Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020complete | Page 534

Unforgettable Experiences in an Unforgettable Place
Delia School of Canada, Rajput, Aditi - 14
Hey, I am Michelle Roberts. I am a high school student and have been living in the States ever
since I was young. Even the thought of leaving the place had been terrifying for me. However, my life took
a complete turn when I was told by my principal six months ago that I had to be a transfer student and go to
Cantonesia for one week. At that moment I thought I was going to have a complete breakdown right there,
in his office. He told me that I had one week to prepare and the school will provide me with necessary
things such as a student-visa, new books, etc., but I was too agitated to listen to him.
Days passed away as if they were minutes and the day I had to leave had finally come. My parents
were extremely exhilarated for me but when it was time for me to enter through those security gates, my
mom started crying. Well, I am their only child and before this, I had never been away from them. She
hugged me for so long and seeing her cry, I got a lump in my throat. I wanted to cry too but instead I told
her that everything will be fine.
Anyways, it took me around one hour to travel all the way to Cantonesia (given that it was one of
the most developed places in the world, it was bound to have such an efficient travelling system). As soon as
I stepped out on the streets of the capital city, my mind was blown to pieces. This place was a whole
different universe! From high-tech buildings to robots walking amongst humans. It was so hard to take it
all in in one sight. Suddenly, an amiable-semeing teenage boy approached me.
“You must be Michelle Roberts. Nice to meet you. I am Jack Zhuang and I will be helping you
have the best experience during your stay at your new school in Cantonesia” Jack said.
“Oh hi there! Nice to meet you too. I look forward to it as well” I blurted out as my face got red
from embarrassment.
“We can go visit the school first from where you will get your dorm keys. This way please” he said
as he started walking towards a car.
He helped me carry my luggage and put it inside the boot and we sat in his car. He pushed the start
button and we rose 10 feet in the air and started moving towards the heart of the city. He selected his
directions and left the car on auto-drive.
“Ok, so this is called Digi-Outlook and it can be used for communication, tracking location, and
anything else you’ll need. The settings are already done and all the important contacts have been saved for
your convenience” Jack said as he handed me a wrist-band. We had something similar to this in the U.S.
but it had nowhere near this many features in it. He elucidated a lot of things about the city which was quite
beguiling. He then started telling me about the school. As he finished explaining everything, we reached our
destination.
Just like all the other things in the city, the school looked super high-tech too. We entered
through the big school gates with my luggage. I met with my principal who was nicely dressed and seemed
quite old with his white hair shining like stars on a dark night. “Hello, Ms Roberts! Welcome to our school.
I hope you have a great stay and come talk to me if you have any problem. Here are your dorm keys...” he
said as he handed the keys to me.
After taking a quick walk-through of the school, Jack dropped me off to my dorm. Before leaving,
he said “By the way, do you mind joining me and my friends for dinner tonight. This way you’ll be able to
explore the city and make new friends. It’ll be a great opportunity.”
“Thank you so much for the invite and I’d be pleased to join you,” I said because turning him
down didn’t feel right.