(Kana)
I watched the buildings shrink the farther out we got from town. A school outside of town, how stupidly cliche. I think there was one in Virginia somewhere but I never paid much mind to it.
My time at any school is short-lived. I'm not exactly made for fancy schools, or schools in general.
I looked down at my uniform that would last me two weeks at best before it's practically ripped off of me as I'm kicked out the front gates. A classic button-up shirt, a colored vest, the blazer, a skirt with shorts, and tights. Nothing I'm not used to.
The car started to get on the highway and I watched the trees fly by counting the clouds in the big blue blanket that covers the Earth.
"I hope this is the last time I drive you kid," The old driver in the front chirped teasing me for a light joke but I didn't bat an eye. In a few weeks if it turns out my mom is a fraud then I'll be relocated again and sent to some foster care with the too-wide smiles and the too good to be true offers. So this will probably be the last time this guy drives me.
I think his name was Antonio or something like that. He's been my driver for the past six months now since I've been moved around quite a bit before the miraculous discovery of my mom.
Now I use the word 'mom' as loosely as I can because you would not believe how many sick and twisted people will claim to be your family and fake enough papers to make it seem true to get a couple of dollars out of you. So far I've been to most of the northeastern side of the USA and let me tell you that New York isn't as pretty as the pictures. I was in California for a bit but after a big bomb was dropped that my caretaker at the time was a little unorthodox and was doing things they shouldn't have so the program decided to skip most of the western side of the US.
I wouldn't be surprised if my new mom was a complete fraud like the rest.
I scratched my chin, a scar that had permanently embedded itself in my skin was there. It does this thing where it got itchy from time to time for no apparent reason. It's just a habit to scratch it.
"So what's the story now kid?" Antonio asked glancing back at me once more trying to fill up the silence. I shrugged and kept my eyes on the window.
"Ms. Gomez said some lady came in with a, and I quote 'spark of hope in her eyes'." Antonio's raspy laughter gently filled the soundless air around us.
"A spark of hope in her eyes?" He repeated to himself laughing once more. I nodded.
"Yep," I replied and Antonio let out a small hum.
"So they sent you right over huh?" I nodded again. They came to me when I was lounging around the Lytton Green waiting room for the big news that would 'change my life'. It did change my life, it ended it, it started a roller coaster of emotions, and it started a war.
"Hoped it would help me out, you know. Nice lady walks in and they ship the first kid they lay their eyes on right to 'em. I probably looked like a relative or niece or something." I grumbled. They probably decided to give it a shot since they hoped it would do something to improve my mood after 'that time' in my life.
The car rolled off to the side and into this paved road that leads to a huge stone gate that was pure smooth wall for a long distance. A man in this post greeted us looking over our vehicle, the gate still ahead of us, and then nodded his head garbling some security guard code into his walkie before moving to the side and lifting a roadblock and putting it back down and just waiting by his post.
We then reached the actual gate where there were more people than normal.
Two security guards walked up to the driver's side and started chatting with Antonio about who he was, who was he with, was there anyone else but me in the vehicle, and if he was holding any weapons in the vehicle. It was strange but this was probably one of those fancier schools that went over the top with everything.
After we got through Antonio turned to me with a nervous smile on his face.
"Now I really do hope this is our final goodbye, no offense." I nodded. I looked out the window and saw a dozen more cars being checked and questioned. Girls and boys trickled out in groups or by themselves out of cars that looked like they've been here since three thirty in the morning and were late to morning yoga with Brittany in the park.
Suddenly a woman who looked like she was a lost child glanced in our direction the second I stuck my head out the window and booked it towards us.
I'm assuming this is the woman claiming to be my mother. She had the hopeful smile, the furrowed brows, the formal outfit. Just like all the others. And just like all the others, she was probably going to let me down too.
I pulled back into the car rolling the window back up but the woman got close enough that Antonio forced my window back down.
"Hey there!" The woman said with a fruity voice. I did my best to not roll my eyes but then something caught my attention. A small head of blonde hair that was puffing to catch up. A short girl with arctic blue eyes that seemed the puncture my skin and skull for answers. A big warm smile engulfed her face and I knew the second she opened her mouth I wasn't going to like her.
"I'm Emma Martin-Collins and it's a pleasure to meet you, you must be Kana right?" I nodded my head turning my attention to Ms. Martin-Collins, the woman not the girl, when she spoke interrupting the girl. "Super, if you could please step out of the vehicle we can get you settled in here faster." I sighed and undid my seat belt.
The two women stood back as I opened the door and I looked onto the rich kids' school before me. It looked like a castle, towers, and everything. Old stone walls that looked like something out of the Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings movie.
