ADROITS: CHAPTER 9

Instructions

Mandy walked me down to Freshman Complex. I tugged at the collar of my uniform, still getting used to the itchy fabric. I kept track of my steps, trying to remember my way back to the dorms. I looked around at the pretty wildflowers and long grass that surrounded the path. The grass made it impossible to tell which way I had come from, especially with all the twists and turns we already took. I stumbled on a rock, almost hitting the ground. Mandy turned around. "You okay?" She asked, concerned. "Fine." I slung my bag back over my shoulder. I didn't need my big sister hovering over my every move anymore. I'd lived without her for long enough that I could take care of myself. "Here we are," she said, stopping a little ways before the entryway. She gestured at the clearing ahead of us. "Sorry, but I can't go in with you." She glanced up at the metal beams in the entryway. "Whatever, it's fine." I brushed it off as some students weaved their way around us. "One question: why does it look like a fairy's grotto?" I scowled towards the grass rustling in the breeze. She laughed. "It changes daily, so hopefully tomorrow it will fit your 'aesthetic.'" She put "aesthetic" in air quotes. I rolled my eyes and stalked away. "Love you!" she called after me. I scowled again. As I hit the entryway, I felt a slight buzz as I passed through. It was almost like I walked through a force field, which must've been why Mandy said that she couldn't follow. I shuddered, remembering the Zap-Happy trauma. I took out my schedule from my bag, trying to figure out where to go from here. I looked up, trying to make sense of the glass buildings in front of me. Lulu caught my eye and made her way over to me. "Morning Aiko! I told you I would see you again during announcements! Did you get a chance to look at the Welcome Packet? It was full of a lot of cool facts, right? Wait, is that your schedule? I can show you where to get places, if you want. Or not. Either is fine with me-" "Lulu!" I said, trying to get her attention. "How are you awake so early?" "It's not that early, six a.m. would be early, but it's..." She trailed off as she checked her watch "8:23! We have three minutes until announcements start, then it's off to classes. That reminds me, do you need help getting places? Here! Let me see your schedule!" She got quiet as she pulled the schedule in my hands towards her and studied it. "Ooo! We have a lot of classes together! Yay! We have Modern Kingdoms, Analytical Studies, All Matters, Yearly Reviews, and, of course, Calisthenics. Luckily, they're split up between red, yellow, and blue days. Today is a blue day, which means you have Modern Kingdoms with me first, yay! Then Creative Mindsets, then it's lunch time. After lunch it's Adroit stuff, then Dialect studies. Today should probably be pretty easy for you in that class, since right now it just said to meet with Ms. Striekley. Once you get there, tell her that you do NOT want Ancient Ways. I tried it, and it was so hard! Do what I'm doing, Eastern Mangailo. It's okay, but you'll need some time to catch up. And-" "Lulu?" I asked. "Yes, Aiko?" She said, finally looking at me. "What the heck does any of this mean?" I asked. "Oh right! It's-" "Good morning freshman!" I heard a woman's voice announce. I glanced up to see her walking into the wooden gazebo in front of me. She had creamy almond skin and deep brown eyes. Her dark brown hair had some lighter highlights here and there and was pulled back into a sleek hairstyle. I reached up and tugged on my messy bob. She wasn't much taller than me and wore an elegant magenta dress, much too fancy to just be giving announcements to a few 14 and 15 year olds. "Good morning Mrs. Tachumi!" came a chirpy reply from her audience. I squinted at her through the bright sun. "I'll tell you later," Lulu whispered to me. I nodded. "Today's announcements are fairly short, just a few reminders! First, Mr. Green would like to remind you not to touch your surroundings! They are very delicate, and would remain much nicer if you did not touch them." She glared at a boy off to the right toying with a few strands of grass. He dropped them when he noticed her expression. She sighed. "Secondly, let's give a warm welcome to Miss Aiko Hatchsmith," she smiled at me. My face reddened at the applause as I tried to hide behind my choppy hair. "I'm sure you all heard during the evening announcements last night of her arrival, but please send her some good vibes when you see her. I'm sure it will be quite heart-warming for her." She nodded at me. I didn't meet her glance. "And finally, keep trying to stay on time and complete your work diligently and in an orderly manner. It is much appreciated by my fellow teachers and I." She paused a moment to let that sink in. "That is all for today! Study well my little saplings!" She smiled and turned away. The chatter from the students started up again as they made their way to their first block.