[COMPLETED] The Academy For Genetically Gifted Children Book One: Genesis

Orion

Chapter Eight: Orion

Director Perrez was really getting on Rion's nerves.
First he scares the wretched mess out of me with the "sent home" and "serious challenges" and "less and less students returning" business, and now this guy is a liar too? Just wonderful. We'll be learning under this man for the next four years— possibly more. This was all running through his head when he finally found Annie, all the way by seats 5 with some other kids.
"Hey, Annie! I have a quick question," he shouted at her over the music.
She turned towards him. "Yeah sure, what's up?" she hollered back.
"When you got your acceptance letter, did a man deliver it to you?"
A funny look crossed her face. "Uh yes, the post man silly," she replied with a giggle.
Rion, exasperated, shouted over the music, "No, no, like a man in a suit!"
Suddenly everyone around them turned towards Rion.
A boy, short and pudgy with rosy cheeks gave him a skeptical look. "What do you mean a man in a suit? Did someone in a suit give you your letter? Because no one else got some fancy man to deliver right to their doorstep."
"Uh— no, I just had heard some rumors... that's all," Rion answered. He didn't want to start anything with this kid, he needed to at least act like the leader everyone told him he was and set a good example.
Annie, sensing that Rion needed some back up, quickly came up with a lie and said, "Yeah, Rion told me he got a letter in the mail earlier. Just like everyone else. He was just curious, Marcus. "
"Yeah, just like everyone else," Rion echoed her.
Seeming satisfied, Marcus nodded and turned back to his friends.
After murmuring a quick thanks to Annie, Rion returned back to his seat and quickly told Layla everything that had happened, making sure to include the troublesome boy he met.
"Ew, that Marcus kid sounds down right awful. I can't stand people like that." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Oh well forget about him, I'm not even worried about it. He didn't look like he could amount to much."
"I suppose you're right," replied Layla.
As soon as the last word had escaped from Layla's mouth, the plane suddenly started lurching and shaking. The huge aircraft sounded as if it were groaning. Layla and Rion both glanced out the window; the wings of the plane were jittery as if tiny tremors were coursing through it.
What in the New Nation is going on? Rion wondered.
Kids that were standing in the aisle went sprawling everywhere and people screamed as they were hit with luggage that busted out of its compartments. The music wasn't even audible over the noise of everything.
Rion looked to Layla, but she was no longer looking out the window—her figure was slumped forward on the seat in front of her, unconscious. Rion moved towards her, his first instinct to buckle her up, as one of the flight attendants came on overhead, yelling, "Everyone please be seated immediately and fasten your seat belts! We have run into highly unexpected turbulence. Again, head to your seats immediately and put on your seat belts."

Kids quickly began scrambling everywhere, trying to get into any seat they could find. Out of the corner of his eye Rion saw a small girl get knocked down in the hectic mess. He finally snapped in Layla's seat buckle and moved to reach the fallen girl. Even with the constant shaking of the plane he managed to help her to her feet and then into a nearby seat. Too terrified to say anything, the girl weakly smiled her thanks.
In Rion's effort to get back to his own seat, the plane suddenly stopped it's intense jostling. The deafening creaking of the wings ceased. The flight attendants immediately grabbed any stray luggage and made sure every student was okay.
Rion shook Layla awake. "You okay?"
"Ugh... what happened?" she asked groggily.
"The plane hit some rough turbulence, you passed out. It's okay though, it didn't last too long."
Layla's cheeks turned red as she replied, "Oh—okay thanks. I don't normally faint at things you know. Planes and me just don't agree very much."
Though Rion didn't know Layla well, he could tell she wasn't normally a sheepish kind of girl. She seemed outgoing and chatty, so her quiet behavior at the moment told him that she was still a bit shaken up.
He only laughed though and said, "I won't tell a soul."
Luckily there were only some minor injuries from the turbulence, a few bloody cuts and bruises, and everyone's luggage was found and placed back in the correct overhead compartment. After everything that had happened the students no longer felt like celebrating, but taking a nap.
Annie returned to her seat, saying, "Ugh, I feel like I was put through a meat grinder. Glad to see you guys are okay."
"You as well," both Layla and Rion replied.
Quickly all three fell asleep, along with almost everyone else on the plane.