𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐀𝐅𝐀𝐑

𝟏

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𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐈

I will forever be mesmerised by autumn. As I sat here in the backseat of a taxi, I laid my head on the little space just below the window and decided to take in the surroundings to pass time. The fallen leaves danced in the wind, swirling and twirling along the roadside. I couldn't help but smile. The trees were adorned in shades of red, orange, and yellow, setting up what would be the next few months for me.

I glanced at the driver's car screen that was displayed right in front of him, eager to count down the minutes that were left until I reached my new home. Aurelia Academy. After years of applying, I had finally secured a space. Typically, privileged kids would attend there—those who came from wealthy backgrounds and were practically born just so they could attend Aurelia. That thought train did not smooth my nerves whatsoever. It only meant I would have to work twice as hard to try to keep up with them and their beliefs.

-

Screeches were heard when the driver finally arrived outside the building. I couldn't help but jump and yell. He didn't even bother to look back and check up on me. I rolled my eyes and reached for the door handle, but someone from the outside had beaten me to it. My door was opened, and I was presented with what seemed to be the school's personal bellhops. The last time I checked, this wasn't some sort of hotel, but I shrugged it off and let the poor individual do their job.

I shuffled towards the edge of my seat, allowing myself enough space to get up and start strutting towards the entrance. As I acknowledged the bellhop heading towards the boot of the taxi, intending to carry my luggage instead, I smoothed my blue-chequered skirt down and fiddled with the blue bowtie that did nothing but suffocate me. I didn't want to make a horrible first impression. Hurringly, I pulled out a pocket mirror and took in my appearance one last time before my life changed entirely. My brown, wavy hair cascaded down my shoulders, framing my round, olive-toned face, although my captivating bambi-like eyes weren't popping like usual. I exhaled harshly, already envisioning everyone all dressed up to impress with not a crease in their shirts present.

-

Intense was what the first impression was, for sure. As I stepped into the front reception, the old lady at the desk, who had a pair of glasses perched on her face, shoved a map of the school into my hands without further instructions. I thought to myself, What was the need for a map? I mean, it wasn't like it was open to the public, right? I scoffed and glared discreetly at her, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot. My hands fumbled with the map; my hands were already getting sweaty due to the nerves. Finally, I got it open and squinted at the outdated structure of the academy.

To my luck, my dorm just had to be located right at the top of this very ancient building. It was extremely quiet in the corridors as I passed through each spiralling staircase. I surprised myself as I made it up a total of 5 floors. As I lugged my suitcase up the final step at the top, I looked over the railing, hopping ever so slightly, wondering if there was a possibility of death if I just jumped right off right then and there. I erased the silly thought out of my head and decided to pull the unnecessary map out yet again. I truly had the memory of a goldfish. Room 11. The randomly assigned numbers irked me, but hey, who was I to judge?

Too engrossed in my intrusive thoughts, I forgot to take in my new forever home; this place was known for its looks as well as its education. I noticed a small balcony just to the right of me, completely stranded. It was too pretty to be left alone, so I took a small glance around, looking for certain individuals who may be balcony hoggers, and abandoned my luggage right in front of my dorm room as I skipped towards it. As I slipped onto the edge, taking a seat, a rush of fresh air hit my face. It was definitely refreshing. Both of the balcony doors were open in front of me, giving me full insight. But first, the outside of the building caught my eye. If eye sparkling actually existed, I bet that would be what mine is doing right now.

The weathered stone walls carried the building, and well, the inside was just something out of a book. The intricate architecture was accompanied by ornate carvings and grand archways. I smiled as I jumped off the railing, taking notice of the floors themselves. The wood creaked as you took a single step, but even that didn't do the entirety of the situation justice. I had acknowledged that the stained glass windows produced the light that shone across them. All I could think about was what it would be like in a matter of months, when the snow is falling and I jump out of bed with my fluffy socks gliding across the corridor ahead of everyone else. Due to my gift of sensing when it would snow, my older sister always associated the gift with Lorelai Gilmore. I took it as a compliment; that woman is worship worthy, for sure.

Before I could turn my back against the wall and try to envision what stories may have taken place in the past, I heard a WHACK.

-

Puzzled, I slid back towards my pile of luggage and dipped down, afraid of being seen by whoever caused the ruckus. I was convinced that no one would be out of lessons as I myself arrived midday to avoid meeting people too soon for my own good. As I started to breathe heavily, I tilted my head, getting a great view of what was taking place in front of me.

The first thing that caught me off guard was the fact that the person who had their back to me didn't seem like they went to this academy at all. I mean, the whole uniform was completely wrong; their ancestors would most definitely be frowning upon them at this very moment. As I shot daggers towards the back of their head, frustrated with needing to make an impression to fit in, something they clearly didn't have to do, I took in their stance. I caught myself staring longingly; they had their hair neatly pulled back in a clip, showing off their diamond-shaped face. My eyes wandered lower; they wore a cosy grey hoodie. At that, I rolled my eyes. Oh, how I envied them. I would kill to be that comfortable right now. I began to pick at the lint gathered on my own skirt; their skirt, however, didn't dare reach their knees. Instead, it sat just above their thighs, paired with opaque tights.

However, I didn't have the time to note their choice of footwear as they had their left foot pressed against someone's back, forcing them to kneel away from them, face towards the floor. I winced at the sight, suddenly being filled with an immense amount of sympathy for the poor victim, who currently had a bloody nose and seemed to be struggling to breathe, excessively coughing. I praised God for not tormenting me with hemophobia. A normal person at this point would go running for help, but I was stuck. I didn't know anyone, so I just sat back, closing my eyes. I heard everything—every yelp, snicker, and snap—of what I hoped wasn't a bone.

-

Not sure of whether it had ended or not, I opened my eyes slightly. Slight became completely wide in a matter of seconds. The bitch was kneeling right in front of me. I bit my lip out of nervousness, I knew I couldn't reach for my hands to pick at the skin in case she grabbed them and did god knows what with them, so i kept them to myself, praying for the best.

Avoiding my hands, they reached for my chin and grasped it with such might, forcing me to look at them. I gulped as I was now face-to-face with them. Why do the pretty ones always have to be the psychos? I couldn't help but match them with the intense eye contact they were making with me right now. While they were most definitely looking at me, it still seemed as if they weren't there at all, completely detached from the entire world. I gulped again. Those damned dead eyes. Before I could even let out a peep, they leaned over towards my ear, mischievous smirk plastered all over their face. "Eavesdropping, are we Angel?"

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