A Luna's Awakening

Marisol's POV: "Mari! Mari! Marisol!" I was shaken from my sleep by my roommate shaking me and calling my name. I groaned and tried to roll over to go back to sleep. "You can't sleep! The trip is today!" She said as she yanked my blanket from my fingers. I sighed deeply and opened my eyes. "It's probably too early to get up Chels." I heard her huff behind me. "Not for someone who likes to be late. Come on. Sera is making breakfast." I sat up at that and she giggled. "Got your attention now? Let's go before everyone gets all the best food." I got up and threw on my robe to follow her out of our room to the common area. The dorm wasn't grand, but we weren't at some big crazy school. Not that I expected it to be. This was Hartford, Connecticut, not New York. Chels and I grabbed a plate and filled it with food while thanking Sera for the meal. "Why are you so excited about this trip anyway?" I asked Chels as she shoveled food into her face. "You don't even like drawing nature." She frowned at me deeply as I rained on her parade. This was a chance for us artists to get inspiration from the beautiful fall colors in Vermont after all. I preferred nature but not Chels. She made digital art of people. "Can you imagine all the different sorts of people who live there? Or the history?" I shrugged softly in response and she huffed. I didn't much care for people. Not since I was raised in foster care my entire childhood. Chels was a rare exception to this. I liked her fire and spirit a lot. "Well, SOME of us think about more than plants and squirrels." I glared softly at her as she smirked in victory. "Animals are far more interesting than people," I argued and she laughed. "At least people hold still when I ask." I frowned at her logic and then we both laughed at our silly fight. "Just be happy I am going with you. You'll have someone to nag." "Oh, thank you so much, your highness. I am honored. The great Chelsea Jefferson has decided to grace me with her presence." Her nose scrunched up as I used her real first name. "Sorry," I said and she sighed softly. "I pronounce your name correctly. The least you can do is not use THAT name to refer to me." I knew she hated that name. It was the name of her father's mistress which she and her mother didn't find out about until she was ten. She has gone by Chels since and her father hates it but screw him. She was right though. Most people looked at my name and said it wrong. It was Spanish and spoken with the Spanish pronunciation. Which a lot of very white people find weird for some strange reason. I didn't pick it. My first foster mother gave it to me. She was VERY Spanish. It probably didn't help that I was also white. Once we finished eating, we helped Sera clean up as everyone else left for last-minute packing. Chels and I were already fully packed. Sera thanked us with a cupcake she had baked for us to split. We thanked her and ate our treat before going to get ready. "Please tell me you are packing a jacket in case you get cold," Chels reminded me once more, and I sighed. "How many times do I have to say I don't get cold easily for you to remember? It's fall, not winter. No jacket needed." She frowned like a mother might at their silly child. "Just in case though." I rolled my eyes softly. "It's in my bag, MOM." She stuck her tongue out at me and I returned it. Soon I found an outfit that I liked. Some cute brown boots, a long flowing skirt in light blue, and a white ruffled top. I checked the floor-length mirror and did a small twirl. Cute and ready for a day in the forest. My curls bounced as I spun. My hair was just spirals of tight natural curls that bounced and moved. The light brown reminded me of chestnuts, which is probably where the horse color came from too. My green and blue hazel eyes twinkled, and I debated about whether I should cover my freckles today. I looked at Chels as she threw on her jacket. She looked like she was set for winter already, and I frowned at her. Her Barbie blonde hair contrasted nicely with her dark chocolate eyes. Right now her hair was purple though. Another rebellious middle finger to her parents. She was going through a phase, and I was all here for it. "You are going to get hot." I pointed out. She always did. "That's why I have layers." She pointed out and I shrugged. If she wanted to sweat in the fall, that was her deal. We heard the siren of a megaphone. "Let's go girls!" Our dorm mom yelled through the device down the hall of rooms. We both grabbed our bags and headed off to the bus. A bit of a drive and we would be in one of the most scenic spots for fall. I couldn't wait.