2

I cut through empty hallways, eyes skimming the shelves of trophies I bypassed at each corner I turned to.

It was such marvel to behold all of those great things I heard about the school with my very own eyes.

Beautiful, I should say.

Stood on the walls, were lined frames of past students, their photographs from different years and events, taking most of the space. Right next to each frame, you were sure to find a placard, bearing some quote of morality.

The walls of the entire building were completely covered in beige, high ceilings giving me such feel that I was in some archaic royal building.

What wonders did befall this school?

Distant voices coming from the hall, had at once snapped my attention. Traveling from afar, they sailed over to me, with the outline of two figures coming into view.

Advancing from a corner, the sound of their laughters bounced all around, voices hitting the walls, while there followed another figure chasing after them, an older lady, who seemingly didn't partake in their glee.

"Get back here you brats!" Followed that yell from her, but those figures neither took a pause, nor have a glance back at her.

They pushed forward, pulling even nearer to me, forms so close, I found my throat turned dry.

It could be the way they carried themselves with such grace that left me staring on, but I knew so well my attention was only fixed on that profile whose eyes never took a leave off my form, while he came in with such speed.

His eyes held onto mine, gaze prepossessing, they dared me to keep steady.

My own eyes gaped on while he drew nearer, gaze skimming every bit of him, and at every step he pulled closer, the curiosity burned inside of me, heart yearning to have a proper look into that gaze.

And only then did I find my body connecting with the hard surface of the ground, the pain shooting all through me, while my things were splattered all across the area.

Body felt numb, heart racing and only when I had pried my eyes open, did they go registering the face which hovered over mine.

Those hazel eyes burned into me, questioning gaze shifting through the delight-filled ones of mine.

'The Wilbur Bowers Academy' for girls, I remember so well the words that were written down on my acceptance letter. Why then do I find the figure of a boy atop mine in this deserted hallways, with such longing gaze that threatened to have my eyes falter.

Perhaps he wasn't a student.

Yet, the grey and black checkered pants, paired with that maroon blazer which bore the imprinted name and badge of the academy, spoke otherwise.

He surely is a student here.

Since when did the 'Wilbur Bowers Academy' start admitting boys?

"Get out of the way, Tinkerbell"

That voice was calming I tell you. So low, I believed they poured out in whispers, his breath fanning hard against my skin.

My eyes remained blank at him, peering on like I didn't just hear the words that poured out his lips.

Get out of the way?

You're the one pinning me down, you Greek god, looking-like being. And not that I could complain, but how was I to move, if that form of his, remained above mine?

"Zachary! Axel!" The call of that voice had snatched him off of me at once, eyes turning to the approaching figure of the lady.

"Stop right there, you rascals!"

Her voice blasted through the walls, the clicks of her heels echoing down the hallway, onto the boys, but they had dashed off immediately, their forms getting further out of sight.

I had gotten to my feet in a second, watching the lady move past me without even sparing at the uncollected girl whose things were found sprawled about, hair flying here to there, it was no surprise how disheveled it had gotten from my fall.

Good luck finding your way around, Anna.

I was a lost mouse in the center of ravening cats, and believe me, it sure wasn't pleasing.

My figure waddled aimlessly around the area, moving from corner to corner, peeking at the name plates on each door I bypassed.

'Ariana Russo' was what I was in search for, that name belonging to the woman who was to register me in.

'Ariana Russo' I mumbled the name, figure soon proceeding into another hallway.

Perhaps, I had walked into the wrong building.

No way!

I mean this was the only one I found anywhere around, except the ones on the other side of the yard, and I believe those were the dorms, so whatever was I missing.

I took another look on the paper in my hold, my eyes registering the letters written there.

'Oriana Rossie'

How had I missed that?

I had walked past that office, just several doors back, and at once, I had turned around hurrying back to where I had just come from, hands dragging along the boxes with me.

Oh, the downside of changing schools. Those damn names they assigned to every new student who came around.

It wasn't that exciting, now. If you ask me.

Breaths getting heavier, I came stood before that door, eyes fixed on the name plate there.

Oriana Rossie.

With multiple taps on the oak door, and so much as no response. I went prying the door open, soon coming to behold the figure sat behind the desk, her spectacle aided eyes fixed on the piece of file before her.

She had spared no glance at my incoming form, gaze still focused on the paper before her, and only at the break room of my voice had she snapped her gaze up, eyes shifting from my figure to the boxes in my hands.

"Who are you?"

There was an accent to her voice, eyes still onlooking me.

"I'm Anna"

"Anna Darcy" I called at once, presenting the letter onto her, she retrieved it after a thorough one-over of me, and spending almost a minute going through its content, I watch that frown grow even wider, hands prying out an item from the drawers.

"Oh great! You finally arrived" Her voice bore no life, with eyes just onlooking mine.

"Anyways—She poured out a breath, going through the papers before her—Your uniforms will be brought to you later on, in the mean time, Welcome to Wilbur Bowers"

Those words had my heart missing a beat, with eyes doubling in size at her, I stared on at that lady with such delight, while she foretold all of my assigning, with barely any vigour in her voice.

Her dull eyes onlooked my delight-filled ones, beholding the glee I jumped in.

"Anna Darcy" She pronounced in a low voice, that utterance had at once snapped me together.

I watched as she rummaged through the jacket file propped on her desk, and reaching to dig out a paper from there, her eyes came to meet mine, the look of exasperation crossing that gaze.

"Your dorm lies on the east wing of the hostel" She followed in such weightless voice, hands soon pulling a paper from underneath the drawers.

"Room 058" She added, with that frown still centered on her lips.

"You should hurry ahead, sweetheart. The day wouldn't take a pause all because of you"

"Yes ma'am" My voice poured out in a squeal.

"Thank you so very much! Thank you—

"Leave"

I could swear that was a southern accent.

I've always been informed how nice the southerners are. Such kind, ever welcoming people, what then had seemed to get this lady all grumpy on such fine Tuesday morning?