The Garden of Eden || Canis Canem Edit / Bully [ #WATTYS2018 ]

Chapter One: Welcome to Bullworth

"Eden honey, please take your earphones out." The older gentleman muttered in a low tone.

His cold, absinthe eyes trailed off the road ahead and gazed into the rearview mirror. The young teenage girl sitting in the backseat of the lustrous, expensive car sighed tiredly but obliged. She couldn't bear to look at the man driving - she was struggling to hold back her exasperated tears as it was.

"Don't look so sulky dear. This is our last resort."

"Father, this isn't a last resort and you know it-"

"Eden, shut your mouth!" The woman beside him ordered coldly, covering the bottom of her mobile phone. "This is a very, very important customer. Have you no manners?"

The said teenage girl straightened her form, tucking a stray strand of her curly chocolate hair behind her ear. It was a habit of hers, ever since she was a child. She returned to staring peacefully out the window, colours passing in a fevered blur as the family drove down the highway. Her father glanced fleetingly at her once more in the mirror, his face unreadable as always, as he slipped his name-brand sunglasses up the bridge of his nose.

If his fine pressed, tailored black pinstripe suit wasn't enough of an indication of his wealth - he and his wife surely made up for it in other ways. The brand new, sleek sports cars that would cost more than a small house would, the enormous dazzling ring adorning his wife's ring finger - it was evident that Ivan and Alyssa Milenko were proud of the empire they had built and the name they had made for themselves in the business world, especially in the current economy.

Their daughter, on the other hand, was much more humble and modest about their wealth. However, earning her parent's striking good looks, meant that Eden Milenko 'looked' expensive. She adorned her mother's silky chocolate hair, that would flow elegantly past her chest and fall into soft curls. Her eyes were an astonishing shade of emerald, unmistakable from her father's, that could crack even a professional gambler's poker face. Her gorgeous eyes practically glowed in contrast to her attractive sun-kissed skin, clear of acne, save for a few beauty marks here and there. A ten-step skincare and body routine imposed by her mother surely did the trick, making her more than appealing to a 'possible suitor'.

Her body, on the other hand, her mother did not hold the same regard for. Eden was on the thicker side, an hourglass figure accentuated by the extra plumpness on her body. Despite the domineering control in her life, Eden loved her figure.

"Here we are Eden, Bullworth Academy." Ivan drew his daughter out of her serene thoughts.

"Thank you, father." She replied, opening the car door and stepping out onto the pavement.

Golden threads of morning light shone on her body, invigorating her aching bones, as the crisp scent of dewy grass wafted into her nose. Birds chirped in a song, basking in the warm light as they sang their morning symphony. Eden's eyes landed on a tall and pristine woman, standing wordlessly beside the school gates.

"Miss Danvers, I presume?"

"Ah yes, Miss Milenko. I will be escorting you to the headmaster." She replied in a tense tone, as she approached the stern family.

"I trust you will be taking good care of my daughter?" Ivan's words came as more of a statement than a question.

"Most certainly Mr Milenko, we will take care of Eden here. Her luggage is already in her dorm as you requested- everything is in order!" Nervous laughter followed her words.

Ivan reached out and grasped his daughter's hand. He held her hand just as he did when she was first brought into the world. Cautiously, as though the slightest wrong move could shatter her into a million pieces. He was her most prized possession, after all. He planted a soft kiss on her knuckles, massaging her hand reassuringly.

"Take care of yourself." He stared intently up at his daughter, ignoring his wife's chattering behind him.

"Bye, dad. You too, and mother."

She reluctantly slipped her hand out of his hold. She held her hands and watched wordlessly as her parent's sped off, with a thunderous roar of the car engine. She watched the car retreat into the morning fog until it was out of sight.

"Come along Miss Milenko, Dr. Crabblesnitch is awaiting your arrival. He truly is a brilliant headmaster," Miss Danvers piped up, adoration dripping sickeningly from her words. "Simply brilliant."

She ushered the young teenager into the school gates, already careening off in the direction of the main school building. She walked five steps ahead of her, eager to get the working day over with. Eden confidently sauntered onto the school grounds. Her tranquil eyes scanned her new, foreign surroundings.  

She was greeted by a sea of unknown faces, judgemental eyes staring her up and down, eating her down to the very bone. 'A face will tell you infinite things before a single word is spoken. To the settled heart and the wise soul, every face is an open book. Just as father always said.'

Eden strode towards a trio of boys around her age, all wearing the Bullworth school shirt, untucked, with blue denim jeans. Her ears perked up, listening intently at their not-so-quiet whispers.

"Damn, I've never seen her around here."

"Wow, what a body!"

"I'd love to take her to the parking lot and... ya know!"

As she passed them, she met eyes with one of them and flashed them a shy, albeit flirtatious smile. She tucked a curl behind her ear, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at their reactions. They cheered and whooped with glee, like children being told they were going to the park.

"Pathetic," Eden murmured to herself.

Soon enough, she and Miss Danvers had entered the school building, the latter practically skipping up the set of stairs before the teenager even walked through the doors. Eden glanced around the hallways, digesting the school. The main open space had a few students chatting absentmindedly, holding their books and walking to their next class. Posters were plastered along with eggshell painted walls, along with a few green coloured ribbons and banners saying 'E for Equality'.

"This place is filthy," Eden muttered with a scowl, her loafers squeaking on the dirty tiled floors.

"Jimmy, let me show you around this prison." A low voice filled Eden's ears.

She glanced over her shoulder to catch two boys walking into the main space, one shorter than the other. The taller boy had a slender form, but with noticeable muscle under his teal sweater vest and grey shirt. His long legs were covered with matching grey slacks that fit his body nicely. The boy's mocha brown hair was styled in a low fade and parted to the left, almost hiding the glaring scar that was scratched over his eye and eyebrow.

Eden felt her breath hitch in her throat, locking eyes with him. 'Wait, was I doing what they call 'eyeing' him up?'  She could feel her cheeks shyly heat up at the revelation. He smirked cheekily at her reaction before nudging his shorter friend. They spoke in a hushed tone and went sprinting off in another direction.

'This is going to get interesting... good.'