The Tale Must Go On

Chapter 8: Gifts and Rankings

As unusual as it was, Ava was not the first one up in Charity 179. She was still asleep, long after she was normally up. Sleepily, she opened one eye to check the time. When she saw how late it was, she flew out of bed.

"Emily! Fiona! Zara! Wake up, wake up we're running late!" She cried as she scrambled to get ready.

Surprisingly, even Zara got up from Ava's cries.

"Man, this is first good sleep I've had-"

"Zara! We only have 15 minutes until breakfast is over!" Ava said, now already changed.

Zara shot up and wore her black hoodie with a rose, leggings, and her hair in a ponytail reaching the middle of her back. She grabbed her bookbag and waited by the door with Ava.

Emily was quickly covering her eye bags (and a multitude of other things), while Fiona came out of the bathroom, doing her hair.

Once it was done, she quickly slipped on her favorite dress and waited for Emily.

"C'mon Emily, we don't have all day." Ava said, beginning to lose patience.

Fiona nodded "Speed up before we miss trial rankings too"

"How about this, two of us go down and save us breakfast, while the other two finish and come down?" Zara asked.

"So who should go?" Fiona asked.

"I'm okay with anything as long as I get my food." Zara said, shrugging.

"I'll stay back with Emily, and you guys go." Zara added.

The other two nodded as they left the room.

"I feel like it always ends up being the two of us who are ready first." Ava said to Fiona.

"Actually, I was ready before Fi!" Zara called from the room.

"Yeah for the first time!" Ava called back.

"It was the second time!" Zara answered, earning chuckles from the girls.

"Big difference!" Ava called, still laughing.

"Still an achievement!" Zara said, through her smile.

Just then Willow walked in. "Where is... Hello?!?" she yelled.

"Willow! I was about to come and see if you were up." Zara exclaimed, still waiting for Emily.

"Ava and Fiona went down to save us some food." Emily explained, applying her mascara. "Well, not me specifically, but that's where they are." She added, getting up.

After putting on a gray, knee-high halter dress, rose gold heels and a rose gold necklace, she declared "Ok, I'm ready to go! I wonder if I got into the trial...?"

"Well, we'll just have to hurry so we can find out!" Zara said, grabbing her book bag and stepping out of the room.

The three dashed out the door, reaching the cafeteria in the nick of time.

"About time you guys!" Fiona exclaimed, passing Willow and Zara waffles.

"Yeah, tell Emily that." Zara mumbled.

"I bet one of you will get in. There is NO way I'm getting in." Willow joked. "Emily HURRY UP."

"Don't underestimate yourself Will." Ava said.

"I missed... How many classes? And then I spent half of the class I did go to talking to Jamie." Willow said. "I really have zero chance."

"You have zero chance if you go off of class attendance alone. If they go off ability as well, which they will, you will do very well." Ava told Willow.