I walked through the halls, wondering what sorting was. This wasn't Hogwarts, there was no magic hat... Maybe it was like a quiz? I bumped into a man with glasses and jet black hair, halfway down the hall.
"Hey, Are you Drake?" He asked, smiling a very bright smile. He was the kind of guy you just immediately relaxed around, which was a nice change from Oshinaro.
"Yeah..." I replied, feeling slightly more confident."
"Cool! I'm Mr. Collins, Head of Aasha. C'mon, we'll be late for sorting."
"What's Aasha?"
"One of the 3 houses in KIA. Each house is a character trait of a hero in a different Indian language."
"What does Aasha mean?"
"Hope."
"What are the other houses?"
"Ananya and Daya."
We continued our conversation as we walked through corridor after corridor, staircase after staircase, rotating wall after rotating wall.
"Wait, why are there so many secret doors and trapdoors and stuff?" I asked, feeling a little dizzy after crossing the 4th rotating wall I had seen today.
"KIA is built upon the ruins of a wing in the Red Fort that the British destroyed. The only thing they didn't destroy was the oldest banyan tree in the city. A group of teachers set up a school on the ruins. But, they had to keep the academy safe from the British invaders, for the students safety. So they set traps, built passageways, made it impossible for someone to get in when they weren't wanted. The school flourished even after the Brits left. When Headmistress Oshinaro's family sent their children here to study, the Oshinaro family made this school world renowned with their brillianc-"
"Wait, the head? Brilliant?" I laughed with disbelief.
"She may seem crazy, but she is cooler than you know... Well, other than her clothing choice." He said the last part quietly, as if it were our little secret. Our little joke. I knew immediately that I would like this guy.
"So..what class do you teach?"
"8th grade and HS Humanities."
"What's humanities?"
"It's kinda like social studies as well as what you would do in English."
"Oh... Cool."
Finally, we reached the hall.
Mr.Collin stopped, and rubbed his hands together.
"Ok, you ready Drake?"
"I guess."
"Extra points for enthusiasm! So, all you need to do is walk in and join the other new kids. Then, put your hand in 'the sorting hat' and feel through the wood carvings of the words. Whichever speaks to you the most is your house,ok?"
"I guess."
"We'll work on positivity later. For now, have fun!" He exclaimed as he grew upon the door and pushed me inside. I saw a kid, who looked around 7, pull out a carving that he handed to the teacher next to him who shouted; "Irakka!".
The teacher now noticed me and called me up to the hat. I gently placed my hand in the hat and felt around. I immediately found my pick. The carving swirled around in a shape like आशा. I picked it up and handed it to the teacher. She smiled and exclaimed; "Aasha!" The table in the middle started cheering, and I saw Mr. Collin smile at me. At walked to the table, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Congrats, Drake."
I turned around in shock. It was Alia, smiling at me.
"Look, I'm really sorry I didn't hang with Sam, but why do you care so much? No offence."
She smiled, and replied "None taken." She waved to a boy with mousy brown hair and freckles. He had a a huge support around his left leg. I remembered Mr.Collins talking about a broken elevator, and how the 8th is on the 5th floor of each dorm tower respective to house, and my jaw dropped. It was Sammy.
/An/ So... now you know why Alia, got mad at Drake. Sammy is disabled! Also, I am very happy to see that I have one read that isn't me. Thank you, reader!
(Glossary:
Ananya: Uh-nun-yah- unique in Sanskrit
Daya: Duh-ya- Kindness in Malayalam)
YOU ARE READING
The KIA Chronicles
Teen FictionThis is a story about life. Life is disappointing, it's cruel and it's full of problems. Or it could be full of new chances, obstacles to overcome, and solutions. It's your choice. Each of the characters in this story has their own battles. If there...
