Beep. Beep. Beep.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TYbelplZx
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.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVc8fFYoQv
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNDu5WWIfN
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CK8NDA9s6
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. 240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvzk2eF4Cy
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?240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU72goy4tMu
***240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Dsf5AkoZL
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.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MVrEk3r91
“Psst. Cordelia.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RMY5hLdmA
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. 240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5CkCTEtMK
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. 240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYhfpnQY5x
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.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrwfWj5P9u
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELtuyaPo4j
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHftEwqD6j
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9m4ndeVXbX
“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.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqp9wm0LXC
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF857ONqyrL
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.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hxAdy1ZwE
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCTIKqCjIQ
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WKu3yv1bv
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.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo79z5UYD0J
***240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPQg6dOkiP
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.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LAt8Ao6XU
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6Fd5p7ki2
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZo71Py91uN
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rETh5MskF
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.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJ8j5N9aZw
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyokVd968f
The girl grins. “Thanks.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jo3GAhe6f
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3RmPC0wvy
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiZcWMk0II
“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.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2cokjmPFl
“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?”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaVp7T5coJ
What? “I don’t understand.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9CVf4GwQu
“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.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGYfIpG6qv
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.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCwnW5xEcn
“It rained this morning.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1QLdUAJ47
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdviCulKpp
“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.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nfwMS5JO9
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvo8KoAg9f
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgCEQMpIyZ
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9a16WEUUsa
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡha5Z40fjMX
“Fine.”240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6XYkTORgx
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoi6CgeAmDU
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