Elemental Eclipse

🌻Chapter One; Part Two: Open Enrollment🌻

"Are you okay?" Griffin asks noticing her state that she quickly shook off.

"Yeah, it's just a bit overwhelming." Elidi says covering up her anxiety with a smile.

"Yeah, things like this are always a little overwhelming, but at least you're very bright." Griffin smiles.

"I uh...think my third grade teacher told me that once." Elidi frowns.

"No, I mean like inside. I can feel your energy through the ground. I felt it as soon as you stepped onto campus, actually." Griffin says, reassuringly.

"Really? What did it feel like?" Elidi asks curiously.

"Hmm. It felt like taking your first sip of a hot drink that's just cooled down. The kinda warm you get all over your body, you know?" Griffin explains.

"A hot drink? I bet you call all the girls hot drinks." Elidi teases.

"Only the ones who warm me from the inside out." Griffin smiles, letting a comfortable silence fall over the two of them before speaking again. "It gets better, you know. My first day here was awful! I didn't really know anyone at first, but I figured that thanks to my Thief scholarship, is at least I have my teammates. And then, next thing I know, I'm running naked across the lawn chasing the clothes my captain magicked to life while I was in the showers."

"That's awful!" Elidi gasps.

"My point is, that day sucked, but there isn't a single moment since then that I regret coming here." Griffin says. "Especially not now."

"Yeah...Maybe it's not the worst thing that this is where I ended up." Elidi smiles.

"One thing I've learned in my time here is that if something happens to you, good or bad, it happens for a reason." Griffin says. "I think you're meant to be here."

"Thanks." Elidi smiles. "You're probably the only one."

"I'm sure in time you'll start to think that too." Griffin smiles.

"Well, I was just on my way to the dorms, I guess, and..now I have no idea where they are." Elidi sighs.

"Don't sweat it! Griffin Langley, tour guide extraordinaire at your service. The freshmen dorms are right this way." Griffin smiles at her, as he started to walk towards buildings on the far side of campus. 

He lead her to a building labeled 'Fletchly Residence Halls'. She entered the empty dorm lobby, and an overly exited upperclassman with a clip board waved her over.

"Welcome to Penderghast! How may I assist you? Need help finding your own room?" The R.A asks.

"Um..." Elidi says biting her lip and looking around nervously.

"You can just tell me your last name and I'll point you in the right direction." The R.A says.

"Michelle." She says giving the girl her last name nervously. Her stomach was churning as the girl look over her papers.

"Here we go! Elidi Michelle, first floor, room 108. Your roomie has been checked in since this morning!" The R.A smiles and Elidi just stares at her for a moment like my names actually on the list?

As soon as she got her bearings back, she hurried down the hall towards her room number. She had never been more confused and relieved before in her life. When she arrived at the correct door she looked at it realizing there was no handle.

"Oh come on...why doesn't this place come with an instruction manual?" Elidi mumbles to herself, putting her hand against the door and only to find her hand passed right through it. The door disappeared and she walked right through with ease, the door reforming once she was through it.

"It's you again! Well, aren't I the lucky girl?" Shreya smiles coming around the corner from her room.

"Oh, right, from earlier! I kinda lost you in the dining hall." Elidi says.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I had friends waiting, and, well you know how that goes." Shreya shrugs. "I'm so pleased! I'll be a perfect roommate. I don't know what you've heard about me, but I assure you it's only partially true."

Elidi kinda felt like she was supposed to know something she didn't so she didn't say anything and just decided to look around their room.

"I was hoping my roommate would have a bit more panache in the style department, but being as trendy as me isn't easy. Well? Say something." Shreya says looking at her expectantly.

"I think you just insulted me...I'm not sure if it's something in the water here, but short dresses with color coordinated belts and shoes are more than fashion forward where I come from!" Elidi says crossing her arms.

"I don't know what you mean!" Shreya gasps at her forwardness.

Elidi plopped down on the couch burying her face in the cushions. Shreya sat in the chair across from it.

"Oh! Is this because I said your shoes look like they were made in the dark recesses of a German mineshaft?" Shreya asks.

"You didn't say that!" Elidi scoffs, angrily.

"Oops." Shreya shrugs.

"Ugh! Why did I end up with Stella!" Elidi groans.

"Stella?" Shreya asks confused.

"Yeah...from Winx Club? You're her and I'm obviously Bloom." Elidi says.

"I'm just gonna pretend like I understood anything you said." Shreya sighs.

"You said before that whatever I've heard about you is only 'partially true'." Elidi says.

"I know you're thinking about me and Fifi's tiff at the Mistry Inc.'s annual charity fashion show." Shreya sighs.

"Fifi? Mistry Inc. charity show?" Elidi asks confused.

"You know, the one with the lava rock runway? It was all over the news a month ago, not to brag." Shreya says.

"I get the feeling that if I tell you that I have no idea who you are, it's gonna be a whole thing," Elidi sighs, sitting up on the couch.

Shreya stays completely still for a moment before finally smiling painfully. "Not. At. All." She says through gritted teeth. "My Family is only the number one purveyor of enchanted objects worldwide, but why would you know that? Besides, this was the whole point! To come to college, have new experience, fly under the radar. Become the person I want to be, you know?"

"I know exactly how you feel. Honestly, that's the same thing I was hoping to get out of the college experience. Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try, nothing fits? Like the things that are going to make you happy never do?" Elidi says.

"Absolutely. It's how I felt all the time. Until I arrived here, that is." Shreya nods.

"This morning I was at this college I used to think was finally going to be my place in the world, but it very quickly became clear that it wasn't. And then I got here and, yeah, it was hard to believe, but for the first time something finally feels right. And now it's all going to be taken away." Elidi sighs.

"Taken away I don't understand. Why would-" Shreya asks confused.

She takes a deep breath before she begins to tell Shreya about her entire day up until this point.