Fandomonium

The Beginning

Week 1, Day 1:

Today is September 9th and it's my first day of boarding school. I just moved to a "city" in Michigan. Notice the quotations? This so-called city is maybe as large as my middle finger, which I'm currently holding up to my mom. There's this art school that I'm being forced to go to. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful because I'm majoring in creative writing and minoring in dance (despite my clumsy tendencies) but I don't see a reason for why my mom made me leave Miami. I had plenty of friends, well, three.

            I straighten my light blue polo shirt, wishing my eyes could be the same color. Frowning at myself in the mirror, I sigh and drag myself to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. "Happy first day of a new school, sweetie!" My mom gushes, only making me groan. She pinches my splotchy cheeks, "Oh perk up, darling, you'll make new friends." I nod my head as I stare at my toast. My mom notices my tension and decides it's best to leave me alone. I don't blame her. "Make sure to call me everyday!"

            I wallow in self pity for another few moments before I stand up and grab my car keys. "I'll talk you later," I call over my shoulder. She runs up to me and pulls me into a hug that's a few seconds too long. I quickly kiss her cheek and rush out the door. The energy in the room is suffocating. I know I could just hop into my car and drive away to some foreign place like Canada but what good would that do? I suppose I have to make the best of this, right? 

            As soon as I pull away from the hotel, the entire ambiance of nature changes. It's like art suddenly took over my body. There are signs everywhere: "Center For The Arts", "Art Comes Alive At StoneBrook Academy", and so on. People with phony smiles and bright colored T-Shirts greet me. I nod at them and continue driving, pulling into a small parking spot by a shady pine tree. There's nobody else in this lot and it makes me feel alone...I like it. I have a few minutes to get to orientation so I jog slightly, my long gold colored hair falling into my eyes. I block out my vision slightly so that I can take in the feel of wind rushing past my face and the smell of pine trees. The air is thin and cool, making it slightly difficult to breathe but I barely notice that. I'm running through the main part of campus when I bump into someone.

            I rub my head, "Sorry," I mutter, ducking past. I begin to walk away but I'm pulled back.

            "No, I'm sorry, I'm so clumsy! You're new here, aren't you?" I look up at the person. He's tall, maybe a few inches taller than I am (5'3, but I claim that I'm 5'4). He has light brown hair that falls to his eyes. I'm drawn to his eyes and...damn. They're green, like the forest surrounding us. But not just green, if I look more closely, they're also blue like the ocean back in Florida. And not just blue, there are hints of grey (like the clouds that are suddenly rolling in) around his iris.

            "Y-yeah," I stammer. How did he know?

            "You're wondering how I know," he smirks at me, his straight teeth glimmering in the sunlight. (How does that even happen? We're not in, like, a 1900's movie.) I nod innocently. "Well your hair is long, for one. It's also its natural color, I presume. And you seem self conscious and afraid what people think." I tilt my head at him and he shrugs. "Lucky guess. I'm Hunter, by the way." He sticks his hand out.

            A lump forms in my throat and try my best impression of a smile. "I'm Clare," I shake his hand, not making eye contact. His hands feel slightly rough and I think I can feel a few scars on his bony fingers. He looks down at his hand and slightly pulls away.

            "Do you need help finding the auditorium?" He asks politely. I nod my head again and we begin walking, not another word exchanged until we reach our destination. The auditorium is in the pavilion, surrounded by flowers of all colors. There aren't any walls on the left or right and it has a covering on top. The lake is right behind it and there are windows everywhere, allowing a perfect view of all the sailboats passing through. "This is it. I better get going, I'll see you around, I guess." He runs his hand through his hair, pushing it off his eyes. Smiling, he turns around, and I do the same.