Elinora

I didn't get a chance to talk to the girl, as she vanished just as suddenly as she appeared. I stayed at the port for another two hours, my thoughts occupied by the mysterious girl. She had to be around my age, maybe one or two years older. Was she a student of the academy? Would I run into her again? The academy was big, the school even bigger, I estimated my chances of seeing her again to be small. But I could always ask around. If she really was another student, other students might know her.

Once the sun set, I made my way back to the dorm. Walking through the port’s gate I noticed one of the many crystals scattered around town. Beside it a map of the city and a simple operation manual was placed: “To operate the crystal, place a hand onto the surface and say the name of location you wish to be teleported to.” I wonder if...

I placed one hand onto its cold surface and named my location, “Academy, main gate.” I felt the crystal absorbing magic around me, channeling it back into my body as it started to slightly lifted off the ground. A blue shimmer appeared around me and before I knew it, I hovered next to the crystal in front of the main gate.

Slowly, I drifted back down and once the blue shimmer disappeared my legs gave out sending my butt crashing onto the cold stone floor. I felt a little nauseous, like I was going to vomit. Luckily the feeling faded after a few minutes.

Since it was already getting dark most students had already left for their representative dorms making it much less stress inducing for me to get back into building LD3. The lounge was just as empty as the campus had been, with only one student left sleeping on the couch. I made my way back to my room, noticing happily that the scantily clothed red mage had made it onto the wall.

Not thinking too much about it, I opened the door to Room 1B – 5B and was greeted by a sight of pure terror. Four girls, mostly clad in their nightgown with one exception, were chatting lively in our small living room. The one still wearing the uniform was the first to notice me. She looked me over and was getting dangerously close to my face, from the freckles in my face to my feet.

“This hair, those green eyes, this cute nose, ” with every word she got closer and closer until she was just inches away from my face. Wrinkling her nose she said, “I know exactly who you are.”

Was it over already? Would I be branded for the rest of my school life? I could already hear the slurs and name calling behind my back. Gulping, I braced myself for the worst, “You do?”

“Oh yes, I do.” she said, raising an eyebrow before a large grin started to appear on her face. “You're our new flatmate.” She grabbed me in a hug and threw me right into the ring of girls in the middle of the room.

The girl in the uniform took a seat beside me and introduced herself, “I'm Lyn.” She had blonde hair and brown eyes and was a few inches taller than me.

The next girl to introduce herself was a short brunette. She wore glasses and didn't bother looking up from her book while speaking to me, “I'm Riley, nice to meet you.”

After her, a lively girl with brown hair and pink highlights took it upon herself to get as close to me as possible. She took my hand and started to shake it very enthusiastically. Until now I didn't know it was possible to get motion sickness from a handshake but she proved me otherwise. With a bright smile on her face she said, “I'm Emily.”

A red-headed girl with cherry red eyes, who I was sure checked me out, was the last one to introduce herself. Patting the spot beside her, she gave me a coy smile, “Kat.” she said, her eyes wandering up and down my body. Yep, definitely checking me out.

It took me a few moments to realize that they were all staring at me, obviously waiting for me to introduce myself. Gathering my courage, I hoped no one would notice my nervousness. “I'm new...Elinora...I guess.”

I don't remember ever being so embarrassed in my life but no one seemed to mind, which made me feel a little better about myself.

“Don't worry,” Lyn said, “we all know how it feels to be the new girl.”

“Yes and besides, ” Kat said, leaning in closer, “I know many ways to make you forget about your name.” Burying my face in my hand, I hoped no one saw, but it was already too late. “OH. MY. GOD. I made her blush.”

I didn't know what was worse, all of the girls knowing my personal preferences or Kat knowing my personal preferences. She would tease me for the rest of my life, I just knew it. This couldn't get any worse.

 “Stop Kat, that's enough.” Lyn interrupted her flirt attempt, “I'm sorry. She isn't usually like this.”

“Yeah you have to forgive her, her girlfriend just recently broke up with her and that's her way of dealing with it. Normally she's pretty harmless.” Emily said. My head was still a bit dizzy from her handshake.

 “Sorry.” Kat said, crossing her arms and faking a pout with her cheeks burning red.

