Feathers

Arrival

Arrival

Lou smiled as she stared at the open gates in front of her. She was tired of the life she’d belonged to for so long. All of the extra money her trailer trash parents could get went to cable TV and her mother’s tanning fetish. There was no point in “Momma Cezanne” trying to look good; she’d lost her youthfulness when she’d been knocked up in high school, but the lady kept trying anyways. Her father’s figure had all gone downhill when he’d discovered the cheap and abundant phenomenon called TV dinner. All the man did was eat, watch TV, and swear. The three kids cursed worse than he did, and they hadn’t even left elementary school!

How Lou had made it without becoming like them, she didn’t know. All she knew was that life would be better without her parents, Imogene, Gabe, and Charlie Jr. She pulled her registration papers out of her pocket, and practically skipped inside the gate. She looked around at the others making their ways up to the front doors. Most of them had small suitcases or bags, and mixed emotions on their faces. None of the parents had actually been allowed to see their children up to the front gates of the campus; even local students had been sent a taxi or bus to bring them. Lou had nothing besides her papers. What from home could she even take along with her? She’d learned long ago not to get attached to things.

The campus was aesthetically pleasing, a stark contrast to her life. Lush, green trees typical of Lincoln Park were scattered about the place, and gardens lined the cobblestone walks. Birds sang from the trees and rabbits bounded across the lawn. However, the buildings were cold stone, pale and lifeless. They almost seemed to push people away, warning them it was not the place to go.

But anywhere was the place for Lou to go.

A deafening bell rung in the clock tower, and Lou flinched at the sudden penetration of the somewhat quiet campus. Noon. Everyone who had not migrated into the main hallway began to be herded towards it. Inside, chairs were lined up perfectly, 240 exactly in 12 rows of 20. A row of chairs facing the main set lined each side, and teachers took them to be their seats. A tall and official seeming man stood alone on the main staircase, where a microphone was set up. From the right side of the hall, several broad hallways branched out, lined with elaborate sculptures in small alcoves that drew Lou’s eyes. She’d always been an artist. Other than those, however, the décor failed to impress her. On the left side of the hallway, there were several arches, with double doors underneath them, and the staircases blocked view of the backside of the hall.

Lou quickly found an empty seat before they all filled up. In the end, every single seat was filled, and not a single person was left without one. 240 students, just as the letter had said.

∞∞∞∞∞∞

Kory and York rushed to a pair of seats in the midst of the crowd, pushing past the swirling mass of students attempting to do the same. While squeezing through people on the way to their seats, Kory’s hands began to shake. He dropped his heavy bag suddenly, landing it on a girl’s foot. Kory looked down at the bag as it hit before apologizing.

“I’m sorry,” his gaze changed to her face, but he couldn’t stop shudders running through his body.  She forced a smile though obviously in pain from the bag.

“It’s okay,” she said through gritted teeth. “I’ll…. get over it.” Kory didn’t notice her beauty as he simply stared back to his goal of the seats in front of him. He didn’t have any time for women anymore. His heart was broken and he craved a smoke. York, however, still managed to take in his new surroundings. She had a different kind of beauty about her than most. It was almost androgynous- high cheekbones, short, sleeked back hair, a natural faded brown colour, and a strong chin. Her nose and forehead were almost a straight line, but though the features by themselves seemed to be that of a man, together they proved to make a goddess. Her skin was smoother than glass, and softer than silk. Her pink lips framed her perfectly lined teeth like a charm, and her eyes shone with a feminine prowess. She began to bend down to pick up Kory’s bag, and York realized her waist was thinner than any girl he’d ever seen.