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Auditorium... auditorium... where the heck is the auditorium?
I dart around yet another corner, probably getting even more lost then I was 3 minutes ago. If only this was as easy as the Labyrinth... "Oof!" "Ow!" I accidentally body-slam someone at full speed. "Oh, hi, MacAnnoy-- er, Allison." She dusts off her shirt (Or is it a blouse? I don't know and don't care.) and marches up into my face. "Watch where you're going next time, Dare!" She shoves past me, but unfortunately I need her help. I sigh and politely ask as nicely as I can without sarcasm, "Hey, uh, could you tell me where the auditorium is?" "Sure," She says with a smile. "Go straight, turn left, right, left, right, straight for 2 halls, then it's on your left. Got it?" "Yep. Thanks." I turn and dash around, trying to follow and remember the directions.

Of course I shouldn't have trusted MacAnnoying. She led me through a maze of unused classrooms and to a dead end. Now I'm really gonna be late. I check the pocketwatch, and just for safety I check it for monsters. Red. Uh oh... "Hello there Red," says a voice I can't see. "Don't you look all lovely tonight... you're late, aren't you? I can feel your blood pumping through your veins... I bet mortal blood tastes delicious." I reach into my messenger bag for one of my special hairbrushes, made with Celestial Bronze. Though still fully functional as your regular brush! Only 9 Drachmas! "Show yourself, coward." Hisssss.... A girl about my age steps out of a classroom doorway. An Empousa, 1/3 human, 1/3 vampire, 1/3 automaton. "I figured your kind could somehow manage to get here." Earlier this year I had managed to distract an Empousa from killing my friend Percy in our school band room. Of course, I had to cover for him, again. She snarls, and motions with her hand to something inside the classroom. "Yes, Jasmine." I just stand there as a really tall Empousa comes out of the room. Like dunk-a-basketball-from-the-foul-line tall. I just stand there with a death-grip on my weapon, waiting for one of them to become distracted. "Hurry upp, Mathilda!" "Okay." The weird thing was, Mathilda's voice was really high, instead of lower because she was tall. For some reason, she reminded me of Tyson, Percy's cyclops brother. "Hi, Mathilda!" "Hello!" "Shut it! Both of you!" Mathilda seemed like the only way to let me pass, if I could get Jasmine all up in her face.
"I'm sorry I can't stay and let you drink my blood, but I'm late for Orientation. Would you please let me pass?" If only I had the charmspeak ability like Silena Beauregard did... "Oh, sure!" Mathilda says, politely stepping aside and motioning me to pass. Jasmine immediately jumps onto her. "You idiot! we don't want her to pass! Remember our plan?" Now they were only taking up half of the hallway. I run as lightly as my feet would allow, while trying to go as fast as I could. As I turn the first corner, I hear a really loud crack followed by what sounded like a bunch of marbles hitting carpet. There goes Mathilda... But I can't feel sorry for her right now.

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I finally saw some signs pointing to the auditorium, and follow them, still running as fast as possible. But I'm pretty sure I lost her somewhere between the showers and the playground. (Don't ask.) I bust through the auditorium door, and get the sudden urge to shout "Troll in the dungeon!" then faint, but I don't. I mumble a "sorry" and scurry to find a seat.
Of course the last seat available is at the top of the seating. I slowly make my way up the stairs, trying to regulate my breathing. I scooch past a few other new students, and plop my stuff down, then collapse into the seat. I check the pocketwatch again, and it's blue. Also I was only about 5 minutes late.

After sitting for what seemed like hours, (which ended up just being two) I found my way with the rest of the students to the cafeteria. It was amazing. There were 4 different eateries within it. Something that looked like a combo of McDonald's, Wendy's, and Taco Bell all rolled into one; then of course the other three were all fancy-shmancy foods like Thai, and Italian and some... other thing. There were only about 3 girls in from of my at the Taco Bell one, all the other ones were crowded. Thank goodness I love tacos. I order then fumble around patting my pockets for my meal card, when someone comes up from behind me. "Here, use mine." She had black hair, and green eyes. "Thanks." I hand it the the cashier, who swipes it and gives it back to me. I hand it back to the girl. "Now you owe me a meal," she jokes. We sit down together and introduce ourselves. "I'm Rachel. Obviously I'm new here." "Yeah, I could tell by the way you barged into Orientation." She puts out her hand over the table. "Shamine. Or Shai, if you want." "Okay, Shai." We both grin. "Soo..." I start as I bite into my awesome taco, "I take it you're a first-year too?" "Nah, I'm seasoned. 5 years." I almost spit out my taco all over her, but I manage to keep my surprise in. "Then why were you in Orientation?" "I'm supposed to help the new students figure everything out, but all the other kids helped them first. Guess that makes you my first pupil." I grab for a drink, then realize I forgot mine. "Be right back, gotta get me some soda." "Ha ha, sure thing. Hey, grab me a Sun Drop, would ya?" "No problem." I grab two plastic cups and get in line for drinks. The line's slow. when it's finally my turn, I get our two drinks and carefully pick my way over back to my table. Suddenly I trip on myself and fall face-first, splattering myself with a mix of Sun Drop and Root Beer. Everybody starts laughing. A girl rushes over to me from behind. "Oh my god, are you okay?" "Uhm, yeah. I think so." "Good." She laughs and pushes me back into the soda. I turn my head and see Allison literally strutting away laughing with her friends. Man I hate that girl. "Rachel! Are you okay?" Shai says. I pick my soggy self up from the floor and wring out some of the liquid. "Yeah, I'm just 10 times stickier than normal." I don't care what everybody it thinking. I grab my taco and head towards my dorm.

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