Corruption

Tried

The last few weeks of the summer holidays were creeping in, students attempting to rush last-minute homework. However, this wasn't the case for Layla and her family. Well, the part of her family that was left at least. It was true that the last few weeks of summer holidays were arriving, Layla had an education too but it literally made no difference. She was home-schooled and self-taught. Her lessons were three days a week and she learned off of an illegal curriculum website she found on the family's old-school computer. She figured she deserved a long break. However, fate had other plans. Especially when her mother was screaming at the top of her lungs for some odd reason. 

"What the hell do you want?" Layla shouted at her hungover-struck mother downstairs, getting increasingly irritated.

"Come downstairs, Layla! Letter for ya!" her mother replied, equally as irritated. 

Confused, the teenage girl stomped down the stairs and snatched the letter from her mother's bony fingers. 

Her mother used to be the belle of the ball. Every man in town wanted her, only for her lustful body. When she eventually got married and had one 'glorious' daughter, the attacks against her husband started to overflow. The death threats and gang soon became too much for the regular-looking office worker. The worst of it was Layla got him that tie for his birthday. She didn't expect him to use it the way he did. Being a man, it seemed abnormal for him to express his emotions, let alone cry and moan and weep and complain. Layla saw it first and then Isabelle, her mother. The creaking of his body hanging from the ceiling fan still haunt Layla every night. They buried him in the community graveyard, which was basically the park that no one used that came with a shovel. From that day, mum never came home without smelling of booze, weed or both.

Layla saw the blood-red seal and contorted her face in disgust. Such prestige made her sick. What it read when she ripped it open was worse:

Dear Miss McCall,

We are delighted to inform you that you have been chosen to enrol into Combined School. If you are wondering what this is, allow us to explain. Combined School is an education system in which we, as you guessed, combine those of both sides of the city. I realise this may sound like an elaborate social experiment but we can assure you that we only have your academic interests in mind. You will not have to wear a uniform and you can include accessories such as makeup and jewellery. However, we politely ask that you choose clothes appropriate for a school environment. You will start in five days time.

Best wishes, Combined Team.

"So?" her mother asks expectantly. "What's it for?"

"I'm going to Combined School. Rich and poor combined. Great" Layla sarcastically replied.

"What?! Since when?! Damn, I gotta stop drinking" her mother groaned, just before going over to their fridge and taking out a bottle of vodka. Taking a drink, she scrunched her face in disgust. "Woo, that's the stuff!"

Layla rolled her eyes, dragging herself back up to her room. Since she realised that she would have no choice in the matter, she already began planning her outfit for the special day. For the sake of simplicity, she took out a pair of jeans, a plain blue shirt and black hoodie. Trying on her outfit, she took a quick look at herself in the mirror.

Her plain, semi-freckled face accompanied by her brown eyes and shoulder-length hair stared back at her. Tilting her head slightly, she felt as though something was missing. Then, a switch went off in her brain.

"Mum! I need money!" she shouted, changing into a different-coloured combination of her outfit and running downstairs.

"Why? You *hic* goin' out or somethin~?" her mother already-drunkenly groaned.