Winter's Academy

Chapter Two: First Victim

You only live once - but if you work it right, once is enough.

- Joe E. Lewis

I didn't get much sleep, I often wondered if it was my medication that stopped me from sleeping – but then I have to keep telling myself that the medication I take stops me from dreaming and gives me peace of mind. I got up and went into the bathroom, my hair was a mess, and I've seen better looking haystacks.

"Eva, you really need to start tying your hair back before bed."

"Shut it, I.D." I gave a sour look to the mirror – but it only smiled back at me, like I wouldn't be angry,

"Don't be mean to me. You haven't even spoken to me for almost three whole days."

"I just didn't feel like talking."

"I thought I was the only one you can talk to." She gave me an innocent glance, a very sincere one.

"You are, and starting now, I'll never ignore you again."

"Good, now fix your hair, you're making me look like Mayor of Weirdo-Central."

"Sure." I brushed my hair and took a quick shower – I wasn't quite sure how warm the water was until I realised I was starting to burn my skin. After dressing in a baggy dark blue t-shirt and jeans, I went to my computer desk to check my diary. I had to meet up with Max and Lucida before going to English. I heard a lot of students yelling and carrying on like a bunch of monkeys outside my room. I grabbed my books and shoved them into my black shoulder bag. I opened my door and locked it quickly, noticing the gathering of girl's eight doors down.

"Eva." Lucida was behind me in her uniform as some of the girls were, you don't have to wear your uniform to many classes, it usually depends on the type of lesson and the teacher. It was summer, so she was in the summer uniform which is a red sleeveless business shirt covered with a black sleeveless vest with our school emblem on it and the black skirt with the red rim. I didn't have to wear a uniform because I lived at the school, ", did you hear what happened?" I shook my head, saying no.
"One of the students was murdered!" Now I knew why some of the yelling actually sounded like crying. Eight doors down. That means it must have been Bianca Kendall. Somehow I didn't know how to be sad, she always insulted me and picked on me for the smallest things. Once in the cafeteria, she tripped me over and the whole front of me was covered with my lunch. "I feel sorry for her friends, at least no one will be trying to get you into trouble anymore though, right?" That's when Max came up behind us in her summer uniform as well.

"I swear the amount of tears they're flowing could fill up the River Murray." Who knew Max knew anything about the eco system in Australia, did she stay awake for one of Mr. Roomers lessons?

"That's a little mean."

"So what?" Suddenly they were both looking at me, that's when I realised it was my voice that had softly whispered the two little words.

"Lets...lets just see if class is still on for this morning. Okay?" At least they let it slide. I did talk, but I guess just not often enough for them to let it flow easily into conversation.

We walked down the glass stairs which peered through the windows of most of the school yard. We did have a very modern building. You could see over the fence if you were tall enough, which I was. To my surprise, I didn't see any of the boys outside like they always were. We reached the classroom by the time I finished pondering on the reason. The seats were set in three. Good enough for us, and it still seemed like school would be in session today, regardless of what happened last night. Girls were coming in with reds eyes and swollen cheeks. I'd hate to see what they'd look like with non-water proof mascara. That's when Vivian Order came in, she was pumped about something. She always had her school uniform on, even on mid-semester break it was always about the uniform. She was head of the school newspaper, no gossip could see past her – this was her power, to see the secrets of someone else.