Beep. Beep. Beep.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHesdOb0MoC
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.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbuosJdrVf
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHmsZQ7Qm5
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl46qYJabZZ
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. 612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyidXOVK4bF
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?612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbcsBzK8Jx
***612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9Vcc4Ofxj
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.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSnvhWBtfA
“Psst. Cordelia.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mJQSITB3e
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. 612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcdecpjQUZ
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. 612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOL7CVniZ1
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.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofMOuCylhI
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uigJjKIdg
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YzN1YKU3i
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXohg2pDaq
“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.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOwVHSmJqX
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcBcIagaZW
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.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9q0WLy6huH
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6Obfzokr3
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXkjH94wgJ
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.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnd30fQgfM
***612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNq8ZpYTNm
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.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRgYzwApg2
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ09mshFZxJ
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8jqg7zLeh
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10H0Lh5PEi
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.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9wf3ty8Z5
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWGdcZt61m
The girl grins. “Thanks.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw71ZrzZ5P6
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LkQqm4fcy
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudGUTHOTwQ
“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.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4J8MXPI4E4
“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?”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMFvcvRoaZ
What? “I don’t understand.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRjx8vbRQi
“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.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMtcBKeGhJ
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.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5UTJzJEgx
“It rained this morning.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVoxiMhRCF
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡma3PiKhOBN
“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.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8w9449whb
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBm8QEPFgK
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg847LDnYYd
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO4Q06IOGY
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrMidr2wQA
“Fine.”612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgwYVkDA8V
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.612Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ474VtYYyCz
and then Add to home screen.