School Of Secrets

Chapter 2

“What was with that?” I asked Penny as we finally stopped outside our room, disconcerted by the eerie stare of the girl who just walked past.

“Oh, don’t worry. She’s just been watching too much TV.”

There wasn’t anything I could do other than raise my eyebrows. “TV?”

“Anyway, this is our room.”

She pulled open the door. A girl who appeared to be about my age was sitting on one of the beds, dressed in an outfit that was probably more expensive than my entire wardrobe. Or, should I say my old wardrobe. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a falsely messy ponytail that screamed "I want you to think I don't care about my looks but I really do," and her face seemed as if it was set in the shape of a permanent sneer. She looked as if she had already made herself at home.

“I thought you said that you were my roommate?” I said to Penny.

“I-I was?”

“Excuse me, what are you doing,” asked the girl on the bed. “Which one of you is Willa Grey?”

Why did she want me? Oh no. “That would be me.”

“Ugh. It appears that you are my roommate.” I could sense the distaste in her voice. It seemed that she was going to hate me every bit as much as I was going to hate her. At least she didn’t have freaky eyes like that other girl.

“No. There must be a mistake. This is my room.” That was Penny.

“You’re kidding, right? Only the most important people get to stay here. Apparently your little friend somehow qualifies.”

What? Why would I be important? Oh, right. Great Aunt Elise. Fantastic. I walked in and dumped my suitcase on the ground. Penny looked hurt.

“O-oh, well I’ll just go find someone to talk to about this. Bye, Willa.” Penny walked away, dejected.

I frowned at the girl who took Penny’s spot, and she scowled right back. “How did you manage to get in here?”

“My great aunt, Elise Grey?”

The girl’s face completely changed. Gone was the deathly stare. Instead, she was smiling at me. It was kind of fake, but at least she was trying now.

“Oh my gosh. She was my grandma’s best friend! I’m Florence Hardwicke. My mum’s the Principal here.”

No kidding.

“Welcome to Hardwicke Academy!”

I stood there for a moment. Did she really just think I was going to forget how rude she had been only a couple of seconds before?

“Okay so my friends Cordelia and Daphne will be coming here soon. We’re going to have so much fun!”

Apparently so. I unzipped my suitcase and started to unpack. Oh, Cordelia and Daphne, how fun! Now, not only had I been forced to attend the most pathetic, stuck up school in possibly the whole world, the only normal person here hated me because of the ever-so-refined daughter of Elizabeth Hardwicke. “You know, I don’t really want to be friends with people like you.”

“Oh, how tactless. Well, Hardwicke will soon change that. There is no place for girls like you here.” The words coming out of Florence’s mouth were almost sinister, a far cry from the friendly tone she had used with me just before.

Whoa. This girl had a serious mood swing problem. And she was possibly slightly psychotic. “Wait, didn’t you want to be friends with me just a minute ago?”

“Well, things change. Oh look, they’re here!” She gestured to the door. Two girls, immaculately groomed, stood staring blankly at me. It was then that I noticed that their eyes were the same as the other girl in the hallway’s. Silver-rimmed and glazed. “Cordelia, could you please make my bed. The maid keeps forgetting the way I like my pillows fluffed.”

These were her ‘friends?’ She treated them like room service. Something wasn’t right. I had an inkling feeling that their eyes weren’t like that because they were watching too much TV.

“Yes, mistress,” replied Cordelia in a slightly robotic monotone.

What was this?

“Oh, Cordelia, you mustn’t call me mistress. We’re friends now. You can call me Florence.”

“Yes, Florence.” Cordelia then proceeded to fluff Florence’s pillows, apparently in the way she liked it.

“Daphne, please show this girl some suitable clothes. If she wants to be friends with us she can’t be dressed like a fashion noob.”

Wait. A fashion noob? And she wants to be friends again?

I ran out of the room. I couldn’t handle it anymore. Something strange was going on. I had no idea who made the girls like this, and if I would turn out to be like them. All I knew was that I hoped I didn’t. I stood in the hallway, contemplating where to go. I hadn’t been shown around the school yet, and I didn’t want to go anywhere where there were any of the people with the silver eyes were. Suddenly, a woman who could have been in her late twenties ran up to me.

“Willa Grey?” She was slightly out of breath. She must have been looking for me for quite a while.

“That’s me.” I was too confused for any sarcastic comments.

“Headmistress Hardwicke wants to see you in her office.”

“Have I done something wrong?”

“No, it’s standard procedure for anyone who begins here later than Year 8. This way, please.”

I followed her reluctantly, until I figured that at least she didn’t have those freaky eyes. She wasn’t a robot about to do Florence’s bidding, although I didn’t know who she was. Was she a teacher here? A secretary, or something? How could she not notice the strangeness of the other students? We came to a stop outside a large, oak door.

“You will be called in when the Headmistress is ready. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” She walked away.

Okay, fine. Just leave me here and don't tell me what the heck is going on.