Lillianne is accepted to Saether Figgs, prestigious academy for the strange, smart, and ambitious. She is all three, so It's no surprise when she's to fly off several thousand kilometers away from home into a place all too different than she's used...
"Lillianne," I hear my mom yell from down the stairs. "It's time to wake up! You don't want to be late for your big day!"
My eyes open to reveal the usual crack of dawn sunlight through the curtains of my window. Ordinary teal painted walls met with cold hardwood floorboards and a textured white ceiling. I shiver as I place my feet on the ground, the sure sign of summer turning to fall. Blankets now strewn about the bed, I stand and wander to my closet, extracting a pale blue knit sweater and the uniform for my new school. I fling off my pajamas and shrug on the white button up, red tie, and black skirt before making my way to the washroom. A deathly pale, freckled face and green eyes stared back at me through the mirror with messy orange hair tangled stubbornly atop it. My hands expertly brushed it clean of knots and wove it neatly into a long braid that fell over my shoulder. I've been meaning to cut it for so long but every time, my mom would tell me not to, that my long hair makes me seem so much more feminine. It's a losing battle, you can never win.
I hear my mother call for me again and I let her know I am indeed, awake. Loading up my toothbrush, I put it in my mouth and grab my hairbrush, finally ready to pack it. I call to my mom for help in hauling my two packed bags down the flight of stairs. Right away, I see her climbing the stairs, dressed in a loose button up and blue jeans. When she reaches the landing, she spots me juggling two heavy bags, toothbrush in mouth and fights the urge to laugh.
"I've got these, you go finish brushing your teeth. Oh, and don't worry about breakfast, we'll grab some on the way." She smiles.
Through the toothpaste foam, I smile a thanks and run to the washroom, lean over the sink, and viciously scrub my teeth. Finally done, I run to my dresser and open a drawer with socks and hop my way out of my room as I struggle to pull them on.
"Okay!" I say more to myself than to Mom. "I think I'm finally ready and have everything!"
Her right brow raises in question. "Even your glasses?"
I curse before running to grab them, returning once again with my glasses resting on my nose and their case in hand.
"Now," I breathe out, "I have everything."
Mom laughs and opens the door and before I know it, I'm in an airplane thousands of meters in the sky, heading to my new school thousands of kilometers away from home.
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erves begin to rise as I grab my luggage, this is my first time in such a new place and I'm worried that I may get lost. For the third time in ten minutes, I check the email on my phone. I know what is says by heart now, I need to be at the doors labeled with the letter 'E' and look for someone in the same uniform as me, holding up a sign with my name, Lillianne Naerth. Even without lifting my head, I know I'm at door E but I can't see anyone in the same uniform as me.
They knew the time my flight landed, right? I anxiously think.
I glance at the time, and sure enough, it reads 10:00AM, exactly thirty-five minutes and forty-six seconds after my time of landing. I am just about to call the school and ask if there's been a mix up when someone approaches from behind me and taps my shoulder. Spinning around, I am face-to-face with a guy who's just barely a head taller than me.
"Um, excuse me, are you Lillianne?" He asks, voice low and gravelly, as if just waking up.
I push up my glasses and scan his outfit. He's wearing a pair of black track pants and a gray sweatshirt, not a uniform.
"Yes," I respond apprehensively.
He visibly relaxes.
"I'm going to need you to come with me then," he grasps my wrist in an abnormally large hand and begins to walk towards the door.
No uniform, knows my name, stranger, leading me away, I list. Instincts and years of training take over. My free hand reaches up and jabs him in the neck. Immediately, his whole body goes slack, allowing me to free my other arm. Legs moving of their own volition, giving space between me and the stranger in a heap on the ground. Thoughts run wildly through my mind as he slowly removes himself from the ground.
"What's your problem?" He asks as if he didn't try to kidnap me.
"My problem?" I scoff, "What's your problem? I'm minding my own business, trying to find a schoolmate and you show up, a stranger, and try to lead me to god knows where!"
He opens his mouth, closes it, and repeats a few more times. At this point, he looks like a gaping fish.
"Okay," he finally speaks. "Not my best moment, but I am the guy here to escort you."
I gesture to his clothes. "You're not wearing the uniform. The email said my escort would be wearing the uniform and have a sign stating my name."
He ran his hands through his dark, dark brown hair, clearly getting frustrated. "Look, Lillianne, I just woke up twenty minutes ago? I was in a rush to leave, uniform in the wash, I just came in what I slept in last night. It's up to you to trust me or not. If you want to wait another hour for my uniform to dry then I'll leave and come back."
I folded my arms, bright orange fly-aways falling into my face, over my glasses. Hands in the air, he turned around and began walking for the exit.
"Fine!" I call. "Fine, but could you help me with my bags? It's hard to juggle so much."
He turns around, a smug grin on his boyish face, and takes the bag to my left. Effortlessly, his arm lifts the bag from it's worn leather handle and leads the way. I nearly crash into him as he stops suddenly in front of a small, four-seater car.
"Well, this is my car. Go get comfortable in the passenger seat and I'll put these bags in the trunk." He nods to the car door.
I place down my bag gently and make my way inside. The interior smells of sweat and cologne, as every teenage boy does. Sweatshirts are strewn about in the back seat and a black duffle bag sits behind the driver's seat.
The driver's door opens and he enters.
"All ready to go?" He asks, mindlessly pulling his seatbelt on.
I blink twice, leaving my thoughts before answering. "One minute, I haven't got my seatbelt on yet."
I grab the strap but it stubbornly doesn't pull from it's origin. Tugging a few times yields roughly the same result and while I struggle, my driver laughs.
"Need some help?"
I ashamedly look down, "Yes please."
He reaches in front of me, leaning so close I can tell he smells of cinnamon. With a few good, sharp tugs, he manages to free the seatbelt and fasten me in place. I thank him and in this close proximity, one can see flecks of blue and gold in his otherwise emerald eyes.
(A/N This chapter is still in the works, I still have maybe another 500-1000 words to fit into it, I was just so excited to post :D)
