Beep. Beep. Beep.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgz1BNYhtBj
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.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjA7UUWi3qj
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5LpsOe1Gb
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xMnrqw9ns
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. 295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmqY5TJU2g
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?295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6qMbtoye9
***295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0OtOyjEbZ
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.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmxiiJEyQo
“Psst. Cordelia.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRExG2n9yp
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. 295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8VjMXE1AM
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. 295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoM6d2ymIOU
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.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccsUeRrZ1W
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZbeV4OW31
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFs7D3cCPca
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3f7eFXXAJ6
“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.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaMVCPXqqh
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlT7l1Cnygt
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.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9HcsjhUMD
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9Rgl4DBUU
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14hm3QLcfA
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.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSvY1ETuE9
***295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydfSBZge1B
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.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdLkXP970z
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6f2xiJYKwu
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QqUF6jIOc
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeakiEF0nxO
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.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFWiy05vqN
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQrPTAiBBU
The girl grins. “Thanks.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDPPtORE2m
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpIrTInQsp
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh23EqMDCT1
“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.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4nRQvTF83
“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?”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3A2jXAaHvT
What? “I don’t understand.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9azeiCjlI
“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.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNqKLappXT
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.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKKpsS6OCu
“It rained this morning.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJeyNVBtHzF
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuL3bVDnrc
“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.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMemtxouK1B
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0wcBxKaqL
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlb94jG8a3
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcPqw7M3Ck
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Tbkwl7LZm
“Fine.”295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHASWFY3yOb
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMPq7DgrTO
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