The Other Side of Me

Chapter Two: The Other Side of Me

"So what is your next class again?" Elizabeth asks as we were striding through the wide hallways of the East Wing. Everyone calls it the Talents Wing, even though the back of the North Wing houses some of the other Talent classes. The Talents of Art. Drawing, Painting, Sculpting, and Architecture are taught here in this wing. The echo of hundreds of footsteps bounce off the walls. Dark Angels enter and leave classrooms, some with large folders in their hands containing finished projects. I look to see students taking off and landing to travel to their next class. The Senior Level Dark Angels and the Completers fly above us in the vast ceiling, dodging the line of golden chandeliers. The advantage of wings is that it's a fast way to travel, but only teachers, Seniors and Completers can fly in the building. We turn the corner and make our way down the Art Gallery. No one is allowed to fly in this stark white hallway. Voices become hushed and student take the rest of their periods in between their classes to marvel at the walls. The Art Gallery is on the east side of the school so an entire wall is windows, showing the edge of the valley and the mountains. The grass dances in the wind and I see the smaller levels playing on the playground equipment outside. To my convenience, I can see Katelynn sitting on one of the benches, reading a book. I laugh to myself and I look behind Elizabeth, where the paintings were. On the other wall, copies of Queen Leavani's favorite art pieces from her palace Gallery, filling the white walls with color. This was to show that the Queen cared for the Talents and gives them the goal to become a member of the Queen's Talent Council.

¨Bella?¨

"Oh! Sorry, um," I rummage through my small messenger bag and reveal a slightly crumpled, folded up schedule that was given to us during the welcome ceremony a couple weeks before the new academic season began. I unfold it and put it in between us.

"History of Darkani Level Six." I reply, smoothing out the creases in the paper on my Mathematics folder from the previous class. "West Wing, room 201."

"Really? That's across the school!" Elizabeth exclaims. She brushes a strand of hair out of her face and looks at me. "It's also on the second floor, too. We better hurry up and fl..." she stops suddenly and looks at me guiltily. I knew what she was going to say.

"I'm sorry!" she apologizes quickly. "I wasn't thinking for a second. I forgot you were injured."

I shrug. "It's okay, Lizzy. We're almost at The Cross anyway."

"I still can't believe that you are taking two Talent classes this year. If you only took one, you wouldn't have to travel around so much."

I sigh. "The Talent Council is looking over Minors becoming Majors so I want to give a good impression." I look up at the ceiling. "But I really didn't think about the traveling."

"Well I'm glad that the science department is close to the entrance of the East Wing so I can walk with you." She nudges me as we exit the Art Gallery. "And to make sure that you don't use all of your travel period to look at the Gallery."

We open the large dark colored doors at the end of the hallway and file out with dozens of other angels into The Cross. The Cross is an enormous open courtyard in the center of the school. The Cross was designed to allow access to all the floors in the different wings. The circular garden splits into four paths from a large crystal fountain in the center. Windows from the classrooms lining The Cross have Dark Angels looking out at the flying students. The paths lead into four wings. The North, South, East, and West Wing. In between the pathways are patches of grass with benches and tables for students to sit at for lunch or for outside classes. Large platforms on the second and third floor allow angels to enter and exit the floor using their wings. That's the problem for me. I can't fly.