veniality |•| t.s daughter (2)

i miss you

♡mara♡
age fourteen

2010

Mara had a favorite place in the red room. It was a simple place, located in one of the main hallways. There you could find a set of elegant windows, larger than necessary.

From this spot, Mara had a perfect view of what could be considered the backyard of the academy. There was a steel gate that closed the area off, marking where the students weren't allowed to go without permission.

Despite all of the training equipment and steel fence, it was still a calming sight. There was an expanse of trees beyond the fence, more times than not, Mara caught herself staring out at them.

She was there now, just watching. As the students grew older they earned more privileges, such as free time like this. Of course there was never a time where they weren't being monitored, but it was still the most freedom that most of them had felt in a very long time.

It was September now, which meant it was autumn in Russia. Despite being known as a cold country, it was rather warm during this time of the year. The usually green trees were now a golden hue, which was Maras favorite color.

Thinking of it, it felt wrong to have a favorite color. Having a favorite color meant that she was human in some way, and that was not what Miss Sokolov wanted.

Many times she would think about her mentor, about the terrible woman she was. Of course Mara didn't like the woman, but she was the one who made her strong. Perhaps there was some respect for the woman, but not much. At this point, Mara was just using her.

When Mara first came, she hadn't had options. First came the death of her mother, leaving Mara no choice other than to live with her father. Then she learned of the neglectful side of the man and was forced to deal with it. Next came being sent here, where she had no option but to do what she was told.

Now Mara did what she was told because she wanted to. Not because she feared Miss Sokolov, but because Mara wanted to learn. If she deemed fit, she knew that she could easily kill the woman. There was always the option to leave this place, and Mara was fine with that. She was in control, even if her mentor didn't know it.

"Mara," There the woman was now, coming from the shadows and bringing news with her. Turning from the window, Mara looked to the woman. There was a tension between the two ever since the stunt Mara had pulled, but she could care less. "Come."

She followed without a word, already knowing what she was being summoned for. It had been like this almost everyday since she had returned home, becoming a sort of annoying routine.

Miss Sokolov guided Mara to her office, closing the door behind them and sitting in her chair. Mara didn't need to be told what to do, instead she simply picked up the phone and stared at the wall blandly.

"Hello," She spoke into the speaker, letting her father know that she was on the line.

"Hey honey, how's your day?" It was the same thing almost every time, with an even cheesier nickname than the last.

"It was fine," No matter what, Mara always remained blunt with her father. There was no reason to act as if she loved him, because she just simply didn't. Maybe she had made her peace with the man, but that didn't mean she had formed a bond.

"I'd act surprised, but I'm not," Sarcasm leaked through the line, the usual Tony showing through. "How are your grades? Are you having fun in your classes? What classes are you even taking? Are you sure you should even be going to this school, I don't think it challenges you enough."

Mara listened to him rant, something he did often. He hated how far away she was from him, but Mara didn't really care. Tony was the reason she was here, he couldn't just rip her away from it.

"Probably because you sent me to a ballet academy," There was a silent pause after her words. Mara had also gathered that he hated the word 'sent' because it reminded him of his actions. Changed man or not, he had been the one who sent her here.

"Yes well, I was just calling to check up on you. I miss you," That had been a first. His voice was vulnerable, but Mara wasn't.

"Is that all?" Mara was ready to go back to her free time, even if it was just staring out a window. It was much better than talking to her father.

"I guess it is," There was a hint of defeat and disappointment in his voice. What did he expect? That Mara would automatically start showing some emotion?

"Okay, bye," Mara waited for his reply, turning back to Miss Sokolov as she prepared to put the phone back.

"Bye, I love you," Mara hung up. Handing the phone back to Miss Sokolov, Mara simply left the room and made her way back.

I love you. What a stupid thing to say.

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Two updates in less than 24 hours? Wow! Guess you guys can stop begging me for updates now! Yay!