You Only Live Twice

XXIII

When she saw Olivia calmly approaching her tan face broke into a beaming grin. Her maroon hair was combed neatly and sat straight and smooth as silk.

"Hello there! I'm Sienna Faye, sixth year at Alexandreia and secretary of the student body. I will be your group leader for your first year!" Her orange eyes shone proudly. Her features were beautifully defined and slim, her skin shined beneath the sun and the beauty mark under her right eye crinkled when she smiled.

A few other kids had joined as she was introducing herself, a messy, bored looking green haired boy along with another more serious and neat looking gray haired one came and stood beside her. The timid girl she'd sat next to on the bench was there too, her magenta hair tied into twin braids. Her round features and pink dusted cheeks gave her an innocent and shy aura but other then that she was mostly indistinguishable.

A familiar haughty teal and pigtailed hair strutted her way toward them and stood on the other side of Olivia from the rest of the group. Sienna introduced herself again.

This continued for the next three students that arrived, blonde twin sisters and a small ginger boy with freckles on very visible patch of skin Olivia could see.

Once Sienna finished the head count they began the tour.

"Lady Auclair, it's been quite a while I'm not sure you remember me?" Fifteen minutes into the tour as they were walking past the schools smaller courtyard, around the size of a tennis court, the teal haired girl came up to her.

Olivia stared at the girl for a moment, it was true she looked familiar but Olivia couldn't quite place where she'd seen her before.

"Ah...yes, it has been a minute Lady..." Olivia trialed off searching her brain for a name. The girl laughed.

"It's alright Lady Auclair. It was quite some years ago. My name is Cassidy Davies. We met at the nobles ball at the imperials palace when we were small children." Cassidy spoke in such a peculiar way, an accent used by the older noble woman, though it sounded silly with her girlish voice.

"Ah!" Cassidy Davies. Olivia does remember her. Her and her two friends had approached her all those years ago when she was looking for Amos' tower. "Lady Davies. Yes, I do remember you now. You'll have to forgive me, I don't have the best memory." Olivia said politely.

Cassidy waved a gloved hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it, I don't blame you, it took me quite a minute to recognize you as well! I'd almost completely forgotten about you! There isn't much that sticks out if you know what I mean. No offense." She said sweetly and smirked.

Olivia chuckled awkwardly, she did not have the time to deal with petty little girls today. "None taken."

"Anyway, my offer from back then still stands. I'd still be willingly to be friends today. As I said before, girls of our stature need to stick together." She smiled then gestured around them, "Especially in a place like this with no class."

Olivia looked at Cassidy confused before Sienna stepped in.

"Ah-ah-ah Lady Davies!" Sienna tutted good naturedly, "Every student, staff, and guest on Alexandreia's grounds are treated and referred to as equals!"

"If you worked your way into this school as everyone else did then you've earned your rightful place among your peers! No one will be treated specially or differently simply because of blood, so pulling rank while on the academy's campus won't get you anywhere but the headmasters office!" Sienna smiled and continued her job pointing out a broken statue of a mermaid covered in vines on the lake.

"She's correct." The girls jumped when a sudden voice sounded from behind them. "Alexandreia college is a place for scholars and up coming magicians. Trying to put others down who worked their hardest and proved their skill is pathetic and distasteful." The serious gray haired boy Olivia recognized from the Grand Hall adjusted the glasses on his face. "I am Augustus Driscoll. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." He nodded at them.

"Olivia Auclair." Cassidy simply tutted and looked at him in displeasure.

The unkempt green haired boy groaned and walked into Olivia's peripheral vision. His dress shirt was hastily tucked into his pants, wrinkled and partly still hanging out over his belt.

"Geez Auggie, you need to loosen up a little. It's why you're barely thirteen and already have a whole head of gray hair. Don't need wrinkles too." He smiled cheekily. Augustus clicked his tongue in irritation.

His face twitched in an attempt to keep the carefully crafted blank expression, "For the last time. It is my natural hair color, Leif. And do not call me Auggie." He spoke slowly and spat the nickname out like poison.

The boy, Leif, simply shrugged and turned his attention to the two girls. "Name's Leif Driscoll. Pleasure to meetcha'" He grinned.

"Driscoll?" Cassidy said and glanced at Augustus, "You are brothers?"

"Yup." Leif said popping the 'p'.

"Half. We share separate mothers." Augustus said curtly.

"Really..." Olivia said wonderingly.

Cassidy sighed aggressively from Olivia's side where she could just barely hear the irritated mumbling of the girl, "...knew I should've studied abroad.." She stomped ahead of them.