Saint Ambrose Academy: Unlikelies

2

NOVA

I have to admit this day was off to a terrible start, I was so on edge from the meeting this morning, that my mind kept threatening to slip into the memories I stuff deep down and ignore throughout my morning classes. Thankfully, I was just starting my volunteer work at a farm in the countryside after school and dance today, another thing that would look great on my college applications. But also, being around animals has always really calmed me. Dance lets me express myself, but animals were the ones that held my sanity together. Much unlike my experiences with people, animals loved me and I adored them.

When you come from a school in which everyone is a one-percenter or academic wizard, then colleges tend to look for more than good grades. They want to see that you are a well-rounded character and because money can buy you the finest education, but it can't give you the heart or character to persevere that colleges are always looking for. Most of the time they assume that being so wealthy means we have no issues, and while for some I'm sure it is accurate, heck there are certainly issues we are fortunate to not have to worry about because of our financial status, but life happens no matter what tax bracket you fall in.

I in particular have not been rich my whole life, I was illegally brought to the States by my aunt to escape rising tensions in my home country. My parents passed away when I was at the age of four, so it was just my aunt and I. However, both my aunt and I were discovered and deported, though neither of us made it back to my home country. My aunt fell ill, and it was there that my aunt decided to put me into the system in the hope I'd live a better life when she was gone. I was adopted rather quickly by a wealthy influential couple, from my understanding they were foreign royalty and both had major roles within the government here as advocates for their nation.

All the money in the world could not account for the troubles I endured there, it was not the fairytale you'd think. I was a disappointment or just wrong, I don't know for sure but they had never loved me. It's like they took one look at me even at four years old, and decided I wasn't worth it, but they had too many eyes on them to go back on my adoption; so when they had enough of me they sent me here. I'm just lucky they still hold themselves financially responsible for me.

~

I'm on my way to the studio, to practice during my free period before lunch, when a foot is stuck out, my brain doesn't process this quick enough and I fall a few steps and hit my head hard.

My vision blurs and darkens as sounds of laughter from those around me slowly fade out, I'm transported in my mind to one of the memories I avoid from last year.

                   Everything is black, there's something over my face, and everyone's laughing at me, I'm in pain but no one helps me. Matteo and his wicked friends had cornered me and put something over my head before dragging me off by the hair that cascaded down my back. It felt like my hair was being ripped from the scalp, and then he stopped.

         I tried to crawl away but he yanked me by my leg and turned me around, proceeding to climb on top of me. I hit my jaw when he pulled me back and was too dazed by the pain, that I didn't fight back as he tied me up and bound me to a tree. It wasn't until he ripped my new dress off with a pocket knife, that I started to snap to again. I can't see where he's taken me but panic starts to rise in me as I realize the position he has me in, feeling powerless to stop this once again  I break my own rules and cry uncontrollably, begging  Matteo to let me go. I hear nothing but the laughter of my peers before he shifts near me once again invading my space and whispers loud enough for those around us to hear, "Don't flatter yourself, I would NEVER touch someone as disgusting as you. You are NOTHING and NOONE will ever want you, you are not worth it."