Orientation Day

Meera

Getting in the cab was a mercy, I think the buildings help funnel the wind through the streets, and it's too cold for this time of the year; if it wasn't for my scarf tight around my throat and this hoodie I'd me more cold than I already am. This jacket does me no favors I swear I hope the schools monthly allowance is enough to pay for a better jacket, I think it's more of the wind that kills me; the air is cool it's the wind that makes my face feel like it's pressed against the ice.

"You don't feel cold?" I said to my younger brother who's sitting right next to me, he seems to be somewhere else mentally, philosophizing the world around him, the people, the buildings of red and grey lightly painted with the reddish orange sunrise, the pavement painting him a story in his head only he could understand.

"Ground control to Jojen Reed, come in Jojen Reed"

"It's major Reed to you ground control" this was his attempt at comedy, at least he's trying to loosen up, I swear sometimes it's hard to make this kid to laugh or even crack a smile.

"Slow your role, you haven't made the grade just yet" I replied, lightly tapping his shoulder with a left hook, "But seriously, you're not cold?"

"No ma'am, not really," he said earnestly while talking off his gloves and passing them to me. "Here you need them more than I do," he waved them in front of me to take them, his eyes moving from me to the gloves as to take them.

I took them and put them on, "Thanks… so you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, you?" Jojen responded.

"Yeah, I'm always ready," I grinned with confidence, to be perfectly honest I'm a little worried because this is a prestigious institution and the fanciest place we went to was the theatre and church. Jojen has gotten over his nerves the minute our acceptance letters came in, I don't know how can someone get over being accepted to The Lanister School for Performing arts (TLSPA) but somehow he manages to do it, something about ten seconds; I don't know he's a weird kid.

"You know that hoodie isn't gonna cut it, right? Why didn't you think of packing your heavier jacket Meera?" Jojen said with some level of sternness, although you can't be too sure whether he was being serious or not because of his mostly from his odd maturity.

"I didn't think the beginning of fall was gonna be this bad, and the first allowance I receive Imma buy myself a heavy jacket," I said confidently until I saw a smile come over his face and a brief laugh slipped out of his mouth, "What's so funny."

"We're no longer in the south; you want to make an impression try to lose the vernacular" he said jokingly

"Don't have to be so rude about it," I said with a touch of anger, he had a point which made me more nervous about my time at TLSP but the way I see it, is that if it slips out here and there I don't think too many people would mind but if they do they can shove it they know where. I was going to make a joke about Jojen's seriousness but I was distracted by the song that was playing in the background. From the radio we both heard the around the end of it.

Ground Control to Major Tom your circuit's dead, there's something wrong can you hear me, Major Tom?

"Wait I know that song," said Jojen, elation spread across his face.

"Space oddity," said the cab driver "I was your age the first time I heard it, but I first heard it on the TV the day before the moon landing." The driver looked in the rear view mirror.

"That's something, isn't it. What's your name taxi driver man," Jojen said trying to be cool.

"Davos, and yeah it was something almost missed the moon landing because of it. It aired near 7:30 and yeah I know that sounds early to you kids but back then TV just stopped around nine and working in 100 degree weather all day from five A.M to Six really takes it out of you."

"Not to sound rude but you kinda are dating yourself," Jojen said, I punched him in the shoulder to teach him some manners, but Davos seemed not to mind, he even laughed hard; good thing we are at a stop light we might have crashed if we weren't.

"It's quit alright really, I'm glad I made it this long; surprised really." He raised his hand and reveal to us that he had four of his five finger tips were cut off. "Mechanical accident, they said I was lucky and I took it to heart. Try not to damage your brothers arm, if that's where his talent comes from"

"It's his voice, that's why I go below the throat" I responded playfully

"What about you little miss?"

"I play the violin, and how did you know we were talented?"

"For one I'm familiar with the address you gave me, two his yelp was impeccable," he chuckled, I laughed a little as well. Before we knew it we were at the door steps of our new school, our new home. We got out of the cab with our bags in hand, as Davos was about to pull off, "will we be seeing you again?"

"Most likely, I work this route seven days a week I've seen students come and go. Very lucrative, you see that," he pointed to a camera on the lion on the right.

"Yeah" I replied

"That camera captures my license plate, the school pays for the students rides to the school. They picked me specifically because I'm safe and I'm good at navigating this city." He said confidently, "I need to go miss Reed, good luck I need to go back to the air port, more students, more money," with that he waved us goodbye and drove away.

Jojen and I made it up the steps, went through the door, I nearly messed myself. I saw the expression on Jojen's face and I knew he was taken aback by all of it, the stained glass windows were filtering the reddish light through red and golden sigil of the school, whose words are. Hear me roar. The room was filled with the clacking of church shoes, oo's and ahhh's, oddly enough one of those came from Jojen.

