Nightingale Academy

Azure's Prediction

At the end of my first day in Nightingale, Azure and I retired back to our room. Apparently she didn't sleep much either because we spent our night talking and playing silly games like 20 Questions to get to know each other better. By 3 o'clock, Azure was dead asleep and I still wasn't ready to rest my eyes. I grabbed The Book Thief off of the small bedside table between our beds and crept out of the room and downstairs to the living area. Like I had hoped, everyone was sleeping and so I turned on a lamp and settled into a seat on the couch. I cuddled into armrest and began where I had left off.

Not minutes after I had opened my book, I felt the presence of another. More precisely, the presence of familiar eyes were felt.

I bit my lip and continued to focus on my book. The eyes hadn't bothered me earlier in the day but now that I was all alone with them, it was stranger.

I now knew it was Amaranth. What I still couldn't understand was why I had been feeling him watching me even back at the apartment. And why was he watching me? It was odd and yet for some reason I just didn't mind. I only wanted my questions answered. But I knew that even though I felt more comfortable with him watching me then I had ever felt with another human being, I was nervous to talk to him or to face him. What would he say? What would I say?

I sighed and turned my page. Rudy and Liesel had just flipped a boy on a bike over to steal the food he was delivering to a church. It's not as bad as it sounds, really. Priests receive a huge bundle of food every week while Rudy eats mud and Liesel drinks her foster mother's stale and disgusting pea soup. They were allowed to steal something from the rich, weren't they?

The book itself is beautiful and I would recommend anyone to read it. I found myself immersed in it yet again and the watchful gaze belonging to Amaranth soon faded and I was left with my book, lamp, and comfortable couch.

A ray of sunshine spilled through the glass ceiling and leaned against the walls. I licked my dry lips and closed the book, mentally repeating the number of the page I stopped at and turned off the lamp. I closed my eyes and relished in the warmth of the sunlight.

I had forgotten to look for the stars during the night but I didn't dwell on my disappointment for long since I was disrupted my my own yawn. I put a hand over my mouth and stifled it. I pulled myself out of my seat against the soft cushions and quietly walked back into my room. The warmth of the sun continued following me on my way up the stairs. It wasn't until I turned towards the corridor where the sunlight was no longer present and yet the warmth was that I realize that the sun wasn't what had caused me to feel warm, but Amaranth's gaze.

.:.

I woke up again around 7:30. That had given me more than an hour of sleep and I felt wide awake. A bit jumpy, but awake.

Azure woke up only five minutes after me and we took showers and got ready for the day. We had to rush since breakfast started at eight and we had overslept. Azure and I took showers and she even talked me into singing ridiculous music with her. The girl was annoying and painfully strong, but I sure as hell loved her.

Azure picked out my clothes for me and threw them at my face once we were back in our room. I put them on quickly and grinned when I realized she gave me black skinny jeans and a loose paisley tank. Nothing to flashy or extravagant. But nothing in my actual wardrobe would be any of those things anyway. Azure came back out of the closet, clad in blue skinny jeans and a tight v-neck black shirt and grumbled at me. “You're lucky none of my clothes fit you or I would have you wearing something that shows of your cute little body.” She then broke out in a teasing smirk and winked at me. “I'm sure my brother will love you in anything anyway.”

I wasn't sure why but what she said caused me to blush and look down at my feet. Perhaps it was only the idea of someone actually being interested in me, let alone liking the way I dress or look. There was no question about it whether Amaranth was interested in me or not. It was only the question of why. Maybe he hadn't met anyone from other than New York? Maybe this school really didn't get many new students. I thought about that for a while but decided that even if they don't, the rest of the students and peers hadn't paid as much attention to me the way he does.

He doesn't even talk to me. He only stares. His ever-present gaze is one thing but when he openly stares in public, that's when it starts to make me feel uncomfortable and my cheeks turn the same colour of the red apple I had been eating.

That boy (or man if you want to be technical with his appearance rather than his age) is do a magnificent job at confusing me into oblivion.

I followed Azure over to the main building and she led me along deeper into it until we reached the cafeteria. It was rather small compared to my old school's but it was spacious since there weren't many students. It seemed that every grade and teacher shared the same eating hours and I beamed as little Kindergarteners chased themselves around me before sprinting over to their table. I wasn't sure what kind of parents would send their cute little 5 year olds to a boarding school but I came to the conclusion that they would most likely prefer to be here with people that care about them and are around everyday rather then their parents. That was only an inquiry though.

