The petite woman giggled as she struck a pose. “What, this old thing?”
Batting her dark eyes at me, she arched her perfectly manicured eyebrows. Her cupid bow lips were stained a shimmery pink, and her strawberry blonde bob framed her face with stylishly cropped bangs above her brows. It was a bold look that screamed style and funk, making her academy uniform appear like a chosen aesthetic rather than prissy and boring attire.
Laughing at her confident and daring personality, I silently thanked my lucky stars that this was who I was paired up with, even if it was just for this week. Most of the talented and powerful girls at my last school were not very nice, so it was slightly refreshing not to feel like I had to have my guard up. Walking over to what must be her desk, she quickly put a few things away and tidied up her area.
“To be fair, I can’t take all the credit. My brother, Eugene, is a fashionista and artist. The key to makeup is that you really don’t need a lot, you just need high quality and to put it in the right spots.” With pursed lips, she gave me a critical once over before smiling.
“Later, we can do a trial run with some of my makeup if you want. It will be fun!”
Normally girly stuff was not my style, but what the heck, this was a new school. Why not try some new things? Shoving down a wayward feeling of panic, I nodded.
“Sounds like fun, well, not what I’d normally call fun, but I’m open to some help. I’m normally just a lip gloss and mascara kind of girl, but I’m ready to try some new things.”
“That’s the spirit! New school, new you!”
Jumping up to sit on top of her desk, Rebecka pulled the chair in to rest her feet on it. Smiling at me expectantly, she took mercy on me by continuing the conversation. “So, Roxy who doesn’t wear a lot of makeup, where are you from?”
“Oh please, just call me Rox! I’m actually from New York, about seven or eight hours from here. I just came from the New York branch of the Draiochta Academy. I was stunned when they pulled me out and offered me a chance to come here early the end of last week. My mind is still spinning, honestly, and I have no idea what to expect. Looking at this exam schedule for tomorrow, well, I still have no idea what to expect.”
With a belly laugh, Rebecka quickly agreed, “Oh gosh, I have no clue what the entrance exams are like! No one talks about it. I guess they are different for everyone. And if I’m going to call you Rox, it’s only right you call me Jenks—that’s what all my friends call me.”
“So, did they just contact you also, or have you known for a while?”
“Oh no, I found out at the beginning of last week. You see, my family divides our time between Japan and Hawaii, we move back and forth every few years. Of course, I had just convinced my parents to stay another year in Hawaii so I could graduate from Fujiwara Academy with my class when two reps from AOC showed up, Dr. Rhen and Mr. Dietas. So, here I am!”
“Wow, sounds like you have a lot of experience traveling. What do you make of AOC so far?”
Jenks was cut off from answering when we heard the door handle jiggle, along with the telltale scrape of a key being entered into the lock. The door slowly opened, and my heart sped up at the sight of a handsome man with dark brown hair, a pair of matching dark brown eyes, and a chiseled chin peeking into the room.
“Oh, hi. Luce, it looks like both of them are already in here.” His head withdrew as he pushed the door. His large, muscled frame propped it open as a curvy, dark-haired Latina beauty walked in, her hair falling in soft waves down her back. Her eyes darted back and forth between Jenks and myself as she entered the room. She took in Jenks’ uniform, funky fresh style and open expression with a look of apprehension in her eyes.
I refused to self-consciously tug on my new sweater or skinny jeans when her focus turned to me. I did, however, feel my face flush as her expression turned to one of amusement as I realized I was still wearing my knit hat with the giant pouf on top. Tugging it from my head, I sighed as I caught sight of the long, static wisps floating by my face. This was exactly the kind of girl I was dreading, one who looked like she belonged at the MET Gala, gossiping about the rest of us plebes with her snooty friends.
A slow smile stretched across her face as she took in my embarrassment and slight disenchantment. I was shocked when she stuck her hand out in front of me, waiting for me to grasp it.
