Audaces Fortuna Iuvat • J.Grace

I.

        𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐩 on the school bus, she knew exactly what a school bus was. It was an odd thing to focus on, but she felt as if she didn't know how she knew it was a school bus. She just did. Then again, why wouldn't she know? It was all very confusing and the pounding against her skull didn't help much in the slightest. It felt like she had woken up from being knocked unconscious, having missed what felt like a life-time of events, mainly because there was a lifetime she didn't remember. She knew her name – Well, her first name – and that was about it. Yet there was something that bloomed in her chest as she glanced around. She knew she didn't belong here, wherever here was.

Next to her was a boy. His head was covered in blonde close-cropped strands of hair and his skin was the slightest bit darker as if he had tanned. He was close enough to be able to make out an indentation in his upper lip. It was a scar. His eyes were closed in a state of a peaceful sleep with his head lulled to the side just slightly. Everything about him, even the shade of purple of his shirt, seemed familiar like she was supposed to recognize him, but, at the same time wasn't. Again, confusing.

Upon looking around more, she took notice of a few dozen kids that were sprawled out in the seats in front of them, playing with their devices, talking to their acquaintances, or sleeping. Each one of them looked to be around the same age range as her so about...how old was she? Fifteen? Or was it sixteen? The thought of not even knowing her own age did not help with the uneasiness stirring around inside of her.

It took a few extra moments to notice that the boy had finally woken up and was staring at her with squinted eyes that swam with confusion, flusteredness, and what seemed to be a sort of recognition? It seemed to be the same way she studied him just a minute ago.

"Do I...know you?" He inquired as if he was trying to pinpoint something. Like when you know a word but can't remember what it is and it nags at you until you remember it. Before Alecia could answer though, a new voice spoke up.

"Jason, you okay?" It was a girl, one that was sitting in the seat in front of them. She had leaned back to ask her question, clearly directing it at the boy as her name was not Jason. In fact, the girl had only spared her a small glance before focusing on the blonde. The ginger couldn't exactly tell what she was wearing as the seat blocked her view, but she could see her chocolate brown hair was cut choppy and uneven, with thin strands braided down the sides. She adorned no makeup on any of her features like she was trying not to draw attention to herself, but it didn't seem to work as she was a natural beauty. Alecia could sort of sympathize with that. She wasn't one for cosmetics either, but for a different reason. She couldn't exactly remember anything besides it just being unconventional. Then there were the girl's eyes. They seemed to change color, not unlike a kaleidoscope - brown, blue, and green.

The Jason boy leaned back away from her as if he was taking in something. "Um, I don't-" He stuttered before his voice was drowned out by another that stemmed from the front of the bus in a loud shout.

"All right, cupcakes, listen up!" The guy was obviously a sort of coach. His baseball cap was pulled low over his hair, so you could just see his beady eyes. He had a wispy goatee and a sour face like he had eaten something that had ended up being covered in mold. His buff arms and chest pushed out against a bright orange polo shirt and his nylon workout pants and Nikes were a spotless white. From his neck hung a whistle and a megaphone from his belt. If he hadn't been a whopping five feet zero, he would've looked quite intimidating. Again, Alecia felt as if she shouldn't have known what at least half of those things were.

"Stand up, Coach Hedge." someone shouted.

"I heard that!" The coach scanned the bus for the offender only to have his eyes become fixed on Alecia, for some reason leaving his scowl to deepen. Something told the girl that the coach knew she didn't belong there. Glancing over to the blonde, she realized that he was receiving the same glance. Perhaps he was in the same boat as her. Regardless, she was slightly anxious that the coach was going to call them out, demanding to know what they were doing on the bus - and she wouldn't have a clue what to say. Maybe he knew more than her.