Something New

Chapter 1

Cool, crisp air filtered through the cracked window, drifting apart navy blue curtains and sending bright sunlight crawling across the floor. It alighted across a sleeping figure, a girl, deep in sleep and even deeper inside her usual giant nest of blankets. The curtains continue to blow open wider, casting sunlight across the sparsely decorated room to a similar pile of blankets on a similar bed. This particular figure stood out by her splash of turquoise hair sprawled across her pillows. The gentle quiet was resoundingly interrupted by a shrill alarm coming from the dresser in between the beds, eliciting annoyed groans from both girls.

"Turn it off," the turquoise-haired girl complains groggily, forcibly shoving herself deeper into her covers. Her roommate, on the other hand, flips her duvet off of herself, stretching languidly before climbing out of bed and onto her feet. Waving a couple fingers on her way to the bathroom, she extinguishes the blaring alarm, earning an appreciative grunt from her oldest friend.

"You better be out of that bed by the time I'm done or I'm dousing you," she warns, a smile breaking over her face at the sleepy threats leveled at her behind the closed door. Grabbing a soft grey towel, the girl steps into the shower, the spelled faucet automatically cascading warm water over her head. After about ten minutes of enjoying the cozy warmth, she steps back out, the steam from the shower floating around the room. Opening the door, she looks over to the friend that actually heeded her warning for once and had gotten out of bed, tugging on a pair of soft black leggings and a creamy white sweater to venture out for breakfast.

"Finally Rue, I thought you were never going to come out of there," she teases, rummaging through a set of drawers to find a similar pair of leggings to slide on.

"Oh shut up Pan, I always make it in time for breakfast," Rue pulls a face, while shaping her blue hair into a purposely messy bun.

Once ready, the two girls step out of their shared room, the blue door shimmering with quiet power as it is locked behind them. They padded down the hallway, reveling in the peaceful quiet that blanketed the building. The mouthwatering scent of breakfast floats towards them, prompting the girls to increase their speed, dashing across the massive foyer and careening into the cavernous dining hall.

"Good morning girls," the Headmistress' voice sounds over from the staff table.

"Morning Headmistress," the girls reply in unison, eyes glittering over the enticing food at the buffet line. They quickly piled on their plates, heading toward the staff table once they had satisfied themselves. The imposing Headmistress looked much like her daughter, piercing grey eyes, and wine-red hair, the only difference being the grey that streaked through her artfully done up-do.

"So, Mom, what else needs to be done before everyone gets here tomorrow?" Pandora asks through a mouthful of cheesy omelet, earning a snort from her best friend and a glare from her mother.

"Well, you girls can make sure all the welcome packets are in common rooms, and each door is ready to be bonded to the students once they arrive. Remember, the second floor doors can be a bit testy this time of year, don't get yourselves zapped this time." She levels a stare at Rue, the blue-haired girl offering a sheepish grin.

"Anything else?"

"We will see how much you get done before lunch, if those things are done I might have some other little things you can do. Professor Wavemaker is coming in today, you might be able to help him with anything he needs to settle in."

The girls share a glance at the mention of their mer professor, the male was one of their favorites despite the fact that neither of them were mer themselves. The rest of breakfast is eaten in companionable silence, and once they were done their plates and cups vanished into the kitchen where they would be cleaned by the near-invisible wraith staff. They say their goodbyes to the Headmistress who is now elbow deep in papers, her steaming coffee being consecutively refilled any time she needs.

"So where do you want to start?" Rue's voice echoes across the empty hall.

"Common rooms? The doors are going to take forever and I want to have time to say hi to the Professor." Once in agreement, the girls head upstairs to the second-floor common room, one setting out various welcome packets while the other double-checked the ancient enchantments on each door. Over the next few hours, the eight floors of the school had been thoroughly checked and looked over, and the two roommates flopped down in their own common room on the sixth floor, limbs splayed haphazardly across the plush couches arranged around the room.

"I vote we never ask your Mother to help again," Rue grouses, shifting so her body was closer to the roaring fireplace. Fall had come early this year, emphasized by the artfully colored trees outside their window. It was cold already too, sunny but with a chill in the air.

"I don't know what you're talking about, that was fun," Pandora responds, examining her cuticles absentmindedly.

"Your definition of fun seems to be very, very wrong." Pandora laughs at that, reaching over to toss a throw pillow across the room to nail Rue accurately in the back.

"Hey!"

"I think my definition of fun is just fine, thank you," the girl's steel eyes sparkle in merriment. Rue sits up, aiming a halfhearted glare in her direction.

"Fine, fine, do you wanna go see what Wavemaker's up to?"

"Sure, why not." The two clamor up and out of their common room, swiftly making their way outside onto the courtyard and into the gardens, briefly pausing to greet the sentient tree that made up their Gardening Professor. They continue across the grounds to the sparkling clear lake where a tall white-haired man is standing on the dock jutting over the water.

"Hello Professor," the girls greet happily, causing the mer to turn around and break into a dazzling smile. His eyes reflected the color of the lake, constantly shifting and changing like the sun on the water.

"Ms. Gilmore, Ms. Black, how nice of you to come greet little old me."

"Of course, we couldn't miss saying hi to our favorite professor." Rue grins, the ends of her turquoise hair turning silver in the daylight.

"Kissing up will not raise your Aquatics grade Ms. Black," Wavemaker warns, the threat dissipating with the smile in his eyes.

"Is there anything you need help with?" Pandora asks, tucking a strand of scarlet hair behind one ear.

"I shouldn't think so, I don't have anything planned very far ahead yet, and I'm sure the Headmistress has kept you busy today with students coming in two days."

"That she has," Rue grumbles, yelping at the sharp elbow Pandora digs into her side.

"I thought so, you girls go have the afternoon off, I'm sure I'll find something for you to do once classes start."

With that, the girls say their goodbyes and head off, enjoying the fall sunlight that filtered across the grounds.