Elementi: The Complete Series

LAILAH

ONE

No matter how old you are, going to a new school always sucks.

When that new school is in an entirely new country?

Well, that makes it even worse. After graduation, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, so I decided not to force myself into choosing right away.

I knew that having no friends and no aspirations would eventually be a problem, especially since I was the only one in my family who had no goals.

After graduation, I helped out at my parents’ diner for a few months, which they begrudgingly let me do while I added my name to every college list I could find. None of the schools I applied to seemed quite right though, until I received an email from a school overseas, Ryevick University.

The school’s aesthetic enraptured me. Ryevick was somehow both whimsical and modern.

The grounds were filled with ornate gardens and buildings with architecture I’d only seen in history books.

I’ve always had a soft spot for history.

It’s a chance to see what we’ve lost, but also to see how far we’ve come.

Once I discovered Ryevick required an ancestry test with their application, I sent off my essay and pinprick test the very next day.

Three weeks later, I received my acceptance letter in the mail with a full-ride scholarship, housing included.

Ryevick University is located in Drittilyn, a small country in northwest Europe.

Although it was a country that I’d never heard of, it seemed too good to be true.

Drittilyn is surrounded by so many countries, it's a wonder the common language of the people is English. They drive on the right side of the road, and the US dollar is worth double the value. Who knew that such a magical place existed? And I would never have known about the school in the first place if I hadn’t received that email.

I walked out of the airport into a new world, and it was nerve-racking.

I couldn’t even figure out where the taxis were located.

My sense of direction has always been horrible.

For the love of God, don’t tell me to go north, then head east. Give me landmarks!

The last time I thought I could find my way with compass directions, I ended up in the boys’ locker room after a football game.

So many naked men, my eyes burned for weeks.

Not to mention the onslaught of voyeurism jokes from the football players in the halls for the next month.

Following the signs in the airport, I successfully managed to find the area where Taxis were waiting. Walking up to the first one available I smiled at the driver as he helped me with my two suitcases.

“Where to?” the driver asked with a hint of an accent I couldn’t place.

“Ryevick University. I’m a new student there,” I answered as I slipped into the back of the cab.

“I’ve done that trip twice today already, so you’re in good hands. It’ll take us about an hour if the traffic isn’t too bad,” he said as he pulled away from the curb. “Ever been to Drittilyn before?” he asked.

“No, I’ve never left the US before,” I answered, letting the conversation end as I took in my surroundings.

Once we were outside the city, I felt like we had driven straight into a Jane Austen novel.

The rolling hills stretched on for miles.

They were dotted with local farms and pastures full of sheep, cows, and goats eating their fill of grass.

Amidst the greenery, old brick houses were covered in overgrown ivy.

It reminded me of a Thomas Kinkade painting my mother had gotten for Christmas one year.

It felt like I was traveling into a dream world, only I could never have come up with something so perfect on my own.

As we got closer to the school, the scenery started to transform into a modern traditional hybrid.

New contemporary homes and businesses were mixed in alongside original homesteads.

All the while, still retaining the true nature of the surrounding land.

The campus covered a vast acreage with historic-looking buildings blending with newer additions, like the dorm that I would be staying in, Ashfall Hall.

Thankfully, the taxi driver was familiar with the school grounds, so I didn’t have to navigate for him.

With my lack of directional skills, we would have been driving around until dark and still looking for the dorm.

As I got out of the taxi, I stared up at the two tall, glass buildings that made up the dorms. The tempered glass reflected the waning sunlight, making it seem like it was glowing from the inside out.

From the information booklet I had received with my acceptance letter, I knew one building was for the boys, and the other was for the girls.

Bridging the two buildings were three common rooms: one on the third floor, one on the fifth floor, and one on the tenth floor.

Seeing it in person, I realized the pictures sure as hell didn’t do it any justice.

As I looked around, what terrified me the most was ten floors full of complete strangers that I was going to be living with.