“Hello, my name is Lucinda, most of my friends call me Luce.” Her voice was deeper and smoother than I expected. A rich, melodic tone that was slightly hypnotizing. Glancing from her outstretched hand back to her face, I realized I was the one making this awkward and quickly grasped her hand.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Roxy, you can call me Rox. I just got here a few minutes ago, so I’m sorry if I seem a little out of it.”
“It’s pretty intimidating, that’s for sure.” Lucinda gave a husky laugh before squaring her shoulders and introducing herself to Jenks. I noticed she seemed a little leery of our petite roommate. Turning back toward the handsome man who was watching our interaction with a lazy grin, Luce gestured at him halfheartedly, and said, “This is Griffin. I was a little nervous, so I asked him to show me around a little, I hope you don’t mind.”
The man in question quirked a dark eyebrow at her before shoving his way into the room, flashing a heart-stopping smile at us.
“Of course they don’t mind, Luce. What new undergrads wouldn’t love to have a second year show them around campus? And a handsome one to boot?”
Rolling her eyes, Luce elbowed him out of the way.
“Are you two brother and sister or what?” Jenks paused to pop a piece of gum into her mouth, taking in their obvious Latin heritage and familiarity.
Luce froze, her eyes darting to Griffin who snorted in laughter.
“Definitely not related! You could say Luce and I grew up together though.”
Griffin looked like he about to really warm up to the topic when Luce abruptly cut him off with a glare. “Griff, they certainly don’t want to hear about that. We were thinking of heading over to the dining hall, why don’t you join us?”
Exchanging a quick look with Jenks, I nodded—more because I wanted to grill Griffin about these entrance exams than anything else. It certainly had nothing to do with the fact that when he smiled, he made my heart pound.
As we made our way out of the room and back into the freezing cold toward the dining hall, I decided to see what kind of information I could get from him. “So, Griffin, you are a second year? What can we expect with these entrance exams? They’ve given us like zero information, and I have no idea what’s happening. How are we supposed to prepare?”
Shoving his hands into his pockets and bending his head into the wind, Griffin chuckled. “Sorry, Rox. They are different for everyone, and they make us pledge an oath not to reveal our experiences. I can tell you that some will test your powers, and some will test your abilities without your powers. Some will focus on control, and others will judge your ethics and morals along with the depth of your knowledge on certain topics. You don’t get placed into Order or Chaos factions or anything, but they usually reveal your strengths and natural affinities.”
I let that sink in for a moment. Everything was about balance, you couldn’t have order without chaos and vice versa. Maintaining balance was crucial, and despite what some people thought, order was not necessarily good nor chaos evil. Each was needed to maintain the balance in the world. The AOC helped you hone your abilities and strengths to prepare you for the career you were best suited for. My mother was an agent of Order for the most part, although her role as a guardian angel meant she sometimes encouraged chaos in order to best protect her ward. My father, on the other hand, was primarily an agent of chaos, because he was a creator and made objects and ingredients into something completely different. Although, philosophically, I thought that also meant he’s an agent of order, because he could reorganize the nature of something and make into something else. While that was chaotic, it also seemed to create order as well.
I had no idea where I fell on the scale, since defining Order or Chaos wasn’t actually important. It’s discovering who you were and what you were meant to do that really mattered. Which meant there wasn’t anything to prepare for, generally speaking, so you couldn’t really fail these exams. It was about figuring out what you needed as a student. Rationally, it made sense, but my overachiever brain rebelled at doing anything that might jeopardize my high marks. I wasn’t at Draiochta anymore.
“Okay, but the seven deadly sins artifacts are real, aren’t they? I overheard a few students talking about them in the library. They sound a little crazy actually.” Jenks bounced ahead of us, turning to face us as she somehow walked backwards without any hesitation.
Griffin carefully glanced around us before slowly nodding. “Yeah, you will hear all about them this week from your tour guides and the professors.”
