Four Hearts

Chapter 5

"Well, go on. Open it," his uncle urges.

Zain takes off the lid to reveal a small device that was surrounded by foam. The device was black on one side, and after taking it out of the box, Zain saw that the other side was red. There were three buttons on the lightweight device and Zain was at a loss when it came to how the gift worked.

"This is your notepad," Uncle Alex explains, "You'll use it to find your way around school, get assignments and announcements, and keep in constant with your friends. Though there are still many more uses for it. Every student here gets one, and this one is all yours."

Zain stares at the device with childlike wonder. He examines every inch of the device, amazed that something that he could carry around all day would be able to do all those things. Uncle Alex chuckles and presses the button on the top of the notepad. Zain pulls back as the device lights up, showing many little icons with various descriptions written underneath.

"Now if you tap on this icon here, you'll get access to a map of the school," Uncle Alex says while pressing on a picture of a green arrow.

Instantly the device changes what Zain sees, showing him the layout of the front of the school. His name was right above a blue dot, with a red dot next to him that he assumed represented his uncle. Uncle Alex taps on an icon in the corner of the screen that was nothing more than three lines. A list of options then appeared for Zain, the top one being dorm room. This is the option that Uncle Alex clicks on, bringing the device back to the map with a green path from Zain's dot into the school ahead.

"That should bring you to your room for the next year," Uncle Alex explains. "In your room, you'll find your schedule for today and tomorrow and a book that goes into how your notepad works in more detail. Your bags will be brought to your room for you. So run along and get settled in before the others start arriving."

Zain nods after his uncle is finished speaking and begins to walk in the direction the path was leading him. Uncle Alex smiles and waves as he walks into the school. Zain stops right before entering the large building. It looked menacing; the white walls were ready to swallow him whole. Then Zain felt heat on his back. The sun was raining its light done on him. It felt more glorious than he had ever imagined. With a deep breath, Zain opens the door to his new home.

Milena
The front of the large oak doors was surrounded by people. Some reuniting with old friends. Others are trying to make new ones to avoid being alone. Milena was standing in front of them, waiting for the right moment to walk up the staircase at Ravenwood's front entrance. As she waited, Milena tried to look through the windows that decorated the walls of the mammoth of a school. However, the sunlight made it almost impossible with every view being blurred or a glare merely getting in her way. It made the school seem like a secret club. You couldn't know what it held until you entered.

As mysterious as it all was, Ravenwood reminded Milena of home. The tall towers on the corners of the building welcomed her with smiles. The rectangle building had its arms opened wide to embrace her. The freshly cut grass and bushes that lined the dirt path greeted her like family. The reminder of home brought with it the sting of her parents' words when she said goodbye. You have gone absolutely mad, they said, a comment her fiancé was quick to agree with. You don't know how hard it is out there for a girl like you, they said. You'll come crawling back soon enough, they said. You won't last the year, they continued to repeat throughout the past week. The thoughts alone made Milena go crazy.