ONE

Your father couldn't make it to see you off. However, I trust you will be on your best behaviour. If and when The headmaster calls Stephan's phone, informing us you've been unruly and disruptive, I will not hesitate to have you shipped to an all girls boarding school on the South coast. Is that understood?"

Evelyn has her brow cocked at me like I'm still a dense fourteen year old girl for not having anything to say. I'm torn between saying my goodbyes to her, or wanting her to leave so that I can finally start my new life.

We're standing in front of Darlington Preparatory Academy, and one building looms over us, casting our shadows on the posh pavement underneath my ballerina flats,—a gift from Eve. If I had to be completely honest, it looks more of a castle than a school. I'm not joking when I say there's turrets on the four moats surrounding the eight buildings around us. There's a crystal statue of a late solider in the middle of the blossoming rose bushes, sitting next to the giant ancient clock tower. This school was built in the late 1700s and boasts many presidents and political savants as alumni. It has a near perfect college acceptance rate from the students who walked these halls, and the waiting list to get in was the stuff of legends. I felt intimidated just by staring at the building. I couldn't imagine how the students here act.

A tingle runs down my spine at the thought of being sent to a boarding school for troubled teens, and I turn back to my mother. She's watching me warily with the same exact chocolate eyes I inherited from her. Her red-painted lips curved down into a frown, her arms crossed over the other as she glanced at the massive building in front of us, then back at me.

"You know me, Mom. I'm not a disruptive teenager." Truth.

A scoff left her mouth followed by a sarcastic laugh. "Mother." She corrected me, eyes narrowed and I flinched back almost instinctively. "And your behaviour at your last school would beg to differ." Have you ever thought that maybe I was acting out because of what went on behind shut doors? Of course she didn't. All this woman cares about is herself and money. She would've left Stephan if he wasn't swimming in money.

"I'll do better, I promise."

"You've disappointed me your whole entire life, Autumn. Now that Stephan graciously got you enrolled in this fancy school, I trust you're on your best behaviour." She doesn't talk to me like a mother, that's because she doesn't acknowledge me as her daughter, but more of a burden she finally gets off her shoulders.

I nodded my head because there was nothing I could say without getting under her skin. I think about giving her a hug but decide against it and instead I give her a small wave. I watch her get in the back of the car and drive away to the entrance of the gate. For a second, I feel a flare of panic in my chest, but I quickly push it away. For the first time in forever, I felt as if I could finally breathe without Evelyn punishing me for it. I'm alone now, I don't need anyone other than myself, because in the long run I'm the only one I can fully trust. I learnt that the hard way. If my life so far has taught me anything, It is that I am strong enough to survive anything.

Once the car is no longer in view, I grab the straps of my bag containing all my belongings and head up the Victorian path toward the main buildings. I look around, taking in my surroundings. This place looks like a fairytale and if I weren't forced to be here, I would probably fawn over the fact.

The moment I took a sharp turn around the arch, my stomach sank. There are students everywhere. I try not to let the stares and whispers get to me as I walk down the long corridors. You know a school is humongous when there's signs guiding you. When I make it to the office, I'm huffing and puffing, gasping for air because of the intense weight of my bag. The door is being held open by a teenage boy who seemed to be aware of my situation, wanting to be of assistance. I thanked him, entering the spacious office room. I stepped up to the desk.

The receptionist, a lush woman who is at the very least in her late forties, gives me a firm once-over before her long nose resembling a witch in cartoons, scrunched up in absolute disgust. Ouch. Major blow to my confidence. "I'm assuming you're Kelly's daughter, the troubled one." Internal eye roll. I'm not his daughter and he's not my father, end of story. I nod against my better judgement. "Enrollments in the middle of the year are a handful already. Especially ones with violent past. Let this be your only warning, this school is held to the highest standard of morals, and you will be expected to behave as a proper Darlington student, not a Rugrat on the street. Am I being understood?"

I forgot to these people real-estate doesn't equal respect when almost all influential figures of the past attended this academy. To be respected your parents have to be ministers, parliament members, business tycoons, etc. To make things simple, your family has to be old money, which Stephan is not. He got rich only months before meeting Evelyn.

"You will be rooming with Clementine Monroe in the Girl's dormanity." She stated.

A slow nod. "And where is that?"

"Monroe will show you." Is all she said before standing up, eyes lightening. "Speaking of which."