Jenks frowned, her eyes narrowing on Griffin as he shifted his large, athletic frame and pointedly glanced down at his feet, fake coughing into his fist. She looked like she was about to press the issue when Luce pointed out that we were at the dining hall’s steps. The dining hall was huge, with various stations providing different types of food—pasta, sandwiches, hot meals, and different cultural selections—and it smelled divine. Since it was transitioning from breakfast to lunch, there were still places to request omelets and pancakes or make your own waffles. The four of us scattered, finding our way back together as Griffin waved us over to a table in a back corner near the windows. Sliding into my seat, I realized the selection afforded us a view of the entire dining area. Digging into my cheese and mushroom omelet and French toast, I took in the wide range of students also sitting down to eat. Giggling, I watched one guy with a five o’clock shadow and bedhead as he sleepily made his way from the Rice Crispies cereal dispenser to his table. With a goofy grin on his face, he tipped his bowl to listen to the “snap, crackle, and pop,” only to forget he had also filled his bowl with milk, which was now sloshing down his chest, soaking his gray t-shirt and festive plaid pajama pants.
Griffin caught my eye as he chuckled as well. “Takes all kinds.”
“So, I’m from Hawaii and Japan, and Rox here is from New York. Where are you guys from?” Jenks asked. “I’m guessing west coast?”
Jenks was sipping her tea and picking at a plate of fruit in front of her. I swallowed another bite before glancing at Luce. For some reason, she didn’t want to talk about herself. I could see it written all over her face. A twinge of pity fluttered in my belly. I knew what it felt like to be treated differently because of who my parents were, as well as for the types of abilities I developed. Sometimes, you wanted people to see you for who you really were instead of all the other pieces.
Luce shoved another forkful of pancake into her mouth, fixing her eyes on Jenks as she chewed. Silence stretched on for a minute or two, and I wondered if she was just going to ignore the question. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Luce remained silent as a cold look crossed her face. Griffin tensed, glancing back and forth between the two before swallowing and starting to speak.
“Well, since Luce is stuffing her face, I can answer that—”
Luce shook her head slightly and set her fork down, picking up a napkin then lightly dabbing the corners of her lips.
“Kind of right. Griffin and I are originally from the Gulf, but we ended up in Cali.”
Jenk’s face brightened as she wiggled in her chair to get more comfortable. “Ah-ha! I thought so! Do you guys have an affinity for water? I only ask because I do and being this far from the ocean, especially the Pacific, is killing me!”
Griffin’s eyes widened and as he opened his mouth to respond, and then he promptly choked on his mouthful of sausage links. Hacking away with Luce pounding on his back, Jenks ran to grab him another water. Sputtering, Griffin’s cheeks flushed as he regained control of himself.
“You okay, man? You’re supposed to chew those things, not inhale them whole!”
Jenks placed the glass in front of him and watched as he cautiously sipped it to suppress his coughing. Luce took a deep breath and dropped her voice so only we could hear her.
“I’d rather not talk about my abilities just yet. I’m kind of private. I have family that was, well, attacked for some of their powers. I hope you understand, I’m not trying to be bitchy, I just, I’m not ready to talk about myself yet.”
I felt my mouth flop open. That was terrible. I knew on a miniscule level what it felt like to be treated poorly because of my abilities, but to be actually attacked? That was terrifying and infuriating. Jenks looked equally abashed and sympathetic.
“Of course! I’m so sorry if I was prying. We can totally talk about something else!”
Luce smiled a genuine smile that reached her eyes as she thanked us. We spent the next twenty minutes attempting to chat as we finished the rest of our meals. It was slightly forced and a little awkward at times. Getting to know one another without feeling like we were pressuring Luce was hard, but aside from ending up here at AOC, we had very little in common so far. Finally, Jenks and Griffin found some common ground discussing surfing. As they got into a very serious discussion about waves and boards and the best locations, Luce picked at the rest of her breakfast.
Leaning forward, I dropped my voice so only Luce could hear me. “I have to be honest, I’m freaking out a little. I’m one of those people who overprepares for everything. So, this is definitely out of my element. How am I supposed to do my best if I don’t know what’s coming?”
Luce nodded, sparing a glance at our two tablemates who were heatedly debating something about surfing techniques.
