Over-Load Chapter 1

Chapter One

The building looked the same as my old school. The dorms did too. I wasn’t worried, but I wasn’t looking forward to starting all over. My mothers car came to a stop outside my new "home." I slowly got out, taking in the warm November air. Oklahoma was a lot different than California. Cleaner air, less crowded, the perfect place for a small elemental community.

"Are you going to help me unpack?" I asked my mother as I started to grab bags out of the SUV.

"I'll help carry everything up, but I cant stay. It's going to take me days to get your grandmother unpacked. That woman has a million years worth of things that need a home. At least now I don’t have to hide everything while moving it." She grabbed a few boxes that would be to heavy for human strength. We were met by the dorm administrator who showed us to my new dorm room. I hoped that I would be rooming with someone cool this time. My last roommate was such a downer for being an Electric born.

For a beautiful Sunday afternoon there weren't many kids out in the school yard. At my old school, there would be kids everywhere. Playing sports or doing homework or just laying out in the sun. Here, I saw three kids, heads down, half running to where ever they thought they needed to be. 'Great.' I though to myself. 'A school full of loners. Looks like I'll be bored this year.'

After unloading my mother's car. We said our good-byes with promises of phone calls and visits soon. I didn't mind being away from my family at a boarding school. I enjoyed it really. I would be home soon enough for winter break anyway. My roommate was no where to be found so I unpacked alone. All 200 of my books fit perfectly on the bookcase with room to spare. Pictures of my family and friends filled one shelf. The last was left for pictures of my brother, Connor who was killed in Iraq. I placed his dog-tags on the picture of him in his uniform. He had a light to his eyes that no one could explain. He was a heart breaker and a lover. But most of all, he was my best friend. It was all I could do not to cry.

Looking at the time, I decide to change into my uniform and go to the canteen. Supper would be starting soon and I was starving. I followed the mass of students heading into the main building.

"Fire girl huh?" A boy with bleach blonde and red hair asked coming up behind me. I knew kids weren't going to stay quiet for long.

"How did you guess?" I asking dripping my words with sarcasm.

"The same way you can tell everyone elses power." He rolled his eyes matching his stride with mine. "You are the first in Eiffel Academy History."

"I was the first in Coran Academy too." I said in a matter of fact tone. Trying to keep my anger down. I've never been one to enjoy standing out in the crowd for being one of the very few female fire borns in Elemental history.

"Name is Alexander but you can call me Blaze." He stepped forward to open the door for me.

"Nadia." I nodded to him as we passed through and stopped at the back of the line. There seemed to be a lot more kids here than at my old school in California. I guessed it was because of the seclusion. The food looked amazing and there was even a tea bar. Not a luxury I was used to.

"Well Nadia, I would like to invite you to sit with the rest of us fire breathers and myself." I shrugged. I didn’t really have plans to sit with anyone else. We fell silent until we joined his friends outside in a courtyard I hadn't seen when I arrived. "Guys, this is Nadia, the first fire born girl in the history of our school."

"Could you stop pointing that out?" I felt my skin start to burn.

"Whoa, sorry dude." Blaze backed up away from me. 'Great Nadia, scaring all the guys on your first night, and you haven't even started classes yet'

"I'm Ace," another blonde stood up and shook my hand. His hair was short and I could hardly see the red. "This is Exaver, Cable, Bank, and Gator."

"Sup guys?" I asked sitting down and taking a bite of one of the little finger sandwiches. "Is the food always so fancy?"

"No, the Board of Elements is coming for a surprise visit soon so the school doesn’t want them to see the junk they normally feed us." Ace piped up again. I couldn’t help but notice his eyes were a beautiful color of jade. I had to tell myself to look away. He had a boyish grin that any girl could fall in love with. I knew I had to keep my distance from that.

"So Nadia, what was your rank at your old school?” Exaver asked with a mouth full of potato salad; half spiting it all over the table. I was slightly disgusted and amused.

"Power classes I was ranked 1st. Ged Eds I was 4th." I enjoyed the look on everyone's' face.

"Well boys, looks like I finally will have some decent competition in class now." Blaze joked to the rest of the guys and Gator punched him in the arm. They took turns showing off. Each creating a small fire show trying to impress me with their control. When supper started to wrap up Blaze took my tray for me. "I'll walk you back to your dorm Nadia."

"I think I can find my own way, thanks." I could feel my blood start to boil again.

"It's not that I think you will get lost. The storm born like to pick on the new kids if they see them alone. And I don’t need my new competition getting hurt her first night here." I nodded in agreement. The storm born was the same way at my old school. It must just be in their blood to pick on the new kids. Pure bloods were a dying breed. They chose to keep their families small to keep their powers to themselves. Storm borns only came from pure blood families.