Beyond the Veil

THREE : Out of Sight, Out of Mind

***see preface for character aesthetics***
SONG RECOMMENDATION: Flatline by Orla Gartland

ORIENTATION DAY
(FRIDAY)

Apprehension twisted in Ruby's gut as she and her mother made the trek from their car to the gates of Brookewell. They'd had to search for what seemed like an eternity for a parking space; Brookewell was a heavily-populated school, with just over 800 students per grade, and traffic hadn't been kind to them on the trip there, so finding a decent parking spot was next to impossible after they arrived five minutes late.

Ruby punched in the ten-digit security code on the packet she'd received in the mail, and the massive iron gates swung open. The view of Brookewell was still shocking to Ruby even after porinh over countless brochures-- from the gates, she could see everything, and it nearly took her breath away.

In the center of it all was the Main Hall, a massive brick building that housed the headmaster's office, the cafeteria, and the auditorium. It had been renovated several times since it's construction, and it looked brand-new. Directly in front of the Main Hall was the courtyard, a sprawling expanse of land that served as a garden and a hangout spot for the students during lunch, free period, and the weekends. Surrounding the Main Hall were all five dorm houses, lined up in a perfect semicircle overlooking the campus. Off to the side of the Main Hall was the library, a towering building that consisted of a three floors-- one for books, one for studying purposes, and one used exclusively for the final exam rooms. Ruby caught her breath; this was where she belonged. She knew it in her heart, despite the knot of anxiety tightening in her chest.

As Ruby and her mother filed into the auditorium for the opening statement made by Headmaster Park, she took note of several things: they were later than she'd thought, they were going to have to stand in the back, and everyone here looked more intelligent than her.

She tried to ignore the nagging voice in her head, but as the headmaster droned on, it only grew in volume.
She was underdressed; she had figured going with a simple maroon sweater and black dress pants would suffice, but the other students surrounding her were clad in dresses, button-downs with collars, dress shoes, hell, even ties. Maybe she wasn't cut out for this. Did she look stupid? Lazy for not putting more time into her appearance?

Ruby fought down her worry and refocused on Headmaster Park, a tall, elegant woman in her forties. She looked like the kind of person that pulled into the McDonald's drive-through with her kids in the backseat and only ordered a single black coffee for herself-- flawless makeup, sleek black hair, and dressed to kill. Essentially, she was the opposite of what Ruby had been expecting.

As the opening speech continued, another late student filed into the room, red-faced in embarrassment and shuffling awkwardly to join Ruby and her mom in the back.

The girl was dressed casually in ripped jeans and a striped t-shirt, and her dyed pink hair was pulled back from her face in a messy bun. Ruby mentally exhaled in relief. Maybe she wasn't the only normal human being here.

As the headmaster continued on about final examinations and grade weights (Ruby had already read up on more than what this woman was saying), the girl turned to Ruby and nudged her, grinning. Ruby looked at her questioningly, and the girl cocked her head and gestured pointedly to a wad of paper balled up in her hand.

What was she doing?

The girl raised her arm up, swung it back, and launched the paper ball at the stage. It sailed over heads as Ruby gawked. Was she trying to get expelled before she even set foot in her dorm? Shockingly, the wad of paper was right on target-- it caught in Headmaster Park's hair, and she paused to extricate it, looking unbothered.