Author's Note:
I love all human fics, and there seem to be a lot of fics that involve the Twilight gang attending boarding school. I have seen some really well written stories out there, but one of the things that bugs me the most can be their inaccuracy. As someone who attends a boarding school, it can be a little off-putting to see these things. So I hope to bring you all an accurate boarding school fic that, hopefully, is a little different from what's already out there. If I'm getting to typical, please let me know! I'm always looking for interesting directions to take a story, I hardly ever outline anything beyond how I want it to end (usually happily) and tend to write chapter by chapter. I welcome your suggestions, and thanks for reading!
Also, DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight.
And now, I bring you:
The Academy: Chapter 1
"Bella, are you sure you have everything you need?" Charlie asked, with concern in his voice. He cared, I know he did, but exiling me to the other side of the country was a strange way of showing it.
"Yes dad, I have everything." I looked inside my worn leather bag, double checking to make sure the iPod I had received as a guilt be gone present from my mother was there, along with my wallet, phone, and other such accoutrements.
"Now, I know you think I'm sending you far away sweetie, but you'll like it, you'll see. I'm only doing what's best for you. She left, you need a change of scenery, a chance to get away from it all." There's nothing I hate more than people telling me what I need. But such is life when you have parents. Or rather, a parent. The infamous 'she' ditched towards the end of my sophomore year, but it hadn't really hit me until school ended and I began to notice her absence. She said that she 'waited until I got old enough to handle it' and that she 'needed her chance to be free.' And the worst part, 'she never really planned on having children,' she 'loved me' but couldn't 'deal with it anymore.' As much as I want to say good riddance, having your mother walk out on you after sixteen years hurts.
But leaving Forks was the last thing I wanted to do. I love Charlie. I have friends here. Or at least, I have a best friend, Jake. He's been my rock throughout all of this and now I'm about to leave it all and enter uncharted territory. Amidst the hell of junior year to boot. My destination is The Academy: a prestigious prep school on the East Coast that shapes the minds of bright young people, such as myself. It had a fancier name, St. Pompous's Institute for the Morally and Ethically Unstable or something like that, but I won't bother.
"I've gotten you this, so you don't have to carry around cash all the time." Charlie fumbled through his wallet, eventually pulling out a platinum card with my name on it. "I can also keep track of your purchases. But don't worry about the bill, just don't go too overboard, ok?" It's not like we didn't have the money, I'm just not exactly a big spender kind of person. Charlie was a lawyer, private practice. We lived pretty far away from his office, in a city a good ways away, but he said that the lower cost of living and seclusion made up for the longer commute. His firm tended to get all the business too, not many lawyers setup shop in semi-remote Northwestern Washington.
I dug out my own wallet; slipping the shiny plastic into a slot while putting some additional cash he had given me for the airport in the billfold. Slipping the wallet back into my bag I adjusted its position on my shoulder, grabbed my pillow and the handle of my rolling suitcase. It twisted in turned on our gravel driveway until I picked it up and tossed it into the back of our modest SUV, a navy model from the early 2000s. I plopped myself down in the passenger seat.
The ride to the airport was a quiet one. I didn't want to waste the battery of my iPod so I sat in silence. Charlie turned on some sports channel on the radio. They were analyzing some game or another, I zoned in and out. Eventually I fell asleep, until I heard Charlie's voice and felt the car slow down as we exited the highway.
"Bella? Bella?" He shook me awake. "We're here."
"I yawned, stretching my arms. We pulled up alongside the sign for the airline I would be flying. I hopped out, went around to the back and grabbed my suitcase. We checked in, and the skycap graciously wheeled my bag away.
"They're sending a sedan to pick you up, meet them at your baggage claim," Charlie reminded me. "I'm gonna miss you Bells. I guess it's back to bacon and eggs breakfast lunch and dinner, huh," he tried to joke. "I'd follow you farther but I'd have to park, and you're fine without your old man, right?" I nodded. "I love you Bells."
"Love you too, Dad."
"Call me when you get there so I know you're safe! I want to hear all about it." I just nodded in reply, turning around, holding my pillow firmly.
Security was a breeze. You've got to love the privileges of being an unattended minor.
I was one of the first to board the plane, too.
The flight was easy, direct. I conked out for four hours. It was nice.
I awoke as I felt the plane begin to descend, hearing the flight attendant's voice on the loudspeaker. "Please return your seats to an upright position and make sure your tray tables are completely stowed…" she repeated the same spiel I'd heard before. I exited the plane, and a flight attendant accompanied me on the seemingly endless walk to baggage claim fourteen. I collected my suitcase, made easily identifiable by a piece of ribbon from Renee's massive gift-wrapping collection. She had even devoted an entire room to it after hearing about some celebrity on TV who had one. It was one of her many whims. We still had more wrapping paper than we knew what to do with.
A nondescript man held a piece of Academy stationary with my name printed on it. I introduced myself and he grabbed my bag and took it to the car, a shiny black model. The back seat was dark leather, a little worn and a little luxurious. I sat stiffly in the backseat as we drove first through the city, then passing through the suburbs and eventually, for the last 10 minutes of the half-hour journey, through the woods. The leaves hadn't begun to fall yet, so the car turned into a drive lined with sturdy looking trees, their plumes of green towering over the town car. We arrived at a pristine white gate, where a nice looking security guard waved us on through, past the navy and white academy logo.
After driving by a mélange of modern and traditional style buildings that appeared to serve as dorms, sport centers, and academic buildings, we arrived at a brick building with huge glass windows. Series of other similar looking black cars were lined up on the road outside as a diverse group of students walked around, loading, unloading, or just passing through.
"Just go right inside that large glass door," the driver advised, pointing towards the main entrance, which was devoid of any instructions or signage, "and there will be someone to take care of you."
I thanked him as he got my suitcase out of the trunk, handing him a tip Charlie had given my earlier and waved as he drove off.
My suitcase trailed behind me awkwardly. I got to a set of stone steps and lifted it up. It was a bit heavy, so I was careful to maintain my balance. Let's just say that I was not gifted with grace. The cobblestone below made it difficult for me to wheel my suitcase. I tripped a few times, my arm twisting as I tried to deal with my demonic piece of luggage, it refused to follow its designated path.
"Here, let me help you with that," a friendly voice called out. I looked up from the ground, seeing a boy of moderate height, his dirty blonde hair stiff with product but his blue eyes were welcoming and kind. He grabbed my suitcase, struggling a bit at first but eventually getting the hang of it. Walking in front of me, he introduced himself.
"Hi, Mike Newton." He turned around, shaking my hand. "I'm the Captain of the basketball team. Are you a new student here?" What an odd way to introduce yourself. I guess he really wanted the recognition.
"Wow, uhh…cool." I replied. "Yeah, I'm Bella. Thanks for the help, my suitcase is a little heavy."
"No problem," he huffed, trying to hide his discomfort as he held the glass door open for me and tried to get my bag through it at the same time.
"I've gotta go meet some people for lunch, but I'll see you around sometime?" He asked, hope in his voice.
"Sure, I guess so." It's always nice to have friends in a new place."
"Bye!" His voice was a little too eager.
"Bye."
I stood on the hardwood floors, surrounded my even more students. Tennis balls flew past my head, field hockey pucks were underfoot, and the undeniable odor of youth invaded the traditionally styled space. I stood, waiting to see what my future held here.
…
End of chapter 1! A little short, but they will get longer. So what do you think, should I continue? Thanks for reading!