Audaces Fortuna Iuvat • J.Grace

II.

          𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 in front of a big red stucco complex that looked to resemble a museum, just sitting in the middle of nowhere. Alecia wondered what exactly it could be a museum of. Perhaps just a museum of nowhere. Suddenly a cold wind rushed across the desert, cutting against the girl's skin. She hadn't paid much attention to her attire, but the weather had decided to draw attention to it for her. It was nothing much, just a casual dress with a hue that resembled a ruby, with a thin, leather belt tied around her waist. It sort of resembled a sort of makeshift toga. And on her feet were a pair of leather sandals that tied up her ankle. Now that she thought about it, the style felt a tad different, but she wasn't really sure what she was used to. Either way, it didn't help with the cold, but she tried her best to mask the shivering. It didn't seem to work though as Jason removed his own shield from the air and held it out to her – his windbreaker.

"I'm alright," She tried to assure him, but he didn't seem to buy into it as he held it out even closer to her, a reassuring smile tugging at his lips.

"I'll be fine, honest." He told her. She was about to deny once more, but a gust of wind decided to remind her what she would be up against without it so she gently took it from his hands and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Gratias tibi ago" she muttered to him without thinking.

"There she goes with her tongues again." Leo teased, sending a smirk their way. Seeing the confused look on Jason's face, Leo decided to play along and explain. "Y'know? Her mom was super strict, homeschooling her and all? Teaching her all these languages and like, secluding her from the outside world? She sometimes will play one over on us and say something that sounds like she's summoning a demon?" The look on both of their faces didn't drop with the explanation. What they didn't know was that Jason had actually understood her 'thank you' to him, not even really processing it as a different language as well.

"So, crash course for the amnesiacs," Leo said, changing the subject with a clap of his hands for dramatic effect. His tone sounded helpful, which sort of had the opposite result as they both didn't think it was going to be helpful. "We go to the 'Wilderness School'"- Leo made air quotes with his fingers. "Which means we're 'bad kids,' Your family, or the court, or whoever, decided you were too much trouble, so they shipped you off to this lovely prison - sorry, 'boarding school' - in Armpit, Nevada, where you learn valuable nature skills like running ten miles a day through the cacti and weaving daisies into hats! And for a special treat, we go on 'educational' field trips with Coach Hedge, who keeps order with a baseball bat. Is it all coming back to you now?"

"No." Jason and Alecia responded at the same time. Alecia glanced over at the other kids with sight apprehension: maybe twenty guys, half that many girls. Not a single one looked as if they were hardened criminals, but she couldn't help but wonder what they had all done to get sentenced to a school for delinquents and wondered why she possibly belonged with them.

Leo rolled his eyes. "You two are really gonna play this out, huh? Okay, so the four of us started here together this semester. We're totally tight. You both do everything I say and give me your desserts and do my chores-"

"Leo!" Piper snapped at him. 

"Fine. Ignore that last part. But we are friends. Well, Piper has been trying for a little more than your friend, the last few weeks-"

"Leo, stop it!" Piper's face flashed red once again and Jason's face followed suit. Alecia cocked her head to the side some, watching their reactions carefully. It was curious. She knew that Jason and her have not met either Piper or Leo before today, yet, in their minds and memories, they had a bond, even going as far as Piper seeming to have sort of an affection for Jason. There was something strange at play here and she didn't even know where to begin to find out what. "They've got amnesia or something. We've got to tell someone," Piper said, changing the topic.