REPUTATION ⍉ jack avery | why don't we

CHAPTER 14: facing my demons

             Opening the door to her bedroom, she glanced around the untouched place. It was like how she had left it when she spontaneously moved to another state. Her bed was neatly made but she noticed a build-up of dust on her bed headboard and on the nightstand, making a mental note to clean up.

             She sat on her bed, just thinking of how it was going to be once she went back to Richmond High on Monday. It had been a long time since she was back and anything could have changed. There were new people that she didn't know but also very familiar faces. One thing was for certain though, she will not let Elliana Fower treat her the way she did before.

             There was only the gates of Richmond High that separated her and the start of a different high school experience she wanted. For some time, all Eliana did was stare at the building in front of her. For a second, she remembered the last time she walked in the gates, the school deserted with no one to be seen. But when she got inside, she shattered, broke down and changed her life. She was left with the painful memories that made her feel broken.

             But, that was all in the past and she felt good. Davina felt better than good. She knew it was going to be better. She knew it was going to a different experience. She wasn't scared anymore and so she did it, she stepped through the gates and started walking to the familiar building just like the crowd of students of Richmond High.

             Walking through the doors and into the crowded hallway was unusual, because it had been years since she had walked these corridors. She spotted familiar faces, though no one payed her any attention. It was as though she was just a new student but this time, no one was whispering about her just like the first day of school.

             Her first stop was the office and was met by the same lady in the office all those years ago. She had come to know her name– Mrs Machemer, and as she looked up to help the student in front of her, she smiled.

             "Davina Stanton, who would have known. Why are you here, darling?" She said in awe. Mrs Machemer knew Davina and her situation. She would always hear compliments about her from teachers and her trips to the office would always be lovely as Davina treated her kindly and with respect. She always thought it was cruel how the other students treated her.

             "I'm here to pick up my schedule. I'm attending Richmond High now, again." Davina smiled.

             Mrs Machemer looked through the papers on her desk and found Davina's schedule, "Yes, yes. Here you go." Davina thanked her and Mrs Machemer smiled, "It's nice to see you again, Davina."

             "You too, Mrs Machemer." Davina waved goodbye and walked out, heading to the locker number that was attached to her schedule.

             Her locker was different from the previous one she had owned, but she didn't mind. As she put her belongings into her locker and taking her books from the class she was about to start, she heard her name being whispered and she turned her head to the right. A group of girls were staring at her as they whispered amongst each other and Davina recognised them to be people from her grade. People were definitely starting to be aware of her arrival.

             Walking to her class, she once again found some people looking at her weirdly. She did not miss the stares she got. Once she got to her class, she quickly took her seat at the back, trying to stay on the low as much as possible. But, once the teacher started roll call and called out her name, all eyes were on her.

             "Davina Stanton?" The teacher called out, searching for a face she did not know.

             All eyes were searching the room as they heard the infamous name of Davina Stanton. Davina raised her hand as she bit her lip and responded, "Here."