Divine Chaos

Chapter 2 - Paideia Collegiate

Chapter 2.

I double check my GPS to make sure I'm at the right place when I arrive at Paideia Collegiate. I'd seen photos online of this prestigious private school and I knew that it was going to be big.

But nothing could've prepared me for the giant stone and brick structure towering over me. It's size and scale are like nothing I've ever seen, especially with the beauty of the building itself. How rich were the people that founded this place?!

I sigh inwardly as I drive into the student parking lot, my lovely red Mazda MX-5 Miata convertible already looking out of place as I try to find a park amidst the Ferraris, Porsches, Jaguars and Mercedes-Benz's that all the other students have. It took me ages to save up half of the cost of my car with a part time job, and my parents paid for the rest. But even though this almost cost thirty grand, the rest of these cars are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I eventually find a park and daintily place my car in-between a Porsche 911 and a Jaguar XK before grabbing my bag full of books and taking one last look in my rear-view mirror.

I look fine, I guess. I don't have any huge zits, and the dusting of makeup I applied this morning has helped to erase the signs of fatigue from my face. My right hand is still sore and tender from when it got cut open yesterday, but with my father's stitching, a bit of gauze and a plaster, it should be fine today.

I decide it's time to try and get out of the car without putting so much as a scratch on the vehicles beside me. I open the driver's seat door and exit the car as gracefully and carefully as I can, smiling in accomplishment as I lock it without damaging anything.

Great start Amber, great start.

Except I have no idea where to go now.

I rummage in my bag as I stand on the sidewalk next to my car and pull out the A4 size map I printed off the school website last night. Quickly marking out a path in my mind as I study the paper, before looking up to begin my trek to the main office.

After weaving through clusters and groups of gossiping students, striding along footpaths and entering through a few doors, I end up in the schools' main office.

"Finally!" I breathe, pulling open the glass door that leads into the room.

The office is just as perfect as the rest of the school, with its potted plants, light wooden reception counter and state of the art electronics. I just gaze at the place and at the students walking up and down one of the pathways on the other side of the glass panelled wall as I wait.

"Hello, Miss? Do you need assistance?"

I turn around to find the lady in the office staring at me, she must've finished whatever paperwork she was doing when I entered.

I nod, flustered, and smile at her as I run a hand through my hair, trying to push some of it out of my face, "Uh, yeah! Um, I'm Amber, I..."

The office lady cuts me off, "Oh you're Miss Hayes, aren't you?"

I sigh in relief and nod, wow, they call you by your last name at this school, how odd...

"Yes! I was told to come here to get my timetable."

She offers me a warm smile, "Of course, don't worry I'm sure you'll settle in here soon enough. If you just hold on a second, I'll get you your timetable and some other necessary materials."

"Sure, thank you." I reply, heading over to take a seat on one of the leather chairs in the room and pulling out my phone to check it as I wait.

I end up scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, not paying much attention to it, when the office door opens again and someone strides in.