Hi-Hi! Well, DreamerOfFantasy92 is back with chapter 2 of "The Beginning"! Firstly, I'd like to apologize for the devastatingly shortness of the first chapter…I, personally, hate extremely short chapters (I always have). However, it was necessary, because I just wanted to give a brief description of what was going on and how the story had come to be there. It was more convenient than having to write about Clove actually moving. At least, that's what I figured. If anyone has a different thought please tell me and maybe I'll write up a one-shot detailing her feelings on learning the news of her family moving. Anyway, I promise this chapter will be significantly longer than the first.

The Beginning: Chapter 2

Clove blinked rapidly in an effort to clear the rain from her eyes so she could see better. She'd run two of the remaining three blocks left before CutStone K-12 would come into view, and the moistness building up in her eyes causing her vision to blur certainly wasn't helping. "It's really coming down now." She noticed with disdain, raising an arm to wiper her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. "Of course it would be wet and gloomy." Clove just couldn't see why it would decide to pour down now of all mornings. She was completely drenched, on the very first day of the school year in her new community. The water had soaked clear all the way through to her clothes, and she could only imagine how much of the supplies in her backpack had suffered as well. "They're going to think I'm a joke." She thought bitterly, imagining the looks on the faces of her new peers as she entered her first period class. "No!" Clove shook her head vigorously, mentally berating herself for allowing such a weak and pathetic feeling to come over her. "I'll kill anyone who dares to ridicule me just because my mother cares more about her own social life than ensuring that I'm ready for my day." Noting this promise, Clove turned one last corner and came into view of her new school at last.

It certainly was much larger than her grade school. But, of course it was meant to accommodate all thirteen years of the mandatory education levels instead of just the first seven. So that really didn't come to be as much of a surprise. Other than the size, however, the rest of the exterior was strikingly similar. A hard stone material made up the entire structure, painted a simple light gray. Stark white frames surrounded all of the doors and windows, which were darkly tinted. All in all, she received a small feeling of familiarity. It wouldn't do her much good though, she knew.

"Hm." She murmured, slowing her pace as she ascended the steps up to the entrance. Pulling open one of the double doors, Clove stepped into the building. A long, brightly lit hallway that stretched as far as she could see greeted her. Large lockers lined alongside the walls on both sides, and no more than four straggling students occupied the area. A second bell suddenly sounded, echoing throughout the hall, and reminded Clove that she was in no position to just stand around analyzing the scenery of her new school. Flustered, she grumbled irritably and trudged forward to get to her own locker up on the second floor. *Splish-Squork* Her soggy shoes ensured that she attracted the attention of the few students around…

Opting to utilize a nearby elevator in order to save time, Clove dug around her backpack in search of a hair-tie so she could improve her appearance slightly. Her hair, as you can imagine, was soaked and gave her a terrible grungy look. She breathed in harshly, at the realization that all of her paper materials were completely ruined. "Perfect." She scowled. Pulling out a hair-tie, which of course was wet as well, she quickly did her hair up into a sleek ponytail just as the notification ding that her destination had been reached sounded off and the elevator door slid open. Clove blinked, as she stepped out, at the identical second level. "Well, originality must be a foreign concept throughout all of District 2." She smirked, recalling repetitive design of every level at her old school, and all of the practically identical houses in the various communities. This floor, she noted with satisfaction, was completely vacant. Hurrying down the hall, she counted every locker until she came to her own at last, Locker #113. Entering the four-digit access code (Digital lockers, how cool!) she proceeded to shove all her unneeded contents within the space once the door opened. She resigned to having to make due with her wet notebooks and binders for the duration of the day, grateful that since it was the very first of the new school year it most likely wouldn't be required. Just when she'd concluded significantly lightening her load, Clove remembered the crucial matter of her wet attire. Her sweater offered nothing now but extra weight due to all the water it had soaked up. And her shirt, pants, and undergarments had plastered themselves to her slim frame uncomfortably. Figuring that she was late anyway, and a few more minutes wouldn't bring forth anything more than a detention and berating from her parents, Clove decided to make herself feel better and appear somewhat more presentable. Pulling her sweater off over her head, the dry air gave her a tingling sensation that caused her to shiver. "I'd better not catch a cold." Carelessly, she tossed the sweater into her locker. "Now," She glanced around quickly just to double check that the vicinity was definitely vacant. "The shirt." Wanting to salvage as much time as possible, she made the daring decision to not use the bathroom a few yards away. Peeling the shirt up delicately, so as not to stretch it out, Clove quickly began to wring it out, appalled at just how much water had managed to soak its way in there. "My bra is just as soaked. So, maybe?"

"Ahem." A deep voice sounded directly behind her.

With a small squeal, Clove jumped slightly in surprise before twirling around to face her unexpected, and frankly unwelcome, viewer. She was taken back immensely when the sight of an adult greeted her instead of another student (Somebody she could take care of with no major consequences). Gasping, she quickly covered up a couple of things that really stuck out with her damp clothing.

"Young lady," The tall, official-looking man frowned down at Clove as she frantically put her shirt back on. "I'm sure that, as any headmaster of an education facility for the past seven years would be, the dress code has been clearly stated to you within the digital syllabus you received in the provided rules and regulations pamphlet for this school year. And," His eyes lowered down to the puddle of water she'd wrung out of her shirt. "You probably don't need to be informed of just how inconsiderate to other occupants of this school, not to mention unsafe, it is for you to leave large amounts of water on the tiled floor of a regularly utilized hallway."

"Uh," Clove stammered, now she was definitely screwed. "Y-Yes sir, I, I just-" She was silenced when he held his hand up.

"Do not waste my time with incompetent excuses. After all," He smirked. "I'm positive that after the proper punishment has been distributed you will not be ignorant enough to commit anymore foolish and unacceptable actions in my school. Now," Stepping around her, the headmaster motioned for her to follow him. "I shall take you to my office where you will be situated, given a dry set of clothes, and then sent off for evaluations as to what level you will be placed in for your training course."

Cloves' mouth dropped open. "But, sir, I already know my level." Naturally, she'd been a trainee since the first grade. At her old school she'd managed to be placed in Level 6. A level not commonly occupied by a person of her age. A feat that had earned her all the respect, fear, and admiration from the entire community that she could want. And also A LOT of envy, but that was just how she liked it.

"Ah." Chuckling, the headmaster shook his head, neither slowing his pace nor turning to look at her. "Your skill level can change at any moment once you move to a new community, young lady. Depending on how previous records are taken into consideration. Here we prefer to give our own opinions and insights as our standards are much more prestigious for the trainees. And it would be in your best interest for you to not contradict me. You've already shown yourself to be quite ignorant and inappropriate. Don't contribute in demoting yourself in my eyes even further by showing insolence as well."

Huffing in offense, Clove bit her lip before slamming the locker door shut and storming after her new headmaster quickly.

LOL First impressions are never fun. And the thing that sucks is you only get one shot! But don't be sad, I promise that Clove will establish herself much better in the next chapter. Sorry that Cato has shown up yet. He will make his grand introduction in the next sequence, kk? I'm not sure how to make their very first meet, however. There are so many possibilities, but I don't want it to be one of those 'love at first sight' corny pieces of garbage that so many other people utilize in romance stories. After all, Clove is certainly not the easy, mushy type. And Cato, well, is a guy and I'm sure we all know just how stubborn most guys can be! I hope to get to their romantic interactions soon I envision hard and rough, don't you?