Infinite

Chapter 3: Unconventional

Seattle, WA, at the Summit Convention Center, on Friday, June 14, 2030 at 9:00 am

Rachel

Our taxi pulled up to a tall glass building. There was a glass skybridge connecting it to another structure on the opposite side of the road. People were pouring in and out of the building. There was a large billboard outside.

Welcome Teachers and Administrators! Innovative Summit Conference 2030!

This conference happened every year and we usually attended it in San Antonio, Texas, but our school decided to attend the one in Seattle, Washington this time.

"We better get in there before all of the good pens are taken." Artemis practically fell out of the taxi. Her neon pink glasses slid off of her face, but were saved by the Hello Kitty lanyard she had them fastened to.

"I told you not to drink all those mimosas on the plane," I teased as I supported her arm.

"Hey, you had some too!" Artemis accused. She poked my shoulder with her pink painted fingers. Her eyes were a bright blue with streaks of white in them, they looked almost illuminated.

"Yes, I had one. You had three," I added as we grabbed our luggage from the taxi driver. "You also had an Irish coffee," I tried to say in an Irish accent.

Artemis belly laughed and we walked across the street towards the Convention Center. There was a staircase on the outside of the building that scaled the glass windows. It was quite a beautiful piece of architecture. There were skyscrapers all around us, tall enough to make you feel quite small standing there.

We walked into the building arm in arm, mainly to avoid getting pushed over by all of the people. Everyone was dressed casually right now, as the first event didn't start until this afternoon. This gave people traveling from across the country time to get settled before it began. The floor was a light gray linoleum, reflective and metallic looking from all the overhead lights. The stairs along the side were made of a light colored pine. You could see all the way to the top of the building if you looked up in the right places.

"Let's check in and get the hell out of this mosh pit," Artemis scowled from behind me. She was looking around for the front desk. There were so many people there that were taller than us, making it difficult to see the signs. I found the check in desk and pulled Artemis with me. The line wasn't actually very long, most of the people in the lobby were either figuring out where to go or waiting for the rest of their team.

After we got our room cards and ID badges, Artemis and I headed up the stairs with our luggage in tow. We were only staying here for two nights, but we had multiple events and dinners we were attending so extra outfits were needed. I bought myself some new clothes for this conference, something that I hadn't done in years.

She has been an incredible support system for me since Lucas left. At least she can understand half of the loneliness that I feel.

#

The hotel for the convention center was stunning. The carpet was a bright red with small flecks of gold and brown. The walls were a deep brown color, and beautiful amber lights ran down the halls outside each room. Inside was even more regal looking. Two queen beds with the fluffiest, softest looking white comforters were against the wall on the left.

Artemis ran over to the window and threw the curtains open. The sunlight filled the room, illuminating the dark wood of the furniture.

The skyscrapers we saw from the sidewalk are much less intimidating from here.

I could see pieces of Puget Sound in between the architecture.

Seattle has one of the most beautiful skylines.