Hello! This is my first attempt at a published fanfiction. As a 'newbie', I don't expect my work to be perfect, so please review! I'll welcome any criticisms and/or advice, as long as their appropriate. I hope this is alright for a first attempt, but I guess I'll see! Hope you enjoy it!
Rebecca bit her lip as the car pulled around the bend. She hugged her old battered stuffed animal close to her chest, Boo, the black cat (though by now, it was really more of a faded gray). Looking at her duffel bag, she reluctantly put Boo away. She wouldn't want to be caught hugging him, like a five year old would, when she finally arrived. With butterflies in her stomach, her hands wouldn't stop shaking for the life of her. It was a bad habit of hers, whenever she got nervous. She could barely make out, through the tinted windows of the limo, the large campus of the Academy. Her family wasn't the richest in the world, so to get a decent education, they had applied for several scholarships. Of course, with Becca's luck, she scored high enough on the exam to be accepted into what they said was one of the most prestigious schools in the nation, a boarding school. Becca had hoped to get into a simple public school, yet here she was, packed up, clinging pathetically to a stuffed animal, and preparing herself to live on a school campus for the entire year, with only one week's leave part way through the year, and only three visiting periods for her parents. She wasn't particularly thrilled. And there was something else flitting about at the back of her mind. This Academy was said to be the most prestigious, but apparently secrecy came with prestige. She knew nothing of the Academy, and they refused all requests to disclose any other information. None of this did anything to calm Becca's already frayed nerves.
There were plenty of rumors about the Academy that flew around, the most realistic of them being that they were the most technologically advanced Academy in the world. Becca wouldn't have even tried to disagree. Just from the outside, Becca could see that 'advanced' was an understatement. The architecture of the entrance itself seemed to emanate a futuristic aura. As the limo pulled to a stop, Becca was hesitant to open the door, and step towards her new home. Without much choice, however, she slung her backpack over her shoulder, grasped her duffel bag, and twisted the handle of the door. Taking a deep breath, she pushed it open, and stepped out, shielding her eyes from the sunlight that the tinted windows had blocked out so effectively. As the limo drove off, Becca blinked away the blue spots in her vision, and saw a solitary window by the large metal archway, just behind the gates. Walking up to it curiously, she looked around in confusion as to whether there was supposed to be someone there to…well, let her in. Inwardly, she sighed in temporary relief, thankful for the small delay and distraction. She leaned in towards the window. Upon further examination, she found it wasn't really a window, so much as a reflective panel with what looked to be a scanner. What is this? She wondered, as she smoothed out her registration papers on her knee. A test of my wits? They ought to have someone stationed here. Placing the papers flat against the smooth surface, she watched the light scan the papers slowly, and jumped when a smooth, synthetic female voice began speaking.
"Identification: Rebecca Mason. Verifying…" Becca stood stock still, becoming increasingly irritated with the lack of direction here. "Authenticity: Verified. Welcome, Ms. Mason." The gates swung open, allowing Becca to pass through, and under the large arch. It was polished to a near perfect shine, and she could see her own reflection as she walked down. In faded jeans and a thin shirt, she couldn't help but think she simply didn't fit in with the area. Reaching the end of the walkway, she met large doors. Just as she began to wonder if there was some clever way she needed to open them, they slid aside with a muted hiss.
Beyond the doors stood a wide courtyard, scattered with plant life of all sorts, environed by buildings and enclosed halls. 'Wide courtyard' was a bit of an understatement in itself. There were sidewalks strewn methodically through the expanse of open space, and those were there because, much to Becca's surprise, they bordered the streets that ran through the courtyard. Streets. As in where cars drive. They were slim and simple, but streets nonetheless. And in front of her was a congealed group of students. Based on the 'Hi my name is…' tags that matched her own, she deduced that they were the other incoming students, a whopping number of 14, 15 including herself. That was the maximum amount of students the Academy accepted yearly, often not even. Becca felt even more nervous at the thought of human interaction. As it was, she had pretty much always kept to herself. The one year she hadn't been homeschooled, she made a few 'friends', though none of them had been very close to her, or seemed very reliable, both of which were terms that defined a friend in her dictionary. Regardless, she took small steps over to the group, standing at the very edge. There was light chatter among the others, but they all seemed as high strung as she was, which made her feel a bit better. Becca figured she may as well try to make a friend, before it was too late and she became an outcast again. But how does a person make a friend? Becca hadn't the slightest clue. Just approaching someone and talking seemed so bizarre to her, and no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't work up the courage to do it. Soon enough, however, her predicament was solved, if not somewhat forcefully, by a tap on her shoulder.
"Hi!" Becca turned to face the speaker. She had gorgeous red-auburn hair that tumbled freely down her back in waves, and bright blue eyes. She grinned at Becca expectantly, apparently not thinking much of her stunned silence. Finally, Becca snapped out of her surprise, and stuttered out a response.
"Hi."
"Tough competition, huh?" She rolled her eyes. "It doesn't seem like it's that big of a deal being in the top 15. We've pretty much been abandoned after all." Becca glanced around the campus quickly. What this girl was saying wasn't an exaggeration. The courtyard was completely deserted, without a soul in sight.
"Yeah. No one's come?" The girl shook her head.
"Lame, right?" Becca nodded. "I'm Jacqueline by the way." She offered Becca a hand.
"Rebecca." She said, shaking it. "Nice to meet you."
"You too. Oh, call me Jackie by the way, I hate my full name." Jackie grinned, sweeping her hair back off of her shoulders. Becca smiled and nodded, feeling rather proud of how she was upholding her end of the conversation so far.
"Haven't they given any kind of instructions?" Becca asked, looking around again. Jackie shook her head.
"None. Zip. Zilch. Absolutely nothing. Either we're expected to do something fantastical, or the world's most prestigious school just forgot about its incoming students." Becca quickly tired of holding her duffel bag, and dropped it on the ground, plopping down next to it carelessly.
"Well," She said with a sigh. "That's disappointing." Jackie nodded, sitting down next to her.
"It really makes you wonder what they've got up their sleeve." Becca tilted her head questioningly. "Just think about it. They're listed as the most prestigious school in the nation, possibly the world, they only accept the top fifteen scorers at most, and they're the most technologically advanced, blah blah blah. In general, they've got incredibly high credentials and stats, and they're, like…the best of the best. So it would be ridiculous if they really just…forgot about us. They've got to be expecting something."
"…The trees look shiny." Becca replied abruptly.
"What?" Jackie laughed. Becca shrugged.
"The trees back home weren't shiny. These are." Jackie was about to open her mouth to answer, then quirked her head to the side. Becca blinked. "You hear that too?" She meant the low humming sound that she could barely feel vibrating throughout her frame. Jackie nodded slowly. Then her eyes widened at something behind Becca. Becca turned, and hit the ground with a painful thud as Jackie threw her down, the hail of gunfire falling around them.