Adroit Academy

My Dad winked at me from the front seat of the car while Mum sang, badly I might add, to an old Beatles classic. I rolled my eyes at them. My parents are such dorks. I diverted my gaze to the starry night sky, when a white flash filled the car leaving me blind. I didn't even have time to think before a sudden sharp pain ran up my spine to my head.

I jolted awake surrounded by a tangled mass of what used to be my bedspread. The alarm going off told me that it was five in the morning. I groaned and cursed the maker of alarm clocks. I threw my converse in the direction of that infernal beeping, smiling when I heard the satisfying smash and then pure silence.

Rubbing my head I ran a finger over the thin scar on the nape of my neck. A shiver ran the length of my spine. It's been two years since that night and the dreams haven't relented.

I thrashed around in my blankets, and they put up a good fight but were no match for my awesome Jedi skills. I grabbed my favorite gray sweats and black sports bra from my wooden wardrobe. After brushing my teeth, I swiped my fingers through my pixie cut, admiring the electric blue streak, and changed into my sweats and sports bra.

I yearned for a release from my haunting dream, so I headed to my dance studio. Just the feeling of the cool glass door under my fingertips eased my pain a bit. I plugged my itouch into the speaker system, already knowing the song my body and soul craved. The beats leaked from the speakers into my bloodstream and my emotions took over. As the song progressed I glided across the floor weaving a story of pain with every move. Loosing myself in the rhythm I felt every inch of my body extend reaching for the relief that I so desperately needed. I curled into myself as the song came to an end. I took a deep breath in and exhaled the rest of my pain. In the mirror a single tear slipped from my eye down my burning cheek, before I wiped it away.

The familiar tune of Beethoven's 5th filled the room and I let out an exasperated sigh. Ugh, as if my morning wasn't bad enough. I rolled my eyes, grudgingly pressing the speaker button on the inter com and answered "Yes Katerina?" The high pitched annoying voice of my adoptive mother answered "Jasmee, finally, I've been waiting for you to answer for the past 5 minutes. Go make me my breakfast and bring it to my room you lazy thing" she practically growled. "I'll be right on it". "'Witch'" I added in my head.

Deciding I didn't want to make the wicked witch wait, I headed to the kitchen to make her breakfast. Well, that is if you call half a toasted bagel and a glass of water breakfast. I mean seriously, the woman is a stick. How she manages to eat next to nothing is beyond me.

The door to her evil lair, I mean bedroom, was wide open. I took a deep breath, placed a careful fake smile on my face, and walked in. All the walls were a pristine white, with a high ceiling, and to top it off a door on the left wall led out to a vast balcony. Dark, expensive mahogany furniture littered the room. I hated coming in here, it was obnoxiously clean and reminded me of a hospital. The witch was nowhere in sight so I dropped my fake smile into a scowl and placed her 'breakfast' on the bedside table.

"Katerina, your breakfast is on the table, I'm going to get dressed and head to school" I said, making sure to keep the scowl out of my voice. "Well make it quick, I don't need your tardiness tarnishing my perfect family image", came her reply in that catty voice of hers from what I assumed to be the master bathroom. I rolled my eyes as I left her bedroom and headed towards mine.

I know most people would be thrilled to be adopted by a rich and powerful family, but not me. My full name is Jasmee Lyn Creed. The witch tried to make me change my last name to Worthington but I refused. My last name was all I had left of my family and I wasn't about to lose that too. So, she made up some fake story about independence to all her rich friends to make it look like she was the hero. Whatever.