Azure handed me a lunch board and I slid mine next to hers as we picked out what food we wanted. I chose eggs and a piece of toast and followed Azure back to the table we had sat in yesterday at lunch and dinner. Haven and Hayden sat across from each other with Wynona next to Hayden.

Azure slid in next to Haven and I followed after her.

“Azure, Lilith.” Hayden greeted with a smile. He went back to chomping down on his sandwich.

Wynona rolled her eyes and cringed at the mayonnaise dripping from the corner of his mouth. She was about the brush it off with her napkin but his tongue darted out and licked it off. He smirk and winked at her, making her blush. I felt like jumping for joy at that moment. Finally someone else who blushed!

Azure snickered at the two and Haven smiled at me from across her. “So how was your first night at Nightingale, Lilith?”

She and Azure shared a quick look before simultaneously stuffing forkfuls of eggs into their mouths.

I shrugged. “It was alright,” I tell her with a shy smile. Shy only because even though she was so generously kind and I felt so easy to be myself around her, her beauty was intimidating.

“We stayed up all night and just talked. I think I passed out at 3. What time did you go to sleep?”

I bit my lip and searched my memory for the time. I almost smiled at the thought that Amaranth would probably know.

“Around six.” Speak...or in this case, think of the devil...When did devils become so beautiful anyway?

Amaranth sat next to Wynona, directly across from me and smiled.

“She sat up all night and read. I was beginning to wonder if she ever slept.” He wasn't too subtle about his stalking.

Haven looked back at me with raised eyebrows. “Really? Six in the morning? And you must've slept only an hour!”
“And half an hour I think. I have insomnia.”

“Insomnia? Oh, that must suck. Aren't you tired all the time?” Wynona questioned. “I know that if I don't get my eight hours of sleep I'd be dead for the whole day.”

Despite myself, I smiled. “I've had insomnia all my life. It was extremely rare for a baby to be basically nocturnal. My parents tried to break my sleeping pattern but it just couldn't be done, even when I started going to school.” I looked down at my food and swallowed a forkful of eggs. They started tasting stale as they cooled and I ate the toast instead.

“How'd you cope with it?” Hayden asked. Amaranth was paying close attention.

I shrugged. “When I was a kid I was really upset about it but I refused to take medication. My parents just worked me with herbs and paid attention to my sleeping patterns until I reached high school and I just embraced it rather than fought it.”

Hayden looked at me questionably.

“I meant that instead of trying to force myself to sleep and think of my insomnia as a bad thing, I just started following my natural sleeping pattern and allowed myself to study and occupy my time like that.”

Hayden grinned widely, looking cherub-like. “That's why you're so freakin' smart!”

I blushed and the group laughed at me. Well maybe not at me in a crude way but I still continued blushing.

“So your name fits you well, huh?”

I met Amaranth's gaze and looked at him confused.

He grinned and cocked his head slightly to the side. “Lilith; of the night.”

“Oh,” I mumbled and looked down, blushing. “Yeah, it's very befitting.”

“How do you know so much about name meanings?” Azure asked. I had slipped something about her name meaning and a few other people's last night. I turned my attention towards her. Now my blush could fade.

“It's kind of my dad's hobby. He just found a love for names and their meanings and he got me into it I guess.”

And then the attention on me was abolished after that. No more questions were asked other than when including me in the general conversation. After eating with Amaranth for three meals now, I realized he was quite and kept to himself. I kind of thought of him as lonely. There was no doubt that he had friends and there were more girls than I dared to count that flaunted themselves over him. He just seemed the kind of guy that watched from afar. And, well, he sure did. I could tell again during the rest of the day.

Back in the dormitory, the students occupied themselves with the tele or games of football. Azure slung her arms around my shoulder and messed my short hair up. She sighed and then shook her head, chuckling slightly. She pointed out the window and I search for what she could be pointing towards and my eyes fell on Amaranth. He sat under a tree with a book cradled in his hands. One leg was tucked to his chest while the other sprawled away from his body. He stared intently into the pages, eyes darted from one side of the page to the other in shocking speed.

“Aren't those girls just so ridiculous? They could not be anymore subtle. Guys just don't like girls like those. Why can't they just be a tiny bit more secretive rather than flaunt themselves that way? It's highly unattractive.”

