Camila wakes up bright and early the next morning to the sound of snoring. Light invades her eyes and she blinks a few times, looking around her to figure out where she is.
Ariana is asleep on the floor next to her, one of her hands still resting on the bed. The smaller girl has made a habit of falling off of the bed at night, which is why she banished herself to the top bunk with railings.
The laptop in front of her is still open, but dead. The two girls had fallen asleep after the second Nicholas Sparks movie they watched. (Not Camila's choice.)
The small girl rolls over to check her phone, groaning when she realizes they only have half an hour until the initiation ceremony starts. She quickly reaches off the bed to shake Ariana awake, who jolts up with wide eyes.
"Get ready," Camila yawns, rolling onto her back.
Ariana hops up to her feet as if she didn't just sleep a full eight hours. 'The early bird gets the worm' is practically her best friend's motto in life. Camila envies that about her.
Can I borrow your green sweater?
Camila sits up and wipes her eyes, watching as the brown eyed girl searches through their shared closet. "Yeah, sure, whatever," she mumbles, grabbing the first hoodie she can find and disappearing into the bathroom.
Wait, no. That's too tacky. What about the red cardigan? You know, the one with the buttons?
"Sure," Camila replies through the door as she sheds her clothing and steps into the shower. Just as the hot water hits her back, her friend's voice reappears in her head.
(Perks of having a telepathic friend – you can't escape them.)
Don't you own any pastels? I mean, this button up is cute and all, but it doesn't go with anything. It's too dark... and if I wear my white jeans I'll look completely s—
"What about your pink sweater with the stripes?" Camila calls from inside the shower, her voice echoing throughout the small dorm. She hears Ariana gasp from the other side of the door and rolls her eyes humorously.
You're a genius! Okay, what about my hair, though? I want to wear my necklace with the triangles, but if I wear my hair down you won't even be able to see it.
"Don't you mean my necklace?" Camila calls as she works her shampoo through her hair. Quick showers have become her thing since she began staying up later.
Your necklace, my necklace, what's the difference? The real problem here is what I'm going to do with my hair.
"Ari, it's a ton of little kids, they're not going to judge you for how you look," Camila flips her head upside down and works her fingers through the tangles in her hair.
You never know. Dinah says that sometimes there's kids our age in the c—fuck!
Camila giggles to herself when she realizes that her friend has stubbed her toe on the corner of the dresser once again.
"And you're really going to believe Dinah?" the brown eyed girl calls as she rinses the last of the shampoo out of her wavy brown hair. She hears Ariana's footsteps pause as she contemplates this.
I don't know. That doesn't matter, Camila. My hair!
Camila sighs and shakes her head, stepping out of the shower and flipping her hair up into a towel. If she hadn't known any better, she would have assumed that the olive skinned girl in the other room was incredibly self centered. Luckily, Camila has known Ariana for long enough to know that it's actually the complete opposite.
Her best friend doesn't have her words to aid her, so instead she relies on her appearance. Camila knows this. All Ariana wanted was for people to like her, so she wore herself out by spending hours picking out outfits and putting on makeup. It was her way of trying to fit in.
(Plus, being able to hear everything people thought about you doesn't really help.)
"Just calm down," Camila sighs, drying herself off and slipping into the jeans and charcoal grey hoodie she'd brought with her. "You can come in now, by the way."
Moments later, Ariana appears in the doorway, hurrying over to the mirror to assess her hair situation. Camila watches out of the corner of her eye as the girl runs her hands through her caramel colored hair and sighs heavily.
"Give me a brush," Camila gives in, holding out her hand. Ariana looks at her friend and smiles thankfully, watching as Camila grabs her brush and moves behind her to brush out her hair.
I wonder what my wand is going to look like. Ariana gushes. Camila laughs because she can see the excitement in her friend's face. She hopes the smaller girl isn't disappointed.
"Do you think they'll give me a wand even though I don't have my specialty?" Camila asks, letting her curiosity get the best of her for a moment. Ariana studies her friend's expression through the mirror as Camila begins a French braid down the back of her hair.
Probably. I mean, it's not like you need a specialty to have a wand. You can still use it for other stuff, right?
"Right," Camila whispers under her breath, hoping her friend was right. She didn't need to feel left out again. She'd had enough of that to last her a lifetime.
"All done," Camila gives her friend a soft smile and ties off the end of her braid. Ariana smiles widely and gives her a tight hug before disappearing back into the other room to finish getting dressed. Camila laughs softly.
The brown eyed girl now turns to her own reflection, brushing out her damp hair and quickly braiding her hair into two pigtails. She doesn't even glance at herself one last time, she simply pulls her hood over her head and tugs on her black combat boots. Ariana looks her up and down once she reappears from the bathroom.
