DESTINY

CHAPTER TEN

 CHAPTER TEN

 The guy's name was Valdemar, Val for short. Said that if I needed anything to go to him without hesitation. I said I would if anything came up. His words that followed still echo in my mind: "That's right, if anything comes up, come to me. But nothing should happen to put you in a tough predicament. You can stop by to say hello at random if you want, though."

 I practically melted on the ground when he said it to me. To me. I still can't get over that. After Emanuel got everyone riled up, it was time for everyone to go on about their usual business so the 'newbies', as Emanuel described us, could get settled in at the Contemporary House. (Newbies stay there for three and a half months to learn the ropes.) Emanuel gets all of us, transfer occupants and occupants that already lived in Diverse City, to parade to the Contemporary House. The Contemporary House, most commonly referred as the CH or the 'Academy', is on the far right side of the city. Every division has an 'Academy' of some sort. States Division's Contemporary House was in the very, very back of the division. I never walked past it and only saw it once, in eighth grade, for a field trip. That year the whole eighth grade toured all seven division's contemporary homes. I've only seen Diverse Division's Contemporary House once, on that field trip, and what I remember of it was that it looked big, happy, open, bright, and very, genuinely different. 

 Everything in Diverse City is different, I realize. Maybe that's why they call themselves diverse, I think to myself. Then I correct myself. That is why we are different.

 Emanuel turns to face all of us with his arms stretched out horizontally as he stands in front of the Academy. The building is just as I remembered it from those years ago: The plain gray cement three story building is covered, no, perfectly designed in graffiti. Multi-colored spray paint is plastered everywhere, no spot untouched by it.

 "Welcome to the Academy, folks." Emanuel says. "This is where you will be staying for the first few months of your life in Diverse City. I would like to introduce you to Annalee, the housekeeper." A woman walks up from behind him; I didn't even see her there, she just appeared. Annalee is a pretty woman, probably in her middle or late thirties, with blonde curly hair and a blissful smile. She isn't a particularly tall woman, but all the same she carries herself as if she were an elegant and refined lady. Her right hand lightly covers her abdomen where anyone can see a protruding bump showing from her shirt. 

 "Hello." Everyone says after she introdices herself as the head administratior of new occupants. 

 "Alright, you listen to what she says and be good. I will check in twice a week to see how progress is going." Emanuel waves goodbye and begins walking back towards the inner city.

 "So how about we skip awkward hello's and nods and get to know each other while getting settled in?" Annalee turns and motions for us to follow. Blake and Georgiana move beside me as we go on with the crowd. The interior of the three story building is much different from its exterior. The inside is pristine and clean. Annalee brings us up to the second floor, telling us there's nothing downstairs except the kitchen, dinging room and living rooms. The second floor has girls and boys dorms which is separated by the bathrooms and what must be Annalee's room. 

 While we walk the rest of the way up the stairs, I hear someone say, "What's on the third floor then?" Annalee stops walking when she reaches the landing and sidesteps out of the way to let people pass her.

 "That is an excellent question that will be answered at a later time. Right now, let's get all of you in a room. Third floor is a surprise!" She makes a happy gesture with her hands that sort of reminds me of jazz hands. All of us congregate at the second floor, waiting for her to continue speaking. "Alright," she begins once everyone is present, "right here is the halfway point. To the right is the girls side, and the opposite is, as you can guess, the boys side. Bathrooms are, as you can see, separated by these two bedrooms, which are mine and my families rooms. We do require that if you are a boy to stay in the boys room and vise verse. Dorms are to be treated the same way. Lights out is at twelve thirty, and if you stay up later than that, it's your own fault for not getting enough sleep. Oh, by the way, coffee is allowed in the mornings because here at Diverse City we understand the necessity of having fun up late. Anyway, back to dorm rules, six thirty is wake up time, and ladies if I were you, I'd get up and get changed then."

 "Why?" A dark brown hair colored girl asks.

