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

Andromeda

Chapter Nine: Andromeda

Exhausted, Andi sat down on her new bed. It was a little springy and stiff, but it would do. Both the barracks, she had noticed, seemed archaic, but Andi didn't mind; historic architecture interested her.
She had enjoyed the plane ride, especially when they had a New Year's Eve celebration, but it was nice to have both feet firmly planted on the ground.

Her plane had only touched down about two hours ago when she and the rest of the students got a quick rundown of how tonight was going to go from some man in a uniform called Mr. Klick. After being fed some midnight snacks and hot chocolate (although Andi would have preferred coffee) they were all led to their barracks, where Andi finally found her room on the 7th floor at the end of a hall. Her name and another girl named Layla DeStone were written in big, curvy letters on her door. Andi had dragged her luggage onto her bed and made sure she had every necessary item. Toothbrush, bed-set, pajamas, towel, swimsuit...

Suddenly the door burst open, and entered the most stunning girl Andi had ever seen. She had brown curls, piercing green eyes, and tan skin; she looked like the Cherokee Indian women Andi had always read about.
Sticking out her hand stiffly, she said, "Hello. My name is Andromeda Lovelace, although I'm sure you already knew that with our names on the door."
Her roommate, Layla, smiled slightly. "Your name was on my letter too." She glanced around the room and added, "Not much nicer than my old room, but we can make it homey of course."
Andi could agree, it wasn't the most welcoming and updated of places, but still, it was more interesting than her orphanage.
Layla spoke up again, saying, "I'm from Sector 7."
"Sector 4," said Andi, stifling a yawn.
Layla glanced at her watch. "Wow, it's already 2am and I still have plenty left to do. The other planes haven't even arrived yet; I sure don't envy them. Although I bet they're still having fun, celebrating New Years. I'm assuming you all had a party as well?"

Andi folded the last of her sweaters as she said,"Oh yes, it was quite decorous of the Academy to do such a thing for us."
"Decorous?" Layla said with a puzzled look.
"Oh, sorry, nice of them, I mean," Andi answered in a slightly superior tone.
"Yeah, they seem decent enough, the people running this place. Don't you think?"
Andi thought back to Mr. Klick's authoritative yet calm tone and Instructor Lynn's kind smile. "They seem to be," she told Layla. "We will have to make that determination as time passes, though. Apparently we are supposed to unpack and set up our room tomorrow and then at 1pm we're all having a big meeting over lunch, back in the Dining Hall. All the details are very vague. Surely they will clear everything up tomorrow," said Andi assuringly.

Layla looked around the room dejectedly, saying, "Whatever, I'm too tired to even worry about it. I better start unpacking and at least make my bed."
"Would you appreciate additional help?"
"That would be great," Layla told her.
Both girls pulled out Layla's sheets from her bag, a light sherbet colored pink with yellow daises on them, in hard contrast to Andi's white cotton ones, with,
"Are those algorithms and equations written on your bed sheets?" Layla questioned the other girl.
Andi looked fondly at them. "Indeed. The head of my orphanage sewed the sheets herself and gave them to me as a Christmas present. Don't ask me where she got the material though, she would never tell me."
"Well, that's... neat," Layla replied.
Andi sensed that her new roommate thought they were something other than neat, but decided it was best to let the person who she'd be spending the next four years with get to know that she was different from the start. Together they stretched the sheets over the springy and solid mattress. Layla smiled in thanks as Andi laid back on her new bed, taking in her room one more time.

It was decent enough; there were two closets, two desks, two small dressers for extra storage, and a trashcan. A window was in the center of the back wall, slightly covered in ivy, but other than that everything was made of cement blocks, including the floor. She went to peer out the window, but all she could see was darkness between the numerous leaves.