"I thought you got over it within ten seconds," I said jokingly

"I…I just. Taken aback, weirwood trees are one thing…this is a castle" he said mouth practically open, looking around like a kid in the Wonka factory near to tears. "Is this what your castle looked like?"

"What castle?" I asked

"Don't girls usually play princess with a castle encompassing them, waiting for their night or prince" he replied

"I never was a princess in my fantasies," I replied fighting the urge to leave him in the crowd

"What were you then?" his voice slithered as we did to through the crowd

"A wanderer, always off to some exciting place I learned in class that day. Away from Martinsville, in my mind I've been everywhere". I reminisced all the times I would pray to leave my boring town with the same old same old, with that comment we followed the rest of the group to the room where we will start orientation. Two hours passed us by, nothing to do just looking at the art around us wondering when it will all start, the guy at the desk took many names down and clicked away at the computer as fast as he possibly could, then it hit me. Well someone bumped into me; I dropped my violin case and other suitcase in hand.

"I'm so sorry I didn't see where I was going, so, so sorry. Here let me help." Said a soft voice, when I looked it was a boy taller than me, he had dark auburn hair almost brown but not quite; his skin is a light peach, his hair is a little messy but not that long so it really didn't matter. He was picking up my stuff while I try to tell him it's fine and that I can get it for myself, still isn't gonna save him from the ass beating soon to follow.

He gets up and gives me my stuff, his hands are soft, he lifts his head to meet my eyes; he has a concerned look on his face…his eyes are a blue, vibrant and strange, very expressive. They're interesting if I'm being half truthful right now, hypnotic at full honesty, I have reconsidered the ass beating I was thinking of giving out… why is he staring at me, do I have something on my face… his expression is confused with a hint of finding treasure.

"Can I help you?" I asked half annoyed, this kid better say something, at least he knows this is awkward right? I mean red is starting to take his cheeks, it seem to hit him that there's something off about this interaction.

"Yeah…sorry was all I was… sorry I didn't see where I was going, so sorry" the boy said, and…bowed in my direction… am I…what the hell just happened, he turns away and speed walked away into the crowd towards a woman with auburn hair. What the hell just seriously happened, what did I have on my face that intrigued him so much.

"What happened to you?" said Jojen as he walked towards me from the crowd, "your cheeks are all red"

He's screwing with me, I pulled out my phone and put on the selfie camera to see if I… son of a fish, he's right their red as cherries, weirdly I try to cover my cheeks with my scarf's Jojen just started to laugh.

"Stop laughing you ass"
"You know what this reminds me of," he started to shake his index finger rhythmically to his small ever dying chuckles, "when you were twelve and found a valentines note on your desk, and the boy came at you with a flower when mom came to pick us up," he started to laugh harder, "you ran all the way home your face red,"

"Shut up," I replied

"And worse is when he came to our doorstep, how did you handle that?"

"I broke his nose" I said feeling the heat spread around my face.

"Just for him liking you? Yeesh I'm scared to even ask what you have planned for this kid"

"He doesn't like me, just bumped into me that's all"

"Oh, really? I've seen you fight for less, so I ask what you got planned for him?"

"I was gonna kick his ass" I said confidently as I felt the red disappear, nice to feel normal again.

"Was?" he replied confused

"Yeah," I responded, where was he going with this…

"As in you decided not to?"

"Yeah, so? Maybe I'm in a good mood," I said hoping that killed the conversation, I rather forget about that boy as soon as possible.

"When are you ever in a good mood?"

"You really want to question it?" He had that dopey look on his face he has when he captures moments and converts them to a story, countless stories to be spun and spun till he doesn't realize he's in this very moment but becomes an observer and inactive; that's usually fixed with a jab to the arm. I was gonna continue defending my choice not to assault a kid who has some screws loose until I heard powerful clacks of shoes on stairs, each clack commanding attention from a person in the crowd, we soon turned our heads to the sound…it was him the head master.

Tall slender man coming down the stairs, he had broad shoulders, side burns, wearing a deep crimson dress pants, coat, and a golden tie, he adjusted his coat slightly and cleared his throat; all noise died when he did.

"Good morning, my name is Tywin Lanister. Many of you may now me as the head master of this great institution that's been in my family since my great, great grandfather Lan Lanister. Some of you may know me as the owner of golden lion records, or the many compositions I made in my youth, most famously the 'rains of Castemere', and if you dig far enough a couple of my tracks I made in my years at Kent state"

Jojen was in awe, so was I; we were in the presence of the man who shaped music for twenty years and is still influential today an icon in music soon to be known as one of the greats like Bach, Mozart, Hendricks, or Bowie. He scanned his eyes having them scan us all like we were some kind of product, he's cold, calculating; maybe that's what it takes to be great.