"Welcome to River Fork Institution for the Gifted," Ms. Martin-Collins beamed with pride naming the school like she was reading the name of a pamphlet. The small girl nodded enthusiastically behind her. "Your guide to the school will be your roommate so you already have a friend! Please introduce yourself and I'll be off."
The girl stepped out of the woman's shadow and glowed like a beacon like this was her time to shine.
"Hello there Kana, I'm Ashley Sara Martin-Collins," She stuck out her hand and I stared at it. Ms. Martins-Collins and her daughter. Great. I shook her hand and then did my best not to make it too obvious I was wiping my hands on my skirt afterward.
"I'll show you around campus, classes don't start until Monday so you and I have the whole day to roam around!" She exclaimed like that was a good thing. "Is that all your luggage or does your driver have something heavy in the back?" She eyed my giant bag like it might eat her if she tried to get too close to me and as funny as that would be my bag was just fat with the items I had.
"Just a semi-big roller, it's not heavy at all, I can carry it too." Ashley nodded and gave me a smile.
"Perfect," Less work for you. "Okay, so the bag is out then..." She trailed off mumbling to herself then snapped her fingers like a nasty habit. I can't exactly complain about people and their nasty habits, I have one myself.
Ashley suddenly clapped her hands and gave me a perky smile.
"Right this way please," she guided me talking on and on about the littlest things we passed like the front lawn, kidding, the statues, the huge stairs, the front doors, I wish I was kidding with that one. I did my best not to groan out loud or let Ashley help me with my bag. I know half of this stuff is school provided but I like keeping my things close and away from others.
What Ashley didn't mention on her grand speech about the front doors is that they had this step right after them so guess who took a mighty fall down the small itty bitty steps in front of everyone who was arriving which amounts to about 79% of the school from what I'm guessing. Me.
I was so busy staring at Ashley trying to look like I cared even a little bit about the wood that made the whatever of the door that I didn't realize the step was there.
Now I didn't just outright fall, I'm better than that at least and I didn't scream or squeal it was like a foot or so it wasn't going to kill me, no. I tried to save myself but Ashley, being the 'good friend' she is tried to help me but it was sudden, I didn't see her reach out to me, it was like she suddenly flicked on a switch.
Suddenly the smile wasn't there, with quick reflexes her arm and hand lashed out at me like a whip snapping in my direction so suddenly and then her eyes were silver. I pulled back nearly screaming but that step took me over the edge and dropped me on my back like a useless turtle. Thankfully my roller didn't hit me too though it would have if it wasn't for Ashley. I flinched anyway not realizing how fast this girl's reflexes were.
I opened my eye and heard a scoff from my right side. A red-haired boy with wild hair that stuck out in every direction like a bad rock band reject looked at me with his brown eyes that one-upped me and rolled like I was pathetic.
"Ezra please!" Ashley suddenly snapped and Ezra raised his hands in surrender.
"I didn't say anything, what are you going to do now, report me to mummy and daddy?" Ashley's face turned a bright shade of red and that sure shut her up fast. She looked at the ground and Ezra barked a laugh like a dying animal.
"Christ you sound like a dying animal," Oh shit.
"Excuse me?!" Ezra snapped in my direction like I just told him a greater insult other than he sounded like a cat on catnip coughing up its internal organs.
I pulled my arms out of the straps of my bag and dusted myself off turning around ignoring the ginger and bent over to pick up my fallen bag. At least that is what would have happened if Ezra didn't suddenly touch me.
See I have this no touching rule in life, physical contact is a no-no unless I agree to engage in it, like the handshake from earlier. I agreed to that. Not this. This was testing your ability to survive things.
My hand automatically snapped out to grab his when I hit someone else instead. The slapping sound snapped me out of my rage and Ezra let me go the second my skin hit whoever was in front of me now holding the side of their face shocked.
The first thing I saw was brown. Warm chocolate and sunsets looked back at me with shock and fear and I looked at my outstretched hand and the red mark on the poor boy's face. Freckles danced across his skin in harsh waves.
I hit someone and classes hasn't even started yet, wonderful.
"I...I'm...I'm so sorry," I managed to get out but my throat was tight and it was like the room was starting to get smaller, eyes were on me and I could just feel them judging me. Waiting for me to do something else like I was their show monkey.
"You're crazy!" Ezra suddenly shouted, his voice calling on more eyes, more judges who never know the true story from all points of view and make their own assumptions that aren't true. I stood up and wheeled around on my heel to stare him down. People used to tell me my eyes could murder someone if I tried hard enough, let's test that now.
I could see Ezra shake slightly.
