Chapter One- Admissions
Complete Summary-
She's not moroi, she's not dhampir; she's human.
When Marah Hathaway goes away to boarding school at St. Vladimir's, all that she knows about the school itself is that her second aunt's daughter goes there. She's about to find out a whole lot more.
Marah seems to fit in perfectly. Actually, she's almost exactly like Rose. When the school is attacked, Marah can make or break the Moroi community's view of humans. Does she have what it takes to be a guardian? Or will she lose what matters most to her?
(Fourth book hasn't happened yet).
This is my first non-twilight fan fiction, so wish me luck!
Disclaimer, I don't own anyone but Marah and the plot. Sort of.
I leaned my head against the window, sighing as I looked out at the mountainous terrain. This was so different than back home in Florida. There was different landscape, different weather, and different people. My mom had decided, after my dad died, that I needed a change of pace. What I really needed were friends who didn't look at me with pity-filled eyes. When I lost my dad, I lost all my friends too. Apparently, my Aunt Janine's daughter and I had been best friends for the first four years of her life, and I could actually remember her. But then she went to school so that Aunt Janine could travel and do her job the way I needed to. Daddy always understood, but mom never quite go it. She couldn't bear to let me go. Until now, what with everything that had happened in the last month
My mom's cousin, my second aunt, Janine Hathaway, had told us about a boarding school in Montana that her daughter goes to. Aunt Janine thought it might be good for me to spend some time with her daughter. She said her daughter, Rose, would understand about missing my dad. I hope that she hadn't told her; I wasn't planning on telling anyone here. I wanted to be free- finally- and escape the pity and faked sympathy. No, I was better just keeping it to myself.
"Marah, are you sure that you want to do this? I know that this was my idea, but if you changed your mind, that's okay too," said my mom. I could tell that she was going to miss me, but I knew that this would probably be better for all of us. She could rebuild her life with out having to worry about her moody teenager. She could take care of my sister with no distractions.
"It's okay, I can do this," I said, trying to convince myself as well as her. My little sister, Kayden, sat in the back with wide eyes, seeing mountains and snow for the first time in her life. When we got out of the airport, she had spent almost an hour just touching and looking at the snow. And giggling, lots of giggling. She was only five, but she could go to school with me if she really wanted to. I thought and mom thought that it was better if she stayed with mom. Everything with my dad was still soaking in, and she needed mom to be there for her when it finally hit her.
"I'm going to miss you Marah," said Kayden. I was surprised to find my eyes watering, not realizing until then how much I was going to miss them. I was always trying to be strong for them, but now it was time to be strong for me. I smiled sadly back at her, not saying anything. I knew that to convince myself I needed to keep my precarious grasp on composure strong. I needed this and they needed this- that was the only way that I had survived this trip so far. I hope I can make it another ten minutes.
"Look, there it is!" my mom gasped, the last hints of sadness disappearing into her enthusiasm. I could understand her excitement. The campus was gorgeous, the buildings were gorgeous, even the people were gorgeous. It was almost 11 at night, I wonder if there was a dance or something. It seems like everyone is out here.
"Are they all models or something? Is Marah going to be a model?" I heard Kayden ask mom. I tuned the out, paying more attention to the strange looks that our car was getting. I wonder what that's about; maybe they just don't get visitors very often. That would make sense, I decided, seeing as they're right in the middle of no where Montana.
"Okay, admission is over there," said my mom, pointing toward another gorgeous building. It was smaller than a lot of the others, but I guess that the others were all dorms and classrooms. This one wasn't quite as important. My mom sped the car up some and I thanked her silently. The weird looks were getting old, and I had a bad feeling that they weren't going to end very soon.
We got out of the car and Kayden instantly latched on to me. I picked her up and hugged her, trying to keep in mind that this wasn't goodbye yet. I should save my tears for when they couldn't see them. I've only cried twice in my 17 years. I cried the first time when I was in 8th grade when my best friend died of Leukimia. I cried again when my dad died one month ago. I never let anyone see me cry on the rare occasion that it happens. I wasn't going to change that any time soon.
We walked into the office, the warm air a nice contrast to the biting cold outside. It was only October and it was already freezing. It hit me again just how far from home I was. I was going to have to go warm clothes shopping as soon as humanly possible. Otherwise, I will probably freeze to death.
"Who are you- what are you- why are you here?" stuttered a secretary at the admissions desk with her mouth hanging open. The pure shock on her face and her stuttering would have usually left me doubled over with laughter, but I was already sick of the staring and the questions. The guards at the gate had asked us the same thing.