After the initial introductions we chatted till late into the night, losing track of time I learned a lot about my new roommates. Riley was one of the academy's best students, studying almost every chance she got because her parents were members of the council and wanted her to continue their tradition. She had a vast amount of knowledge but lacked on the more practical side of things, failing her practical exam twice already.

Lyn was the academy's head girl. Always organized and up to date on whatever happened around campus. Rumors were circulating she could predict the future, not years into the future but major events that would happen soon. Of course she denied it, mentioning multiple times how ridiculous it was but I got the impression she actually liked them.

Emily was well liked among all the teachers and most of the students. She also maintained very good relationships with some of the merchants in town. She could easily talk for hours on end, jumping from topic to topic. If she wasn't talking, she was bouncing up and down on her seat, giving the impression she was about to explode. I got worried a few times but the others reassured me that this was indeed normal behaviour for her. She just had problems keeping her excitement about all and everything to herself.

And then there was Kat. And she was hot, not only hot hot but also like burning the air around her hot. She had a high affinity for fire magic, which matched her fierce personality perfectly. I stopped counting how many times she teased me, but afterwards I didn't mind, it was all good fun. And if I didn't know about her recent break up, I might have been inclined to tease her back a few times.

Shortly before midnight we all headed to our separate bedrooms. I was happy all the girls accepted me so readily, making me feel like one of them. Back on Earth making friends was hard, socializing with guys always felt off, and being around girls wasn't easy either. Being in their presence made me feel uneasy for some reason. But this time it was different, I didn't feel left out and was glad I met them after all. Even after knowing each other for less than a day I could feel they already cared for me.

Looking back at my old life I felt strangely disconnected. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I never was a participant in my own life.  All I did was observe as time slowly moved on. Now, here in Amerbia it was different, I was more aware of myself and the things happening around me. The experiences I made felt like they were mine. For the first time in what felt like a decade I was truly happy. It's not that I wasn't happy before...I was more...indifferent, really. I didn't care what happened to me or people around, had no plans for the future and thought a lot about things that could have been. Now it was different, I had people I cared for and was excited for the future.

I shifted my thoughts back from me to that girl I saw earlier. I thought about various ways I might find her before I drifted to sleep.

I woke up the next day relaxed and refreshed. I couldn't remember the last time I slept this well. I was about to relax a few more minutes in bed, when I took a look at my bedside table. Fuck.

I overslept and had only twenty minutes left before class started. I put my clothes from yesterday back on, sprinted to class dodging incoming students in the process. As it turned out, my classroom was only a short walk away from the dorm, but taking a few wrong turns in my panic left me with barely a few minutes to spare before class started. Complex Spells. My very first class in this world. I was excited and terrified. Magic, I would learn true, real magic but I was also about five years behind everyone else, not to speak of the expectations my mom had set for me.

I was the last one to arrive and the teacher was already waiting for me. She smiled at me and introduced herself, “I'm Ms. Pern, why don't you introduce yourself?” Her voice was so kind it put a smile on my face and let me forget all about my self-consciousness for a moment.

“Hi.. My name's Elinora and I...just recently...transferred here.” All around me whispers began to erupt and I saw a few students stare at me. I wasn't sure if it was because they knew who my mother was or because I was simply the new girl. But I decided it didn't matter if someone would make the connection one day anyway.

“Elinora?” Ms. Perns asked me, “Can I ask why you aren't wearing the uniform?”

“My aunt and I ordered them yesterday. They told us it would take a week before they arrive.” The memory of the small woman fiddling around my body resurfaced and I shuddered at the thought.

“Well, normally students order them in advance, but I guess it can't be helped now. Please take a seat.”

I took a seat at the back of class and waited for Ms. Pern to start the lesson.

“Now, before we begin, there is another new student. I wonder where she- ahh, there she is.”

Entering the room was the same black haired girl I saw yesterday. I couldn't believe it. What were the chances?

“Why don't you introduce yourself to class, sweetie?” She gave her the same warming smile I received but it didn't seem to lift her mood. She looked like she had cried all day and this was the last place she wanted to be.

For the smallest of moments we locked eyes and I saw a small scared girl that needed help, but there was also something else, something that clutched desperately onto this world and wanted me gone.

“I'm Arine.” she said, breaking eye contact and silently took a seat beside me. Something was very wrong and I was determined to find out what.