Precedent

Chapter Two

I stare at the sign identifying my location. Greycen. This building is owned by Franklin's family. Why didn't he tell me this? I suppose, being as I'm in the past, I'd better be prepared to learn a lot of information no one told me about.

A thought occurs to me. This is fifteen years ago, probably not too long before I'm conceived. If my mother went here during this time, then she had me at seventeen. That means my father probably went here too. I can finally find out who my parents are.

I leave the sign and peruse the campus. It is really big, probably as large as H.Q. All of the buildings remind me of pictures I've seen of Ancient Greece. Or maybe that's Rome. I don't do much reading, due to fighting in the war. I don't have the best memory either. My brain is too stuffed full of battle strategies and things like that.

A sinking feeling fills me. I'm probably going to have to pose as a student. I'm not a genius. I don't have a talent, unless fighting counts. I don't know Algebra and science. I don't know the literature of the time either. I'll be a fish out of water here. I won't know the music, the references, or pretty much anything.

I'm doomed.

Not paying attention, I bump into someone. We both fall on the ground.

"I am so sor..." I trail off.

In front of me is a boy about seventeen with dark brown hair that falls into his dark brown eyes. He wears rectangular black glasses and what I believe is the school's uniform. It is comprised of a white, button up, collar shirt, navy pants, and a navy jacket lined with white. He has a wide smile, even though I knocked him to the ground.

I feel a strange connection to him. Does this mean I like him? Maybe. He's cute. I've never liked a boy before. He looks nice.

No, I scold myself. You can't fall in love with someone from the past. In your time, he'd be thirty-two.

"Hey," he says. He stands and helps me to my feet. "Sorry."

"No, no," I reply. "It was totally my fault." He shakes his head.

"I swear it's mine. See, I was staring at you," he tells me. I blush visibly.

"Why?" I ask. He sighs.

"I thought you were Venus, at first. But looking back..." He looks me over. "Venus would never wear that outfit."

"Who's Venus?"

"You must be a new student," he states. Blushing again, I nod. He just continues to smile.

"She's the most popular girl here. She looks like an angel and sings like one too. That is, if angels sing. The Bible says they sing." He shakes his head. "Anyway, you really do look like Venus."

So he doesn't like me. I just look like the girl he actually does like.

Why am I so disappointed? I don't even know this guy,

"I'm Olivia," I tell him. He shakes my hand.

"I'm Greycen-Taylor Greycen." So he's related to Franklin.

"Your family owns the school," I blurt out without thinking. He laughs.

"Yeah. I'm the first person with the talent to get in though."

"What's your talent?" Why am I standing here making conversation? I'm supposed to be finding the Originator.

"Science," he states proudly. "I have a knack for it. I graduated high school at fourteen. Rather than going to college, my family decided to put me in here." He blushes. "Oh, I'm such a jerk. What's your talent?"