H2Winx

"Layla. Hurry up. Your dad's waiting in the car already," Niobe Andros called up the stairs. Her daughter, Layla, sighed. She wasn't looking forward to starting boarding school at all.

Layla didn't have a choice in the matter however as General Andros was about to be posted abroad for two years and his wife was to go with him. They refused to take Layla with them as well and had instead enrolled her at the Alfea College Academy where Layla's cousin Tressa was a student.

Alfea was located a two hour drive from the Andros' home, near the coast. The Andros family went straight to the Headmistresses office once they arrived at the school. Headmistress Faragonda Light was a kindly older woman who quickly reassured Layla's mother's anxieties and sent General and Mrs Andros home happily.

"Well Miss Andros, shall we go find your dorm?" suggested the headmistress. Without waiting for Layla to reply, Headmistress Light stood, walked around her desk and led the way out of her office. Layla followed the older woman along several corridors until they reached the girls dormitories. Each door had a list of its occupants' names on it.

"Here we are. Layla Andros," the headmistress declared. "I'll leave you to it now." Faragonda Light walked away leaving Layla staring at the list of names on the door in front of her.

Bloom Domino.

Flora Lynphea.

Layla Andros.

Musa Melody.

Roxy Tir-Nan-Og.

Stella Solaria.

Tecna Zenith.

The list shocked Layla. She knew her roommates names. Bloom Domino, Roxy Tir-Nan-Og and Stella Solaria were well known IT girls who were always being photographed at parties, charity events and galas. Musa Melody was a popstar often seen at the same events. Tecna Zenith was the daughter of two famous inventors and it was said that she was just as brilliant as her parents. Flora Lynphea was a model who'd recently done a photoshoot for a massive perfume company. Feeling nervous, Layla pushed open the door to her new room. Six girls looked up to see who was coming in.

"Hi you must be our new roommate. I'm Bloom." The red head stood up and came over to introduce herself.

"I know who you are," admitted Layla.

"Of course she knows who we are," Stella spoke up. "Everyone knows who we are."

"Not everyone reads those stupid gossips rags you're always in Stella," retorted Tecna.

"They're not stupid," Stella muttered in a tone that suggested this was an old argument. Bloom ignored the squabble and smiled at Layla as she asked her name.

"Layla Andros."

"Andros? As in General Andros?"

"Yes," responded Layla slightly confused that Bloom Domino knew of her dad. "He's my dad."

"That explains why you look familiar, maybe we met a party or something when we were younger," mused Bloom.

A phone chimed and Bloom turned towards it but Stella got there first.

"It's Sky. He says the guys will be here in ten."

"Sorry, not to sound really stupid, but isn't this an all-girls school?" questioned Layla.

"It is. The boys go to Red Fountain Academy on the other side of town. Sky's my boyfriend and Stella's dating his best mate Brandon. Helia and Flora are together as are Timmy and Tecna. Then there's Musa and Riven. Those two are an on again off again type situation." Layla was rather surprised that Bloom would give such a detailed explanation of the group's relationships to a stranger. But before she could question it a knock sounded on the door. Stella jumped up so fast Layla fancied she saw steam. Musa laughed.

"Really Stella? It's been what? Thirty minutes since you last saw Brandon? Can you really not go any longer than that without him?"

Stella pouted as she opened the door, letting six young guys into the room. Layla had a bit of a shock when she saw the last guy to enter. Nabu Ophir had been her next door neighbour when she was a kid but his family had moved away and she hadn't seen him in years. Now he was stood in her dorm common area.

"Layla?" Nabu was looking at her with as much surprise on his face as she was feeling.

"Hi Nabu," she replied softly.

"You two know each other?" asked Bloom.

"We lived next door to each other as kids," Nabu explained. He grabbed Layla's hand and pulled her down onto the sofa.

"So Layla, what's been happening in your life since I moved away?" Nabu asked. Layla smiled and the two sat catching up until Helia suddenly checked his watch.

"We need to leave boys. We won't make it back to Red Fountain before dinner and you know Codatorta."

"Can't you get your uncle to let us off?" Riven asked Helia.

"Uncle Saladin is very careful not to play favourites with me, you know that. Sometimes I think he's stricter with me than with anyone else in the school."

"Helia's uncle is the headmaster of Red Fountain," Nabu explained to Layla, who was looking rather confused by the conversation. The boys said goodbye to the girls and snuck back out of the school. They had only just left when a bell rang.

"Dinner," declared Roxy.

"The boys are really going to be late," fretted Tecna as she stood up and the group made their way to the dining hall.

Layla was surprised by how welcoming she found her new dorm mates and how easily she slotted in with the group. Soon she was chatting away with them like they were old friends. Layla was worried though. She didn't want to get too close to these girls. The closer she was to them, the more likely it was that they would discover her secret.

Layla was a fairy. She didn't know how it was possible but she had discovered when she was little that she could transform into a fairy and that her powers were water based. Layla had decided never to tell anyone in case they thought she was crazy or wanted to lock her up or experiment on her.

"You joined the school on a good day Layla," commented Musa as the group headed back to their dormitory after dinner. "Tomorrow we have a field trip to Mako Island."

"Mako Island?" questioned Layla.

"It's a small island you can see from town. There's a dormant volcano on it," Tecna informed her. They had reached their dorm now and the girls showed Layla which was her room.

"Goodnight girls. Remember we have to be up early tomorrow for the trip," Bloom said as she went into her room.

Layla didn't expect to go to sleep quickly in the unfamiliar bed but she was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. That night Layla dreamt of swimming through the ocean faster than any human, or fairy, possibly could.