Drew Fate

Chapter Four

Drew's red uniform reminded him of the outfits his Dad used to wear. He was absolutely fine with it, unlike the boy named Sirius he ran into when they were done in the changing rooms.

Sirius Loughty had narrow purple eyes and a constant smirk. His brown hair was so dark it was almost pitch black, but not quite. His skin was the color of milk chocolate, and he smelled like it, too. His hair had a tad bit more gel than Drew had ever used, and he kept smoothing it down, even though there wasn't a hair out of place.

"I think that this uniform thing is completely useless," Sirius complained. "At my Placement School, we didn't have a very strict dress code, much less uniforms. The color is too bright, too."

"I'm fine with it." Drew shrugged.

"You do you," Sirius replied. "Do you know any of the other dudes in our dorm?"

Drew nodded. "I know Feni. We've been friends for a while."

"Coolio, I know him too," Sirius said, plopping into a plush chair. "I hope we're almost there. I've been hiding from my sister and it's kind of hard on this ship where I can't hide anywhere."

"Who's your sister? What year is she in?"

"We're twins. Her name's Siren. I think she already put together a girl group. If you listened carefully, you could probably hear them giggling like crazy." He groaned slightly. "It's driving me crazy, bro."

Drew laughed. "My little sisters drive me crazy, too. I kinda wish I had an older brother or something.

"Oh no," Sirius chuckled. "Older brothers are just as crazy as sisters. I have two."

Drew was about to respond when someone called his name. Drew turned around and grinned when he saw Feni rushing forward, adjusting his glasses every five seconds as they slid down his freckled nose.

"Drew," Feni panted. He leaned forward, his hands on his knees. Feni had never been quite the athletic person. "Hi."

Drew laughed. "Hi Feni," he said. "Feni, this is Sirius. He's going to be in our dorm, too." Feni waved breathlessly at Sirius. "I wonder where the other two are."

The boys were quiet, then a loud voice came through the ship.

"WE WILL BE DOCKING AT FRANKLINIA ACADEMY IN FIVE MINUTES. IT'S ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE, THANKFULLY. BE READY, KIDS!"

"I'll bet that was Lady Dynastee," Feni said. "She's obsessed with the right side of everything."

"My parents told me that she only accessories the right half of her body," Sirius said. "It's weird."

A gasp sounded, and Drew rushed to a window on his right.

***

The Academy was a mix of a medieval castle, a crystal cave, and Buckingham Palace.

There were tall towers that glittered in places like it was made of sequins, and the windows all looked like stained glass ("So, it's pure jewels," Feni corrected). The towers spiraled into the sky, with colorful turrets at the tops. Each tower was higher than the one before, and together they formed a half circle above the main building.

The grounds around Franklinia were even more colorful than the school itself, with lush, bright green grass and brick paths among the flower gardens. Drew and his new friends couldn't speak for they were in such awe.

"This way, reds!" Professor Echo shouted, leading them toward the front entrance while everyone else went around the back. There were only about sixty or so kids in Drew's year, but Drew thought nothing of it.