My eyebrows furrowed together. Was she not pointing to her brother? I hadn't spotted anyone else but him. I looked around the tree he was sitting and behind the vine-like branches that spilled towards the ground and surrounded Amaranth in a flourish of green were several small groups of girls, varying in sizes. A small group of girls were talking animatedly, hands flying around, grins wide and perfect white teeth flashing. Their eyes would dart over to Amaranth, disappointment flashing in their expression each time they found him not looking back at them. Another group of girls talked with hands over the sides of their faces, whispering. Though they were taking the more quieter approach to gossip over the beautiful boy underneath the tree, they weren't all that subtle either.

I could be certified as a professional in human social behaviour despite my own social awkwardness. I had sat under trees similar to Amaranth's all to many times, watching girls flaunt themselves over boys while they pretended not to be interested. I spent a good sum of my life just watching humans interact. Well, not just humans. Sometimes when I took walks along the beach or around the perimeter of my house during the night, I would watch animals interact. But that's beside the point. What I'm claiming is that I know a lot more about people then I care too. With just a twitch of an eye or a slight lift of a forefinger, I know what a person could be thinking about the person next to them or the person across the room. It's pretty pathetic. Who has time to figure out all these things anyway?

Amaranth ripped his eyes off his book and glanced over towards the general direction of the groups and then back to his book. A couple girls visibly gasped and covered their mouths with their hands. They turned back to their friends and frantically resumed speaking to them, no doubt claiming that Amaranth looked straight at them. One girl had a hand to her heart, two fingers pointing to her eyes and then into thin air. As if thin air could compare to his eyes. Maybe the sky on a cloudless bright and beautiful day, but not thin air.

Amaranth's eyes lifted off the page of his book, this time looking less in pain and more content. There was no doubt his eyes met mine through the window. I could feel that lingering warmth and piercing feel of his eyes as they gazed into mine and I felt my heart stop. I would have started feeling concerned with the amount of time that passed between my last heartbeat and the next but for all I know, time itself could have stopped. Frozen. Halted to a dramatic stop at that very moment.

Then Azure nudged my shoulder and my eyes widened from a split second as my body stiffened. My eyes left Amaranth's and were set onto Azure's similar ones instead. She smirked and glanced at the window quickly then back to me. “Does Lilith have a new love interest?”

This time when my eyes widened, they stayed wide. “What?” I whisper. My voice wont come out in a regular volume. “No!”

Azure giggles. “Sure, sure.” She looks back out the window and watches Haven and Hayden play a game of soccer against two boys that I hadn't been formerly introduce too yet. I glanced over to the tree again to see no girls and no Amaranth. He probably left and the girls most likely followed.

A door leading directly into the dormitory's living area from the side of the building opened and a gust of cold air hit my uncovered skin. I put my hands over my shoulders and grasped them close to my body. Seconds later a warm blanket was draped around my shoulder and another person sat next to me. I turned my head to meet Amaranth's gaze again and he smiled.

“Sorry about that. I should have come in from the front.”

I wanted to scoff and tell him it was his dormitory first and he could do whatever he wanted but I blushed instead and dumbly nodded. Azure smirked and winked at Amaranth over my head. Just because they were ridiculously taller than me didn't mean I couldn't see her. I grasped the sides of the blanket with my fingers and wrapped it closer, burying my nose into the fabric. I smelt of paper and a musky ivy. It was making me light-headed but I liked it.

“What book were you reading?” I surprised even myself with the question. Not only had I just admitted to watching him read outside but I had also been the first time I directly spoke to Amaranth since yesterday when I first arrived.

I blushed under his gaze and I saw a smile itch the corner of his lips. He was leaving me breathless yet again.

He pulled a novel onto his lap and read the title. “Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.”

I grinned. “I've read that book so many times but never even bothered watching the film.”

He chuckled. “Neither have I. I prefer books over the films. They're more detailed and films are just so disappointing.”

“I agree. You can never understand what a character is truly feeling or seeing when an actor or animation is blocking the true thing from you.”

“Precisely.”

I locked eyes with him and he continued smiling. I was sure I was gaping now. There was probably drool dripping from the corner of my mouth and Azure was most likely laughing her arse off next to me while I made a fool out of myself in front the most beautiful and handsome creature I had ever met.

“Azure tells me we have Accelerated English and AP World History together.”

“I guess Azure finally said something legitimate since I've been here.”

He laughed and I looked over to where Azure sat to see if she was at all hurt or amused by what I said. Her seat was empty.

“It seems she's abandoned me,” I say.

“Is it really that awful of her to leave you to converse with me on your own?”

