The Echoes of Rivalry & Ruin (The Acamancy Series I)

Chapter 2: Academy Orientation

I am about to swipe the call to ask Mal where she is, when I bump into a solid, warm surface. I look up to see shining hazel eyes gleaming at me and a warm smile spreading across their face. Just as I go to greet them with more than just a smile of my own, those strong arms wrap me into the tightest hug. If the plan of shoving my face to his chest was to block off any ability I had to speak, the plan was a success. I try my best to wiggle free, elbowing his ribs and pushing myself out of his comfortable embrace. I look up to meet the familiar face of my best friend.

"Mitchell! You scared me, I didn't see you there. And then you trapped me, and I couldn't even breathe! You've got to stop doing that every time you see me," I warn him.

I watch as he shakes his head at me, his dirty blonde locks falling slightly into his hazel eyes, crinkled at the corners with his bright smile. He pushes his hair up off of his forehead, in an all too familiar motion, as he lets me completely go from his hug, and allows me to back up a few steps. Mitchell laughs lightly at me.

"You never seem to notice me." He jokes. "It's just too easy to sneak up on you!"

I chuckle in response. Just as I am about to reply with real words, I hear a squeal in my ear cutting me off. I turn just in time to watch as a tiny body crashes into me. What is this? Attack Emmie day. I spin around to greet my second attacker.

"Hey Mal, I was just about to answer your call, but I got distracted when I literally ran into your brother here," I told her.

I bend slightly to give her a big hug. I move out of the embrace and look into another pair of hazel eyes, watching them trace up to look at her twin brother. I stifle a giggle as I see Mal shaking her head at Mitch, the exact way he just did at me. They really are so alike. I am so used to seeing those eyes, the same shade of hazel, crinkle in laughter. The dirty blonde hair blowing in the wind as they run. Hands flailing in conversation and always seeming to knock into people and things. I am used to seeing all of their traits and gestures, and yes, they are all basically the same. Mitchell and Mallory Keller may be fraternal twins, but they look nearly identical. If Mallory cut her long bob into a shaggy boy's cut, grew a foot taller, and put extra muscle onto her petite frame, then you would have a second Mitchell. And that is something I wouldn't mind one bit. Mitchell has been my best friend for over 10 years, but it feels like a lifetime.

We pulled up to a huge white brick house. It has light blue trim with dark blue shutters and front door. Around here it may be a basic home, but it was almost twice as large as my childhood home. Not that I'm so grown up now as to really have a good measure of large versus small buildings, or average homes sizes. But at the ripe age of 7, I do feel much older. It has been 3 years since dad left us. I may not remember much about him, but I still vividly remember how sad mom was until she met Brian. How he brought laughter back into her life and light back into her eyes. He was going to move to our hometown, into our small home, but now that mom has my baby brother in her tummy, we decided to get a larger home. Mom figured it was time for a fresh start since we were moving anyway, so we are moving into the house around the corner from Brian's old apartment. I didn't want to move and leave my school and all of my friends. 2nd grade has been so fun, I won the spelling bee and got to join math and science clubs even though they don't usually let you join until 4th grade, but being top of the class has its perks. Looking out at this big, beautiful house with the wrap-around porch complete with a porch swing, the large yard to play in, and the size of the bedroom must be in this giant house, meaning I have so many options for how to design my new room, sends mixed feelings into my little body. Butterflies flutter in my stomach as I am thinking about how I will manage to make new friends. Just then, tears welled up in my eyes, I was so nervous. Thoughts rush through my mind about the impression I need to make. How much harder I will have to work here at the school where all of the teachers already knew and loved me. And friends, however will I make new friends? I am so bad at making friends. I take a calming breath and wipe the tears away just in time to get a better look at two children riding by us on bikes. The little blonde girl waves at me and the boy riding next to her speeds past. They turn into the driveway of the house two doors down from us. I watch with fascination as a blonde-haired boy pulls on the hand of a girl, basically identical to him, towards the house. She resists him to have more time to look at me, smiling and waving enthusiastically, before running into the house. It was that day that I realized this new town might not be so bad.