The Covenant - Uncovering Secrets -

Chapter One - Spencer Academy

I glanced up at the old Gothic building, Spencer Academy, feeling my last fragile grasp on the life I once knew being torn away. Why does she need to send me to a private school? Public is fine. Public schools you don't have to live in. I suppose that's my answer, I'm finally out of her way. Bloody witch. Sighing I resigned myself to the fact the dorm room I was heading towards would be my new home. The witch I was referring to is my adoptive step-mother, god it sounds like something straight from a fairy tale, the wicked step-mother whose joy in life seems to be destroying her step-daughter. Anyway Eva, the witch as I like to call her, is not my biggest fan and doesn't understand why my adoptive father, Vincent, kept me around when his wife Diana passed away.

The truth is he kept me around because I resembled her so closely even though she was not my birth mother, although she was the closest thing I had to a real mother. I missed her dearly. After Diana, everything changed. I realised quickly that Vincent had cared about me because Diana had and that with her gone he seemed to disappear too. As time passed he found it harder and harder to look at me without being reminded of her and the love they once shared.

Eva came into our lives only a year after Diana died and quickly wrapped her talons in to Vincent and wormed her way into becoming a permanent fixture. I was her first project. Getting rid of me allowed her to deeper embed those poisonous talons and have the life she felt she deserved. I begged Vincent not to send me away to Ipswich to be schooled but the resemblance I held of Diana had become too much for him. I'm not sure why I thought I might belong in this family, I suppose it was just hope but I should have known better. I had always been an outsider, never really part of a family. I knew better than to think I could find a family I belonged in but I'd had hope when Diana had cared and treated me like her own. I should have known my time was up as soon as she died giving birth to Oliver. Unfortunately Oliver never made it to a year old. Disaster and pain seemed to follow me tingeing everything ever so slowly before destroying any hope of happiness.

Rolling my suitcase down the hallway I glanced at the numbers on the door before coming to a stop in front of the one bearing my number. Hearing faint voices from within I knocked softly shivering as a cold breeze swept past me like a door had been opened but as I looked back down the hallway I found I was alone.

"Hi." I jumped, my attention pulled to the smiling girl that now stood in the doorway, her warm mocha skin matching her large brown eyes. "You must be my new roommate." I nodded as she let me in glancing around the room taking in the two young men sitting on one of the two beds. Both were very handsome and eye catching to say the least. "I'm Kate." Her introduction drew my attention back to her as I stood awkwardly unsure what to do now. "Oh, this is Pogue Parry, my boyfriend and that is his best friend, Caleb Danvers." She offered a wave towards first the long blondish brown haired young man then the young man with short dark brown almost black hair and bright brown eyes that drew you in. "Guys this is my new roommate..." She turned to me expectantly.

"Oh, Belle Edwards." I added as I realised she was waiting for me to introduce myself.

"Up! You're on her bed." Her voice raised slightly as she went to pull them both from the bed that sat on the right side of the room.

"There's no need." I interrupted earning their attention. "I...I was going to actually go out...have a look around." I added busying myself with my suitcase as I set it down at the end of my bed throwing open the lid before pulling jogging bottoms, a vest and hoody from within it. "Uh...is that..."

"Oh, the bathroom? Right through there." Kate smiled as I pointed at the door on the parallel wall to our beds. I smiled awkwardly before disappearing behind it to change returning a few minutes later to find two new additions to the room in the form of two more handsome young men. I swallowed nervously as I felt all eyes on me trying to avoid the pull I felt towards icy blue eyes watching me with rapt attention. I was starting to think there was a unwritten rule or something about this school and guys. Do only really good looking guys get to attend? "Belle this is Reid Garwin and Tyler Simms. Reid, Tyler this is Belle."

"Hi." I offered a small smile as I kneeled next to my suitcase depositing the clothes I'd just changed out of and retrieving my iPod and mobile from the messenger bag I'd dumped next to my suitcase in my haste to escape into the bathroom.

"You didn't tell us you were getting a new roommate." I looked up at the warm voice meeting the icy blue eyes I'd tried to avoid earlier a large grin pulling at the handsome face belonging to Reid. I think. The other one had dark brown hair spiked up, a contrast to his friend with messy blond hair falling over his forehead, and light blue eyes but not as light as Reid's. I felt my cheeks warm at his flirty grin and could only imagine I was going red. "A hot one too." My eyes fell to the floor as I wished it would somehow open up and swallow me.

"Why'd you think? Huh?" Kate rolled her eyes as I stood and tried to pass her. "Ignore him, we do. I wanted to invite you to come with us to Nicky's later on. We can get to know each other better."

"Nicky's?" I question unsure what the hell she was talking about.

"Oh, it's a bar. It'll be fun. I promise."

"Uh...I'm...I'm not sure. I think I'll pass tonight if that's okay. It's been a long day." I smiled as I edged around her and pulled open the door. "Thank you anyway though." I added before escaping down the hall and stairs out into the cool air to explore my new surroundings.

When I returned later I couldn't help but feel relieved as I found it empty. Pulling off my hoody, I tossed it on my bed before setting upon unpacking my things. It didn't take long, I'd learned a long time ago packing light was the easiest way to not get emotional when you had to leave things behind. Collapsing in my bed I smiled as I remembered tomorrow was Saturday, which equalled a long lie in.

Note from Author: Hey let me know if you guys are enjoying reading the story. I'm imagining Danielle Campbell as Belle but with bright blue eyes, a bit more of a red tone to her hair and a little taller. Incase you don't know who Danielle Campbell is I've added a photo of her, she's a great actress.