"Wanna say that again?" I challenged darkening my voice and making it low enough for just him to hear. His eyes went wide and he stepped back and nearly tripped on his goon behind him but I caught him by the collar of his shirt and glared him down.
"Guess not," I let him go after he got his footing and I turned back to my bag and swung it over my shoulders and looked at the kid in front of me, he shook, eyes filled with fear. The way everyone looks at me. I offered my hand but he flinched back and I pulled back and turned to Ashley keeping my voice low.
"So where are the dorms or whatever?" Ashley looked at me shocked and then her eyes turned into the stormy sea scanning the crowd for something. Once she found it she turned and gave me a sharp nod taking my hand suddenly and dragged me to the side.
I was uncomfortable with the sudden contact but I let her lead me away forcing myself to get used to her touch. I worried about my hands sweating too much and I hoped they didn't start sweating now.
Just then a dark blur got close and I panicked letting go of Ashley's hand and she turned around the second she felt my grip loosen and the person who suddenly burst from the side looked at me confused.
"Are those contacts?" Ashley elbowed her friend like she just insulted me but I shook my head and continued walking with Ashley but her friend followed us. Her accent was strange, it was English but a little more American.
"So that's your actual eye color?" Ashley shoved her friend lightly and hissed at her.
"Lexie, don't be rude," Lexie shrugged and raised a brow at her.
"Don't tell me you didn't think contact lenses when you saw her eyes," I rolled my eyes and tapped her shoulder.
"I'm right here and I can talk. Um...can you like...not touch me please?" She let go of my wrist and I rubbed it, she has a strong grip, like handcuffs or something.
"Sorry, you startled me," I nodded and I eyed her. She was a little different from me, definitely shorter(like almost every kid in the building), more muscular. I'm pretty sure she can bench press three of me with those biceps. She didn't have her uniform on yet, a way-to-casual Rolling Stones hoodie with ripped jeans. Her dark hair was unruly and a bit disheveled(it honestly looked like a very neat bush). She could pass as a greek goddess if she tried, her dark skin was exotic in this sea of tans and whites though there were others.
"Understandable," She nodded her head, eyeing my, well my eyes.
"Lexie don't stare at people," Ashley hissed and I shrugged.
"It's fine, it's...normal I guess," Lexie nodded and got about an inch closer.
"So no contacts right?" She asked me and I nodded.
"They're really that color?" Another nod for a response. She squinted at me, her nose crinkling and her brows furrowed. She leaned in a little like I was a difficult math problem she hadn't made sense of yet. I noticed her eyes were incredibly fascinating. The brown-hazel eyes reminded me of a scene in a movie or a picture on natural geographic. The browns bits of her eyes could only make me think of the trunks of the trees in the forest stretching up to the sky and the stars and the green bits looked like the underbrush and leaves blooming and thriving in her emotion filled eyes. They were like the writing that made up the book of the girl before me. I noticed the glints in her eyes reflected the light shining gold like mind reflecting the sun making the dark night pupil of her eye look like the brighter starry nights or the town lights from a distance.
Suddenly her strange eyes were pulled away from me by Ashley who hit her friend on her head.
"Lexie, personal space is a thing in the outside world you walnut!" Lexie let out a protest and I looked around us as we exited through a door in a bare hall filled with nothing but portraits of old dead people. There was a garden stretched out before us and I could see an arch that acted like a portal to a building I assumed to be the dorms. It was styled like a church or something. There was a big window in the front of it with a design in the glass like I've seen in many places.
The garden from where we were to the arch was like a maze, the hedges were tall but not too tall. Around five feet tall at the least so they weren't too big for me but they were to my tour guides.
Ashley started talking about the hedges and the legend about some dead girl or something and Lexie hit her shoulder and turned to me deadpanned.
"That is definitely not true by the way," Ashley hit her comrade back.
"Lexie, it's tradition to tell the story to the newbies!" Lexie raised a brow at her pouting friend.
"Ash, I love you like a sister, I really do but darling this seven something giant isn't going to be phased by a story our great-something-grandparents heard when they used to play kick the can down by the gazebo." I frowned.
"I am six-one and only about a whole head and two inches taller than you both, calm your British buttocks." Ashley giggled and Lexie gave her a grunt.
"Well, you get what I mean!" I shrugged teasing her a bit.
"Well, I don't know about you but I thought the legend was interesting, Ashley if you'd please, do go on." Ashley beamed, no, radiated! Her smile was so wide I was afraid it could rip her skin. She sent Lexie a smug little grin and had an extra bounce in her step as she bound before both Lexie and I chatting away using wild hand gestures to exaggerate everything even more.