A girlish giggle escaped my lips. I was starting to sound like those girls probably had while he sat outside under the tree with his book. But I couldn't help myself so I continued with my child-like giggling. I was finally enjoying myself with another person other than my parents. It was blissful. Even if this man was my stalker.

“No. At least not completely. I've just not left her side at all these two days. Maybe she's using your presence as an excuse to rid herself of me.”

Amaranth scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I doubt that. I find you quite amusing to be around. You're very cute.”

Ah, here come my traitor cheeks again. I burned not just at the sides of my face but on my forehead too. I looked down into the blanket again and hid my grin from him. He thought I was cute. That shouldn't matter to me. But no one has called me cute before. Or said that I was enjoyable to be with. At least I think that was what he had implied when he called me amusing.

“Especially when you blush.”

I growled. “And you must find great pleasure in causing me to do so.”

He laughed huskily and brought his right knee into his chest. I think that's his favourite position. He rested his elbow on his knee and left it balancing like that while the other hand rested on the book that now sat on the thigh of his other leg. “You're most certainly correct, Lilith.” He paused, staring at me for a few solid seconds. He charmingly smiled and I wondered if I could ever meet his parents. I want to thank them for giving birth to such a beautiful and perfect offspring. “May I just say how absolutely well your name fits you?”

“You did mention that this morning already.” I crookedly grinned and my eyes glazed over. I think I'm staring at an angel.

“And I want to say it again. But this time because of the root word for Lilith.” My glazed over expression must have given a hint of the confusion that I was feeling because he explained himself. “Lily sounds like the base word for Lilith. Actually, even though your name is so beautiful, I would love to call you Lily. I just think it fits because like any lily, you look so pure and elegant. There's something about you, Lilith.” He chuckled and brushed his hand against my cheek. “You've got these cherub cheeks with the cutest dimples and your eyes have flecks of gold against your green and it looks like the centre of lily. So beautiful.” He whispered, his fingertips slowly and softly sliding from my cheekbone to the crater on my face, which he just called cute, and then to my chin.

I wasn't sure that to say. I couldn't find my voice just yet and instead I stared into his eyes. They were dancing and glowing a sapphire blue. His perfectly moulded jawline was soft and slightly feline. His high and pointy cheekbones make his cheeks look hollow and ghastly but he was so handsome...so beautiful. “You can call me Lily.”

He grinned wider. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” You can also call my whatever you please. You can take me now, call me your own and use me, hurt, murder me, just as long as I can spend more moments like these where I can stare at your perfect face with your perfect features and perfect lips and beautiful eyes...I don't think I'm thinking completely straight right now.

“It's about time for lunch now,” he says and takes his hand off of my face. I now feel like a limb has been torn off of my body. Like an arm or leg. Something very significant. “We should get Azure and go over to the main building.”

Or we can stay here and I can just stare at you. We can eat later. I can offer you a finger or hand if you're really hungry. Don't worry, it's not too important. Just brush your hand against my skin again. I'll be fine once I memorize your face and look into your eyes long enough to satisfy me enough to die happy. “Yeah, okay.”

He stood up and held his book in one hand and offered the other to me. I accepted his offer and he lightly pulled me up. He was very gentle and he smiled charmingly. The blanket had slipped off my shoulders and he let go of my hand to pick it up. He swiftly folded it and took my hand again. He repeated the same motion he had when he first introduced himself to me and held my elbow and then lifted my arm until my hand slid into his. I was incredibly short compared to him so he couldn't just grasp my hand.

“How tall are you?”

I smiled shyly. “Four foot ten?”

He chuckled and bell chimes rang in a synchronized classical piece composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. “You're asking me?”

I giggled. “Well I might be a centimetre or two off.”

He grinned wider. “Oh, so you're actually four foot six?” He laughed louder and I blushed as he led me upstairs.

“No. I'm not that short.”

He smiled at me in adoration. I liked that smile. He was adoring me. At least that's what my knowledge of human physicality leads me to believe. He pulled me down the hallway opposite to the one my room was in and led me down to a door labelled 7. He opened the door and pulled me in. “I'm just going to put these things back and then we can go get my sister.”

He let go of my hand and walked deeper into his room. I took this time to look around. The room itself was exactly the same as Azure's and mine except instead of pink, the main colour was a moss green. It gave the room an isolated outdoor feel. Only one bed sat in the room and I silently wondered why Amaranth got a room to himself when Azure said they weren't allowed to have their own rooms.