Following her eyes, I turn around. Behind me is the real-life version of a doll. Pure skin, Goldilocks hair, the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen. The first thing I notice about the girl is her height. She makes me look like a giant and I'm only 5'8.

"Miss Monroe here will be your tour guide around Darlington." The secretary tells me. "Please don't annoy the only guidance you will ever have. Okay?"

Looking over my shoulder, I offered her a faux smile, nodding before following Clementine outside. "Can I see your timetable?" She asked, holding out her hand and I gave it to her. I watched her eyes skim over the contents on the sheet. She's definitely one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen. I bet her smile is even prettier. "You have the first two classes with me." She returned my schedule. "I'll show you where your locker is."

English Literature. The world of History. Pre calc. Gym. Study hall. Art. I took the liberty of going over my schedule in the car.

I follow Clementine past the wandering eyes of students. The secretary held her to high regards enough to entrust my day to her. However, the students around us didn't seem like fans of her. The hushed whispers behind her back said it all.

We make it to the lockers and I punch in my combination, putting my bag away, opening it to retrieve my items.

"I'm sorry." Clementine said out of nowhere, making me turn halfway around. What? I raised a brow at her, and she sighed, hanging her head down so she's looking at the expensive flooring with crossed arms."I meant- "I'm sorry you got partnered up to share a room with me. And that you got me as a tour guide. Serena Fox would've been a better candidate. She talks a lot. I just make things awkward."

Truth be told, Clementine Monroe reminded me of the old me. Sensitive, insecure and little—not appearance wise. I promised myself I'll never be that me again. I won't be helpless in a world that feeds off my weaknesses, using it against me.

"Hey." I call out and her big doe eyes look up, widening when she notices the smile I'm suiting. "I like you. I'm glad I got you as a tour guide and Roommate. Besides, I wouldn't want to share a room with a Girl whose last name is after a vicious animal. What if she bit me in my sleep?" I shivered at the thought.

For the first time, she laughed, shaking her head. "Well then, I guess you can say she is vicious. I heard she bit Silas's dick by accident when they were hooking up in the Janitor's closet."

Poor janitor. It's always the janitor's office, even in shows and movies.

I laughed at the image, though. Then I found myself cringing at the fact it must've hurt a lot. But that's what you get for hooking up in a closet when there's dorms.

"Lucky for you, the first period is cancelled." Who would've known one sentence would brighten my day almost instantly?

Clementine takes me behind the main building, to the field where a group of boys play football. Everything about Darlington screamed old money, even the football field looked like something out of a movie. We endorse each other in slight conversion as we walk around the perimeter of the field. I learned Clementine was a huge Marvelverse fan, she even had the knowledge to prove it. She loved the colour yellow, her favourite animal was cats and her dream country to live in was London.

Vietnam was definitely my dream country. I miss my homeland so much, I yearn to return one day and who knows? Maybe I will when I become successful and finally reunite with my father and family. I could never see Stephan's family as mine. They were the reason Mom started pressuring me to use skin-whitening products on my body, because apparently I was too 'Dark'. Eve let their comments get into her head so easily which was one of the aspects that also annoyed me.

Just as we're going to pass by the huge tree on the left, I stop and stare at the group underneath it. "Who are they?" Curiosity took over me like a cat. Clementine asked who I'm referring to, I pointed my chin at the group once more, her eyes followed and lowered.

"Bad news. You shouldn't associate yourself with them." Clementine advised, her words hinting a backstory. I didn't bother asking anymore questions. It was obvious she didn't want to talk about it. "There's something you should know about this Academy, Autumn." I raised a brow and looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate on what she meant. "Darlington has a social hierarchy just like every other private school, except it's ten times worse. The Aces are at the top, while deuces are stuck at the bottom. Most of the freshmen and new students belong to the deuces category."

I paid attention to her words. New students? Then that would mean, "I'm considered a deuce?" Her head nodded and I groaned aubily loud. I should've knew coming to this school came with more baggage than I needed.

"That group you were referring to earlier are the Aces. New York's practically their playground. If you want a peaceful life at Darlington Prep, you have to be on their good side."

"Peaceful life? They don't own this school." I snort. Teenagers can't possibly own a school.

"Technically, they do. Or at least, their parents do. They're the children of wealth, Autumn. I might belong to a wealthy family, but that doesn't mean I belong with them. They strive on our weakness, in fact, I'd be so bold enough to say our fear is their fuel. I mean it when I say, stay away."

A/N

please vote and comment ! <3