Author's note: Hello~ I hope you enjoy my story. I apologize if there's anything that annoys you about my grammar or spelling. If you see something, feel free to be helpful and point it out in the comments or PM me about it. Enjoy, and you have been warned~
Calliope sighed as she walked down the quiet street towards her home. She was late and her father wouldn't care about how she stayed late at school to help Roxy with her with studying. He would get angry at her for letting her brother, Caliborn, walk home himself. Knowing the way her father was these days, that probably meant another beating, and possibly a week without her computer. Shaking her head slowly, her platinum blonde bob losing its shape in the low breeze, she resigned herself to doing some more writing on the novel she'd hidden in her room.
She turned the final corner before her house, her knee length skirt swaying in the wind, and she froze for a second. There was a black van in front of her house. It was one she recognised. The man who owned that van had stopped by before, claiming to be from a special school to help young girls 'Learn their true calling'. He didn't mention the name of this school, but he said that it was very prestigious. Her father said that he would contemplate it, and call him again if he chose to accept. The fact that that van was back was the only proof she needed to know that her father was going over the top again.
She made her way to the front door, taking a deep breath and steeling herself before turning the doorknob and stepping inside. She could hear her brother cackling away in his room, probably as he defaced another of her artworks. She could hear her father talking with the man who drove the black van, and decided to accept her fate head-on, instead of cowering in her room and awaiting the inevitable. She found the two men in the kitchen, and the way they both fell silent when she saw her only confirmed her suspicions.
"I'm sorry I'm late, father. I was helping Roxy study for her chemistry exam." She looked up at the face of the man who had abused her so much over the years as he shook his head sadly.
"I do believe you were right, mister Kroxox. She just seems intent on disobeying me. Calliope, go pack some clothes. Mister Kroxox here is taking you to the prestigious school he was telling you about the last time he was here."
"You have five minutes. Your father and I have some final paperwork to sort through." The man, Dernax Kroxox, told her, acknowledging her only with a curt nod.
With a diligent bow, Calliope turned and started towards her room. She'd learned the hard way that when her father was in one of these moods, which were more often than not helped along by copious amounts of alcohol, there was no arguing or reasoning with him. To do so would be to have another bruise to add to the collection. So she went to her room, emptied her schoolbag, and started packing it with the essentials: some spare clothes and underwear, her art case, which held her drawing pencils and related materials, and her novel and diary. As she sipped her bag up, there was a knock on her door and Dernax stood in the doorway.
"Get changed out of that school uniform. You won't be needing it any longer. You father gave me your measurements and I have a uniform ready at The Academy for you." He made no move to leave after that, as if he expected her to get changed in front of him.
"Could-Could you please leave. I'd like to get changed now, so that we may leave for 'The Academy'." She told him as politely as possible, her English accent making it sound all the more sincere. Relenting, Dernax nodded and closed the door, although, unknown to Calliope, he left the door open just enough for him to see through. As she delicately unbuttoned her blouse and shirt, and gently pulled down her skirt, his eyes travelled over her body, judging her and imagining what he could do with it. She walked over to her wardrobe, grabbing a black dress shirt, green coat, and matching pants, and pulled them on quickly, but without haste. When she was dressed, he fixed her hair, picked up her bag, and opened the door. "I'm ready to leave, mister Kroxox." She looked him in the eye as she said this, intent on showing no fear about being taken away from her family to someplace she had never heard of, even though she felt plenty. As Roxy had often told her when they confided in each other, 'Be strong, Callie. There's always a bright side.'
As he was lead down to the front door, she heard her father speaking to Caliborn. "You may use your sister's computer until she returns. In fact, we might have to clear out her room. It's larger than yours, and she won't be needing it." And then the front door closed behind her.
Rain clouds gathered overhead as the black van was unlocked. "Sit in the back." Dernax told Calliope after she went to open the front passenger side door. Nodding, she slid the door open and took her seat, bucking in as she vehicle lurched into motion. After a few minutes of silence, Dernax cleared his throat and began to speak. "Here are some of the ground rules for the academy. Rule number one: Obey any orders given to you without question or hesitation. Since you are the newest student, everyone, including younger students, have more authority than you. So you will have to obey their instructions as well, unless they clash with those of staff members. Rule number two: There will be no excuses. If you fail to complete a task, or if something happens to you that renders you unable to complete a task, you will notify the person who set that task of your failure immediately. It I up to them to decide your punishment. Rule number three: You will wear your uniform at all times, unless you're sleeping or have been instructed otherwise. Rule number four: Do not exit the school grounds unless given permission. And Rule number five: Refer to students and staff by the titles they have asked you to. If you break any of these, you will be punished. Severely." After that, the trip was in silence, until they reached their destination.