What is with you and your hatred of anything colorful?
"I like blending in," Camila shrugs. She retrieves her glasses from the bedside table, carefully adjusting them on her face and blinking a few times as everything becomes clearer.
Ready? Ariana asks, standing on her tiptoes to peer out the window and watch as some of the other students begin to emerge from their cabins. Dinah seems to have the same idea as Camila, clad in a maroon hoodie and sweatpants.
Just as Ariana opens the door and waits for Camila to follow her, the cabin across from her opens and Ally appears. Both girls watch as the student holds her fingers between her lips and whistles a high-pitched whistle.
And them moments later, as if it's magic (which it is), there's a rustling in the bushes behind their cabin and a crimson colored blur whizzes past them. Both girls stumble a few steps backward and watch as the fox weaves around Ally's feet excitedly.
The older girl smiles widely and heaves a bag off of her shoulder. She opens it and dumps its contents onto a ground. An entire roast chicken.
Bending down, the girl runs her fingers through the fox's fur and carefully lifts up each of his paws, making sure he's healthy. And then she nods once, and the fox snatches the chicken before scurrying back into the woods.
When Ally stands back up, she notices the wide eyes of the two girls across the courtyard. She laughs, offering them a shy wave.
"Excited to see the new students?" Ally asks, jogging over to join the two other girls. Ariana glances at Camila for a response.
"Not really," Camila shrugs, kicking a pebble. "I've seen enough five year olds to last me a lifetime."
Hey! I'm excited.
"Ariana's excited though," Camila adds, glancing at Ariana who gives her a thankful smile.
"Hey, you never know who's going to show up," Ally shrugs. "It's not like new high schoolers are unheard of."
Camila nods softly. There haven't been any new high schoolers for the past few years, although they have happened in the past.
Most students have been at the academy since childhood, because they had been born into magical families, like Camila and Ariana. Other students appear after their talents are discovered. Which happens at an early age as well. It's not too hard to find out that your kid is different after they set the tablecloth ablaze without touching it.
But then there are a select few who don't realize their powers until an older age. Hannah, one of the upperclassmen, hadn't realized she was a witch simply because she thought that everyone could see other people's dreams.
But it was rare. So Camila doesn't think much of it. She senses Ariana's hesitancy once they got to the large wooden doors of the meeting hall.
"Quit overthinking," Camila turns around and places both hands on her friend's shoulders. Ariana's eyes widen.
"I don't need to be able to read minds to know that you're freaking yourself out right now," Camila sighs and shakes her head. "Just breathe, okay?"
Ariana nods slowly, giving her friend a thankful smile. Even though Camila doesn't understand why her friend gets so worked up in social situations, she remains supportive. It's her job. They protect each other. They have since they were kids. That's just how it is.
"And if anyone looks at you weird, it's only because they're in awe of how beautiful my necklace is," Camila whispers jokingly as they weave their way into the large building.
The meeting hall has remained the same since Camila was on the stage at her own initiation ceremony. One of the most prized buildings on campus, the large wooden stairs of pews are big enough to fit every student and teacher on campus.
The ceiling is at a curved slant, designed specifically so anyone on the stage can be heard from the back of the audience. Large marble pillars line the adjacent walls, and an exquisite stain glass window rests behind the stage, flooding light in on the wooden floors.
Camila grabs Ariana's hand, tugging them through the crowd of students to find their seats in the back, along with the rest of the high schoolers. There's a murmur of excitement amongst the crowd, and while Ariana cranes her neck to try and catch a glimpse of the stage, Camila turns around to study the students behind her.
She finds Dinah in the far back corner, her hood pulled over her head and her feet propped up on the back of the few in front of her. Her headphones are in her ears and she's moving her feet along with the music. They make eye contact for a few moments and Camila quickly turns away.
She thinks your pigtails are childish.
Camila looks over at Ariana, who is giving her an apologetic look. She glances back at Dinah once more, rolling her eyes and turning back around.
"She acts childish," Camila whispers, causing Ariana to glance back at her once more. The caramel haired girl turns back around, trying to hide her own smile.
"What?" Camila asks.
At least she likes my hair. Ariana giggles quietly, wiggling her eyebrows at her best friend.
Just as Camila is about to push her friend off of the bench, someone clears their throat from the stage and the hall immediately falls silent.
"We'll be calling new students up in alphabetical order," Headmaster Brigg's voice fills the auditorium, radiating off the walls. "They will come on stage and receive their bags."
"We've implemented a new system this year," she continues, her heels clicking against the wooden stage as she walks. "Along with their bags, students will receive one of these," she reaches into a bag and pulls out what appears to be a long stick of wood. Camila adjusts her glasses and leans in, studying the rectangular prism she held in her hand.