 "Dorms are free to integrate from eight am to nine pm, and oh, I don't know about you, but if guys can get into my room at eight o'clock, I wanna be fully dressed." Annalee shrugs as guys snicker under their breath, girls blushing. "Just a thought."

 Looking around at everyone, I size them up now that I have a minute to get a good look at them. There's not too much a difference in the number of girls verses boys; it seems to me that it is the same amount, or close to it at least. However, I think, there is a vast majority of Diverse City occupants that didn't change compared to ones that did. I would say maybe a little more than half of the people here are occupants that chose to stay in Diverse City. The other portion of occupants are from other divisions.  

 "Please, to keep things fun and easy, respect cerfew and appointed dorm times. I better not catch guys in girls dorms in the middle of the night. Girls, don't be peeking in on guys rooms either. We're all over the 'cooties' days, right? If not, it's beyond time to grow up. Now's your reality check." Annalee turns around to a little side table with a fancy looking vase with a few wildflowers in it. She picks up a clipboard and pen and turns back around. "Time for dorm assignments!" She says excitedly.

 "What should I tell her my name is?" Georgiana asks, her big red bun almost punching me in the face. It isn't until now that I realize she is a little taller than I am.

 " I don't know, make something up." I shrug.

 "What would be a good nick-name for me, hm?"

 "Nick-name?"

 "Yea, a nick-name. But don't you dare say something that talks about my accent." She warns, pointing a finger at me. I've never been good at coming up with names. When I played with my dolls, I always stuck to the same name: Seri, which was what Kitty always called me. She was the one that always changed her name to something mythical or princessy sounding.

 "Um..." I manage to say, rummaging through names. She is definitely not any of the names I am thinking. All I can come up with is Dot or Polly or something else that's dumb.

 "How 'bout Sexy? Or, wait a minute, this is perfect; how about Illiana?"

 "That's what I said earlier!" Blake chimes in, frowning at Georgiana. I just smile, still a little embarrassed I haven't come up with anything.

 "Lets start on the guys side; that way the ladies can keep a secret of their rooms for a few weeks." Annalee winks as she turns. She leads the way to the first room. "So this is how it's going to work. We tend to put occupants that didn't switch with others they have grown up with. It just seems to work out nice that way."

 Four people are assigned to a room, and there are twenty rooms on each side. Ten on one side, ten on the other side. Blake, who changed his name to Romi, (don't know where it came from), is assigned with three other occupants that switched. One guy, I think his name was Maveric, wore white. He reminded me of that guy who walked behind me after the test. 

 With the guys settled in their rooms, it was time to get the girls in theirs. Starting at the end of the hallway, the girls who have lived here their whole life are placed in rooms together. Right around the middle of the hallway, Annalee points at Georgiana and me for the room. The two other girls are from Papillon Division and Graceland Division.  

 "And what's your name, ginger?" Annalee asks pointing to Georgiana. I can't help but laugh. Ginger's are what we called red haired people with freckles back in States Division. I didn't know it was a term people used anywhere else.

 "Oh that's a good one!" Georgiana gasps. "My name's Ginger." 

 "Alright, Ginger. Go ahead. And you, what's your name?" 

 I stare at Annalee with a blank face. I have no idea what to say. "My name is Serendipity." I mumble, barely able to say it. I didn't want it to be my name here, but I don't know what else to say. 

 "What did you say?" She leans forward. Then, just like Kitty herself was with me, I blurt out a name.  It's typical, I guess. It's a nick-name only Kitty, and on some occasions, India would call me. I don't think my parents ever called me it. Mom may have said it three times in my life living there, but never my dad. "Seri... okay dear. You can go in. Thanks." She moves on to the room across the hall, leaving me to walk in.

 Before I go in, I get the faintest sense of comotion going on in the house. Something below? Are there people on the first floor doing stuff for later? Then I hear a bump and crash above my head. It's coming from upstairs.