I’d never had trouble getting along with people, and I was always able to fit in, but my problem was finding a way to stand out, to be noticed, to be remembered.

Pushing past my trepidation, I took a deep breath, gripped my suitcases tighter, and strode in through the front doors. No turning back now.

My first impression of the dorm was chaos.

In a small sitting area, crying mothers hugged their children goodbye while fathers carried in the last of the belongings.

Old friends reunited and shrieked with excitement for the new school year to begin.

I was a lost entity in the storm of activity and had no clue what I was supposed to do next.

“Hey, you! Are you here to check in for Ashfall Hall?” a girl carrying a clipboard and a haggard expression on her face asked.

“Yes, I’m Lailah, Lailah Mackenzie,” I answered.

The girl scanned down her list of names until she found mine. She frowned and looked up at me. “Oh, you're the scholarship kid.”

“Um, I guess,” I said, with a shrug.

“Cami,” the girl yelled, startling me. “Your charity case is here for you.”

After the unflattering summons, a small ball of energy popped out of the crowd and walked toward us.

Her silver hair was shaved on both sides and the longer strands on top were tousled in every direction.

Cami wore a baggy gray sweatshirt that hung off one of her shoulders, proudly displaying her neon-yellow bra strap and tattooed shoulder.

I didn’t think she was even wearing pants, then she shifted, and saw a sliver of neon-yellow shorts peeking out from underneath her sweatshirt.

With wide green eyes and an expressive face, I watched every move she made.

“Welcome to Ashfall Hall. Lailah Mackenzie, I presume,” she said, stopping in front of me and thrusting out her hand.

“Ah, yes that’s me,” I said, shaking her hand.

“I’m Cami, your personal attaché for your first week of school,” she said with a wide grin.

“Attaché? Why would I need one of those?” I asked.

“Who knows, but it sounded like fun.” Cami shrugged her shoulders and grabbed my suitcase. “Come on, let me show you where you’ll be staying.”

I followed behind her and asked, “Why was that girl acting all weird about me having a scholarship? Doesn’t stuff like that happen all the time?”

“You, missy, are the first female student to ever get a full-ride scholarship. At Ryevick there seems to be a predominantly-male student body,” she replied, faking a gag.

“So, when a girl gets to come here on a scholarship, you better believe she’ll be the talk of the town.

They’re just jealous because they got way lower scores then you did.

So they have to pay. They also miss out on my stellar company, which I find is the bigger loss,” Cami said, wagging her eyebrows at me.

I was shocked by this information. Sure, I’d always done well in school, but I wasn’t some wonder child. What score could I have possibly gotten on the ACT that would have given me a full-ride scholarship?

“You must be tired from your flight,” Cami said offhandedly.

“How did you know I flew here?” I asked in surprise.

Cami winked at me. “With an accent like yours, and the out of control mane you’ve got going on, it lets me know it’s been a long flight. So, my money's on somewhere in the States.”

A laugh burst out of me at her bluntness. “I’m from Wisconsin. I come from a small town no one’s heard of. The population is a thousand people, most of them farmers.”

“Yeah, your clothes look like they come from a place no one’s ever heard of either. No need to fret, I’ve got you covered, sister. I know all the best spots near the school to shop,” Cami said, nudging my arm.

Cami and I stepped inside an elevator at the end of the hall, and she hit the button for the tenth floor.

It only took a few seconds, and the doors to the elevator opened.

Across the entry, floor-to-ceiling windows made up an entire wall, overlooking the campus.

Since this was the top floor, I was overlooking the entire campus in all its glory.

I saw small groups of people on tours and a large garden across the road that spanned a few acres from what I could see.

Close by, there was a large reflecting pool with a stunning fountain in the middle of it.

Past that, was a flower garden blooming with color.

I spied the top of a huge mansion in the distance, hidden behind ornate windbreak trees.

From what I could tell, whoever lived there would give Bill Gates a run for his money.

“Oh my gosh, look at that place. Who lives there?” I gasped.