"They will then place it in here," she points to a small machine on the table. It is rose gold in color, but remained matte under the bright lights. Resembling a treasure chest in shape, the side of the machine facing the audience has a glass window, allowing the students to see inside.
The woman slowly places the wood flat onto the top of the machine. Camila watches in fascination.
"And then place their index finger on the pad right here," she turns the table slightly to allow the students to see. "It pricks your finger and takes a blood sample to determine the design of your wand, crafted to be ideal for your specialty."
She looked over at you.
Camila just nods, staying silent. Ariana reaches over and gives her hand a comforting squeeze.
"And then 30 seconds later, the wand is finished," she returns the wood to the bag in her hand and glances to the side of the stage. Camila knows that's where all the new students are waiting, although they are hidden by a large red velvet curtain.
"All other students will be called back here throughout the day to receive their wands," Headmaster Briggs pauses for a moment to scan the crowd. "The students with the best marks will receive their wands first."
Camila can't help but laugh when she hears Dinah groan from the back of the auditorium. Even Ariana giggles from next to her.
I'd tell you what she's thinking but I'm not allowed to say those words.
It takes everything in Camila not to burst into laughter right then and there. She quickly composes herself when the headmaster claps her hands together to gain everyone's attention once more.
"As we begin our initiation ceremony, I'd like to remind you of the rules here at Phoenix Academy for Extraordinary Girls. On today's occasion, especially, we will be open and welcoming to every new member. Which means no pranks," she pauses for a moment, finding the Polynesian girl in the back of the room and pointing to her. "That means you, Hansen."
When Dinah doesn't respond, Briggs curls her fingers in a 'come hither' motion, and the neon yellow headphones are ripped out of the girl's ears. Dinah sits up with a start, cursing under her breath. The rest of the students erupt into laughter.
"Enough!" the Headmaster's stern tone is enough to silence the entire student body in seconds, even the youngest already know she's not one to be messed with. "Let us begin."
Ariana and Camila exchange glances, knowing they're in for a long, boring ceremony. Although there's an air of excitement over the room. Everyone's curious about the new addition to the ceremony.
The Headmaster waves her hand, summoning a large book to float across the stage and hover delicately in front of her. She pages through it, nodding once she finds her spot.
"Gracie Abott," she speaks clearly, the name echoing throughout the room. Everyone watches as a small girl, no younger than six, steps confidently onto the stage and walks straight over to Headmaster Briggs, where she is given her backpack for the year.
"Now if you step over here, you can place your—,"
"I know," the small girl says confidently, interrupting the headmaster. This earns a chorus of laughter from the other students. Even Ariana. Camila can't help but see herself in that little girl, thinking of her own initiation ceremony where she stood in front of the entire student body and taught them how to say her name correctly.
The smaller girl pulls the wooden block out of her backpack and hops up to place it on top of the machine. Everyone in the audience seems to lean in as the places her finger on the designated pad. Camila is surprised when she doesn't even flinch as the machine takes her blood.
A hush falls over the crowd as the wand is lowered into the viewing box. There's a grinding noise, and a hissing noise, and suddenly Camila is completely enthralled as the wood begins spinning in circles, a hundreds of small chisels and tools working away at its outside.
There's a flash, a hiss, and then a low rumble. When the light fades, a wand now lies atop the machine. It's intricately carved, with small slivers of gemstone that glow a brilliant orange. Camila's mouth nearly falls at her feet.
Pyrokinesis. Should've known.
Camila nods in agreement, watching as the young girl's face contorts into one of awe. She squeals in excitement, abandoning her brave façade and showing her age.
"Go on," the Headmaster motions for the small girl to sit in the front row of the auditorium, which was reserved for new students only.
Camila slumps back in the bench as the ceremony goes on. Watching the students receive their wands had been interesting at first, but eventually time seems to drone on and on and Camila finds herself playing 'I Spy' with Ariana instead of paying attention.
We're only halfway done. Ariana sighs from beside her, shaking her head. Camila glances behind her. Dinah is asleep, and a few rows over, Ally has a fly perched on the back of her hand.
Even the new students that have already received their wands are getting restless at this point. Camila rolls her eyes and tugs her hood over her head.
Okay, it's still my turn. Ariana nudges Camila's knee with her own and purses her lips. I spy... something red.
Camila sits up slightly, giving her friend a competitive smile. She slowly begins to scan the room, looking for a glimmer of anything red.
"The curtain," she whispers, whipping her head around quickly. Ariana doesn't acknowledge her, though, because everyone's eyes are on the girl at the edge of the stage.
"Lauren Jauregui," the Headmaster calls off her name. Camila's eyes widen and she exchanges glances with her best friend.
Looks like I was right.