Gifted

Chapter Twelve

Max

I walked into the cool air-conditioned office, glad to be out of sight of everyone outside. I stood in the doorway gazing over the small room. The walls were brown and there were an assortment of plants could spotted all around. In front of me there was a little wooden desk and sitting behind it a stout woman.

I hesitantly walked up to the desk. The woman had thin brown hair and laugh lines. She seemed to be in her late thirties and her eyes when she looked up were honey brown. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun making her look tired and older.

"Well hello," she said smiling. I gave her the best smile I could manage.

"Hi um it's my first day here and I was told that I needed to check in?" The women's smile became bigger as I talked.

"Yes of course, what's your name dear?" She looked down at her desk and shuffled through some papers. I noticed that the name tag on her blouse said her name was Bernie.

"Max Lennon," I answered. She looked up at me in surprise for a second then shook her head and shuffled through some papers. When she found the ones she needed her eyes were back on me.

"Lennon?" She asked her voice going quite. Bernie looked startled and I began to feel uncomfortable. I nodded in reply crossing my arms, nerves twisting my stomach into a tight knot. Bernie's eyes were wide and her mouth was agape. "As in the daughter of James and Emma Lennon?" I nodded again. She still looked shocked but not wanting to seem rude she shook it off and her warm smile returned. "Well Max we're glad to have you here." I managed a slight uneasy smile.

She handed me the papers and came and stood by me in front of the desk. Pointing at the first sheet in my hand. At the top it said dorm assignment and she explained, "This is your dorm assignment. It says what dorm you are in right here," she pointed to the corner of the paper. "You'll find the door to the girl's dorm just over there." Now she pointed to a set of numbers telling me my dorm was number twenty-three. Then out the window indicating I would have to turn a little ways to get there.

She moved on to the second paper in my hand. "This one is your schedule, which you will start tomorrow. Then..." she said walking over to the closet near her desk. She pulled out a cute black book bag that was bulging with books and other supplies and brought it over to me. "This is now yours, it contains everything you need for your classes. That's about it, if you need any help you can always ask me." I smiled and thanked her. I was just about out the door when she called back, "oh I almost forgot! When the bell rings we will be having an assembly in the gym, to get there just follow the crowd of kids ok?" I told her I understood and walked out the door.

I followed Bernie's directions and turned the corner where she said the girl's dorm rooms were. I was half way to the door ahead of me when I could just make out the faded words spelling girl's dorm rooms. I let out a sigh of relief, happy I had found the right door. I didn't want to have to walk back to the office and face the people who were staring at me.

I pushed the door open and it creaked with the sound of old wood and metal. I hurried in, eager to get out of sight. I found myself in a long hallway stepping on a long red, formal looking rug. On each side of me were rounded doors that went all the way down the long hall until it spit at the end. The hall was dim but seemed clean. I made my way down, taking care to read each worn gold number on the rounded doors I passed.

It didn't take too long to find number twenty-three and when I did I barged right in. I froze half in shock and half in embarrassment. Sitting on a bed on the right side of the wall was a dark startled looking girl. Her eyes were wide and I could feel my cheeks start to warm.

"I am so sorry. I must have read the paper wrong I thought this was my room." my words came out all at once as the girl got out of her shocked state and shook her head.

"It's alright, you just startled me," she got up and walked over to me.

"I'm sorry," I apologized again. The girl took the papers from my hand and looked at my dorm assignment. Shaking her head she laughed.

"Don't be, you're supposed to be here. Seems like you're my new roommate, I've been expecting you ever since your stuff arrived." I let out a sigh of relief as she handed me my papers back. I looked the girl over. She had light caramel skin and curly dark brown hair. She was about two inches taller then I with a slight figure and had glittering dark brown eyes.

I took a long look around and noticed that indeed my stuff was here on one half of the room. On each side was identical beds pressed against each wall. The one on the left had my blanket and pillows laying on top. Between the beds was a long but short book shelf, on the left were all my books lined up inside. The room seemed to have no windows, and from where I stood I could see there was a small bathroom with the door ajar. The room was spacious and beside the door was a huge closet that took up most of the wall. It had a gorgeous sliding wooden door, and I could just make out some of my clothes in it.

"I was wondering when you were going to arrive." The girl was saying. She looked at me curiously, "You ok? You looked shocked." I turned to my new roommate and smiled. She had crossed her arms and was looking at me up and down.

"I am," I answered. The girl raised her eyebrows and gave me a bemused smile. She walked back to her bed on the right and plopped down.

"What about?" Her voice was full of curiosity as she looked at her long nails. I walked over to what was now my bed and sat down, setting my new book bag beside me. I ran my hands over the comforting feel of my soft dark blue blanket. It smelt like home and seeing the familiar golden sun and stars on it I couldn't help but smile.

"This," I whispered. Things were starting to seem a lot better. I didn't know if it was the fact all my stuff was here or if it was the feeling of security that seemed to flow through the air. "I'm shocked everything is here, and all in place," I explained. The girl's smile brightened.

"So you're new to the whole magic thing huh?" she asked. "I'm Charity by the way, Charity Smith." She got off her bed again and held out her hand to me and I shook it.

"I'm Max Lennon," I returned her smile then looked around again. At that moment there came a loud buzzing that filled the room, causing me to jump making Charity chuckle.

"That's the intercom, it does that when someone's about to come on," she explained. The buzzing went on for a bit longer when a voice came on.

"Attention all students. This is Principle Willa speaking, we are having an assembly today as soon as the bell rings. This assembly will be welcoming all new students to our wonderful school. I expect everyone to be there." There was a moment of silence after she hung up and the buzzing stopped as quickly as it had come and I was glad of it. I looked over at Charity and she rolled her eyes.

"What?" I asked. She shrugged looking bored.

"Nothing it's just these assemblies are beyond boring." I nodded as if I understood, understanding that I didn't Charity laughed. I laughed along with her and felt a bond pass through us. "I think this is a start of a good friendship Max Lennon," I smiled. I hope so, I thought. I was going to need a friend to get through this.

"I'm glad," I admitted.

"I bet," she crossed her arms when the bell rang. "Well that's the bell, ready to go?" Charity nodded towards the door and I smiled once more. Making a friend on the first day here was a big plus.

"Yeah lets go," I answered.