Secrets to Keep

Chapter 1 - Destiny

Almost 2 Years Later....

I'm sitting across from my dad in the limo scrolling through social media on my phone. He's been on a conference call for work, as always. Ive done my best not to draw his attention since I know a lecture is coming. Sure enough, he ends his call and shoots me a disappointed look as the limo pulls up in front of a large historical looking building surrounded by a sprawling courtyard with a fountain in the middle. The sign above us reads "Roswell Academy," but it is basically my own personal version of hell.

"This is your last chance Des," Dad says, leveling me with a look that tells me he means business. "I know you aren't happy about being back home, but you need to make the best of this situation. Understood?"

I have to suppress a scoff, instead opting to silently acknowledge what he said with a small head nod. The less I say in this situation the better. Dad must be appeased because he nods and gets out of the car. The driver has already got my bags out and set them on the sidewalk. I follow dad out of the car and stand awkwardly beside my bags. He gives me a brief unexpected hug, before climbing back into the car and pulling away.

I let out the sigh I've been holding back ever since I left Connecticut. Dad had called this home, but really it is just the closest boarding school to where I grew up, which is only thirty minutes from here. That means the demons I've been running from for the last two years are about to catch up to me.

I pick up my bags and pull up my admission information on my phone to locate my dorm and head in the direction I know Black Hall is. I swipe the keycard my dad gave me and the door pops open. Navigating my way to my room, I breathe a sigh of relief that my dad dropped me off during class hours so I can get my bearings before I see anyone from my past.

Opening the door, using the same keycard as the front door combined with a six-digit pin code, the sheer amount of space surprises me. My room is bigger than some apartments I had been to in New York. There is a small kitchenette off to the left as soon as you walk in and a living room with a large window overlooking the ocean across the street straight ahead. The bedroom is just as spacious, with a large walk-in closet and a bathroom with a full-sized tub. The rooms in Black Hall are much bigger than the freshman dorms were when I was here. But honestly, I shouldn't be surprised.  I'm a legacy, disgraced or not.  Which means I get special privileges that other students don't.  That includes a special room and a key to access certain locked rooms on campus.  

After I finish unpacking, I plop down on the couch and start flipping through my admission packet, noting that not much has changed in the last few years. At least looking lost is one less thing I'll have to worry about tomorrow.

Anxiety sets in after I set down my admission packet. I have nothing else to do until class tomorrow, but I definitely don't want to risk running into anyone. I'm itching to go for a run or a swim, my two preferred methods of exercise and the easiest ways to manage my anxiety. But ultimately, I decide it isn't worth the risk.  Instead, I take some sleeping pills and get ready for bed. It's still early, but I have a feeling sleep won't come easy tonight and I'll need all the rest I can get when I face the firing squad tomorrow.