Beep. Beep. Beep.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBEMvMMvdX
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbGbF1s1Ku
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxGcA0f4xJ
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K9EEdfDUe
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. 331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMCxTDffbO
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?331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlydZvlVlS7
***331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Cfo6q9OSG
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaC3Q65cK1R
“Psst. Cordelia.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlCuINPbMR
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. 331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHY5z3qsdzs
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. 331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeprSRcCsHs
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyl9m8LPXj
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYith7QCPP2
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMybJbrHOF
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIuKcs7GPZ
“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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvGO5mV6FB
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1BvMrNF40
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZz3rK3VZY
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHkNZtPbc5
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisLn8I9LhA
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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrLiZcJeMQ
***331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7uOwfdW32
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SZvvMLobN
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7qzXjTdpX
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnY6pdhf2Z2
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Zb35FNvN9
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbuom8Ngbh
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrMeEBqYMU
The girl grins. “Thanks.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWvG1bL9rE
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvO9qbnrew
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLe7H3UlazM
“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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLVIp0khPY
“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?”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtRkddK2op
What? “I don’t understand.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXpRdlpWL6
“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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmTI5BS0gL
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.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Zxl0eNF15
“It rained this morning.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8fTprC7ov
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaRES1VXYl
“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.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5taSblriu
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6b7bkC3lX
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHP3sgLXfJO
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERleJnB1qp
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUzPdpZ0Ns
“Fine.”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rXlsdzzWZ
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxbhhYBzDW
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