Clara

8- New Friends

Just minutes away from the subway arriving at the station to Noctis Heights, Isabella, Dana, and I were saying our final goodbyes. The subway arrived and the overhead said in monotone voice:

"Please stay clear of the incoming train and get your personal belongings ready for your trip."

We hugged for the last time and I asked for something that I have been putting off for the past week.

"Aunt Jess, can you please tell Iris that I'll miss her?" She nodded.

We sat down on the subway and the overhead voice made the last call. With my sister and Dana, and three suitcases for each of us, I knew that we would be safe. The world was blanked out. In the distance, I hear glitter trees being chanted and something along the lines of the number three in an urgent tone. Oh no, not going to happen this time.

Suddenly, the subway came to a stop and the overhead voice made the same announcement that was made in the last station when we got on.

Stepping off the platform, and on the stairs up to Noctis Heights the city is the opposite of what I expected. Because I spent most of my life in a very big city, I wasn't prepared for this. I thought that this city would either be another massive city like Royale City, or just a wisp of sadness. Instead, this city was more in between a suburb and a city.

The largest building from where I was standing was only 20 stories tall and from what I heard this place had so many things to do, from roller skating to shopping and a nice evening in the park to hotels for leisure. All I wanted to do was explore but a hand pulled me back.

"Don't you think it would be a good idea if you get settled in today and explore tomorrow?" Dana asked me. I sighed then nodded my head.

We couldn't be late for the school open house. I mean my outfit was too pretty to mess up. I had on a white and beige sweetheart look with my staple diamond studs and a cute mini bag. Isabella opted for a darker look with muted colors and fishnet tights matching with her black skirt. Dana had to wear her uniform whenever she took care of us. Finally we found the limo that would be taking us to Nobleton.

"I know you don't want to hear this right now, but here are some ground rules. Find a friend group that you can really trust, join a club that suits you, have fun, and stay away from each other unless it's absolutely necessary because you don't want to attract unnecessary attention. Inseparable twins that look like the princess would be suspicious, no? Got it?" We both nodded our heads.

I was fine not hanging out with Isabella much. I saw on her face that she felt the same. Not like I was paying attention to her though. The rest of the ride to Nobleton was in a neutral silence.

That was until the school came into view. The first thing I noticed was lavender flowers in rows lining up against the sidewalk with trees behind them. Then there it was.

A total of three floors of white, black, browns, and lavender colored walls and we had arrived. The limo stopped in front of the rows of perfectly aligned lavender bushes aligned by the sidewalk, and beautiful trees behind them. It was truly a sight to see, dare I say even better than Royale High.

Stopping at the staircase that led into the school gates, Dana said her last goodbyes in the car. Just as I was about to open the door, a school staff member opened it for me and gave me his hand as a guide out of the car. As soon as Isabella was out of the car, our suitcases were too. They were carried by another school staff member.

"Don't worry, your bags will be escorted to your respective dorms." She said with a kind voice. The limo drove off and another car pulled up in it's space as we were let through.

I noticed a trend with the school staff uniforms: lots of black and lavender. I'm guessing that the students will also have similar uniforms because of the colors that are literally painted outside of the school. Inside of the school it was cool and refreshing. If you walk a couple feet in front of the entrance hall that's filled with paintings, you can see the school's second floor, third floor, and skylight roof. I could see classrooms, students walking, and a cafe.

Then when I looked back down, Isabella was nowhere to be found. I guess she was taking the stay away from each other seriously. Then I looked back down to where all the 10th graders were.

I knew that this moment when I would walk over to a group of people would be one of my most important decisions. It would determine how my school life went. It would determine if I was an outcast or popular kid. I made my choice.

I went over to an administrator who took me to the office to claim a locker.

I ended up with locker #148. Once I had gotten adjusted to the new locker for a minute, a girl that looked my age, but just very short approached me. She had lilac colored hair which was styled in a french braid and periwinkle eyes with glasses that had the frames tinted a pink and a jean skirt that fit her nicely.

"Hi there, do you want to go to the cafe and grab a drink with me and my friends?" She said with slight nervousness. This would be the perfect opportunity to make friends.

"Yeah sure." I said smoothly.

"Okay then, come on." She motioned me to follow her. I did gratefully and we were off running up the stairs to the cafe.

Around twenty or less students were there, but I could tell that this would be a popular hangout place when school is in session. A boy and a girl waved at us from their table by a window and we made our way there.

"So who may this girl be?" The girl that has been sitting at the table said.

"I'm Clara, Clara Weatherlux to be exact." I said.

"I'm Lea, that's Maya, and that's Andrew." The girl that took me here said pointing to the boy and the girl. Maya had medium brown hair with evergreen tips in twin briads and matching evergreen eyes. She was wearing overalls and heeled boots, giving her a more 'western' vibe. Andrew had dark skin and had pine green hair and greyish-green eyes. He wore a thick red sweater even in this weather.

Another staff member came to our table. "Would you like to order?" She said with a kind smile. I sat down next to Maya then looked at the menu and instantly knew what I wanted. In the end, Maya had a rainbow frappe, Andrew and Lea had a passion fruit bubble tea, and I got a frosted lemonade. As we sipped our drinks and chatted, I got to know them a bit better. Lea and Andrew were dating since the 8th grade, Maya has an Aunt that works here so it was a free ticket in, and they are known as the school smarts.

"Oh my Divina, why didn't I tell you this sooner, Clara! You have to stay far away from Lola, Alison, Gabbie, Eloise, and Harmony. They're like the biggest bullies in the school." Maya said, finishing her drink. All of us were already done with ours but it seemed like she was a slow drinker.

"They can't be that bad right?" I asked. Andrew shook his head. I could tell that was a bad sign.

After we finally got out of the cafe, the meeting in the auditorium would begin. I noticed that my phone was still in the cafe so I went back to get it. I told them that I would meet them inside the autotoruim.

I finally found it after walking past the door, wandering around the campus, and then finally asking an administrator. The lights were already turned off so I couldn't find where they were sitting. I just sat in an empty row and waited for it to start. A couple moments later, a group of girls came over to me. I couldn't tell what they looked like in the dim lighting, but it seemed like they were in a group of 5 all together.

"Can we sit here?" the shortest of the group said.

"Sure, why not?" I replied back. They sat around me and tried to start a conversation including me.

"So five years ago when I was a new student here, the same thing happened to me. I was also alone but these random 4 girls came over to me and didn't say their names or what they looked like until the light came back on and now you have to do it too." The short one said again.

During the orientation, we talked and laughed and got hushed about a hundred times. I was having way too much fun with them, dare I say more than Lea, Maya, and Andrew. The presentation finished and the lights slowly turned back on and I saw that they were in fact, the mean girls that Maya warned me about.