Elite Academy : Through The Waterfall

10 : First Impressions

Bella's POV

After Lucas dumped me, I heard him mumbling about going to the food court for a snack. 

I nodded and turned around, letting the tears stream down my face. 

I loved Lucas so much, what went wrong?

Why did we have to split? 

What did I do wrong? 

I sniffled, rubbing my eyes. 

I groaned as I glanced at my fingers, I saw black shades on it. 

My make up was rubbing off. 

I started running towards the very last house, the Horton house. Agnes had entrusted me with a spare card key to the boys' house but told me to keep it a secret from the rest of the girls. 

So I swiped the card and entered through the back door. I sneak up the staircase and climb a few flights of stairs until I reach the 3rd floor and enter the "Bro Room" as the guys call it. It was where they had their wide screen tv and played games and all that. It was their chill room. Thankfully, no one was in it. 

I closed my eyes, imagining the blue print of their house. The guest room, which was where I usually stayed, was next door to the Bro Room. I slipped out through the sliding door and creeped into the guest room. I quickly locked the door behind me and sniffed the air. It still vaguely smelled of Someday by Justin Bieber, since I was obsessed over that during the summer. 

I hurried to the bathroom and locked that door too. I opened up the cupboard above the sink. It had anything and everything in there. 

I took out the spare emergency make up set I'd left in there before our families left for Bali for vacation and started working my magic. 

I took a deep breath and washed my face. 

I imagined it to be washing all my feelings for Lucas away. 

'A fresh new start,' I thought as I dried my face. 

Reapplying my makeup, I sighed a couple times. Lucas' face appeared everytime I blinked. 

"Get over it," I said, grinding my teeth together. 

With a finishing touch of mascara, I shoved my bag back into the cupboard. I glanced into the mirror. 

What would my new housemates think of me? Arriving late, with swollen, red eyes. They'd wonder why I wasn't on their boat. 

What was wrong with me? Didn't first impressions matter to me anymore? 

...Lucas was gone. 

All was dead to me. 

He was my best friend as well as my boyfriend, and he always managed to make me smile. 

Now our special bond was just friends. I couldn't kiss him, at least not on the lips. I wasn't his girl anymore, he was free to get whoever else he wanted. 

I cringed at the thought of Lucas dating another girl from the Academy. 

Shoving the thought out of mind, I slinked out of the house through the back door. 

I slipped out of my sandals, feeling the soft, sun warmed sand underneath my toes. 

I took my time walking over to JK Rowling house.

It was my favorite house because it had the best view of the ocean from all sides of the house. I'd begged Agnes so hard that I'd get into JK Rowling house, not just because of the view, but because I adored Jo, she was amazing, I loved Harry Potter. 

I jumped back on the path, which was blue sand, while the rest of the sand was natural beige-ish color. 

I kept walking, looking down at my feet for a while, then suddenly looked up. 

A wooden sign post was in front of me, pointing the different directions to the houses. Glancing over to my left, I spotted the JK Rowling house, the house where I'd spent the most time this summer while the Academy got its finishing touches. 

I took in a deep breath. 

The girls inside had probably already gotten to know each other. 

I would be the mysterious, awkward, late girl. I wondered what they'd think of me. 

"No. Confidence, Bells. Confidence," I told myself. 

I pushed on the door bell as I took another deep breath. 

I knew that whoever was answering could see my face. I just hoped I didn't look like I had been bawling my eyes out.

"Hello?" a British accent answered. 

"Um, hi. I'm Isabella Nagao and I'm supposed to be in JK Rowling house? S-sorry I'm late," I said, trying hard not to stammer.

"It's fine, come on in!" the friendly voice said as I heard the click as the revolving door unlocked. 

I entered the familiar lobby that had witnessed Lucas and I's first make out session of the summer. I cringed at the memory. I had to somehow try and shove Lu out of my mind. 

I started for the staircase, fingering the railing. I reached the last step, to meet the stares of my new housemates. 

"Hello, Isabella!" the voice from the intercom came from a familiar looking girl. 

She looked a lot like Charlie McKnight... Maybe she was related to her.

"Hi!" I replied, flashing back the best of a smile that I could manage. 

"So, tell us about yourself." A chocolate brown hair girl with electric blue eyes gave me a skeptical look as she looked at me from head to toe. 

She was judgey and seemed like she had tons of confidence. Something I didn't have. Most of my friends thought I was modest, but I actually really don't believe in myself. 

"Um. I'm Isabella Skye Nagao, call me Isabella, Isabebe, Izzy, Belle, Bells, Bella. Skye works too. I don't really mind. I'm Japanese American, and I live in Honolulu. Ryan Higa or nigahiga is my cousin, and I'm friends with all those Asian youtubers, being a youtube sing-songwriter myself. I'm a singer writer, poet, and like I said, a youtuber. I like photography and my laugh is really weird so don't judge me. And my highlights are natural. The end," I quickly told them.

I couldn't tell them about how my mom was best friends with Agnes Kai Horton, the founder of Elite Academy. Agnes warned me that if I let anyone know that I knew them personally that I'd be kicked off the island before I could say "Elite". 

"Acceptable," the girl murmured. 

I blinked. What if they all hated me? What if I was the odd one out that everyone hated? Oh god, oh no. I'd have no friends, and Agnes told me to act like I didn't know the boys. 

A dark brown hair girl elbowed the chocolate brown one, and chocolate brown gave out a laugh. 

"I'm just kidding, you sound amazing! You're cousins with nigahiga? Gee, you have to introduce me sometime! This will be an amazing house!" she exclaimed, giving me a quick squeeze. 

I breathed out in relief, I wouldn't be a loner at the very least. 

It seemed like I'd have to search the names of the members of the JK Rowling house on my ePod later since they had finished intros. 

I took a look around at their facial expressions, wondering what they thought of me. Were they suspicious? Had Dahlia, the head of the house told them anything? She wasn't supposed to, Agnes had instructed all employees to not tell a single soul about me. I was supposed to be just another lucky girl who got in. I did get in because of my talents, but knowing the Horton's personally might've bumped up my possibility of getting in, just by a bit. 

If all goes well, they won't suspect or know a thing about me. We can all compete for the top fairly.