Blood Loss (re)

#1 All Eyes On Me

I stared down at the bowl in front of me. Watching the cereal spin around it as I stirred the milk, it was delayed a bit which intrigued me. I pushed a piece into the opaque liquid and lifted the spoon just to see it bob back up.

I shook my head, I was too easily distracted. I poured the remaining milk down the sink and shot up the stairs to grab my backpack. Today, I'd be starting at Aveintx Academy. A prestigious private school. While my dad was doing well off now, I only got to attend because of my partial scholarship. Many things were difficult growing up so I missed out on normal opportunities like social media. I had just recently been given my very own smartphone. The first on the list of many things my dad planned to buy me now that we have the money.

I sat idly at the place I was told to wait for the bus. Checking over my papers once again to make sure I brought everything. My identification permit, my key card to the front gate, and a printed class schedule. Perfect.

The bus slowly reeled up to the sidewalk, stopping just inches before the curb. The doors busted open and a rather plump, sweet-looking middle aged woman sat in the drivers seat, with a warm smile on her face. "Good Morning", I hummed stepping up the stairs. She returned the greeting as I passed her but to my rather unfortunate surprise, I turned to see every isle of students staring dead-eyed into me. I knew I was bound to receive attention for being the scholarship kid but this was rather excessive. I was a frail bunny, frozen in the midst of a pack of wolves.

"Please sit down." The driver chimed, as the doors clacked shut. I staggered my following step before finding an empty row. My chest ached. My heart thumping against my ribcage, a sense of unease building as the transport moved us further from my home. Everyone seemed to have gone back to their own business, but it still made me queasy. It was like a scene from a horror movie. Their eyes might just have well glowed. I took a breath and leaned against the window. Deciding to distract myself with passing trees than worry too much about it, for now.

The bus ran smoother than my old one. I grew up in Michigan. Not exactly the safest state. My school was nothing short of a hot-spot for teenage pregnancies and overdoses. Boys who didn't know how to play nice and girls that had been too taken advantage of their whole life's to understand they deserved better than the boys they ended up with. Coming here was like traveling dimensions. Streets filled with palm trees, front yards with their very own fountains, a shopping mall that didn't have shootings and beat-downs, houses as exquisite and big as you could imagine. The streets lacked potholes and people covered the sidewalks, all busy about their days. It felt secure and yet gave me a strange sense of out of place existentiality.

I was bound to bring trouble, regardless of how nice I play. I was the outsider after all.

The gates of Aveintx opened. The gates themselves were the least grand thing there and yet were enchanting just on their own. Swirled bars of metal and vines on each side, a rather outdated look. Truly enchanting. The school was just off the Main Street a mile. It homed several acres of land, building after building of classes and event halls. If I remembered right from the schools website, they even had their very own swimming pool. Trees shaded the path to the grand doors of the academy, leaves ever so gracefully covering the cobblestoned path.

We filed off the bus and I couldn't help but run around the school a bit before heading to the main office. I swerved to the right off the the side building with the dance hall. Peeking my head up through the windows.

"Excuse me", came a voice behind me.

"Eek!" I squealed whipping back to face them. To my fortune, stood a tall curvy girl with braids cascading down her sides like long rope.

"Did you lose your key over the summer?" She asked with a warm illuminating smile, her voice was sweet and soft, with a tinge of a southern accent.