It was an hour and a half later that the van slowed to a stop. It had rained during the trip, and everything glistened with fresh rain as Calliope stepped out of the van. They were in a small parking lot inside an estate. Before her were five buildings, two which were clearly dormitories, and so she reasoned that the others were the classrooms and other facilities a school required. Dernax walked around the car, and grabbed her wrist without being too rough or too gentle, and led her towards one of the dormitories.
"The students are having their evening meal now. Since you don't have a student ID, yet, you cannot join them." He stopped in front of the double glass doors, releasing her hand. "Your room is Level C, Room 69. There are seventy rooms on each level. You each have individual rooms. Any further information is in the pamphlets with your school uniform." With everything that he needed to do done, Dernax turned and walked towards the largest of the buildings.
Now that she was alone, Calliope hurried inside. She found the elevator and took it to floor C. As she walked down the hall, everything seemed normal enough. She sighed as she came to a stop in front of her door. She bet that the other girls would probably give her a hard time about her room number, as she twisted the doorknob and stepped inside. The room was sparsely furnished, with only a bed, a desk and chair, and an alcove for her belongings. On the bed was a box, with her name and room number written on it. She sat down on the bed and looked it over, before opening it. She took the pamphlets and placed them neatly to one side as he pulled out her uniform, with a small start. It was horrendous!
The uniform consisted of little more than half a white short-sleeved uniform shirt, barely reaching her midriff, a red button on tie, a black on red plaid miniskirt that she was sure couldn't cover more than her butt, grey thigh length stockings with a garter belt, and uniform shoes with three inch heels. "What kind of school is this?!" She exclaimed, startling herself that she spoke out loud.
Suddenly, a voice started speaking, in a monotonous, androgynous tone. "Student Calliope, put the uniform on. That is one of the base rules of The Academy. This is your first warning." Startled, she looked around, seeing a small speaker/camera combination set up in the corner of the ceiling.
"Wh- Are you watching me? Who are you?" She squeaked, surprised at how pitiful she sounded after being surprised like that.
"It is not you place to make demands of me. Now put the uniform on."
Meekly, Calliope nodded, as she slowly began to take her suit off. After she dressed herself in the all-too-revealing uniform, a small section of the wall in the alcove opened. "All personal effects will be placed in the chute. They can be retrieved when permission is given." Upset, she started to speak, but was cut off by the voice. "This is your second warning. One more, and the consequences will be quite severe." Cowed by the amount of malice that could be conveyed by that faceless voice, Calliope hurried to place her bag, as well as the clothes she had just changed from, into the chute. The items tumbled down, and the chute sealed behind them.
"Excuse me, what should I refer to you as?" She asked quietly, looking up at the camera.
"I am Overseer. I hold the most power in this school, and answer only to Dernax Kroxox. You are to retrieve your map and timetable from the pamphlets, and move to your evening class." Overseer explained, and Calliope shook her head, vigorously.
"I can't go out like this! I look like some kind of prostitute!" She cried out, her hands sweeping over her body to exaggerate her statement.
"All students will wear their uniform unless told otherwise. You have one warning left before you receive detention." Overseer sounded quite smug, even though it's voice was monotonous. Sighing resignedly, knowing she could never have the final word with an automiton, Calliope grabbed the campus map and her timetable, and looked towards Overseer one last time.
"Will I need a notebook, Overseer? It would be easier than carrying these around, as I don't seem to have any pockets." She was sure to phrase the question as politely as possible, as to avoid further chastising by the artificial intelligence.
"You have ample cleavage, Student Calliope. And they have not fully formed yet. Try tucking it in your bra or something." Overseer made a buzzing noise, which Calliope assumed was equivalent to laughter, and she sighed, deciding to carry the all-important paper in her hands. While she had to admit that tucking items into her bra was not all that bad of an idea, she didn't do it simply because it was suggested by Overseer.
Begrudgingly, she left the dorm, the buzzing sound of Overseer's laughter following her outside. I appears it, or at least it's voice, had limits. Consulting her map, she could hear three chimes in an ascending pattern, and instantly knew it was the bell. Hurrying forward, she stepped inside, constantly glancing down as she walked, unaccustomed to the heels. Worried as she was, she didn't want to be late to her first lesson.
