Beep. Beep. Beep.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGTNA6q6bW
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.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHhDBa3YqX
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYswrM6FuJR
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZZcd9kGQA
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. 272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSQY1EXB97
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?272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJiAlmbVM6p
***272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxq375WSLNT
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.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCyDDGLtXW
“Psst. Cordelia.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUh1oZFhl3h
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. 272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsclkHLpWHo
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. 272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DK4KHKk1q
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.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpJiSYrYor
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACBS6fYQna
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQPajUIHni
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EBnWMDHDY
“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.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYtXYRdpso
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDTnTwgzxV
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.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbppBjb4SDm
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPw6J4kXK4W
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBV5eCoJmMC
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.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQEfFiUi4q
***272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxI2wJWTD0w
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.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAA4PTIY1Q7
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0ZiL0x8gu
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcgOzM37rU
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBeNHPpNMS
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.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WAcaoOH0w
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5GJn7y88k
The girl grins. “Thanks.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSqJRzKvv6
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpB2yQSxjea
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZIVquOC2H
“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.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNA1t2K8NKD
“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?”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMzFBcJPrG
What? “I don’t understand.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIu9EUpvMX
“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.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GlqnRi5Jn
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.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdMZgC0vkH
“It rained this morning.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrkCOH0Hmz
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cX9eXdeqt
“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.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBt8ya8LIJq
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxx0cbdWly
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMs89siOODR
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgjWnSjOl4
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXX3AFtMTA2
“Fine.”272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WNiQAxeVa
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.272Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiT4Cwd5onv
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