The Unbreakable Lily Rain

Chapter Three

The train ride was long, and I found myself nodding off, dreaming of beautiful stone buildings, sparkling tile floors, and my future classmates with perfectly pressed uniforms, marching as one in flawless formation.

In hindsight, I wasn't ready for the Institute. I thought, foolishly, that hours of summer training and dieting would have made me strong enough to deal with what was sure to be an onslaught of brutal training, rigorous workouts, and terrible food.

But nobody could really be ready for the Institute, could they?

Nine hours later and I was walking through the iron gates of my school. It was massive. I stood in an awestruck stupor, staring at the four white edifices that surrounded the main building which would hold our classes and training sessions. I scanned the view in front of me, eager to find out which of the barracks was mine.  

It didn't take me long to find the quad. Everything at the Institute was in impeccable order. The people who I assumed to be commanding officers stood ready to guide us to the seniors who would show us to our rooms. It wasn't difficult to spot another plebe in the mass of new students wandering through the quad. While the commanding officers surveyed the pool of energetic teenagers as they buzzed around to accomplish their assigned tasks, the upperclassmen walked around the quad with an undeniable sense of confidence and purpose, seeming to take mental notes as they watched the new students try to figure things out for themselves, until commanded by their superiors to assist us.

The plebes stood out like new-born puppies in a lion's den. Rolling suitcases of all sizes trailed behind them as they moved through the room listlessly, still visibly rattled from leaving their families. I could only imagine what I looked like.

A young-for-her-class girl, barely five feet two, with big doe eyes flicking nervously across the room. Hesitantly, I made my way further into the room, only to have my small frame arrested by a heavy hand on my shoulder. I spun to face whoever it was, feeling a little more jumpy than usual.

It was a senior, or so I thought. He was significantly taller than me, maybe six foot or so. His signature military crew cut perfectly framed his angular face, though I couldn't help but imagine what he would look like if his dark brown hair were longer. His uniform was cleanly pressed, not a single wrinkle or stain marring its pristine surface. His maroon sash fell neatly around his waist, and the buttons on the top part of his uniform were shining so brightly I had a hunch if I looked close enough I could probably see my own reflection.

He looked down at me, blue eyes sparkling as he flashed a dimpled smile and put his white glove clad hands behind his back.

"Hello miss. Which plebe is yours? Real Institute men never ask women to carry their suitcases."

For a moment, I didn't answer, a puzzled expression creeping its way to my face as I tried to decipher what he was implying.

Did he... think I was here for my boyfriend?

I was more than a little annoyed, but looking back, I pride myself on being able to hide my feelings extraordinarily well.

Instead, I returned his smile, looking up to meet his gaze. My long wavy hair fell in front of my face for a second, and I pushed it away hastily. "Actually," I chuckled, "I go here now. I just arrived by train a couple of minutes ago. I was just planning on going to my barracks."

I saw a flash of something I couldn't quite place across his features, but it was gone as soon as it came, replaced by the same cheery countenance he had before.

"So you don't have a boyfriend, then?"

Uncomfortable, I wondered why he wanted to know.

He's probably just making conversation.