My personal Sandra alarm clock wakes me up.

"Amber! Get up! It's time for breakfast, and then we're going to the ADCCG headquarters!"

"Urggghhh."

I drag myself out of bed, and look for my favourite sweats and hoodie.

But then I realize that I don't have any of that with me.

"What are you looking for Amber?" Sandra asks.

"Clothes," I tell her.

"Oh," she says.

She passes me a pair of skinny jeans and a faded yellow hoodie.

This is good, I think, this is what I normally wear.

I quickly get dressed, and follow Sandra down the hotel hall, into a room set up just for us.

Sandra talks to some of the other girl's reps. She comes back with three other girls, and they lead us to a table.

"Introduce yourselves girls, and then go grab some food," she gestures to the extravagant buffet.

I look at the other girls. Duckface is here, and I don't know who the other two are.

"I'm Erica," Duckface says.

"Cool! I'm Maggie! I'm from New Brunswick!"

Woohoo! I think, sarcastically, That's just so exciting!

"I'm Paige."

"Wait, you're from the North West Territories, right?"

Paige nods, and Maggie continues.

"That's so cool! I've never known anyone from up north before! What's your name?"

"Me? Oh, I'm Manitoba Amber."

"Oh wow! I've heard so many good things about Manitoba!"

Does she ever shut up?

"Does she ever shut up?" Paige hisses in my ear.

"Doesn't look like it."

Duckface speaks up.

"Let's go get some food. I'm hungry."

At the buffet table, I grab a plate and get a waffle, with strawberries and whip cream, and I grab some orange juice. Breakfast of champions!

Just after we get back to our table, a woman makes an announcement.

"Hello girls. I'm Mrs Attary, from the ADCCG, and I'm in charge of welcoming you. After we finish up here, we're going to be taking you to headquarters, where I'll explain a few more things. That's about all for now, enjoy your breakfast, and we'll be on our way shortly."

After breakfast, we all pile into a big bus with tinted windows, and drive to what I'm assuming is the ADCCG headquarters.

When we get there, we are escorted off the bus, and into a tunnel.

All of the adults leave us, and then a scary looking bodyguard guys comes and stands in front of us.

"Is there anyone that doesn't want to be here?!" he bellows. "Because at the moment, you have two choices: fulfill your purpose here, or die!" He pauses for dramatic effect. It works. "Is there anyone unwilling to fulfill their purpose?" He looks around. We are all terrified.

"Good. Let's continue."

He turns and continues down the tunnel, unaware that he just terrified thirteen fifteen year old girls, or that he just did a complete personality change.

When we get to the end of the tunnel, we climb up a ladder, and enter a large entry hall type thing. There is a big crest on the wall, which I assume symbolizes the ADCCG.

"Okay girls listen up!"

Mrs Attary claps her hands.

"Today, you are going to get settled in. We'll match you up with someone whose been here a while, and they'll show you around for the next few days. Also, one thing to note, often, instead of being called by name you will be called your province, and then 56. For example, Manitoba 56, please step forward."

I step forward.

"Good," Mrs Attary praises, "now follow me."

We go through a door, and into a hallway lined with doors, and then reach an area with couches.

"Girls, this is the female dormitory common room."

There are about thirteen girls sitting on the couches, who I'm assuming are the ones that we'll be paired up with. I recognize one girl, who was the Manitoba draw from two years ago.

"Girls, these are the girls that you'll be paired up with. They are seventeen years old, drawn in '54. They will be your mentors for the next while."

She pauses.

"Okay, here are the pairs. Tess, Nova Scotia 56, with Marigold, Nunavut 54."

It goes on and on, until she calls out Amber, Manitoba 56, with Lee, British Columbia 54.

I step forward, and so does a petite girl, with jet black hair, and clear, olive skin. Her eyes are a deep brown, and she is stunning.

We stand beside each other, and the last pair, Duckface and the P. E. I. 54 girl are paired.

"Okay. 56 girls, I'm going to show you to your dorms, and then it will be lunch time, which you will eat with your partner."

We walk down the hall, and Mrs Attary starts to write on a white board.

Dorm a: Sadie/Dawn

b:Zoe/Marie/Paige

c:Erica/Aria

d:Ana/Jenna

e:Beatrice/Maggie

f:Tess/Amber

Mrs Attary tells us to go find out dorms, and get to know our dorm mate, and that lunch will be at 1:30.

+++

"So, you're Amber, correct?"

"Yeah, from Manitoba, you're Tess, where are you from?"

"I'm from Nova Scotia."

We spend the next little while getting to know each other. I lucked out in the roommate scheme of things. Tess is awesome. We go out to the couches together and meet our mentors.

Her mentor, Marigold, and my mentor, Lee, are roommates and best friends.

+++

After lunch, we are given time to meet other ADCCG people, including the boys.

"Let's go boy shopping!" Tess jokes, with a glint in her eye.

I laugh.

I thought Tess was kidding, but evidently not, as when we get to the large common room, Tess goes straight to a guy and starts flirting with him.

I'll admit it, some of these guys aren't totally unattractive, but this isn't really my scene.

I take a seat on the couch, and scan the room for Paige, or Lee, or someone else I might know.

Just as I give up hope, a guy who looks to be about my age walks up to my couch.

"Hey," he says, "You one of the new girls? You look lonely."

"Yeah."

"I'm Daniel, what's your name?"

"I'm Amber," I say shyly.

"Nice to meet you Amber. Is it okay if I take a seat here?"

I nod. Daniel's politeness is a little unnerving, but he seems nice.

We keep the small talk going, but eventually it burns out, like a forgotten candle when all the wax has melted.

Daniel and I just sit on the couch silently, grateful for the company. At least, I am.

A few minutes later, Tess comes over, a guy following her wake. I like my outgoing roommate.

"Amber! This is Oliver. I just met him. Who's that?"

"I'm Daniel. Are you Amber's roommate?"

"I am indeed," Tess says cheerfully. "The name's Tess."

"Nice to meet you Tess. It just so happens that Oliver and I are also roommates."

"Oh! Cool!"

Oliver and I just watch this exchange. I almost feel like I am unwanted, but I don't think I am.

Soon, Daniel and Tess have moved on to talking about Nova Scotia. They're both Maritimers.

+++

The rest of the day is gloriously uneventful.

Tess and I lie in our beds in the room we now share, and talk. We talk about our provinces, families, lots of things. The only thing I refuse to say is that I wanted to become and ADCCG girl.

+++