The Invisible Boy

Chapter 2: A New School

Recently, life has been a bit like a record player. When another school year comes to an end, I find myself returning home to strangers helping my parents move our belongings into a van. Afterwards, we would start our new life in a new place, with new people in a new school. Then that is when the record player begins once again only to finish just like it did before.

At the kitchen table and under the checked breakfast tablecloth, my feet shook with nervousness. I shouldn’t be this anxious, as starting a new school should come natural to me, but I couldn’t help feel sort of...what’s this feeling? Excited? Yes, some part of me felt that this year could possibly be different. I’m seventeen now, I’m getting older and I feel that it is time to socialise with others, no matter what my family thought.
“Pass the milk.” My father requested, as he put about two to three tablespoons of sugar into his coffee. I smirked, if only mother saw. I reached out across the table and picked up the full jug of milk carefully. Unfortunately, it seems like luck isn’t not on my side today, as the next few minutes were absolute hell.

As I was about to pour some milk into his mug, Juliet had the audacity to throw her phone on to the table, which then hit my elbow spilling the milk all over my father.

That is when my mother decided to enter the room.

“Shit! Look what you’ve done, you stupid child!” He yelled angrily as he slammed the table with such force his mug almost fell over.

“Im sorry! It was an acc-”

“This was a new suit! You silly girl!” He cut me off as he rushed out of the kitchen to clean up. Juliet burst out laughing like there’s no tomorrow and I couldn’t just help glaring at her, as I heard my father stomping up the stairs like an angry ogre. Then there was the clicking of heels against the marble floor and everyone including Timothy, who was munching on buttered toast, stopped in silence.

I gulped, this was my fault no matter how hard I tried to prove it wasn’t. I stared at the floor hoping and praying that her feet wouldn’t come any closer and yet they still did.

“Emily, look at me dear.” Her voice was so calm but she sounded so furious at the same time. I slowly tilted my head up, petrified of what I was going to receive on my cheek.

Our eyes locked. Her black pitted irises seemed to have set daggers through my heart and I could feel the cold aura that she imposed onto me. She raises her hand and with that sudden motion and I closed my eyes shut, ready to brace the impact of that sla-

She then laughed a little and I opened my eyes, trembling to realise that her hand was only just cupping my cheek. I wanted to cry, I wanted to run to school. She then gave me a small smile, removed her hand and gathered her purse and car keys.

“Why don’t I take you all to school, hmm? My treat?” She stated, her eyes closed and squinted as she smiled brightly. Timothy suddenly got up, almost choking on his toast and Juliet almost tripped while she ran across the room to wait by the car.

Mother just stood there. She gave me one last look, a more cold and relaxed one.
“Why don’t you walk it there dear? I think you need it.”

...

My parents informed me that this school was far more prestigious than the rest I have been too and so, it was important for me to not embarrass our family name. “Berrycloth” is a very rare name and if I remember well, we are the only ones left who own it.

By the time I arrived, the school was fully deserted as though school wasn’t even being held today. I looked up to the huge school banner that hung across the building’s facade.

“WELCOME BACK TO ACADEMY REFINE”

I looked at its name confused. Refined? Are they going to make us into their precious little perfect minions? I shook that thought out of my head and ran through the gates and pushed myself into the doors. I mustn’t be late! I don’t want to be late, especially on my first day!

As soon as I got in, my mind removed such thoughts of being late as I couldn’t stop observing the beauty of my new school. The walls were painted emerald green just like the eyes of a ginger cat, my old neighbour owned. I squinted at the large chandelier in the centre of the school hall and couldn’t help notice that there were black, hairy spiders hanging from it. I shivered as though I too had a spider crawling up my back. I hate insects.

The lockers were enormous for just one person. They were all grey and polished with thin, long slits to put notes in. Although it wouldn’t be the first time, that those slits were the only gap people had to breath from, when bullies decided to have some fun. I took another step only to realise that the floor was not tiled, it was all covered in gravel. This was very unusual because this way when you fall, embarrassment isn’t the only thing you would suffer from. You might also get a nasty scar as a reminder of that event. I glanced at my watch. My eyes widened in shock, as I realised I was definitely about fifteen minutes late for the school’s opening assembly. I rushed towards the enormous wooden doors and pushed down the gold plated handle, hoping that this was were I was supposed to be.

“Welcome new class of 2017!” The woman cheered as the rest of the school applauded. I swear to God there was also a boy who even got up and whistled. I laughed, but then suddenly shut my mouth as the back row heard me and turned to look at me. I froze, should I say hello? Smile? I smiled awkwardly, waving my hand slowly. Fortunately, it bored them, as they then faced back to the front.

I returned searching for my seat, but was distracted by the same boy who whistled, who was now gesturing for me to come to him. I tilted my head confused as why he was doing so, I had to find my seat!

“Emily” I shot right back up to realise he is whispering my name. How the hell did he know me? I walked crouched not to be seen and headed towards him, to realise that my seat with my name “Emily Berrycloth” in bold black letters, was right there staring back at me. My cheeks turned into a bright red, embarrassed at my own stupidity.

“Thank you” I whispered back to him.

“Your very welcome. The names Jeremy Hawks.” He replied as he gave a small proud smirk. Was I supposed to know him from somewhere? I just smiled back politely and looked up front, to follow the assembly.

"My name is Rita Bellevinge and I am the head of this School as you must all know.” She stated as she clasped her long skeleton like fingers around the microphone.

I slightly gasped. She looks so...peculiar. She had dirty grey hair pulled up in milk-braids and she wore a long cotton black dress which had red lace at the bottom. She was extremely skinny and had a horse looking face which had, two disgustingly hairy warts on her oversized, hooked nose.

Around her neck laid a delicate silver locket…A cold uncomfortable shiver travelled down my back and my mouth suddenly felt dry. That locket must have some sentimental value or some type of dark magic, something that I surprisingly wanted to take action on, immediately. Strangely it lured my attention towards it in a way I couldn't resist. Why did it do that to me? I only looked at it. I glanced slowly at Jeremy, to see if he too looked curious to know more and his hazel eyes suddenly turned towards me.

“Is everything alright?” He asked, feeling weird about by my sudden staring. I was just observing though, he is quite handsome. Light brown messy waves framed his long squared-like face and his finely trimmed eyebrows, created space for his almond shaped eyes to look bigger and brighter. I smiled and shook my head side to side.

“I shall always respect you, if you shall do the same. If you insist not to, I assure you the worst scholastic year of your life. We have one rule here and that is to never go to the underground floor. I don’t need to explain myself as I know, you will not disobey me." Her voice was flat throughout her cold welcoming and I was afraid that trying to get that locket from her would be harder than expected.

A lady that was seated next to the headmistress got up and headed for the microphone, she grabbed it and simply told us that it was best now, that we grab our timetables from the teachers at the entrances of the hall and start to go to our classes.

My fingers began to tingle with excitement...this year is going to be different.