I jump a little and glance to my right casually, because I'm pretty sure that voice was addressing someone else.
Unfortunately, the girl closest to me is now even closer and staring at me expectantly. She's Asian, short, and really skinny, with straight black hair and enormous black glasses.
I glance around real quick, praying she's trying to talk to someone else.
Nope. She's definitely asking me my name.
"Uh, Lyric." I attempt a smile. "Lyric Hart."
"Hi, Lyric." She's buzzing with too much enthusiasm, her eyes wide and shining. "Your parents graduate from Gaia House? Did you attend the yearly Earth Magick banquets? I don't remember you..."
"Um... Gaia?"
She glances above us, and for the first time, I notice the banner hanging there, seemingly suspended in mid-air. It's emerald green, with a geometric symbol on it. Above the kids at the far end of these bleachers, there's another banner, turquoise with a geometric symbol. Across from us, above the opposite set of bleachers, there's a light blue banner and a red one as well.
Vivian needs some kind of answer, so I smile and nod.
"You went to the banquet every year?" She looks confused.
"Mm-hmm." I wish she'd stop talking to me.
But at least I now know that Gaia House equals Earth Magick. Didn't I see that on the first Academy invitation I opened? Crap, I can't remember what the other "Houses" were called.
"I can't believe we never met!" Vivian drops her voice to a whisper and furtively gestures at someone on the bleachers below us. "Have you ever been to one of their get-togethers?"
I think she's pointing to the group of kids just below us. They're chattering away and laughing, and my stomach twists itself into knots just looking at them. Every kid in the group is more beautiful than the rest of us. And better dressed too.
"Have you met Jazmin Takei?" Vivian asks, still looking at the group. "I was invited to a Guardian Gaia ball once at ArchGuardian Takei's house in Tokyo."
Vivian's staring at me. Waiting for me to take the bait and act impressed.
I look at the group again, guessing that Jazmin's the Asian girl.
"Wow, a ball." I'm trying to sound like I care. "So how was that?"
"So amazing." Vivian says, almost wistfully. "They always party like royalty, because, well... so many of them are."
"Yeah."
"I'm gonna graduate a Guardian," she says in a low voice, leaning closer. "So I'll be going to those parties all the time."
"I bet you will."
Oops, I think that came across as accidentally snarky, because Vivian stiffens up and looks hurt.
"Your parents are Cerberus, right?" She scans my outfit and nods to herself without waiting for my response. "I know what you're thinking. I know it's rare for a kid with Cerberus parents to graduate a Guardian, but I swear... I'm doing it. I'm gonna graduate Gaia as a Guardian, and I don't care what it takes." She lets out a sigh. "They have the life."
She's staring at that group of popular kids again with open longing on her face.
Oh, jeez.
Vivian perks up with excitement again and nudges me. "I can't believe Caelum Westgard's in our class."
I think she's referring to one of the boys below, who has just turned around and is talking to someone on the bench above him. My heart does a little flutter as I glimpse his handsome face. Tan skin, light brown hair, high cheekbones, and a strong jawline. Damn, he's good looking, even from afar.
His coloring reminds me of Jason, a little, and I flush and look down at my hands.
I am so not here for guys.
And I'm not gonna let myself think about Jason... and everything that happened. Not here. Not now.
"It's insane, all those stories about him. Unbelievable!" Vivian sounds scandalized and is staring at me like I'm supposed to be up on the Caelum gossip.
"Ooooh, boy." I shake my head. "That Caelum. Wow."
"I know, right?" Her voice is a whisper again. "All those kidnappings and murders? That whole thing was in-sane."
Wait, what? My brows go up, and I'm interested even though I don't really wanna be. "Uh—I don't really remember that whole story..."
"Are you for real?" She leans so close, I can smell her flowery perfume. "Well—"
Music begins to echo through the gymnasium, and the clear dome above our heads darkens. Everyone falls instantly silent. Warm lights flare on, aimed at the far wall to our left, and the wall begins to move, revealing a stage beyond.
Thank God.
Orientation has finally begun.
There's a podium with a microphone on the stage, and beside that, there're four chairs. As the lights turn up to illuminate the stage, the music gets louder. It sounds kind of old-fashioned, like a symphony from hundreds of years ago.
Five banners are strung up above the stage. Four of them match the ones above the bleachers, but I haven't seen the fifth one before. It's deep purple, with a golden geometric symbol emblazoned on it.
Two women appear on the left side of the stage, and two men walk on from the right. They're older adults in robes that match the colors on the first four banners, and they converge in the center, standing in front of the waiting chairs.
One of them, an Indian woman in turquoise, raises a hand, and every single student rises.
I belatedly jump to my feet too, just in time to see another woman walk onto the stage. She's dressed in an outfit reminiscent of what Chloe was wearing, except fancier. She's got on a navy dress with three-quarter sleeves that buttons up to her throat.
As she steps up to the podium, a screen lights up on the wall behind her. It's a live video close-up so we can all see her better. There's a gold Metatron's Cube pinned over her heart, and her brown hair is shot through with blond highlights, piled high on her head in a fancy updo. Her full red lips part, and she breaks into a smile, flashing vivid white teeth. She looks like a freakin' supermodel, and I can't tell if she's thirty or fifty.
She nods to the other people on stage, and they take their seats. I want to sit down too, because all my muscles are still achy from yesterday, but the students remain standing.
"Good Morning!" supermodel lady says into the microphone.
"Good Morning, ArchGuardian," the whole room roars, and I pretend to mouth the words too.
"I'm Chancellor ArchGuardian Visconti, and I'm here to welcome you to Atlantis Academy. I hope you're all ready for the Entrance Trials."
Nervous laughter twitters through the gymnasium, and my stomach flips.
"Don't worry," the chancellor continues in a friendly tone. "You'll have time to prepare. We'll make sure you're ready to succeed here." She pauses, clearly waiting for silence, and the nervous whispers fade.
"Children of Atlantis! Let us take a moment to remember the story of our origins." She sweeps her gaze across both bleachers, seemingly pausing for effect.
And that effect gives off a strong church vibe if you ask me. All the kids around me are very still, very silent, and very serious all of a sudden.
"Let us remember!" she cries.
"Let us remember," everyone around me murmurs.
Yikes. Maybe I wasn't far off on the whole cultidea. What are we remembering?