Sunrise

1

 I had to admit that the tall doors leading into the main building of the well known Sunrise Boarding School were rather intimidating. Especially to a sixteen year old, standing with his luggage and looking up at them, while imagining what was going to happen in the years to come while staying there. I let out a shaky breath. I know that I'm being over dramatic, but this is a big deal to me. It's the first time that I'm spending away from my family. I don't know what it's like living without their care, let alone sharing a living space with strangers. Of course I feel unnatural, and completely out of my comfort zone. I don't know if I'll like the sort of people who I am supposed to make strong relationships with. In my opinion it is completely understandable to be scared shitless.

"You look as pale as a ghost, mate," a girl with bright red hair barks at me with a strong British accent as she struts past.

"I, uh-" I feel stupidly self conscious, and luckily she doesn't catch my embarrassing stuttering, because the doors had already slammed shut. Letting out an embarrassed cough, I walk in, trying to forget about that awkward encounter.

Here, I may seem unnatural and awkward, but at home I'm usually not so tense. In school, or my old school I guess, I was quite comfortable. I had a tight knit group of cheeky buggers, and many people who I knew well enough to chat up a storm with them. It was a smaller school, that was moderately humble. Here, on the other hand, feels so alien. Everyone here is rich, confident, and have a superior exterior to them than the kids that I'm used to being surrounded by. For the first time I feel like an outcast. The kids here have grown up rich and with privilege, but I've never experienced that. The only reason that I'm here is because my grandfather generously offered to pay for my schooling here, and it was too big of an opportunity for my parents to let me turn it down. While my grandfather is filthy rich, he's never really offered to give my family much, because of the serious trust issues he has. Now that I think of it, I have no clue why he offered to pay for my schooling here. Perhaps it's because he's never shown any fondness towards me. Maybe this is his way of saying 'sorry for being such a shitty grandfather to my only grandson.' I don't know, but at the moment I wish he didn't get me into this school. I felt a lot more secure at home.

As I walk through the school my mind wanders, trying to imagine this place as my home. It's as if I had stepped back into time. The institute was built in the 1800's, parts of it has had to be repaired and rebuilt, but it still looks as good as new. There was no denying that this place was spectacular, even if it was unfamiliar.

After I went to the head office and got the keys for my room, I head back outside to walk to the boys dormitory. Inside of the campus there was three main buildings with a couple of small ones in the back. The boys dorms were located on the left of the main building, and the girls dorms were on the right side. The main building contained a dinner hall, and the classes. Behind it was a green house and a small storage area. I felt a little sick knowing that the closest city was around 60 km away.

The boys dormitory is split into groups. Each section contains a few separate identical rooms, a small kitchen, a couple of bathrooms, and a living room. The first thought that I have when I step into the living area that I was assigned with is how fancy it is. Everything seems so polished and too perfect for me. It's unpleasant how unfamiliar it is, and it just doesn't feel like home.

As I put my stuff away my mind wanders to life back at home. Images of my friends faces flip through my mind, and the first wave of homesickness flies over me. Its only when a particular face that I want to forget steps into my memory that try my hardest to concentrate on my surroundings. Luckily, its only a few moments after thinking about that person that the first of my roommates arrives with twice as much stuff as what I had brought. I walk outside of my room to get a look at him.