Tumia

A New Start

Waking up early, I jumped out of bed and washed up before heading to the common room for breakfast. Dr. Evans had sent us emails explaining that school would be in the afternoons every day, giving us the mornings free.

Stepping outside, I saw Ava and Michelle already heading to breakfast. They smiled when they saw me.

"Thalia, great timing! Are you going to eat?" Ava asked, linking our arms.

"Yes," I replied as they dragged me inside.

The common room was far, and when we opened the door, soldiers and workers were spread everywhere, eating. Michelle waved at Chris and Jake as we walked over to their table. Halle was absent, probably still asleep.

"What do they have today?" Michelle asked, taking a seat.

"Waffles, bacon, and eggs, but it tastes like cardboard," Asher said, pushing his plate aside with a disgusted face.

I stood up and went to stand in line. When I reached for a tray, someone else grabbed it. I turned quickly to see who would be so rude. Jake had a wide smirk on his face as he handed me the tray.

"Thought you could use some help," he laughed.

"I'm not helpless," I said, taking the plate from him and giving a small smile. I moved down the line, picking up a few waffles.

"So... are you excited for school?" Jake asked, trying to make conversation.

"Yeah," I replied, hating small talk. Since my mother died, he'd been treating me like an injured bird.

"You know, when I found out you were coming, I was excited. My childhood friends all together again."

"Jake, we haven't spoken since we were 15," I mentioned.

Though we grew up together, once high school started, everything changed. Our parents had officially moved to outer space, and I moved away. Childhood was great with them, and I wasn't mad about being here. Things were just different now for me.

"Yeah, but fate brought us back." I put a small portion of eggs on my plate and stepped out of line, not wanting anything else.

Jake quickly finished his plate and ran up to me as we walked back to the table. Halle was now seated and looked quite uncomfortable. I decided to sit between Ava and Michelle as they chatted.

Everyone was seated at the table, and it gave me old memories of freshman year. We'd eat lunch together every day in middle school; kids used to call us a cult since we never left each other's side. It was expected after growing up with the same people.

"When do these classes start?" Halle asked, crossing her arms.

"Dr. Evans said she wants us there by noon. We have exactly one hour left, so everyone hurry up and eat!" Ava cheered.

She was extremely excited to learn about the Kartens. Between Jax and her, they were probably the most excited.

"Do you think it's true that they are connected to the planet? Dr. Evans says they use spiritual energy," Jax commented, finishing his eggs.

"That's all lies, dude. They're just tree lovers," Asher laughed.

I didn't say much on the topic as everyone began to debate who was right. Their bond was still there, and sometimes I felt like an oddball in the mix. Spending almost four years apart causes you to miss out on a lot of memories.

After we finished eating, everyone went to their separate rooms to change before we went to the school. A couple of soldiers would be escorting us in a few minutes. Looking through my suitcase, I decided to wear a pair of shorts, a tank top, and army boots. Since we were going towards the forest, the military had gifted us army clothing and gear.

Standing in front of the mirror, my curly hair was all over the place. The white strands were straight while others coiled. I let out a groan, not knowing how to style it. I heard my keypad click and poked my head out to see who was at the door. My father walked in with his iconic flat face.

"Thalia, we need to talk." Leaving the bathroom, I grabbed a hair tie and quickly put my hair up.

I closed the door and gave him all my attention as we stood in front of each other.

"Be careful out there. You don't know these creatures," he spoke quietly.

"I thought we were here to create peace?" I questioned.

"Peace is not possible with those people... do not trust or interact much with any of them, Thalia," he said before turning to leave.

I stood in the middle of the room, not shocked. He couldn't give me a "good luck" or "have a nice day." It was always a command after a command.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I left my room and headed to the truck. Everyone was waiting in the back, and I hopped inside as the soldier drove off. We were leaving the base and heading towards the forest. The trees began to cover the sky, and the smell of pinewood was strong.

The ride was bumpy but quick. As Dr. Evans had said, the school was close to the base. When we pulled up, there was a rectangular building, and a few scientists were waiting outside.

We all got out of the car and headed to the door. The scientists greeted us and led us inside towards the back. We passed many small rooms that looked like the base tents.

"Class is in there," one of the women said.

When we opened the door, eyes stared at us as Dr. Evans stopped talking and smiled. There were about ten kids in the room, spread out. They looked at us oddly as we walked to the front.

"Jitiki mustu kolong dutok," Dr. Evans said.

(Everyone meet our new students.)

She spoke in Infani, which sounded almost like German but had a harder dialect. Nobody moved as the Kratens stared at us with disgust.

"Pokudt si noham," one of the men at the front said, and they all began to laugh.

(Human freaks.)

Dr. Evans gave him a stern look, and he got quiet.

"Guys, introduce yourselves. Most of the Kratens in here understand English, so it's okay to speak."

Looking around the room, I saw a mixture of genders. A whole row in the back was open, which I assumed was for us, but this room didn't feel welcoming. Jax stepped up first and began to speak.

"Ulop! Umm... ki rum... no ki rumnit Jax!" everyone started to laugh again.

(Hello... my name is Jax)

Jax was the best at speaking Infani, so the fact they were laughing was pretty rude. He had been practicing that line since we left Earth. The Kratens continued to laugh amongst themselves as he stepped back, looking down at the floor, embarrassed.

Ava went next, then Jake and Chris. After them, Michelle spoke. Halle didn't say much but had a resting face the entire time.

"My name is Thalia Gold," I spoke last.

Dr. Evans began to clap her hands, excited about the union. We took our seats in the back, and class started.