Breakout

Chapter 3

I felt like I was flying. No, I wasn't flying. I was running. I was running so fast, that it felt like I was flying. My hair whipped around my face, blocking my vision. I felt a warm hand holding onto mine. "Stella! We need to hide!," a voice said. Who said it? Chase? I heard the sound of guns at a distance behind me. "Look! We can lose them in the trees," a girl said. I didn't recognize her voice. Who was she? I brushed my hair out of my face and saw that it was Chase who was holding my hand. We kept running. Bullets flew past us as we ran. We made it past the tree line, but still we ran. A stream came into view ahead of us. The water was so clear, I could see the rocks at the bottom. "Watch your step here," Chase said, guiding me across some stones in the stream. At the last step though, I slipped and hit my head on a nearby rock.

"Stella? Stella!"

I woke up, startled. "Stella, c'mon we're here already," Elana said. I looked around and saw that I was back on the shuttle, and the Academy was looming up ahead. "We're here already? How long was I asleep," I asked.

"A couple hours, but gee, am I glad to be rid of that snore," Chase said.

"Oh, shut up. No one asked you," I spat.

I sat up and stretched. I looked around and the everyone was silently sitting. The mood seemed grim. After a couple of minutes, the shuttle began to slow and came to an eventual halt. We all got up as the doors opened and gathered our luggage and formed a single line to exit the shuttle car. Outside the front doors was an older lady and quite a dozen or so soldiers.

"Welcome to the Academy! I am your director, Sonia Tooley, and I expect to be addressed as Director, Director Tooley, or Madame Director. I hope everyone is ready for room assignments. Please follow me to the auditorium hall," the Director said, motioning for all of us to follow her.

"Is it just me, or does it feel like we are in a prison instead of an academy," Elana whispered to me.

"You're not alone. I am definitely getting prison vibes here," I replied.

"Don't worry, girls. I'll protect you," Chase whispered.

"We don't need your help. We can take care of ourselves just fine, thank you very much," I said.

As we walked down the main hallway, it seemed less like a prison, but more like a hospital. There was even a desk at the end of the hallway with two younger ladies staffing it. "This is the front desk, where your families will check-in at on the designated visiting days and you can receive packages sent from outside the Academy. Here, you can also request to meet with myself, or with any of the superiors here. Now, just down this hall to the right is the auditorium," Director Tooley stated. We followed her to the auditorium and were welcomed by a glow of various colored lights on the walls. "Please leave your luggage along the back wall and then find a seat," she stated.

"Let's sit there in the middle," Elana said.

"Sure," I agreed.

"Can I sit next to you," Chase asked me as we slid into our seats.

"I mean, you're already sitting there, so no point in me saying no."

The last few people found their seats just as the Director began speaking. "Quiet everyone. We will begin assigning rooms shortly. First, I'd like to introduce our department chairs, your superiors., Ms. Ophelia Simmons, Mathematics Department Chair; Mr. William Jones, Physical Education Chair; Mr. Quinton Blane, History Department Chair; Mrs. Vera Blane, Language and Creative Arts Chair; and Ms. Raina Nichols, Social Sciences Department Chair. Next we have your hall monitors, Ms. Gemma Rollins, Ruby Hallway; Ms. Krisla Hemmings, Sapphire Hallway; Mr. Victor Wells, Garnet Hallway; Ms. Aurora Stone, Topaz Hallway; and Mr. Roger Yates, Emerald Hallway. Monitors, if you will," Director Tooley said, motioning for Ms. Rollins to step forward.

"Good afternoon, I will now be calling you up by pairs to give you your room number. Connie Weathers and Jeffrey Kinsly," Ms. Rollins aid. Connie and Jeffrey, I assume, stood up and made their way down the stairs to the main floor to receive their room number. The next couple was called as Connie and Jeffrey went to stand to the side as the next couple was called.

"I wonder who I am going to be paired with. I hope he's nice," Elana said.

"I just hope I don't get paired with Chase. Anyone but Chase," I said.

"Ouch. I'm hurt. You'd be one lucky girl if you got paired with me," Chase said, smirking at me.

"Didn't your mother tell you it's rude to eavesdrop on other people's conversations," I asked sarcastically.

"We'll, it is hard to ignore you when you are right next to me."

"Do you think we will get to live in the same hallway, at least," Elana asked, completely ignoring Chase.

"That'd be awesome. And, it would make life much more bearable here," I replied.

Another 30 minutes passed and four groups of couples left. Mr. Yates stepped forward and called out the first couple: "Elana Rivers and Arthur Mayers, please make your way forward." "Wish me luck," Elana whispered to me. "Yeah, wish me luck," I said back. Elana and Arthur made their way down to the main floor, then went to stand off to the side.

"Korey Lin and Jackson Evans," Mr. Yates called out. Korey and Jackson received their room number and went to stand beside Elana and Arthur. I looked around and saw the Chase and I were the only two people left. Ah, hell. I'm stuck with him. Chase had a smirk on his face and winked at me. He stood up just as Mr. Yates called our names. "Shall we," Chase asked holding his arm out for me to hold. I stood up and shoved past him, rolling my eyes in the process. "Let's just get this over with," I said. I stomped myself down the stairs and reached Mr. Yates before Chase did. "You two are assigned to room 522. Here is your key," he said to us, then announced to the other two couples, "If you will please follow me, I will show you to your rooms." I turned to walk with Elana and she was trying her hardest to not laugh at my situation.

"This is so not happening. Chase, of all people, is the guy I'm stuck with for the rest of my life," I said, rubbing my face with my hands.

"Hey, it's not so bad. I think we will get along fine," Chase said, bumping himself into me, "Now, let me help you take your bags to our room."

"I can carry them myself," I snapped, reaching for my bags. We followed Mr. Yates to our hallway. Along the way, he pointed out various areas we passed by. "I will give you all a more extensive tour after you have settled. Breakfast is served at 8 o'clock, lunch at 12 o'clock, and dinner at 5 o'clock. The cafeteria will be the end of the tour, so please, be ready for dinner when I come back," he said. I grabbed the key from my pocket and opened the door to the room I was to spend the rest of my teenage years in. I was not expecting the surprise that came next.