NOTE: "Ada's CHERUB" is the sequel to my story "Happily Ever After". Reading that first is not necessary but highly recommended.
NOTE 2: This story may contain violence and mild bad language. If you will be offended by these things, do not read and certainly don't complain. You have been warned.
Chapter One: Hostilities and Alliances
"Um…bye, Emily," Ada Chang said awkwardly.
Her red shirt roommate, Emily, was lying face down on her bed, sulking. She had been lying like that for hours.
"C'mon Emily," Ada tried, "you'll pass next time."
Emily shifted so she was facing the wall. Ada let out a long sigh and lifted the last cardboard box off the floor. The room looked strangely empty now. Only Emily's clothes hung in the wardrobe, and the shelves were empty without Ada's vast collection of well-thumbed paperbacks.
In a strange way, Ada was almost sad to have passed basic training. It meant leaving the familiar room, and her best friend.
But Emily was sulking. And Ada had no patience with people who sulked.
She turned and left the room.
Outside, she dumped the cardboard box with the others on the back of a CHERUB golf cart and drove up to the main building.
_____________________
Ada's new room was amazing.
It had taken her hours to unpack everything, and now there was only one box left. Fittingly, there were a few shelves left too. Ada carried the box over to the empty shelves and opened it. It was full of little trinkets and things, most of which had belonged to her mother.
Wistfulness filled Ada. Her Uncle James had told her so much about her mother, and even though she didn't properly remember her, she missed her every day.
Ada started filled the remaining shelves with tiny boxes, porcelain ornaments, and one marble Tae Kwon Do trophy (that was her own).
Now everything was in its proper place. Perfect.
Ada padded into the bathroom and caught sight of her reflection. The new grey shirt made her feel so grown up. She swelled with excitement and pride.
But still, something was missing…
Ada was lonely.
With Emily not speaking to her, and all her other red shirt friends still red shirts, Ada had no one to talk to.
So the first order of business was to make some friends.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she pulled open her door, marched across the hall and knocked loudly on her neighbour's door.
After a few moments, the door swung open.
The boy who stood there looked about Ada's age, maybe a little older. He was skinny, a grey shirt, and he had black hair and violently blue eyes.
"I'm Ada," Ada said falteringly.
"I'm Kade," he grinned.
"Uh…were you a red shirt? 'Cause I don't remember seeing you-,"
"No. I went straight into basic training," Kade grinned, "listen, can we continue this conversation downstairs? I'm starving."
"Sure," Ada shrugged, pausing only to lock her door. She followed Kade to the stairwell.
It looked like she'd made a friend.
That was fast.
I know it was a short chapter, but I just wanted to set the scene for the rest of the story.
The next chapter will be longer…and better.
As always, thanks for reading and please review!