A close call to midnight

Belle

Of course, I arrive at school late. 

Again.

This happens every year.

Everyone looks at me when I come through the door. Slowly, I feel my cheeks turn red. Damn it!

Did you really have to smoke that cigarette outside Bel? I ask myself. Of course, this is a rhetorical question. I am always so nervous about this stupid school. The cigarette helped me calm down when I was standing outside just now. Sadly, it worked only for a couple of minutes because I can feel my heart pounding in my chest again.

'Ah, there we have Belle.'

Miss Swandrifft writes my name down on a list, and also probably about me coming late because I know my name is not that long.

''You are in Class FV3'' she says. I give her a slight nod back.

I hope the school director has finally listened to me and that they didn't put me in the same class as William and Tom , but I guess a girl can only dream.

I sit down on the floor. To be honest, I hate my life, this school, and everything. But my mother invested so much money to make it possible for me to attend a private school like this,  I can never leave now. So, I'm trapped here for at least another two years.

I see some boys looking at me, and as some kind of reflex, I pull the sleeve from my oversized hoodie a bit higher. They don't have to know everything...The fabric of the sleeves pricks my arm, and tears spring into my eyes, but luckily, I can hold them back. The guys stop looking at me.

I finally feel able to breathe again when I hear that I'm not in the same class as Tom and William. The school finally decided to listen.

A new kid will be in my class, though. I think I vaguely remember his name being Finn. I look at him. He seems a bit lost... It is as if he doesn't know how to behave in a school like this. He has beautiful curly brown hair that stops a bit above his shoulders. The white tee he is wearing is way too big for him, and it's put effortlessly into his cargo pants.

But all of this, of course, says nothing; on first sight, William and Tom look like perfectly fine boys, too...

I walk upstairs to the third floor after Miss Swanndrift finishes reading all the names, and I sit down on a red couch, waiting for the rooms to open.

''Ahh, there we have our Belle; I hope she had a nice summer with her Beast!''

Fuck, only his voice makes me have goosebumps.

The biggest guy in school walks towards me, smiling like the devil himself. William Fitzgerald.

Sadly, I just now realize that even if I don't attend the same classes as William and his friend, our rooms will still be on the same floor.

Oh, dear god.

I sigh, and then I turn around, ready to face him.

'Well, I guess my summer was pretty nice, only the Beast sadly looked a lot like you, really ugly!'

Take that, William! I try to look confident, but really, I would rather cry.

''Wow, looks like her ego grew a lot this summer; what do you think, Tom?''

William looks at his stupid little friend, Tom, and just nods. Ugh, what a follower he is. William only uses Tom for homework because he is smart, and Tom thinks he is friends with the popular kid. It's a bit sad if I have to admit it. And that's rich coming from me.

Just ignore them, Belle, I say to myself.

''I see you have seated yourself on this beautiful couch; only one tiny side note, I would find another because this one is ours,'' William says. Tom laughs.