"None of the matters, it only matters why you are here. I see a sea of young hopeful faces with aspirations of fame and fortune, here at the Lanister school for the performing arts we are here to bring out your best, taking your potential as a mark to surpass. But we cannot help you reach that dream if you do not cooperate with us, ultimately, success or failure is up to you, and only you."

He calmly turned around and climbed ten steps to a platform that lead to two separate stair cases, one going left and one going right. He faced us again and said, "Males to the right, females to the left."

I faced my brother and said a quick goodbye, he stood there for a moment and returned the goodbye with a "I'll see you later with a surprise," sometimes that kid can't be understood I just left it as is, do not have the time right now. I made my way upstairs each step picking up the rhythm in my heart, adding a stone in my gut, the woman in front of the door very tall, hair colored like straw, a bit of freckles on her face she seems to be staring down everyone that go through those door, I do not want to be on her list of people to crap on this school year. In the hall we all waited attentively as the last of us walked in, the she came in.

"I'm going to make it simple for all of you. There are two ways to get on my list," she stopped and looked around to a crowed of patient young women, "One, doing anything that is against school policy. Two, lying to me in my face," she's direct which is always a plus. Our groups slowly thinned out as she directed two students to their rooms we are at the end of the hallway and she opens up her mouth, "Meera Reed and Osha Tr…"

"Just Osha miss, if that's okay"

"That's just fine," she flashed a quick smile, she's friendly if she gets to know you well I can see that, "this is your room, your keys are on the coffee table." We said our thanks and entered in the room Osha held the door for me, we made our way in and the room was stunning. There were two couches made in the shape of an 'L', the smaller one was half the size of the larger one they boxed the coffee table we passed it and found our rooms.

"You get first pick Osha," I gestured to the room

"Thanks Meera", she walked to the bed furthest from the door and hopped on the bed crossing her legs and putting her arms behind her head giving out a small but noticeable sigh and looked at me.

"Kick back and relax, the hard part is over," she said sitting straight up and putting her legs over the bed and reaching down to the suitcase that was too big to be a carry on like my bags, we started to unpack and made small talk here and there, she's from Canada and is like a legit wanderer, barely home always out with a group of friends. I told her about Jojen and Louisiana or at least the section where I lived; she got in through a scholarship like Jojen and I. I honestly don't know who pays for a foster kid to go to a school like this without some assistance. We got a little more friendly and just talked about the kids we saw until I got a text from Jojen.

Meera guess who's my roommate

Who?

*Click to download image* I clicked to my surprise "No way…way"

"What?" said Osha, she sat next to me on my bed holding a pillow, "Remember the guy I told you about?"

"Yeah" she replied taking my phone, her face changed from uninterested to astonished.

"I can see why you didn't kick his ass, with that pretty face" she said jokingly

"He's not that cute," I said taking my phone away from her.

"So that's why your face is pink now?" she said before lightly tapping me with the pillow she was holding, I retaliated with a well place pillow hit to her face she laughed and so did I. "Ask your brother about him."

"Why?"

"To see what he's like…but from a distance"

"I'm not a stalker"

"Don't think of it as stalking, think about it like reconnaissance"

"Alright," she came closer, peering over my shoulder

Is he as weird as I think he is?

Nah, he's actually really cool.

He mention me?

K

Bitch don't K me

He doesn't know your name, I thought you were about to forget about him.

Not the point

"Your brother is that kind of guy," Osha said, "well…. I guess you'll have to talk to this kid" she said getting up and headed to the bathroom, leaving me alone in the room, I decided to send one more text to Jojen.

What's his name? I shot that text and waited patiently, don't know why this texted felt like it took forever and why it made me slightly nervous to get the response.

Brandon Stark, why?

Just wondering… is that hard to belive.

Just seems odd, I'm going to hit the showers see you at the cafeteria.

Brandon Stark, huh; fitting name if any for eyes like those.

Time passed and I took a shower, had a change of clothes and headed out the door to start the tour I'm running a little late, maybe that's intentional so I don't run into my brother for his safety. You think with a class this big you wouldn't run into the people you don't plan to running into, but there he was talking to my brother and a blonde haired boy his eyes lighting up the room, keeping the other boys captive in his speech.

Jojen looked my way and called me over, standing next to Brandon was Osha looking at me making a face, I walked up to the group and said a hi to everyone.

"Hi my name is Brandon Stark, we met earlier," he said having his hand outstretched

I met his hand with a shake, "Meera Reed, nice to make your acquaintance. Don't worry about the bags, it's fine" I said, and then we made our way to the cafeteria, the tension of worry melted away and was replaced with a smile. Oh gods. What's wrong with you Meera?