The letter settles on the ground, right between me and Arazia. I cast my friend a confused glance, all of my anger melting away. Lightning had come out of my hands. What the heck?

I reach the envelope before Arazia and grab the leathery paper off the carpet. Arazia looks over my shoulder (easily because I am so much shorter than her) as I read the return address. Charles Xavier, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. It doesn't list the street address. I tear it open, accidentally ripping the envelope in my haste.

I unfold the note. "Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters would like to welcome you," I read aloud. "As you have just figured out, you are very special. Our priority is to teach and protect mutants like you." Below that is a list of school supplies, including college ruled paper, three-inch binders, Number Two pencils, sunglasses, latex gloves, and more.

I glance at Arazia again, looking into her eyes, deep blue amidst tan brown skin, framed by straight brown hair. "What is this? Some kind of joke?" she asks me.

I shake my head and concentrate on my hands, thinking of lightning. A small bolt of electricity flashes on my palm. "Whatever it is, it's definitely real."

Arazia takes a deep breath. "Let's go see what the parents think. Maybe they know something about it."

I nod shortly and we rush down the stairs, slipping across the hardwood floor in our socks. The gray, ankle-length duster cardigan I am wearing flows out behind me like a cape.

Arazia's parents, both with tan skin and brown hair, are lounging on the leather couch watching The Office. We come in just as Jim and Pam are listening to Dwight read Harry Potter. I laugh, momentarily distracted from the matter at hand. "I've seen that whole show! Jam has to be my biggest ship. They're perfect together."

Before her parents can respond, Arazia blurts out, "A letter just appeared out of thin air. It's from..." she glances down at the paper. "Charles Xavier, from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters." She holds out the letter to her parents.

Arazia's mother, Gwendolyn, grips it with her long, slender fingers. She and her husband, Leeroy, exchange wary glances. Gwendolyn sighs. "I knew this day would come. Arazia, Skye, come here." She motions to us with her hand, and we have a seat on the couch. "I do not believe in evolution, but mutations, small mutations, are possible. Hundreds of years ago, humans started to develop odd abnormalities, such as fire powers or magic. They were called witches, and burned at the stake, killed because they were...different. After being treated with such anger and unfairness, mutants concealed their powers, never letting them out. The powers burned inside, trapped, and the cooped up powers eventually killed the mutants who were gifted with them. One extraordinary young man, Charles Xavier, sought for a change. He wanted mutants to be able to use their powers freely, without the threat of punishment, so he founded a school, Xavier's, for extraordinary people such as himself, me, Leeroy, and you two. Skye, when I first met your parents, I knew they were special too, and they passed down those genes to you." She nods, as if agreeing with her own statement. "And so you have discovered your powers. They have finally shown themselves. You must attend Xavier's School."

I bring in a breath, wanting to remark, but I can find nothing to say. Arazia says it for me. "What the heck."

Leeroy sighs and shakes his head. "Just get in the car."

                                                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I feel the car rumbling below me on the road as the landscape passes by. We are surrounded by mountains, in a valley called Sherwick. I feel at peace surrounded by the bright green grass and small purple flowers sprouting from the earth. Nature has that sort of effect on me.

I glance at Arazia, her face a mask of serenity. She was, is, and will forever remain calm, like water in an untouched lake. Makes sense, considering her power.

Once we reach the mountains on the other side of the valley, we turn onto a small dirt road I never noticed before. It is pretty, albeit very bumpy.

After glancing around for a bit, I look down at my book, The Name of the Wind. I have trained myself not to become carsick when reading in the car. It is very handy. I focus my eyes on the words, absorbing each and every one of them.
It was night again. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts.

A huge building comes into sight. We are now on a field of grass, having passed the mountains, and I can see for miles on the flat surface.

As we near it, I can see the details more clearly. An elegant cobblestone building with lots of windows rises from the plain, surrounded by beautiful gardens. Carefully cropped bushes encircle a garden of more bushes surrounding gorgeous saplings and small trees and flowers. Backing the school is a dense forest of powerful looming trees that scatter the sunlight across the forest floor.

I gasp at the beauty of the place as we approach. I can already tell my time here will be great. Leeroy parks the car in the curving driveway under a cobblestone porticashare.

As we pull up, a man with a shiny bald head comes out to greet us. Arazia and I hop out of the car to meet him. As we approach, curious students flock around the bald man. My eyes are immediately drawn to a boy with ruffled, raven black hair, deep brown eyes, and fair skin. He is definitely good-looking, but not annoyingly so. He has an air of trust and understanding about him.

I walk up to the bald man, mottled gray sneakers padding underneath, and hold out my hand. "Skye Whitmore, sir." Always introduce yourself first. It makes you seem confident and in control, and gains respect from the person you are introducing yourself to.

"Charles Xavier."

He holds out a hand to Arazia, and she shakes it firmly.  "Arazia Lestrade."

Charles Xavier nods and stretches an arm to indicate the beautiful building. "This is Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."

Arazia and I nod and get our luggage out of the car. "Axe, Archer, can you show these girls to their room?"  
Two boys step out from the crowd. One is brunette with blue-gray eyes. The other is the black-haired boy I noticed earlier.

"Axe," says the brunette, giving a small wave.

"Archer," says the other.

"And you obviously know our names," Arazia says. I notice the brunette, Axe, eyeing her with what he probably thinks is an inconspicuous glance. I grin a little.

Archer and Axe beckon us and walk off with long legs. Arazia catches up easily, considering her height, but I have to jog to keep up.

"So, what's it like around here?" I ask.

Archer immediately answers. "It's wonderful. Everyone is friendly and very accepting, and each student is paid special attention. The teachers are great. They get a lot done, and still have time to be super nice. They help you control your powers and enhance them. We have plenty of free time for the woods and reading and such."

Archer and I immediately strike up a conversation, and Arazia and Axe strike up their own. We have lots in common. We are both in the Last Apprentice fandom, which is rare, and we are both outdoorsy, although he isn't artistic at all.
Arazia looks back at me, so I wiggle my eyebrows at her and give her two thumbs up, grinning. Her expression says, I could say the same to you.

We walk through the huge front door and are greeted immediately with a giant stone room and a huge staircase. Up the stairs we go, into a hall peppered with doors here and there. Archer and Axe stop before a dark wooden door.

"And here is your room," says Archer, maybe just a little sadly.

Arazia and I wave goodbye to them and step into the room. Inside is a summer-camp looking room. Against one wall is a metal-framed bunk bed that is waiting to be smothered with sheets. At the foot of the bunks is a huge, heavy looking chest. On the other wall are two desks sitting side by side, each adorned with a jar of freshly sharpened pencils, a small lamp, and a potted cow lily.

"Top bunk!" calls Arazia immediately. I smile. Bottom bunk has always been my favorite, for one specific reason.
I open up the chest at the end of the bed and find bed sheets. I toss some at Arazia and make my bed super-neatly, leaving out the actual under sheet. I tuck the edge of the under sheet beneath Arazia's mattress so it hangs down like a fort, surrounding my entire bed. I pull a small flashlight out of my bag and attach it to the bottom of Arazia's bunk, so I have an overhead light just above my pillow. Perfect.

I flop onto my bunk and think, I'm going to like it here.