“It’s pretty unsettling to not know what’s coming. But I was assured it’s just a gauge of our abilities. If I’m being truthful, I wasn’t sure I wanted to come here at all.”
Raising my eyes, I couldn’t keep the surprise from my voice when I questioned, “Really? Even though this is the best school in the world? You actually considered not coming?”
“Yes, I’m not too keen on a lot of people knowing my abilities and wanting to assign me jobs and tasks. But they convinced me that I, of course, would have control over my choices and that they would help me master my abilities, all of them. So, here I am.”
Jenks caught the end of Luce’s words and swiftly switched conversations without losing a beat.
“Who did you have come and get you? Any of the hotties? I mean, have you seen some of the professors here? Damn, they are smoking!”
Griffin shook his head with a laugh, getting up from the table and collecting his silverware and plates.
“On that note, I’m heading back to my rooms. Luce, I’ll catch up with you later. Nice to meet you, Jenks and Roxy!” Flashing his charming smile, Griffin waved goodbye, and my eyes were drawn to his tight butt before Jenks’ snorting laughter pulled my gaze to her.
“Oh, I think Rox likes the look of your buddy Grif! I think you’ve got a little drool there.” Jenks elbowed Luce before gesturing to my chin.
“What? I wasn’t, uh, oh shut up.” Groaning, I covered my eyes with my arm as I slumped in my chair.
The combined laughter of my two temporary roommates only got louder, so I pulled my arm away to pout openly. Obviously, Luce and Griffin were close, and I certainly didn’t want to step on her toes if they had a little something going on. Luce took one look at my hesitant wince and grinned even wider.
“Oh, don’t worry about me! He is all yours! Good luck, he’s a piece of work, that boy!”
I was happy to see Luce and Jenks bond over my obvious embarrassment, but I rolled my eyes at them.
“Please, I was just checking out his butt.”
“Mm-hmm.”
The two shared a knowing look and I decided to change the subject. “One of the professors who came to get me was totally hot though. A Liam Trackwell. This Claude guy was there too, but he looked like a terrifying hitman for the Russian mafia or something. Liam looked like a movie star
…”
I let my voice trail off as I watched Jenks’ mouth flop open. Luce looked just as confused as me at her reaction. Tapping her fingernails on the tabletop, Luce gestured for Jenks to spill whatever hot gossip she obviously had.
“Liam Trackwell and Claude Romanov came to get you? Girl, you must be packing some power!” Jenks tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear before sighing at our obvious ignorance.
“Liam Trackwell? The Liam Trackwell? Don’t tell me you ladies haven’t heard of ‘The Brain’ before?”
Scrunching up my nose in thought, I searched my brain. I know I’d heard of The Brain before, a moniker given to the world’s youngest cognitive mastermind. He had ironclad control in like three or four mind-based abilities, but there was no way that was the same man. I mean, I really hoped I hadn’t let my empath power slip to read him briefly when I met him. Him, of all people. Dear God, he probably knew exactly what I was thinking, which was why he read me so well. I groaned, thinking back over our encounter.
“Uh-oh, why the long face? Were you thinking dirty thoughts about Mr. Trackwell as well?” Jenks batted her lashes at me, reveling in my obvious discomfort.
“The Brain, what a terrible nickname. He’s got a bunch of mental abilities, right? Can he read minds? How do you protect yourself against that?” I inquired nervously.
Luce shot me a sympathetic look as she began twisting her fingers together.
Jenks nodded and shrugged her small shoulders. “I think he’s got like telepathy, telekinesis, and retrocognition. I’m not sure how it all works. Relax, Rox, there is no way he would have used his telepathy on you in your meeting. That would be seen as very inappropriate. Anyways, I think you’d feel it. Or there would be some sign of it, I would imagine. I don’t really know how it works. My abilities are all connected with water, not all that mind mumbo jumbo.”
“He can’t be much older than us. I feel like it wasn’t that long ago I remember hearing all about him in the news.” Sighing, I shook away my feeling of apprehension. Too late to worry about it now.
Draiochta Academy: All Genres Academy Anthology Page 16