SECRETS

chapter 4

With a heavy heart, I bid my final farewells, my gaze fixed on the SUV as it vanished into the winding road.
Taking a deep sigh, I made my way towards what I assumed to be the central building. The anticipation in the air heightened with each step.

Feeling a mix of nerves , I approached the main building, its grandeur looming before me. The sound of my footsteps echoed in the silence as I took in the surroundings. The scent of freshly cut grass and the distant laughter of students filled the air, adding to the anticipation.

With a heavy sigh, I mustered the courage to take my first step inside. The sight that greeted me left me in awe. The interior of Rosehill Academy was even more stunning than its exterior. The giant block letters proudly displayed the school's name, while the school badge added a touch of elegance. The extravagant designs in dark pink and black adorned the walls, creating a captivating atmosphere. As I made my way further in, my eyes were drawn to a grand, lustrous desk situated at the front. Behind it, a friendly lady sat surrounded by a cluster of computers. It was undoubtedly the reception area.

I walked carefully to the lady and mouthed a 'hello'. She looked up from the computers and greeted me with a warm welcoming smile. 'Hello. You must be Charlotte'. 'Yeah.'
'Welcome to RoseHill Academy, where dreams take root and blossom. We received your luggage already and its been sent to your hostel. Just give me a minute.' It was kinda more than a minute and i was just standing there looking at everything. I still cant believe i was smuggled out of a country to another just to study. My life's got bigger problems than education.

'My apologies about that. The system's kinda rusty. Well your stuff's been sent to 'The Manor House'. Here's your necessary student documentation and the directions to the place in case you need them. Miss Hadish,she's a supervisor,will be with you in a jiffy to make sure you get settled in.'

She handed me a students ID and a bunch of other documents. I looked at the tiny brochure like map. 'Manor House',what a weird name,i thought. 100 metres, right turn, then straight and next to the Austen Fountain. How do i even know i've reached 100 metres?

I walked following the directions until i came to the front of a building with something like 6 stories with the words Manor house in block letters at the top. The card said my stuff was on floor 5 so i figured it was better to take the lift instead.

I was getting anxious standing in the elevator. Did i mention i'm claustrophobic? I breathed a sigh of relief as the doors opened.

'Nah, i'm telling you man. If there's really a new dude,with pink stuff. Bruh he aint gonna sleep in my room. He gon' sleep wit ya.' I heard a male voice speak.sounded kinda african american. Wait, do the girls and boys here share hostels? I was confused.

I was even more confused when i stepped out. I saw a couple of guys moving around,some shirtless. 'About that...I think the new dude  is a girl.' I heard another voice speak. 'What..you crazy. Ain'tknow way i'm sharin' my room'

I turned and spotted my bags. And two guys standing next to them. One of them, with dark tousled hair was staring at me. He tapped the guy next to him and now both of them were staring. I walked over to them..and my bags. 'Hi'. 'Hellooooo.' The one with tousled hair replied. The other one  was just staring at me as if i were something weird.
'Dude chillout. She's a girl. I know one when i see one.' The guy with dark hair told the other one.

'I'm Hayden by the way'. He said stretching his hand which i took. He had a charming and luring smile. 'Oh..dont mind my friend. He's kinda homophobic'. Wait. Did he think i was...

'Hey..so you a girl right..like natural and stuff.' I laughed at that. 'Yeah, I'm Charlotte.' 'Phew. I was about to get a heart attack. I thought you was trans or somethin'. And i'm sorry bout that. I'm Eric.'

'Well its nice to meet you. But i think there's some sort of mistake. Eric said later.

'Dont spoil it man. We finally have something nice in Manor House.' Hayden said as he smacked Eric's shoulder.

'Hey. Whats with the noise.' Some other blonde guy came out of one of the rooms.  'Yo. Wassup.' He said after seeing me next to my bags. 'Finally. We get some babes overhere. But i've never seen her around. And whats with the bags?'

'This here is our lovely friend Charlotte. And she's probably new here.' Hayden said.

'Nice. I'm Brandon.'

'I think Eric's right. There's got to be some kinda mistake.' I said. 'Maybe there was a mix up with my stuff and it was sent to the wrong place. Is there another Manor House?'

'Nah. This is the only manor house. And yeah. It is an only boy's dorm. But i'm sure its something to do with that system. Its messy as hell. I got registered as a sophomore this year. I should be a senior.' Hayden said.

'Well its sort of a bummer that we arent in the same class. I'm a junior.' For a moment in what was like ages,i was actually smiling and laughing with people. Well,it didnt last forever.

'Oh sweet mother of good lords' a high pitched voice came from behind us. It was a lady in a grey tailored blazer and skirt with a flowy blouse and pearl necklace. Probably the Hadish woman.

'My apologies. Its quite unfortunate that your luggage was sent to the wrong dorm but i'm here to fix that. And i hope these gentlemen arent giving you a hard time.' She said pushing past me and taking hold of my bags.

'Hey, i didnt even have a conversation with her.' Brandon whined.
'Well well,you'll get to see her during dinner. Now i reckon that you have afternoon classes dont you? You better be out of dorm in 20 minutes. Now Charlotte,you may bid a farewell to these young gentlemen.'

As I turned around to say bye, I caught sight of a breathtaking sight that made my heart skip a beat. There he stood, a vision of masculine perfection, with his sculpted physique glistening under the soft glow of the hallway lights. He had just a towel around his waist and that accentuated his chiseled abs, leaving just enough to the imagination. His messy wet hair added an irresistible allure, and his piercing eyes locked with mine, sending an electric current through my entire being. In that moment, time seemed to stand still as our gazes held,...until he walked into one of the rooms right after winking at me.

'Miss Charlotte' i heard a voice snap me out of my trance.'oh..yeah bye.' What was that? I felt like i was dreaming. Dramatically,i moved my hand to my chest, checking if i still had my heart in the right place coz for a moment i couldnt feel it anymore.

Whatever that was,whoever that was,gave me some kinda zeal for this school.

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