Unmasked

Chapter 1

"Please don't you dare tell me that this is my new school." I looked at my father desperate expecting him to tell me that this was just a harmless joke, that "no, honey this is just a theme park called ''The Horror House'', of course it's not your new boarding single-sex school.'' Well, for the record he didn't tell me anything like that. He just stared at me with his serious scary look for a couple of seconds and when i thought i was safe and the storm was gone i repeated one more time.

"Please tell me that this is a prank."

"No, this is not a prank and yes, this is your new school." Great. My life was officially ruined. I observed the huge building. It was monstrous as far as its size was concerned and quite old. They say that we shouldn't judge the book from the cover, but in that particular case I had no other option. I was terrified even by the way campus, yard or whatever the outdoors of that school were called. It was like the school was built in a cemetery. I went out of my dad's Lamborghini quickly and moved toward the port package to take my luggage. I hadn't brought a lot things considering the fact that I was heading to an unknown mysterious place far away from my old friends, my old school, my old family and my old dark life. Maybe this was something positive. I had finally the chance to let everything go; all the betrayal and the hatred and the bad memories.
At least this was what i was hoping. But i wasn't sure anymore that this place could guarantee me the privacy and happiness I was aiming for. Nope, this place was worse with capital W.

My dad broke the five-minute silence and asked me politely. "Would you like me to come upstairs and talk to your headmistress?" I wanted to sound really polite but it would be fake so I just let all my anger out.

"Why don't you call your super sweet wife to tell you? I mean it's not like you really need my opinion anyway." Oops. That hurt.

"Please don't talk like that about Veronica. She is my wife and I love her. Respect that." Okay, just to be clear. I wasn't angry because I was sent to a boarding school. This was actually a relief for me. I was angry because he was getting re-married two years after my Mum's death, only two years after her funeral. And I could have compromised with the whole idea of marriage supposing that she was a good, caring woman. But she was exactly the opposite. Ever since my dad met her I was feeling like the Snow White Queen. And no, i wasn't paranoid. Her vicious looks toward me said it all.

We didn't talk after that again. We just moved toward the door of the school. It was gigantic. There was no janitor in there and I was almost one hundred per cent sure that no one would show up. My dad thought that it would be good to start yelling: "Hello, is anybody there?" Well no one had informed him that this works only in movies.
"Where is everyone? Shouldn't they have a janitor or something?" My dad sighed and then tried to call one more time. No, no, no daddy I don't need you to take care of that, too. You've done enough.
"It's really fine." I said quietly. "I'm just gonna go inside and I'll call you when I'll find a chance."
"Are you sure you're gonna be okay, honey?" He asked in a voice that betrayed his anxiety.
"I'm gonna be just fine." My lips said, but in fact my heart was ready to jump off my chest 'cause let's just face the truth, this place was creepy.
"I love you Mely." He did it again. He called me with my nickname. He used to do that especially when I was a kid. Mely was our thing. He hadn't called me like that in a while -let me think; oh well since he started dating this evil witch.
"Me too dad." I wishpered and I felt my voice cracking.
"Call me. Whenever you can. Even if you don't have a reason. Even if you want to talk to me about Tyler Blackburn. " he joked.
"Are you sure you can handle all this girl talk?" I said laughing.
"I can handle it. And you know why? Because you're my daughter and I lov you." He hugged me tightly and then all of a sudden he became again the severe man who would get remarried soon, who would have to think for a few seconds in order to answer if he had a daughter. And he left. And I was left alone. One more time. Me, myself and I. But this is the point right? To be alone in your own fights, to struggle without any help or company.