"You know she nearly fought Maria Garica to tour you?" I raised a brow, how could this little muffin do anything other than smile and try to do the right thing?
"True story, the second it was announced to us that a new girl our age would be coming in Ash had a whole debate ready for the teacher to explain as to why she should tour you in two seconds flat. But honestly, between you and me, she's a horrible roommate who never picks up her candy wrappers."
"I am four feet and seven inches away from you and my hearing isn't ruined by country music unlike yourself Felicity," Lexie(or Felicity) gasped dramatically with a hand over her heart like she had been wounded falling to her knees and planked on the floor. Ashley groaned and turned around rolling her eyes and squatted down next to Lexie poking her head.
"Get up you fool,"
"Can't, I'm dead," Ashley rolled her eyes once more and then walked around her and sat on her back knocking the wind out of Lexie with an 'oof'.
"Are you still dead?" Lexie groaned and then got into the down position for a push-up and surprisingly she managed to get into the up position with only a bit of a struggle and she knocked Ashley right off her back. Ashley let out a squeal and a giggle and lightly kicked Lexie.
"Jerk," Ashley barked out through her laughter.
"Fatty," Lexie shot back getting up giving her hand to Ashley who took it with a smile.
"One o' nine," She corrected but when I cleared my throat she jumped and her face turned red in an instant.
"Oh! My...I...the tour I...oh pineapple on-" She covered her mouth and began to pace snapping her fingers and Lexie started to burst out laughing.
Ashley turned a darker shade of red and her pacing got faster as Lexie's laughter got louder. It got to the point where Lexie was on the ground rolling and Ashley was shooting apologies by the millisecond waving her hands around wildly. At least I know two funny people so far who don't hate me.
"Well, I can talk about...no that's silly, um then we can...no we need to be in the dorms soon. Shoot." Lexie gasped and hit Ashley on the arm.
"Language!" Ashley looked at her confused and outraged.
"I didn't swear!" Lexie clicked her tongue and shook her head. She turned to me and tried to hold back a smile though it still made its way to her face.
"I am so sorry for her potty mouth, it's like she's been raised by the sailors sometimes really," She giggled as she was shoved to the side by Ashley who snapped something about language and potty mouths. I pushed my lips into a hard line trying not to break into a smile because I knew this place, these people, it's all temporary. Don't make friends, don't make friends.
After the girls got up we kept going. Ashley explained that we should get to the dorms quickly because sometimes our fourth roommate needs all the help she can get.
"So there's four of us?" Ashley nodded and then gasped.
"Are you uncomfortable with that or is there some issue you have that I can put into account, oh geez now I really do sound like Mom..." Ashley started muttering to herself and I had no clue what to do. We were almost at the doors and people were giggling and pointing at Ashey like she was some nutcase on the street.
I took a deep breath and readied myself for what I was about to do. Now I don't normally do this thing because I stink at it and I'm clearly never the person for the job but hey, I'm here for a short amount of time, may as well leave a decently good mark on this school before I'm shipped off to the next state.
I reached forward and touched Ashley's shoulder and when she turned to me quickly I patted her head and slouched so we were eye to eye.
"Hey, it's fine. I was just asking silly," I tried to make my voice as soothing as possible. I lowered my volume but didn't darken my tone and kept it light and kept eye contact giving her a small smile. Just keep calm, just keep calm.
Ashley's eyes didn't relax, and her shoulders stayed tense for a second or two too long. Usually, when I do this it works, especially when the kids in the homes I've been in panic. I was told my voice was soothing if I used the right tone.
"Ashley, you okay?" I tilted my head trying to understand her eyes better. The arctic blue skies and icy planes looked deeper than I first thought. I watched them watch me, I could see my own reflection in the dark abyss that was her pupil and I let my body relax. I focused on where we made physical contact and let it not bug me, I told myself it was fine and that she needed my help right now.
This is fine, I'm fine.
I leaned in a little bit more and Ashley's eyes seemed to snap or adjust and she softened under my touch. A smile played her lips like a song but the notes weren't some carbon copy of a rhythm heard before but original and genuine like a song written from the heart and the lyrics sung from the soul.
"Yeah, sorry." I shook my head.
"No need to apologize," I let her go only to offer my arm. Please don't think I'm weird. "Shall we?" Ashley looked at me shocked then laughed a little and took my arm.
"We shall!" She peeped and I kept calm while she touched me reminding myself that it was me who offered and I shouldn't act like this. I looked off to the side at Lexie who watched everything from the side.
"You coming?" She nodded, her face stoic and she marched ahead of me, her boots practically cracked the concrete beneath it and I choose to ignore it. There was something about that girl. Maybe I'm just imagining things. Only one way to find out.