There, lying on a bed, and reading, was another girl with black hair, but hers was a soft shade, and her face was kind. She looked up at Juliana, and smiled, setting aside her book on a nightstand. "Hey. Are you my roommate?""I guess so. I'm Juliana. Are you Marlo?"
"Yep. These your bags?" she asked, pointing to a large bag, and Juliana's purse, both with tags attached to their straps, with her name on them.
"Yeah," Juliana said, going to them.
"They brought them in a while ago, so I figured you'd be following them." She approached her. "I hope everything made it okay."
"Yep. Everything's fine." She stood. "So, this is my bed?" she asked, pointing at a bed with a purple comforter, and silver sheets.
"Mhmm. It's all yours. Make yourself at home." Marlo smiled, and climbed back onto her bed, which was covered with a dark green comforter, and white sheets that peeked out from behind them.
"Hey. What time is it?" Juliana asked.
"Five forty-five," she said, glancing at a chunky watch strapped to her wrist. Then, she did a double-take, and leapt from her bed. "Crap! We gotta go! Dinner's in fifteen minutes, and we've got a way to go! Come on!" She grabbed Juliana's wrist, and dragged her from the room, down the hall, and out of the building.
They ran as fast as they could down several cement paths, through a flowery courtyard, and into an echoing dining room that held three long tables, and one at the far end running parrallel to the wall. They were all full of people.
Marlo looked at her watch, gave the time as being nearly six o' clock, and began scouring the tables for empty seats. They found a pair at the middle table, and sat down just as a woman with silver hair down to her waist stood from the table at the back of the room. She had a bright, young face and a gentle, motherly smile as she gazed at the students.
Finally, she was handed a microphone, and said, in a clear resonant voice, "May I have your attention, please? Thank you. Hello, everyone. I am Selina Starlight, the headmaster of Starlight Academy, and I am pleased to have you all here. It's good to see some familiar faces tonight. It's even better to see some unfamiliar ones. I hope you will enjoy this school.
"Now, before we eat, I would like to take this time to tell you all something: being here is a priviledge, not a right. If you don't understand how lucky you are to be attending here, then I suggest you realize that now. I do not tolerate any ill behavior from my students, and I will not hesitate to send you back to your families if I hear of it. Know this, and, with that, I wish you a good school year. Thank you." There was applause, and she sat down, still smiling.
Juliana looked at Marlo, with more than a hint of worry in her features. Marlo just shrugged as she was handed a plate of steaming food.
Juliana sighed, glanced aorund, froze; she had found herself looking, once again, into Prince's eyes.
He was at the first table, sandwiched between Gerard and Alexander. He smiled at her, and waved. He nudged his friends, who followed his example. Juliana returned the waves, and went back to her food as a blush started rising in her cheeks.
"I think that guy likes you," Marlo said, excitement creeping into her voice.
"What d'you mean?" Juliana asked innocently.
"He keeps looking over here, and smiling. Oh! Look!"
Juliana glanced up just as Prince stood from his seat. He winked at her, then left the building.
"He wants you to follow him," Marlo said.
"How do you know?"
"Because his friends are pointing after him and mouthing, 'Follow him!'"
It was true. So, she went, with a red face, outside.
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