X and X

I'm feeling a little blue, and looking it too

"...and since the teacher has requested you do not return for the rest of the lesson, we can start our private tutoring." Miss Kerr pulls out her datapad and fiddles with it while a try in vain to rub some of the blue dye on my fingers. Sky jiggles beside me, obliviously happy to be in my presence once again. I scowl up at him through my stained hair, he beams back brighter and I turn away, ignoring him completely.

"That would be great, where do we start, Miss Kerr?"

"I suppose we start with the basics, and please, while we're here, call me Miranda."

"Miranda," I roll her name around in my mouth, trying it out. "What do you mean by 'basics'?"

"Well I think we should start right at the beginning, when Sienna Muir made the first ever ROM."

______

"What happened to you?" Amy can barely speak as she gasps with laughter. My scowl deepens as I storm past her, giving the other girls a warning glance.

"Sky happened," I reply huffily, to which he lumbers over.

"Yes? What do you need Ariana?"

"Nothing, I need nothing." I snap in frustration, he'd been asking me that all day. Standing outside the dark, brooding warehouse I stare up at the blackened windows and cracked walls. "It's a real eyesore, that's for sure."

"It'll need a lot of work," Aishani said slowly, "but with work it will be amazing." I couldn't help but agree, the style was perfect for the company. It had creamy brown bricks and red tiled roofs, plenty of large windows surrounded by green and three industrial chimneys. The front patio wasn't big enough to accommodate tables but could allow people to stand there.

"This doesn't look like a factory," I murmur in awe, making my way up onto the beautiful wooden steps.

"It was originally meant to be the home for a historian, who was obsessed with ancient Sussex Mansion designs, she died before it was finished however and was left for three years before my Father came along and fixed the place up." Aishani replies, unlocking the door with a giant brass key.

"How much did it cost for your Father to have a replica key in brass?" I ask, shocked that the precious material went into something so trivial, I don't think I'd ever seen a real key before.

"Too much," she laughs, pushing the double door open to reveal a beautiful foyer, the walls on the entire level had been removed leaving a huge, open and airy space. The floor was a dull, dusty red and the creamy pink walls were stained and dirty. A staircase on one side led to the upstairs area and stray pieces of machinery littered the room, the giant fire place on the other side of the room was blackened with use while doors directly across the room from me led to a larger patio and grassy backyard.

"Wow, this is stunning," I hadn't seen anything like this out of a history lesson and it felt surreal.

"Yeah, with a good spruce up this place would be sweet!" Amy cries, running across to fling open the patio doors. Unfortunately they weren't made of the strengthened glass we were used to and after years of battling the harsh weather conditions they were fragile, and they shatter when they bang open. Glittering flecks of light tinkle as they hit the wood and we watch in fascination.

"I never thought glass would make such a pretty sound," Yuka breathes, brown eyes wide.

"Neither did I, but that's going to be a killer to replace," Aishani groans, Amy grins sheepishly before gesturing Sky over.

"Come help me clean up, you good for nothing hunk of testosterone." He glances uncertainly at me but I wave a dismissive hand, offering the blue skinned freak a smile.