Fractured Echoes

chapter four

" Unraveling Shadows "

I slammed the tray down on the kitchen counter, my hands trembling with frustration. The clatter echoed in the empty space, but I didn't care. The tension between me and Violet was suffocating, and her cold dismissal was like salt in a wound I didn't even know I had.

Don't talk to me, Iris.

Her words played over and over in my head, her sharp tone making my stomach churn. Who did she think she was, walking in here like she owned the place? House Elmwood wasn't perfect, but it was ours. We were a family, even if we didn't always get along. And now Violet, with her perfect posture and ice-cold stare, was already trying to tear that apart.

I scrubbed at the dishes with more force than necessary, the warm water doing nothing to ease the anger tightening my chest. She acted like she was too good for all of this – too good for me, for the other girls, for the chaos of our lives in Elmwood. But that wasn't how it worked here. We all had our scars, our messes, and no one was above anyone else.

Especially not her.

I glanced out the small window over the sink, staring at the darkening sky. It had been a long day, and the weight of it was starting to press down on me. School had been a blur – the same mind-numbing routine of lectures and notes, broken only by the occasional glance at the clock. I barely remembered what I'd eaten for lunch. Not that it mattered. My mind had been drifting the entire day, running through a checklist of things I still needed to do.

On top of that, being a senior meant more responsibilities. Every day, there was some new task to manage. Today, it was kitchen duty. Tomorrow, who knew? Keeping this place running smoothly was like trying to juggle flaming knives – and I wasn't always sure I was up to the task.

But Violet – she walked in like none of that mattered. She hadn't even been here for an hour, and she was already causing problems. I couldn't shake the way she looked at me, like I was the enemy. Like I was some kind of obstacle she needed to bulldoze through. I didn't know what her problem was, but the last thing I needed right now was someone stirring up drama.

The kitchen door creaked open, and I stiffened, bracing myself for Rachel to come in and check on me. I didn't need a lecture about staying focused or keeping my cool. But when I turned, it wasn't Rachel.

It was Charlotte.

She stood in the doorway, hands in her hoodie pockets, her sharp blue eyes watching me. "You alright?" she asked, her voice low.

I forced a smile, wiping my hands on a towel. "Yeah, just... a long day."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. She leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms. "Didn't look like it back there. You and the new girl got some beef?"

I sighed, glancing down at the floor. "Not really. She just— I don't know. She's acting like she's better than everyone else."

Charlotte snorted, shaking her head. "Yeah, I caught that vibe too. Don't let her get under your skin."

"I'm trying not to," I muttered, rubbing my temples. "But it's hard when she comes in and treats us like this place is beneath her. Like we're beneath her."

"Some people just have that 'I'm-too-good-for-this' attitude," Charlotte said, rolling her eyes. "But whatever. Let her be miserable if she wants. She'll figure out soon enough that this isn't a place where you can survive without making some friends."

I nodded, though I wasn't sure Violet was the type to care about that. There was something closed off about her, like she was determined not to let anyone in. I had seen girls come through here before with walls up, but something about Violet felt different – colder, harder.

"Maybe," I said quietly, not wanting to dwell on it any longer.

Charlotte gave me a knowing look. "Well, if you need a break from all this, we're playing cards in the common room. Come join us when you're done."

"Thanks," I said, managing a small smile. "I might."

With that, Charlotte gave me a nod and slipped back out, leaving me alone in the kitchen. I stared at the sink, watching the suds swirl down the drain. My thoughts kept returning to Violet, no matter how much I tried to push them away.

This house wasn't perfect. None of us were. But we made it work. Every girl who came through here had to adjust, learn how to fit in, how to survive the chaos of House Elmwood. Some struggled, some thrived. But at the end of the day, we all had each other's backs – that was the unspoken rule.

Violet was already breaking that rule. And if she thought she could just walk in here and act like she was above it all, she had another thing coming.

I dried my hands and turned to leave the kitchen, my frustration simmering just beneath the surface. Violet Eloise might be a mystery, but one thing was clear: she wasn't going to waltz in and act like this place wasn't good enough for her.

Not on my watch.