AFTER SUNSET

CHAPTER 1

Three weeks later. . .

Cool breeze ruffled the pleated plaid knee-length uniform skirt I had on, as I stepped out of the school's cafeteria with a cold bottle of ginger ale in my hand,and made my way to Dame Luna's recreational spot-- where other students chatted away mindlessly and others either buried their noses in books or engaged in board games.

I placed my backpack and drink on a round stone-carved table and sat on the stone-carved stool beside it. I wasted no time in admiring the beauty of Dame Luna; the school had been built on a hill, under clear blue skies, and surrounded by canopies of trees,which had expanded into a dark forest over the years. It was truly overwhelming.

"They're saying she's human. . ."

"I doubt it. She's way too weird to be one of us."

"I agree. And, have you seen her hair? And her eyes? They're so weird."

"Yeah, weirder than what we see around here," the girl chuckled.

Like a deer caught in headlights, I stiffened. Of course they were gossiping about the new girl-- which happened to be me. But I couldn't blame them: they didn't know who I was; It had been three week already and I had spoken to absolutely no one.

I gave a subtle side glance to the girls who gossiped away, and had absolutely no care that I could hear every word they uttered.

"Just ignore them. All those two do is talk from sun up to sun down," the voice of another girl intruded my thoughts, and I shrieked-- clutching my chest tightly; she had caught me off guard.

I took my eyes off the gossipers and focused them on the girl who had occupied the stool opposite mine. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that,' I snapped, while staring into the green eyes of the intruder.

This stranger, with her fiery long red hair, gave me a lopsided grin, and tilted her head slightly, "I'm sorry, I guess?"

I probably shouldn't have reacted the way I did, so I closed my eyes for split seconds and shrugged, "it's fine. I just didn't expect anyone to talk to me, directly, you know? It was weird having you sneak up on me like that, like we're friends of some sort, or something like that," I focused my attention on my ginger ale, and pulled it closer.

"Weird? What's weird about meeting new people and making new friends?" The stranger chuckled, and I only shrugged: this girl, with her glowing fair skin, was dressed in her crisp white long sleeve shirt and plaid pleated skirt, totally disregarding the uniform black blazer that completed the look; and she released over-confident vibes. . .vibes I was certain would only pull the type of attention I did not need.

I arched an eyebrow, "You sound like you want to get to know me better, be friends with me. What, you don't agree with them? You don't think I'm weird?"

"Honestly," the stranger put a slender finger, decorated with sliver rings, on her chin, pretending to be in deep thought, and after a while she dropped the act and shrugged, "I think I agree with them: you are a little bit weird, you know."

"Just great. . ." I scoffed.

"No, hold on, let me explain," she looked amused. "Firstly, you've been in this school for three weeks already, but you haven't spoken to one soul! Not one person. Secondly, you have a more or less light brown skin color, so that hints you're most likely an Oakwood southerner, but you see those eyes you've got there? They're the most unusual we've got here at Dame Luna. My goodness, I've never seen anything like it! So golden, almost like a halo, and a southerner's got it? And, thirdly, your sweet mix of chestnut brown and honey highlighted hair releases a very angelic vibe. Like, seriously, I feel goose pimples already."

"Okay, okay, I get your point now," I couldn't hold back my laughter. This stranger was not subtle as she gushed over me, and the sight was hilarious.

"Listen, sweetheart, you're extremely beautiful!" She said in a matter-of-fact tone, folding her arms across her chest.

"And that's what makes me weird?" I chuckled.

"Yes. That's what makes you weird," she retorted, and we burst out laughing until tears came out of both our eyes.

"I think you're really pretty too, but all this weird talk is making me feel much weirder," I gulped down my ginger ale and watched her shake her head.

"No, don't kid yourself. I'm not as pretty, and being the daughter of Voy makes absolutely no difference," the stranger muttered to herself, and let out a laugh while I processed the information she had carelessly dished out.

"Wait! You're Mr Voy's daughter?" My eyes went wide. "Mr Voy, as in one of the highest ranked guardians in oakwood?" my mouth hung agape.

"Yeah?" She rose an eyebrow, "but it's no big deal. I'm not the only descendant of high ranked guardians attending this school. I mean, Dame Luna is literally made up of those kinda folks. Trust me when I say I'm not as important as you think," she added with a wink.

"Maybe you think you're not important, but to a descendant of lower ranked guardians like myself, you're pretty much a big deal," I avoided her hot gaze and focused on a group of girls sitting few tables away from ours.

The stranger , literally, shrieked, "oh my gosh! You've got magic blood? There's no freaking way! I thought you were a mortal! What? The entire school thinks you're human!"

"Good for them," I absentmindedly muttered; the group of girls on the tables had, for some unknown reason, engaged in a staring competition with me, while whispering amongst themselves. I was certain they were gossiping about me. "Hey, are you supposed to be here? Like this isn't some sort of plan or prank or some sick game, right?"

The stranger made no effort to hide the confusion from her voice," what do you mean by that?"she sounded upset.

I only tipped her in the direction of the girls who glared at me from few tables away, "Are those your friends? Why are they looking at me like there's something going on? Did they send you here?"

The stranger's confused face suddenly relaxed, and she smiled warmly, "Calm down warrior princess, nobody sent me here. And, those girls you see there? They pretty much scan every new student , just like they're scanning you right now. But, I'll advice you to be careful with them: they're like the Barbie queens of Dame Luna, except these Barbie's could be really evil, if you step on their toes."

"Just great," I caught the hint, right before the bell begun ringing slowly. The free period had come to an end, and lectures were to resume immediately.

Although I hadn't expected to have a conversation with a stranger, I was secretly glad the red-haired beauty met me, and sad that our conversation had come to and end. We both grabbed our backpacks and stood from our stools; both of us, surprisingly, standing at the same height- five feet ten inches. We laughed at the realization, and proceeded to walking out of the field and onto the tarred sidewalk leading to an entrance of the school's building.

"So. . ." I drawled, as we marched into the cold hallway, "I guess you've got to head to your class now, right?"

"Um, yeah?" Her brows rose quizzically, "aren't you heading there too?"

"What?" I responded loudly, my brows scrunching in confusion, "we attend the same classes and you didn't think of mentioning that? And here I was feeling all bad that we won't get to talk anymore! And, come to think of it, why do you know me and I don't know you?"

The stranger laughed out loud as we drew closer to our lecture room, "I'm starting to see that you're completely oblivious of how famous you are. Seriously, no member of our class will ever forget Bambina Manuel, the girl who forgot her own name."

My cheeks heated up in embarrassment, "shut up," I mumbled, and playfully hit her elbow. "I was nervous, okay?"

My stranger friend stopped by the white door I had dreaded to go through three weeks earlier, "well, I'm not nervous now, so I'll introduce myself without passing out," she smirked, "it's been a pleasure meeting you, Bambina. My name is Nina Voy."

I smirked," Nina, ay? You're sure you didn't extract that from my name, seeing that I'm famous and all?"

My stranger friend giggled, "that's hilarious, Bambi. My name is short for 'Niyanilanina' Voy. Still sure I extracted that from your name?"

With my eyes wide-- I was certain I'd never be able to pronounce that name, I pressed down the knob of the door and walked through, "Nina, it is."