Amaranth's hand brushed mine and I tore my eyes away from his room and looked up at him. He smiled and led me out. We reached the stairs and Azure called us over. She was at the bottom step, waiting for us impatiently.

“I'm starving here, Amaranth. You always take so long. You're like a girl, you know that?” She looked down at me and then our hands and smirked. “Oh, I'm sorry. You two must have been busy and let time fly by, huh?”

I blushed and looked down at my feet, pulling my hand out of Amaranth's. He had taken it so gently that I hadn't even noticed that he was holding it until Azure pointed it out. Amusement flashed across the surface of Azure's eyes and she pivoted gracefully on her heel and led us out of the dormitory. I should have grabbed a coat or jacket before I left. Now I was breaking out in goosebumps and painfully willing my teeth not to chatter.

A hand brushed my shoulders and I looked up at Amaranth. He crookedly smiled at me and wrapped his arm around me, gently pulling me towards him. His body heat was surprisingly warm considering the cold air surrounding us. I gratefully let him hold me and smiled shyly as I walked. I saw a few girls whispering behind their hands and shooting me dirty looks as he tightened his hold on me. His arm blocked my sight of them and I looked up to see him glaring at them slightly. He turned away swiftly, almost too fast to think he moved at all, and looked ahead, his face now composed and neutral.

Azure continued walking ahead of us. She and her brother walked very gracefully, it was unnerving. They were feline in both features and movement. I could imagine them as cats. Maybe not household but wild. Like a panther, pouncing elegantly. They would run with great speed, their hind legs overlapping their front paws as they jumped with agility. Yeah, a panther would be a perfect animal to compare them too. Yet they were so gentle. Well maybe Azure hadn't been the first day but that was by accident. Now they were both very gentle, charming, and sweet. Those times they were like baby kittens.

At lunch I ate my food slowly and listened to Azure and Haven tease Wynona and Hayden.

“Hayden Dear, do you happen to know the flavour of Wynona's lip gloss?”

“Wynona Sweetheart, you have a bit of drool on the corner of your mouth. Invest some time in teaching Hayden how to kiss properly, okay?”

“Someone must have never told him that making out isn't supposed to be that messy.”

“Or painful. Just look at the expression on that girl's face!”

Wynona's face was currently a charming purple colour which accented her blue eyes magnificently. Hayden's blush hid itself underneath his marble pallor and he resorted to biting on his lips till his teeth broke through the skin. He mumbled a curse and picked a napkin up to wipe it off.

“You two can shut up now. You've successfully conflicted us both with pain, both physical and mental. Anything else?”

Haven giggled loudly. “Anything else can wait for tonight when I catch Wynona sneaking out again.”

Hayden scoffed and got out of his seat. He grabbed both his and Wynona's lunch plates in one hand and took Wynona's hand in his other. They threw their plates out and walked out before they could be teased anymore.

Azure sighed dramatically and put her chin in her hands. “Now the fun has left!”

Haven smirked. “Why would you say that? We have fresh fun right next to us.” She devilishly smiled my way and I bolted out of my seat. I followed Hayden's example and threw my food out before leaving the main cafeteria. I had hoped that after lunch Azure would show me to my classes so I wouldn't get lost but now since she was probably teasing another poor soul, I was very much alone.

“You didn't actually think of leaving me there alone with those monsters, did you?”

A hand touched my shoulder and I turned around to face the voice. Not like I needed to. No one else has a smoother and gentler voice than Amaranth. I wondered if he trained it to be that smooth and sang beautifully. Maybe this school had a drama club that he was the lead of each year. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

“Uhm,” I hummed. “That was what I planned to do.”

He grinned instead of getting upset. “Well I guess it didn't work because there is no way that I'm going to stick around there for them to do what they did to Hayden.”

I laughed. “Hayden? Did you see Wynona? I don't think that even I've turned that colour before. She was a plum.”

He laughed loudly, his hand sliding down the length of my arm to hold my hand again. “So what had you planned to do as an escape, anyway?”

I shrugged. “I was getting to that before you interrupted my thoughts.”

He pouted playfully. My heart definitely just stopped beating. He's becoming a safety hazard to my health. “Well then, why don't you join me to a tour of the campus? I bet Azure hadn't even thought of giving you one yet.”

I laughed at the irony. “No, she hadn't.”

“It's a good thing I think of these things, huh?”

I smiled softly and he pulled me out of the building. The tour had begun.