"I am Marah Hathaway. My aunt Janine recommended this school to me. I think her daughter Rose goes here," I said looking the woman in the eyes and not backing down. I wasn't going to take any crap for being the new girl. Not from her, not from anyone. "Are you going to stop staring at me soon? I would like to go see my cousin for the first time in thirteen years."
"Wow, you really are her cousin. You act just like her!" I noticed that the woman didn't look very happy about this, an effect heightened by her stomping toward an office and slamming the door closed. Looks like Rose is a trouble-maker too. Now I can see why we were such good friends where we were little.
"I'm Ms. Kirova, the principle. You are Janine's niece?" asked a woman as she walked out of her office with a smug looking secretary walking behind her. I wonder what she had been trying to sell. Well, maybe more importantly, what she actually sold. Kirova was looking at me like I was from another planet, and I was just about sick of it. Then I snapped.
"Why is everyone looking at me like that? I'm from Florida, not China. Is there something that I'm missing?" I asked, losing my temper again. I wasn't ashamed of it; I just really didn't want the principle to hate me already. Even though she would soon, first impressions can usually be helpful in getting out of trouble the first few times. Looks like I blew that one.
She just looked at me and laughed saying, "Wow, you are just like your cousin."
"Okay, that's great and about the third time that I've been told that. Now, can we get to it so that I can actually meet this person that I'm supposedly just like for the first time in years?" I asked in frustration. Whatever that secretary had told her, it apparently wasn't a play by play of our conversation. I remember saying the exact same thing to her.
"Okay, well that's the problem, we had some issues with-" started Kirova, getting distracted by the door opening and a draft of cold air streaming in. We turned and looked to see none other that my Aunt Janine walking through the door and toward us. Our faces both lit up at the sight of each other. I ran to hug her.
"Aunt Janine! I didn't know you were coming, you should have told me! I haven't seen you since Christmas two years ago." After I finally got this out, I realized how stupid I must sound. Of course she already knew all of this. But she just smiled and laughed, going along with it like always.
"I missed you too Marah. Have you gotten your room assignments yet? I think that you'll be staying with Rose," started Aunt Janine, stopping suddenly noticing the death glare that Kirova was shooting her. Man, if looks could kill. She shot me an apologetic glance before walking into Kirova's office. The door slammed shut and I winced.
"Marah, Kayden and I are going to the bathroom. We'll be back in a few minutes, okay?" asked my mom. I nodded, watching her and Kayden follow the secretary out. I waited until I couldn't hear the footsteps before turning to the glass of water that I had managed to get out of the secretary. I dumped it into a plant, and turned toward the door. I placed it lightly but firmly and then leaned in.
"Not normal… controversial… human," I heard Kirova say, though her voice was muffled and coming in bursts. I had learned from experience that she was pacing.
"It's a change and it's what we need right now," Aunt Janine's voice came through strong. She was standing by the door and apparently wasn't worried that I might be eavesdropping. "She can train to be a guardian; she's part Dhampir. A very small part, but its there."
I was completely lost. What were they talking about? Guardian? Dhampir?
"Okay, but what will we tell her? The other students? Her parents?" asked Kirova. She had stopped pacing, having finally found a foothold in the argument. Tell me what???
"The truth. Well, to her and the other students. Her mom will be happy enough with the fact that her teenage daughter has finally found a place to belong. Especially after losing her father and almost herself." Said Aunt Janine. Wow touching, but I had to stop listening now. For one thing the argument was obviously coming to an end; they had started talking paperwork. And another problem was that I could hear my mom and Kayden returning. I pretended to be sipping the last of the water from my glass as they walked around the corner.
"Mom, guess what? Aunt Janine is here!" I said, laughing when a guilty expression crossed her face. Of course she knew- the two of them are like sisters.
"I wanted you to have some emotional support and Janine agreed. Plus, her being in the area already was an added bonus," said mom. I rolled my eyes at that last bit. We were in the middle of nowhere Montana. If she was in the area, it was to see me and Rose.
"Yes, I'm sure that she was in the area," I started sarcastically, "but I'm glad to see her either way." My mom smiled at the thought that she had managed to do something that made me happy. Those minutes were far and few.
"Speaking of Janine, where is she?" asked my mom, noticing for the first time that her favorite cousin wasn't in the room. I can just feel the love. I gestured toward the office right as the door opened. Janine came out beaming. I had won apparently.
"Marah?" asked Aunt Janine, "Welcome to St. Vladimir's Academy!"
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