And the first day comes to an end.
As if on cue, the bell shatters the silence and was soon followed by chatter amongst the students and the sound of bags rustling.
I leaned back against the chair and shut my eyes, letting out a soft sigh. The warm sunlight pierced the room and collided with my face, offering some sort of comfort. Since today was the first day, by standards, we went over the student conduct code and the course outlines. Although the classes were easy today, the professors were strict and made it clear that these were not half-assable classes. Like that would stop me from trying.
On top of that, this class was filled with students that I never saw before, despite everyone being in the same year.
Alright, Lena, it'll be okay. Just relax. You could probably sleep through most of the classes and manage a passable grade. Probably.
The self-encouragement doesn't really help, but it never hurts to try and trick my brain. I let out another sigh and grabbed the black duffel bag next to my desk. I know that no matter what happens, there is always one thing that keeps me calm and clears my mind.
Track.
When I stuck my head out the classroom, the halls were relatively empty. There were still a few girls standing around, chatting. Most likely catching up and talking about what they did over their break.
I took a left to avoid being spotted by them and headed for the field. I knew the way by heart, as I always went there almost every single day after class. I peered down at my uniform and straightened up the navy tie that was causing my neck to itch.
I hate this bloody tie, why do we even need this? This is an all girl school anyways, what kind of knob thought that thi-
"Trace, Trace!"
I shifted my eyes and from my peripheral, I saw a glimmer of blonde that was bouncing and reflecting the sunlight, almost making it glow a pure golden tinge. I already knew who it was from the sound of her voice, as she has a distinct, but not overbearing, Swiss-German accent.
I smiled and perked up a bit. It's finally great to see someone familiar at last. Although she was a senior, we still got to hang together and were close mates. She was the one who took me in when I was a freshmen and showed me the in's and out's of the school, and from there, we became quick friends without a hitch. Not only was she knowledgeable of the school, but also she knew a lot regarding people, academics, information, and rumors. I always did view her as a walking encyclopedia.
I chuckled to myself softly and turned my attention towards the slender figure approaching rapidly. The young woman's face was clean and free from blemishes, while settling on her cheeks was a light, but makeable natural blush. Her hair was casually in a bang and ponytail; it made her blinding golden hair rest neatly to the side of her face, keeping it neat and professional. The way her hair glowed, it almost seems as if she had some sort of aura.
"Angela, Angie, love, how are ya? It's been a while!," I exclaimed, opening my arms for a hug. "Have you done something to your hair? It's absolutely lovely!"
"Danke, Lena, and no, I haven't. It's great to see you again! You haven't changed a bit with your signature hair!" Angela replied enthusiastically while gratefully reciprocating the affection I offered. Unconsciously, I reached for my carefully styled hair, only to be greeted by her cheerful laughter.
"Haha, your hair looks fine, it always have! I love it. Have you met up with your friends yet?" Angela giggled. "It's great to back, isn't it?"
Yeah, fantastic. I don't like it here. In fact, I hate it here. The air is always filled with hostility and competition. Not only that, but your academics and talents are always held so highly and observed extremely closely. Especially me.
"Y'know me, I'd prefer it to be back at home. But eh, no choice. No mates, unfortunately, none in my classes, at least." I sighed, feeling defeated and unlucky. To be frank, I don't have many friends. Just a few who were willing to talk to me.
"And sleep into the afternoon every single day, hm?" Angela teased, while shaking a finger at me.
"That's always the plan, love. And you'll bring me a nice home cooked meal, yeah?" I grinned. She knows me too well; sleep has always been my forte.
"I don't think so, why should I reward you for cutting class? But I have been practicing on some dis-" The older woman said, while rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
"Cheers, I'll look forward to it, Angie. Just nothing that could poison me, yeah? Or there'll be consequences." I cut her off before she could even back out on her proposed offer. The older woman glared at me with her eyes that could pierce through steel. She opened her mouth to argue, but only an audible sigh could escape her lips. I took that as a victory on my part and gave her the sweetest smile I could muster and laughed.
"No promises." Angela said, giving a sly smirk. "Anyways, have you heard? A new student is transferring in! She's from a prestigious family, just like yours! You two could be good friends."
I felt my heart froze at that word. My chest contracted, tightening it to almost as if it was holding a death grasp on my lungs. I couldn't breathe for a moment. A simple word, yet it's enough to make me spiral into a frenzy of repressed thoughts and memories. I pushed the thoughts away and tried my best to disconnect from the sudden surge of emotions.
"Angie, I'm not necessarily prest-" I mumbled as my eyes drifted downwards onto the checkered tiles.
"Apparently she's from the Mortem family, " the blonde girl continued, oblivious to my discomfort. Her eyes were filled with bewilderment and she was clearly lost in her own excitement. "A family known for their successful business connections, so they're practically billionaires, maybe even trillionaires! There has been talk around-"
At this point, I lost interest and just wanted to leave. So what? It's just another knob heading to an international "prestigious, high end" all girls' school. Who cares if she's from a family. Who cares if they're rich. It's just another person. I'm not trying to be a tosser, but it's nothing new, really.
"Oi, that's great, Angie. I gotta meet with the team, tell me more tonight, will ya? Shoot me a text! Gotta get to practice!" I abruptly stated, while the girl in front of me was still speaking.
Angie was known for that: the ability to speak hours and hours, to me at least, on end. It's not a bad thing, but she gets too enveloped in her thoughts that she forgets about everything else around her. At times, I had to even remind her to eat her meal during our breaks; otherwise she would just have skipped over the meal, talking.
"Alright, Lena! Make Ferox Academy proud, yes? It was nice catching up with you. Talk to you soon, best of luck!" The tall blonde cheered, giving me a thumbs up while flashing a wide grin. I returned the smile and gave her a two-finger salute while I ran towards the direction of the field.
While I trudged onwards, I tuned out the surrounding and noises. Rather, my mind was strangely pondering upon on one thing. Rumor travels fast here, but rumors of new students don't really surface often. But one from a family of power? I didn't understand why I was thinking of this and why it is stuck in my mind. But something felt off.
I took a deep breath and ran my hand along the side of my uniform. My fingers lingered on the golden-laced silver silk patch that makes me stand out blatantly from amongst the crowd. The Valorem Crest, reserved exclusively to the elite Morrison's.
With another family, I won't be the only one that is marked here.
Just who is this new Mortem girl?