Four Aces
KELLY
"I'm here!" yelled Kelly. "Holy crap, I'm finally here!"
She wound down the electronic window on the sleek Mercedes E Class as it rolled through the wrought iron gates and into the perfectly manicured grounds.
"Excuse me, Miss Thomas. Would you like to be dropped directly out side of your dorm house?" the driver, Carlo, butted in to her excitement.
"Huh?" asked Kelly, confused. "Oh, yeah, sure. Thanks, Carlo."
The sleek car proceeded up the long winding drive. Kelly watched in fascination as the pictures from her imagination came to life before her.
They past modern, glass-fronted buildings that housed classrooms and laboratories, and a large domed building that had to be the theatre. Wide grass pitches depicted the different sports; football, hockey, lacrosse.
On her left she saw a huge, typically American-styled barn, with numerous large outbuildings and seemingly endless lush green paddocks surrounding it, dotted with sleek, perfect ponies.
Kelly sighed with anticipation. She had been waiting for this day for so long. It was finally her time, to put the past behind her. This was her place and hers alone, a place where she could get on with her own life without the distractions from back home.
The car pulled up outside a glass-fronted three-storey building, which was perfectly in keeping with the rest of the school's appearance. The front was painted white, with a large pink 'EH' symbol to the right side of the wide entrance.
"Elms House," whispered Kelly under her breath. She hadn't even been inside yet and she already loved the place.
CHARLOTTECharlotte stood outside, with her mouth hung open in disbelief. This was where she was being 'sent to school?'! It was more amazing than her wildest dreams.
"EH," she said, reading the logo next to the entrance. "Elms House." From her background reading, Charlotte knew that Four Aces had three girls houses and five boys houses. Although Elms was the smallest, it was the newest development and the most coveted place to be.
"Charlotte! Please, don't leave your mouth hanging open like that. It's most unattractive. Anyone could snap a picture at you at any moment!" Charlotte felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle with irritation.
"Sure, whatever." It wasn't like her to be so off-hand and abrasive, but honestly. Could the woman not let her have a moment to herself?
"Alright, darling. We'll be off then." Charlotte looked around in confusion at her father, in his smart black suit, making his way towards the car again.
"What? Aren't you coming in with me?" she asked, a hint of whining in her light voice.
"Charlotte, darling, you're thirteen. You can make your own way." As if consenting, Mr Adams put his strong arm around his daughter's shoulders, gave her a squeeze and dropped a kiss on top of her ringlets.
"Bye, Daddy," whispered Charlotte, tears welling up in her eyes. She blinked furiously.
"Say goodbye to your mother," reminded Mr Adams.
"She's not my mother." Charlotte tossed her head determinately.
"Charlotte, for heavens' sake, do you have to be so difficult right now?" demanded Mr Adams, a hint of anger and definite annoyance creeping into his voice.
"Fine. Goodbye," Charlotte half-heartedly raised a hand to her stepmom and received a cold, fake smile in return.
"See you soon, sweetheart." And with that, they were gone. Charlotte sighed and began shifting her luggage towards the entrance. It was mostly deserted, as they were early. She saw one other girl, very short and skinny with straight, light brown hair down to the middle of her back. As far as Charlotte could tell, she was on her own as well.
Well, thought Charlotte, we may have something in common already.