Bleeding Shadows

Chapter 16

I woke up earlier than usual. My excitement pulling me out of sleep. I swear I heard it laugh at the thought.

Today was the first day of University for the four of us and I was looking forward to orientation. For one glorious day I get to immerse myself in school life without having any homework.

I rolled over in my ridiculously comfy bed and looked at the alarm clock on my bedside table which read 5 am. Some people choose to get up at this time. To exercise. Masochists.

Deciding that it really was too early to get up, I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. I failed miserably, of course, and got up at an hour later feeling much worse for the extra attempted sleep.

A hot shower later and I got dressed in my pre organised outfit consisting of ripped skinny jeans, over one shoulder top with no sleeves and converse.

I ended up swearing as I tried to put the special contacts Jamie had acquired into my eyes. They matched my eye color perfectly and would hopefully stop the glow from my eyes in low light situations. I'd decided that all the Ethereals had to wear them when I'd learnt of their existence.

I came downstairs to the magical smell of bacon and eggs. Rose was busy in the middle of the kitchen creating mouth watering food.

Shortly after we arrived here Rose had taken over the duty of cooking for everyone in the house, even declining Jamie's offer of hiring a professional chef. Her love of cooking reminded me of all the time she spent in the kitchen growing up because she couldn't go outside.

I went into the kitchen and gave my big sister a hug from behind before she shooed me out and into the dining area.

She forced me to sit down and put a massive helping of bacon and eggs on toast in front of me. Sometimes I had to wonder if Rose had a feeder fetish.

Leah, Audrey and Mia soon descended the stairs looking like they were ready for their first day like I was. Except all three of them had a fine sheen of make up on, unlike me. I hated make up and only wore it occasionally or when I had to.

"Is everyone nervous?" I asked the group sitting around the table, more so to calm my own nerves than anything else. I mainly got grunts and nods in response. Everyone appeared to be too asleep still to function properly.

After a mostly silent breakfast Leah, Audrey, Mia and myself piled into Audrey's car for the short trip to our new university. It's well within walking distance, but we were feeling really lazy.

I stepped out of the car when we arrived and the first thing I noticed was the sheer number of people our age everywhere. Leah and I had gone to a small school so we weren't used to thousands of people on campus at once.

The second thing that caught my attention was the map of the uni that was on the signboard at the end of the car park. It seemingly informed me quite happily that there are three bars on campus. Great, lots of drunken young adults. I rolled my eyes as Mia pulled me along to chase after Leah and Audrey who had gone ahead to the auditorium where orientation was due to start.

The auditorium looked like a theater with the stage front and center and cushioned seats rising in rows behind it.

Most of the seats were already taken in the front and in the back so the four of us had to go and find four empty seats.

I could already feel the stares from the guys, that part of school still hasn't changed.

"You can sit here." A guy offered, waving to the three empty seats next to him before getting out of his and proceeding to sit in the isle next to his friends.