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07JrQLkLtW
***191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEV18giJdKY
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.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMGfuJOjoR
“Psst. Cordelia.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2s9JD4H8Y
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. 191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVz0f32hUJE
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. 191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mmsapnya4
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.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9e923icr6
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2nT475j82
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYvt0uBKEo
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAwfAxSeFA
“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.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0exyR1d4Ld
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaCz8iTRjc
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.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOunBXI2q0i
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocNEX6cRZQ
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksKZAVrnJE
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.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73wYNLaML5
***191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9N6ZUeF9G5
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.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZk6KW00ac
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrZwje8M8m
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCpw5QN4p1
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0LDC7nDs8
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.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWCF8QMrXw
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Fy06CPkBj
The girl grins. “Thanks.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yY1YY0Tms
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cHIrXGFNV
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfj1PlWI9Wg
“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.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKhBZkE21H
“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?”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4zM6FEdzl
What? “I don’t understand.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFKL1FUgNH
“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.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlPSPrsy8e
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.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoz2hfu1TVY
“It rained this morning.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcikvmPaf7O
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDUkuf3Nlx
“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.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFfnrf5Bhm
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp51Z39rqM2
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOI4MGnnDH3
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwupXqxwng
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIF8M9WHtyw
“Fine.”191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzK4hFdJhq
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.191Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgK198bKmw5
