The IBM

Chapter 1

Greyswald Academy was known for giving the best education to the most previllaged kids in the world.

It's state of the art architecture, upscale atmosphere and PHD-ed faculty was sure to give all the rich kids the best education to offer.

But only a lucky few were allowed to attend it's business class. The only class where you couldn't bribe yourself good grades and the only subject that truly mattered for most of the students. And the only one that had it's own separate degree.

The International Business Management or IBM Class was only offered to the best and the most rich students around.

And Natalie Orlov, being the heir to Orlov Oil Co. was certainly one of them.

The class was supposed to start at 9 and it was held on the top floor of building C, the building holding all the offices of the faculty.

Since she hated elevators, Natalie made her way up the stairs. There were no other students around since this building had barely had any classrooms.

In fact, since she had joined the Acadmey last year, she had never had a class in this building.

A wave of anxiety hit her as she opened up her schedule card to see if she was in the right building.

"Hey! Natie."

Natalie turned around.

Fiona Seacrest smiled as she climbed up the stairs faster. Her blonde hair bouncing up and down in perfect curls. Her forest green bag, one from her mother's latest collection, hit the wall quite a few times but she paid no heed.

"Oh hey, Fi." Natalie smiled, politely.

"I'm so glad I caught you." She spoke, a little out of breath as she caught up to Natalie. "Now, we can sit together."

Natalie sighed in relief. She was glad Fiona was here. A familiar face always helped. "Sure."

She turned around as they started climbing the stairs again.

"Are you still afraid of elevators?" Fiona asked.

"I'm not afraid." Natalie corrected. "I just don't like them."

"Right." Fiona teased. "And did that happen after or before you passed out in the one in the mall because 'you couldn't breathe'?"

Natalie involuntary closed her eyes as a memory threatened to break through. She didn't pass out. She was incredibly high.

"I think after." She spoke after a while with a chuckle, trying to appear normal.

"Those were the days right?" Fiona reminisced. "You used to be so fun. What happened to you?"

Natalie glaced at her blue eyes. She wondered if Fiona had heard the rumours too or worse if she believed them.

She didn't know what to expect. Hers' and Fiona's relationship has always been strange to her.

They were friends but they were like the kind of friends who barely knew eachother but bonded through their mutual pain.

Natalie barely knew anything about Fiona's personal life. Nor did Fiona knew anything about Natalie's.

Yet they had been there for each other almost everytime. Saving each other from paparazzi and humiliation or literally saving each others life when they had overdone it with the drugs. They had been through it all.

But the questions and talk about their personal life had always been off limits. An unspoken rule was between them.

Fiona had always told her the surface level truth about any personal stuff and Natalie had done the same.