Hidden Angels

Chapter One

Chapter one

"Willow, child? Wake up. It's the first day of eleventh grade. Today you're officially a Junior." A little old lady called from outside the door. Her name was Matilda, but I called her Nannie. She was like a mother to me. Since my mother died when I was young, I never really knew her. Father say's I don't want to. I just think he misses her. He's always so grumpy. He's never told me how she died. Nannie says from an animal attack, but I don't believe her.

I get up and get dressed. I looked in the mirror and saw a little blood on my shoulder. I gasped but kept going, forcing last night's dream out of my mind.

School starts today. I get to see my "friends" again after a long summer. I go to a boarding school. School doesn't actually start today. Today we move into our dorms. Classes start next week. I've already packed my bags. I have two suitcases and two duffel bags a lot less than the rest of my classmates.

I grab them and head down stairs. I walk into the kitchen to see Nannie cooking eggs. If father saw her he would be furious. The cooks cook, not the maids. I don't really care. I prefer her food, although, if Chef Xuqiu [it's pronounced Zeque] heard me say that he would have a heart attack.

I sat down at the table and Nannie set a tray in front of me. It had a glass of orange juice, a glass of milk, a plate of bacon, two sonny-side-up eggs, a pile of pancakes, and a blueberry muffin. "I can't eat this all," I complained.

"You can, and you will. You're a tooth pick child. You need some meat on those bones." Nannie exclaimed in her weird French accent. Her grey hair was a mess. It was piled high in a bun that was falling out. "You need to get your things ready, the limo'll be here soon."

"Alright, I'll hurry." I downed the milk and grabbed the muffin. "See you at Thanksgiving. Bye!" I gave her a hug, picked up my bags, which were at once taken away by Markus our butler, and ran for the door. As I passed through the hallway leading from the kitchen to the sitting room, I noticed the door to my father's study was ajar. I crept closer.

"Eli, I need to speak with her now, before she leaves."

"Cartyer, you know it's forbidden to tell her." a man, presumably Eli, hissed.

"But, she's in danger!" my father all but yelled.

"She'll end up like her mother when you decided to 'slip up'," Eli sneered in his raspy voice. When he said that I risked a peak into the room. I saw my father, back to, siting the chair across from his desk. I could just see the top of his head. Eli was sitting in my father's chair, he really must be important if he's sitting there. He had black hair, smoothed back with hair gel. There were a few strands across his forehead. He was wearing squared glasses. He glanced up and I ducked. Apparently he didn't see me because he didn't say a word.

I heard someone getting up out of a chair. Maybe he did see me? I started scrambling backwards, but it was too late. A head poked out of the doorway. My eyebrows shot up. Eli grabbed the door knob. He leaned down and whispered, "You had better hurry, the limo is here." Then he abruptly slammed the door shut. It took a minute for my breathing to slow.

"Mistress Hill," a servant called from down the stairs. "Mistress Hill, the limo is here to take you to school!" I sprinted down the hallway, and nearly fell down the stairs. "Careful Miss," The young boy said respectively as he bowed.

"Kay," I ran to Markus and grabbed my coat. He bowed to me and said, "You have a good day Miss." I was stunned. Markus never talked. Oh, well. No need to dwell on the details. I gave Nannie another hug and stepped up to the door. As I went to open it I stopped short at the sound of someone clearing their throat behind me. I turned and saw my father. He was dressed as usual, in his black trousers, white button up shirt and a black overcoat. He barely ever talked to me, let alone come to see me off. He looked very uncomfortable.

"Father?" I asked, surprised. He rarely left his study.

"Willow." He stopped, looked nervously down the hallway, then continued as he carefully walked down the stairs. "Reginald will be accompanying you to and at school."

"But, I don't need a bodyguard at school. Don't they have, like hundreds." I complained. I really didn't care if a bodyguard came along, just not Reginald. He's creepy, and he spends most of his free time out by the maids rooms! I've tried to tell my father before, but he doesn't listen, just like he isn't right now.

"Yes, yes, but you need extra protection. You're my little girl," with that he awkwardly leaned foreword and kissed my forehead. He spun and hurried away, all the while sneaking glances up the stairs.

I frowned and walked outside to the awaiting limo. I thought about what had just happened. Why do I need extra bodyguards, who was that Eli guy and why is my father so frightened him?