Seven In a Thousand

Chapter 3

     President Lexington Pierce was backing away from the group of fanatic girls. He was relieved when his personal bodyguards stepped up to block them, and he let out a breath of relief. If he had to sign another anything for this same group of girls that always seemed to be after him, he'd scream. And as president, screaming would be very bad for his public image.

     He brushed a hand through his wavy hair, sighing as he watched his guards escort the girls away. He pulled his cloak tighter over his shoulders as he looked up at a gray sky. It was supposed to snow sometime soon, and by his own breath lingering in the air, he guessed it wouldn't be long.

      He turned around, setting his steps on the road back to his 'castle' as he liked to call it. It wasn't a castle in reality, though it was fun, and possibly childish as his secretary always told him, to imagine it was so. It was just a large, impressive government building, tan on the outside with polished wood everywhere on the inside.

      But as he turned around, he froze. A girl was standing in front of him, her head tilted to the side. She was fairly tall and thin, wearing jeans with dirt stains on the knees, and a gray jacket over a maroon shirt. The hood was over her head, but as she saw him, she took a step back.

       Lexington did as well, debating whether it would be hurtful to call his bodyguards back. The girl, however, didn't make any move to get any closer. She reached up slowly, pulling back her hood.

     His eyes widened as he realized she had light purple skin, large, gray eyes, and thick, blue hair. "A-a Litorian?"

      She shrank away from him, "I-I just wanted to say thank you, for... for trying to help us."

       A smile flashed across his face, revealing perfectly white teeth, "It's a pleasure, actually. I've been on your side for as long as I can recall. It's something I've wanted to do for awhile."

      "Oh... thank you," she rubbed her hands together in front of her as if nervous. He smiled. Usually nervous was rare, replaced by a lot of screaming and a lot of unnecessary, unappreciated touching.

       He extended a hand, "Obviously you know that I'm President Lexington Pierce, but you can call me Lex. If you want to be more formal, it's Prez Lex. Because to be honest, 'President Lexington Pierce' is a mouthful to say and a pain to write. Gives me hand cramps."

      The girl hesitated for a moment, then grasped his hand, "I'm Naomi Aura. Nice to meet you... Lex."

      He grinned at her, releasing her hand. She had a small smile on her face now, and he was pleased to see she no longer seemed so nervous. Then something in his mind clicked, "Hey, wait a moment. Naomi Aura?"

       She gave a small nod.

      "You were the first one to volunteer for the Litorian Higher Education Program! You were the one that encouraged others to join in as well," Lex's smile widened, "I owe you for that. For a bit, I was worried no one would volunteer."

      "Well, I really would like to go to college," Naomi rubbed her arm, not meeting his eyes, "So I appreciate what you're doing to help us. A lot."

      "Of course," he shrugged lightly, but the grin was still on his face. He heard a call behind him and looked over his shoulder, "That's my cue. Sorry, I'm needed-"

      "It's fine!" Naomi said quickly, nodding vigorously, "Of course, sorry to hold you up."

      "Really? I was about to thank you for holding me up. I mean, I'd rather talk to a nice girl than spew random facts on a stage," Lex nearly laughed at the surprised look on her face, "Pleasure meeting you, Ms. Naomi."

      "Thank you for speaking to me, President Lex," she gave a polite bow, which he returned. Again, she looked surprised.

      "Bye," he waved at her, and he began to head down the slope. He could feel her eyes burning into his back, and he glanced over his shoulder. But she had gone, leaving nothing but footprints in the dirt behind her.

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     Naomi was breathless by the time she had gotten to her house. She had ran as soon as Lex had turned his back, and had not stopped until she had returned home. She flopped down into the chair, her breath leaving her mouth and clouding in the air. Her heart was pounding fervently. She tossed her head back, letting her hair roll from her bun and spill behind the chair.

      She had never felt that uncomfortable when talking to a person before. Then again, she had never spoken to a human who hadn't looked upon her with distaste. She smiled, now looking towards the television. She had forgotten to turn it off before she left.

      Naomi brushed her hand back through her hair, then pulled her computer from the desk behind her onto the table. She flipped it open, pressing her fingers into the keys as she typed 'Litorian Higher Ed Program'. She had been surprised that the president himself had remembered her name, and she had only just realized how important this program was to him. To all of her species. If she could make this work, she could get them all into college. Lex wanted this to happen- so if it all went smoothly, there would be a great deal of change. And this change would be for the better.

        Her courage had been boosted, so she was determined to discover what she could about the school before she went there in a few days. She pulled up the volunteer list again, and was pleased to see another person had added their name to the list. Linx Japer.

        She researched the school without glancing at the clock- time flew by with her studies. The more she learned the more excited she became, until finally, she leaned back in her chair. She couldn't wait to go to this school.