Beep. Beep. Beep.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8E8j52Y3W
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUWlmcN7ir
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTAmrBXQXE
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIrYNmvgA5
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. 257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQdeOCptIt
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?257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01Xp701QfW
***257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTnyDxw8p9
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUEZRprocY
“Psst. Cordelia.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTndLp39bGF
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. 257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5QWmSzmmb
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. 257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfq5mJ6LFIr
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡju2rUlQ4Kq
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZ1sRfvSGe
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUsVAHCOlw
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UapzMWy5f
“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.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmg5nmDTyoD
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8URJ4t89db
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBSsU2mu4B
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlI7hRR9dUQ
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEaoiG9jyr
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.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmcenGoqiK
***257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArBBTVRPTU
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbS45Od0Xse
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcOvOSBaH1
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDU2Vl1x82M
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApPWwAnNol
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIK5j81lRUS
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtvwGLQnc9
The girl grins. “Thanks.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDRYwd2t1m
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQXVVHBBPd
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBMEyiehul
“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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IDClQU6WY
“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?”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcujkVCyFWc
What? “I don’t understand.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDqYdL72Az
“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.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuYeAtJSiT
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSx6k9ctA4
“It rained this morning.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2t38lipTZ
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGAkGpnXLk
“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.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yJt8RrG7m
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuitN9NoJp
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqyNJPuMm5
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZOW2alH50
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9urpRQfR9m
“Fine.”257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VodLN8NnV
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXcDkYRQkK
