I know I’m a little behind--sorry! I’ll try and catch up. Just gonna get her introduced to the school, and my computer is slow and i’m not sure if it went through, but I asked: what dorm should I be in? I was thinking that Asher and Layna’s looks pretty empty? Idk. So here it is!

P.S. sorry admin for all you have to read! 

MY FIRST POVVVV:  

SUNSHINE - 

“Arooooo!” my dog, Pinto, howls. His little tail wags back and forth so fast I can barely see it. Except to me, he’s not saying, “Aroooo!” To me, he’s saying, “Why do we have to go to this school, anyway?”

I scratch his head and smile down at him, sadly. “I know, Pinto. Mom has this weird idea that I’m an ultimate ‘animal communicator’ or something. But you should be happy. At least you’re my ESA, and you get to come with me!”

He’s one of two dogs, and a cat. My cat is named Bella, and she only has one eye. We rescued her from a car accident. The other dog I have is Bingo, but he is more my mom’s dog, and he’s not my ESA like Pinto, so he doesn’t get to come with me to this “The Staibadourian Prodigy Academy” that my mom is sending me to.

My mom is a veterinarian, and we don’t talk about my dad. He is “out of the picture,” according to my mom. That’s all she’s ever told me about him, anyway.

That’s basically all you need to know about me. See? I’m not that special. The reason my mom is sending me to this school? Probably because she’s trying to convince herself that I actually deserve to be called the “Ultimate Animal Communicator.” 

Not so. I would prefer that you just call me Sunshine, or Sunny, if you know me well. So am I happy to be going to some special school for people who specialize in weird things? No.

I look down at my bag, where I’m packing all the stuff I’m going to need for this school. My mom yells from the other room, “SUNSHINE? We’ve got to leave. Are you ready?”

“I think so? Gimme a second.” I say, unsure. I have my checklist in front of me, and I read it aloud, too see if I have everything.

1. CLOTHES: Five shirts, three pairs of pants, two pairs of pajamas, seven pairs of socks, five pairs of underwear, three bras, and two pairs of shoes.

2. TOILETRIES: A toothbrush and toothpaste, floss, hairbrush, shampoo, conditioner, soap, lip balm, lip gloss, acne cleanser, acne moisturizer, and hair clips.

3. STUFF FOR PINTO: Collar, leash, ESA certificate, dog shampoo, dog brush, dog food, water dish, dog treats, dog bed, and dog toy(s).

4. OTHER STUFF: Picture of my mom, picture of my cat, picture of my dog Bingo, picture of me and my mom, cellphone, list of emergency phone numbers, and my diary.

It looks like I have everything. I look at the clock on my wall. It’s 8:45, and it takes us about a half hour to get there, so I’ll be at the school fifteen minutes early (we’re supposed to be there by 9:30 for the headmaster to give his “seminar” or whatever).

Before I tell my mom I’m ready, I go into the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. I see my striking, pink, wavy hair, that goes down a little lower than my shoulder blades. I died it because I was tired of my normally bright red hair, that I have naturally. I also like the color pink, so, I got my hair died. My mom said she thought it was “an interesting decision,” but she’s all in to me doing whatever I want, if it makes me happy.

Except for the Prodigy School. She’s making me go to that.

Pinto paws at my skinny jeans, which have a leopard print all over them. I say, “Oh, you silly boy,” and scoop him up. He gets fur all over my light pink shirt, but I don’t mind. I nuzzle my nose into his scruffy face. He’s an senior dog, but to me he’s still a baby.

I carry him out of my bathroom and take one last look at my bedroom. I’m going to miss it. I’m going to miss the bed that I’ve slept in my entire life, and the walls painted pink that I’ve looked at for the whole thirteen years I’ve been alive. I’m going to miss the smell of dog, that always lingers in our house. I’m going to miss Bingo, and Bella, and my mom.

I’m especially going to miss my best friend, Lilia. I’ve never really had a best friend, but I loved her so much. She had the most fun personality. I loved going to her house because she had four dogs and six cats, a lot of fish, three geckos, a chicken coop, two guinea pigs and a hamster, and a parakeet who talked, as well as a whole lot of siblings.

My mom said it’s still possible for us to stay friends, being at different schools and all, but I think she’s wrong. Lilia’s probably already made lots of friends, and she’s not allowed to have a phone until she’s fifteen, which is almost two years from now. So we would only be able to write letters to each other. And that’s so… old fashioned. And it takes forever.

After I kiss Bella on the head and whisper goodbye into Bingo’s ears, I decide I’m ready. I say to my mom, “I’m ready.”

I am ready to be part of the stupid Prodigy School. And I’m going to try my best to have fun, if that’s even possible. And I should also stop calling it the stupid Prodigy School, because I wouldn’t want to blurt that out to the headmaster or something. So I’ll call it by it’s full name; The Staibadourian Prodigy Academy.

“Here we go!” I squeal to Pinto. “Are you excited?”

.......................... 

OK so I'll write more later but I have to go now. :)

~RAINBOW

*Screes*

Only thing is, the others have some major character development, but my charrie's stuck in the middle of who-knows-where and it's prolly too late to join any of the groups....so um yeah. 

~Night 

~~SUNSHINE's POV~~

"Layna and Asher, room 16, third floor."

That's all it says. Just "Layna and Asher, room 16, third floor." How do I get to the third floor? Who are Asher and Layna? What is this place?

I just finished the seminar with the Headmaster. He talked so much but I learned so little. I couldn't listen. All I could think about was WHAT DID MY MOM JUST SEND ME TO?!?!? It feels like a cult. It feels like a weird school for special people. It feels like I don't want to be here anymore.

And he didn't say anything about animals. So we're not off to a good start. I prefer people who talk about animals.

"Oh, Pinto," I say, wondering what my mom just got me and my dog into. I look around. It looks weird. It has too many rules that make no sense. Especially the one that we're not supposed to go to the gardens. Huh. I wonder why.

I go up the stairs, assuming I'm on the first floor, which means I have to go up three flights of stairs. I go up the three flights of stairs, and I decide that this place is creepy, just to add on to the list of negative adjectives I could come up with about this Stupid School... I mean Staibadourian Prodigy Academy.

So when I've gone up the stairs, I read a sign that says in big letters, "SIXTH FLOOR." So I was already on the third floor. So now I have to go down three flights of stairs. I'm fit from all the dog walking I do, but I'm already tired. Physically and mentally.

So then I go back down the three stairs. And I see two people standing by a door that reads, "Room 16, The Staibadourian Prodigy Academy." It must be Asher and Layna!

I squeeze Pinto's leash until my fingers turn white. What do I do? What do I say? Will I make a fool of myself? Just. Act. Cool. 

I walk up to them, and say, "Hi, um, I'm Sunshine. Or Ultimate Animal... uh... talker? I'm new to Stupid Schoo--I mean Staibadourian Prodigy. I... uh... yeah."

I'm off to a great start. My first words to my roomates are that I go to the "Stupid School."

......

Sooo I'm going to stop it right there before she really gets introduced to Asher and Layna because I have to go but I'll write more later! :)

RAINBOW - she/her 

Oh man. 

So that was awkward. Talking with cedar. If i'm honest i didn't hear a word she said. Well i did but i can't remember it. I think i was just looking at her the whole time.

I need to sleep. Except i don't where my room is...

"Hey you! Boy man!"

"um... What do you mean?" He seems shy. I'll try to be nicer. I Smile and ask "what's your name?"

"B-Beck" "Well B-Beck,where are the dorms?" "weren't you at the assembly?"

"there was an assembly?" He smiles a little now. "I think theres a poster on the billboard." He says

"Thanks B-Beck! See you around!"

Oh thank the boarding school gods. Found my room. I collapse in a bed that isn't even mine.

________________________________________________________________________________ 

Man, this is not my best work.

But when i have social interactions that are awkward i end up incredibly exhausted and sad.

Guess who's projecting their problems onto fictional characters again?

THIS GUY! 

Beck POV:

Ha! I might have some friends! Take that, social anxiety! I even bumped into someone nice in the hallway! I think I might be starting to enjoy school. Although this place is very different from Antartica. Dad always told me to practice my talking with the polar bears, as we would move to a suburb. Let me tell you, polar bears are not good listeners. I guess living in an artic tundra might seem cool to some kids, but it is actually very lonely and boring. I love my dad and all, but he spent the majority of his time conducting research. Oh, and the food, the food. It tasted terrible. I could not taste any flavor at all. Any ways, I think that this school is pretty fun. Yvees snapped his fingers. Hello? Earth to Becky?´´ I shook my head. ´´Oh, s-sorry. What were you saying?´´ He looked me in the eyes. ´´I was saying, how do you feel about cats?´´ Ah, cats. They are so... Wait. What is a cat? Is it a kind of furniture? Maybe a food? ´´Um, yeah, I am fine with them!´´ I lie. All my years in antartica, and I´ve never heard of a cat. Oh, wait! Dad mentioned how he used to have one. It... clawed at him a lot? Weird.  A big smile went across Yves´s face. ´´Good. I can´t wait for you to meet Allie, you guys will be best friends!´´ He started walking. ´´I told him to meet us at the dorms.´´ ´´Let´s go!´´ Wait.´´ I say. ´´What´s a dorm?´´ 

Blue~

I run into Room 10, slamming the door open.  "Heeellooo, roommates!" I shout cheerily, grinning.  This place is so cool.  I'm so glad I managed to convince Corrine to let me come.

The two girls sitting by the fireplace smile weakly.  They look aprehensive and slightly intimidated.  I tend to have that effect on people, with my electric-blue hair, paint covered clothes, and boisterous personality. "Oh, uh, sorry." I apoligize, catching my breath.

"Hi, I'm Gayle.  Ultimate Dancer," the thin, athletic-looking girl with dark brown skin introduces herself.

"Hey!  I'm Blue, Ultimate Painter, Picasso Enthusiast, Conversation Interupter, etc..." I tell her, somewhat sheepish.

The other girl laughs softly, her brown eyes sparkling. "Don't worry about it.  I'm Jaylla, Ultimate Singer."

"Oh, good!" I sigh. "I was worried I'd made enemies on the first day."

They both smile and continue whatever conversation they were having before I burst in.  I'm kind of surprised- usually I'm the one to break the ice with new people.  I shrug and throw my backpack and suitcase onto the nearest bed.  Gazing at the boring white wall, I wonder if I'd be allowed to paint it.  Not like I'd not paint it if the rules said no.  I unzip my suitcase and dump out its contents.  There's a loud crashing sound as one hundred paint supplies clatter to the ground.  Gayle and Jaylla look up, startled. "Oh, uh, just unpacking!" I hurriedly explain.  If they took the time to look through this stuff... well, I'll just say that they might find something I don't want them to find.

I'm pondering over whether acrylic or spraypaint would be a better choice to brighten this drab room when my Prodigy Tablet beeps.  So do Jaylla and Gayle's.  "Headmaster Subailte invite all students to gather in the dining hall for a welcoming dinner.  Please proceed to the dining hall," the robotic voice instructs.

"Thanks, Hue," I tell it, and make a mental note to change the voice settings.  I don't think I could put up with that tinny, metallic voice all year.  I glance at my roommates, still sitting by the fire. "You coming?"

I'd be up for shipping Yves and Blue!  They have kind of similar personalities, and it'd be a fun relationship to write.

Okay so it looks like Asher and Layna (I'm in their room) are going to sneak into the gardens? So yeah I'll introduce that a little and then we'll go from there.

SUNSHINE'S POV

"Sneak into the gardens?" I ask, confused.

Layna is the Ultimate Strategist and she seems to have a lot of plans for us. She started talking to Asher and I for a while about all of the things we're going to do. And one of them is to "sneak into the gardens."

"Yeah. It's against the rules to be in the gardens, but I think we should do it anyway," Layna explains. then I feel a little bit like a idiot because I obviously wasn't listening when the headmaster talked about all the rules.

Asher looks like he's gonna do it with her, although he doesn't look super game. I shrug and say, "Sure, I guess it will be fun. And Pinto loves gardens."

Layna exclaims, "Yay!" She talks to Asher and I for a while after that about how we're going to sneak into the gardens. And I'm wondering: when and where did she come up with all of this? I guess she really is the Ultimate Strategist.

But I have another thing to add: Layna and Asher are both older than me! I feel kind of small. Of course, I always feel small, and it doesn't help that Asher is so tall, but I feel especially small right now. If that makes any sense.

So I start daydreaming about what the gardens will be like, and why we're not supposed to go into them. And I wonder how my mom is doing, and my other dog and cat. And then I wonder if Pinto is also wondering about the same thing.

Then, I hear a voice say, "So, how does that sound?" It was Layna, concluding her idea about sneaking into the gardens. Of course, I totally spaced out during it, but I nod. Except I had no idea what I was just agreeing to.

................................................

Okay! Excited @silver crystal & @nerd face to sneak into the gardensssss!!

~~RAINBOW - she/her~~ 

Layna's POV:

Once Sunshine and Asher agree to the plan, I whip out Laurel and activate her. The tablet hums to life. "Hello, Layna, how may I help you?" it asks in it's automated voice. 

"Show us a layout of the building, please," I order. I would just tell it to tell us the fastest route to the Gardens, but I don't want to take any chances in case the Headmaster is somehow tracking what we ask our tablets to do. A blueprint of the massive building is projected from the screen into the air in a hologram. The three of us cluster together around it, scanning every floor and each labelled exit and enterence to the premises, but it doesn't show the Gardens anywhere. My brain flashes into overdrive, looking for inconsistencies in the architecture or some sort of flaw that could signify that the blueprint was altered to hide the Garden, but I can't find anything. It's infuriating. 

"I don't get it," Asher says, frowning. "It should be here..."

I scowl and deactivate Laurel, causing the hologram to flicker out and disappear. If there's one thing I hate more than being wrong (not that I'm often wrong), it's being unable to fully understand a situation. A bird chirps annoyingly right outside the window.

Wait. A bird. I turn around to Sunshine so fast that my braid snaps around and hits me in the face.

"You can talk to animals, right?" I ask her.

"Yeah..." She looks a bit uncomfortable with the attention but nods anyway.

I point to the bird, who's still singing on the windowsill. "I bet the wildlife around here has to know something about the Garden and where it's located and how to get in. I mean, if it's truly such an amazing place for nature, I bet every animal in this area has at least heard of it. 

Asher's eyes lit up as he understands what I'm trying to say. "Yes! All Sunshine would need to do is confront some of the local wildlife." He paused, the glanced at Sunshine. "You're up for that, right?"

~~~

So, what do you say @RAINBOW and @Nerd? Shall we animal talk our way to this secret garden? I have no idea if it'll actually work, but it's worth a shot right?