No Ordinary Girl

Chapter Eight

Amongst the crowd of identically dressed kids heading off to the auditorium, I could easily be spotted: I was the one with her head tilted up to the intricate church-like ceilings and her jaw to the floor. I still couldn't get over the beauty of the place.

Someone pinch me.

I love the contrasts of old and new. Like I mentioned before (I think I did), the school dates back to 1896. Amongst the classic details; crown moulding, coffered ceilings, were rows of gleaming steel lockers, and glass desks, SMART boards, and state-of-the-art technology.

The first day was Introduction Day. At first period, we all gathered at the auditorium for an overview of the rules and regulations, introduction of the staff; teachers and office staff. Simone headed the proceedings, looking fabulous in a sleek white suit (apparently Simone Adler doesn't follow the 'no white after Labor Day' rule). Cedric spoke a few words as well, welcoming all the students. She looked like a delicate white flower next to his tall dark frame. Phillipe, the administrator, said a few words and when he was done, the crowd cheered. I could tell that he was popular around here.

I thought there were a lot of rules at the dorm, but there are even more at the school.

I looked for him in the crowd – the boy with the red aura. I spotted him in the far distance, resting back casually on his seat, joking with the guy next to him. He looked so relaxed, like he was watching Netflix on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn. I, on the other hand, was wound so tight, you'd swear I was at the dentist's office waiting for a cleaning.

Having Alicia next to me was reassuring but I knew we'd have to part ways after the presentation. The girl on my left wore long white socks with black skulls on them. I was pretty sure they weren't regulation. I figured she'd be heading off to the headmaster's office shortly, because the uniform code seemed pretty strict.

Period two was Biology with Mrs. Taylor. I was assigned the second seat, in the second row. I plopped my rear on the chair, popped another Tic Tac in my mouth, took out my notebook and fiddled with my pen, a pink affair topped with a bobbling butterfly, a gift from Kylie for my birthday. She thought I'd like it since I was heading off to that 'big fancy creepy school'. I'm not sure where she got the idea that RAMS is creepy – maybe it was the gothic architecture of the school, or the mystical images in the brochure. I doodled in my notebook, too shy to make eye contact with the kids trickling in. When the class was almost full, I finally ventured a look up to check out the people I'd be sitting next to for the next semester.

Everyone was chatting and joking around. Everyone knew each other.

"Hey, freakster," a tall gorgeous brunette called out to a slick blond haired guy, who was surrounded by two other beauties.

He smiled wide and went in for a quick hug. "Hey, love. How was your summer?" he replied with a charming British accent.

"Fabulous! Nice to see ya, Ace."

I wanted to gag. Popular kids. You know the type. Apparently, they were here, too.

I couldn't take my eyes off the guy. He was gorgeous in that movie star kind of way; blue eyes and golden hair, slicked back retro-style. The word suave came to mind. He was suave and as cool and frosty as a cold beer (as my dad would say).

Obviously, he didn't notice me at all when he walked right past me, and sat in the seat behind me. The guy on my right was doing some kind of card trick, and the girl on my left was picking at her nails, already bored out of her skull, and the school day hadn't even begun yet.

We were all handed our course materials; a few handouts, and digital tablets. Each student is assigned a tablet with a specific verification number. If one loses or damages the tablet, one is responsible for the cost which is three hundred and fifty dollars! I knew my parents could never afford this so I decided to look into having it surgically attached to my chest. Kidding aside, it's actually kind of stressful carrying the thing around. I went over my class schedule diligently: Social Studies, Biology, Psychic Development and English on Mondays. Music Composition, Energy Fields studies, Realms & Channels, and English again on Tuesday. And the classes repeated themselves throughout the week. The good thing was, I didn't have to deal with Math until the following semester.