"Well, I don't know how you did it, but here's two dollars." Said Ryan, fishing money from his pocket.

Genny smiled before handing me a dollar. I loved it when she smiled.

It had taken all afternoon, but we convinced Mr. Wales too hold an audience with Angela and she confessed. Our names remaining safe, until we were more famous. It was late now and I felt about ready to turn in. Genny had voted to walk with me back to our dorms since they were so close.

"So how was your first day at Gifted?" She asked, twirling with her hair in a way that made my heart spin.

"Great, probably one of the most exciting days of my life." I admitted, concentrating on keeping the blush from my cheeks from the way she was staring at me.

She reached out and stroked the silky edge of my left wings. I didn't flinch this time. Instead I rolled my shoulders and stretched it out next to her.

"It's okay, I don't mind." I smiled.

She grinned and ran her hand down the length of my silky white wing. "It's so soft."

I blushed, not even sure why.

"Have you ever flown?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"What's it like?"

I reached back to the last time I had flown for fun. It had been a long time ago, before I got myself into this mess.

"Amazing, you have the whole world stretched out below you like a canvass. It feels like they sky just keeps going on and on forever. You could lost up there." I sighed, almost feeling the air rush past my face again.

"It sounds amazing," she agreed, then stopped.

She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, her eyes flashing a sharp teal in my surprise before fading into a dark pink.

"You sure know how to show a girl a good time," she laughed, then opened the door to her room.

"Goodnight Will."

"Good night." I squeaked, blushing. Did she just kiss me?

I twisted the doorknob, while the heat flooded to my cheeks. I almost tripped and was surprised to find Justin laying on his stomach in the middle of the floor. Reading a book.

"So how was your first day? Genny seems to like you." He asked off handedly.

"You really think so?" I questioned curiously.

He looked up and quickly noted my expression. A grin broke out on his face. "You like her!"

I blushed deep enough to make a tomato jealous. "What? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do, yes you do!" He sang, while my blush deepened. "I'll keep singing till you admit it!"

"Will and Genny, sitting in a tree-"

"Alright!" I threw my hands in the air. "She's just my friend."

He grinned madly. "I knew it! You're in love! Did her eyes turn pink for you?"

"What?"

"Have you planned your wedding yet? Are you going on a honeymoon?"

"Oh be quiet!" I snapped playfully.

"I can practically see cupids flying around you."

"I swear if you don't put a sock in it-"

"My friend Will, struck by the arrows of love."

"Okay! That's enough of that." I flapped my wings and landed with squish on my bed.

"Wait till I tell everyone!"

"All the boys in this school and I end up roomates with the hopeless romantic." I groaned loudly.

"Well, I've never actually had a roommate before, so consider yourself lucky." He laid back on his bed with a sigh.

"Why is that?"

He got quiet. "Um, personal reasons, I don't want to talk about it."

"Where did you go during Self Defense? Did you get hurt?" I could imagine him blushing now.

"Oh, um, yes, I don't want to talk about that either."

I took this moment to open up my mind and search for his mind stream. I found it, but I was surprised to find it was blocked. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hear his thought. It was the strangest thing. What would I tell Genny now?

"You know what? I'm exhausted. There are some new recruits coming in tomorrow and I'm gonna have to greet them."

"Sure." I replied, rolling my eyes and switching off the lights. Then the room went dark.

The next week, a Saturday I tried to sleep in. I literally woke to Justin poking one of my wings, witch had fallen over the side of the bed in my deep slumber. I growled at him, becoming an early morning beast.

"Do you know how messy you look?"

"Dude, let me sleep." I moaned, burying my face into my pillow.

"Fine, enjoy your Saturday, I have to board a plane."

I groaned again, and just lay there until my stomach growled. I hissed back and pulled myself up.

There were four footlockers, because the room was meant to hold four boys. I had dumped the entire contents of my backpack in one and it only filled up half. I had Tyler's and my file up against one side, some books I needed for school, pushed up against them. Plus a whole bunch clothes the school had given me. I guess kids came here all the time with next to nothing in worldly possessions.

What I appreciated most was all of the shirts had the special hole in the back. I had never felt this accepted in my life.

Upon some investigating, I discovered the showers. It had been long time since I had a hot shower. Let me tell you I was a mess. There was even a tiny bottle labeled Will. I chuckled when I read the side, it was oil for birds wings.

Despite what you may think, water gets my feathers wet. I had to stand there for what felt like hours with a blow dryer until each pure white feather was dry. The looked ragged but after a few day the barbs would realign themselves.

After my extensive shower routine, I actually made in on time in the mess hall. Genny was waving her hand and gesturing to a spot she had saved for me.

"Well, someone's looking fresh." She commented.

"Yeah I found the showers." I replied brightly.

"I tried reading Justin's mind." I announced.

She dropped her fork. "I completely forgot about that, how'd it go?"

"I can't, either he's blocking me, or doesn't think anything at all."

"Hmm," She mumbled, looking down.

I helped myself to a huge portion of pancakes. I was used to people staring at me when I ate so I just ignored the attention.

"Did you know birds have to eat three times their body weight in food each day?" She said.

I snorted. "Story of my life."

"Tell me about it," she paused, "don't actually tell me, that would be weird."

I laughed. "So what do you guys do around here for fun?"

She smiled. "Well, there's a beach, if you can call it that. It's really just a bunch of rocks and water, but sometimes the weather's nice enough to go out."

"Yeah, where exactly are we in the world?" I asked, making my pancakes their own personal swimming pool of syrup.

She frowned, her eyebrows bunching together. "I'm not sure, but it sure does snow a lot. In the spring time there's grass, but now it's pretty cold."

"So we're either at the top of the world, or the bottom?"

Genny shrugged. "I suppose, honestly I don't care, we're safe here and that's what matters."

She poked her eggs thoughtfully. I sensed she was holding something back, but as you've learned before, I'm not the pushy type, and I don't like reading minds if it means violating their privacy.

"Let's go check out this beach." I suggested.

Genny perked up a bit, and I mentally sighed, seeing her happy made me feel much better.

Now onto this 'beach'.