Beep. Beep. Beep.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0gzbwxH7k
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.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0LTKu9hek
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡestZEn4KON
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1Pda8genS
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. 277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJlzYi9Lht
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?277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JgTDm88HY
***277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWJ5THjouy
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.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4CIeDpIV3
“Psst. Cordelia.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQQ838c18w
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. 277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9waEoM02x9
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. 277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELZzn9sTD4
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.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EwUIbs5Px
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9BRcB6b9g
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtt5MEgPVQ
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELJtu8DsnP
“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.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZdblnaAVG
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpOTxdqEu7
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.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8qicXwguU
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELqN4YXtzv
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8svB3mD391
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.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyG92H0F5WI
***277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMy0mgPAyD
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.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8g8cUAr0C
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HjblagSBt
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ190xiypyX
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRnhXIwz6J
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.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kJbhXRKMP
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqeo6hdCmo
The girl grins. “Thanks.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppLReu0EtZ
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAk139IzO6I
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVho4TwNyIw
“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.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtK8amxKPTI
“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?”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFF1qcQfA6O
What? “I don’t understand.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclyntUCLtk
“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.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4y9MoquZRN
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.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdS3edD0D73
“It rained this morning.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8xNR3jIqO
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqS2DAEk5G
“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.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdK1MT1yxMn
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzdscB7Uk2
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaYD9FLcU7
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LTcUh0fTi
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5sItLfXZe
“Fine.”277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOuPU4zssX
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.277Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxKXHhJPo3
