A/N: Another fanfiction! Based on the book Variant.

As I walked out of the car, I studied my surroundings.

A 12 foot gate around me and fences everywhere. There was a big brick wall and a lot of trees.

I took a breath in as Mrs. Shermansky, the owner of Sweet Amoris Academy, lead me to the front of the school. "This school is amazing. Free grounds, amazing views and very delicious snacks and lunches, Miss Rodney. Maybe you might find some friends of your own." And with that, she skipped along the rocky floor, singing something is delight.

I turned around to watch her as she left in her car. I heard shouting above me, and I stepped back and lifted my head. People, teenagers, were cheering. Some were even crying. I felt someone push past me, but I didn't turn around. All I heard was a cold voice that gave me chills.

"Run while you can."

A few families ago, I signed up for this scholarship. I had to answer a series of questionnaires about how stupid my life is. How life is being a poor foster child with no friends or real family. Not one person that actually knows you, your ins and outs, your moods and face expressions. At the end of the week, I got a phone call from Mrs. Shermansky that I was in. I was so happy.

But now I'm not so sure.

As I stepped into the hallway, people were still cheering. I was very confused, but didn't let it show.

I felt someone pull me, and soon I was in a mini-office. It was a male. He had tired amber eyes, but a smile that never left his face. "Hello, I'm Nathaniel. I do the new student orientations."

I stared at him. He noticed, but he ignored it.

"Someone told me to run while I can. What does that mean?" I made my voice expressionless, trying to stare into his eyes.

He still didn't look at me. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I walked toward him, putting my palms on the desk. "How long were you here?"

"A year and a half. Why?" Nathaniel still had a smile on his face, but in his eyes he was hiding something.

I nodded and sat on a hard chair.

"Anyway, let's get started. I have a lot to teach you. There are a lot of rules here, so please listen closely." Nathaniel smiled.

"No trying to escape. If you do, you could get detention," Nathaniel's smile faded away at the word 'detention', but it came back. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What's detention?"

He looked at me but didn't say anything. "You will get small laptops for your classes."

"Can I talk to a teacher or the principal? This is getting crazy."

He looked surprised, but he kept his smile into place.

"There are no teacher. There are no principals. Just us students."

I opened my mouth, but he talked before I did.

"We teach. We serve the cafeteria food. We have jobs," Nathaniel shrugged.

"Jobs?" I repeated.

"Yes, jobs. But not all of us have jobs. Jobs are chosen by the contracts your gang has."

Gangs? You've got to be kidding me.

Nathaniel seemed to have seen my confusion. "Gangs are the group you choose once you come here."

I got up to walk out of the door. This was getting crazy. Maybe he was joking?

I turned the doorknob once. It didn't open. I tried another and it was no use.

When I turned around, Nathaniel was fiddling with something on his wrist.

"The door is locked. You don't have a chip to open the door."

I turned my head and walked up to him. He was wearing a watch.

He pointed at it. "When you come here, you get something, either a necklace, bracelet, or watch, and you put it on. It unlocks your dorm room and any place your contract allows you to enter. But you can never take it off. It's waterproof."

Nathaniel picked a box up out of nowhere with the bracelets, necklaces, and watches. He looked up at me, expecting me to take one.

I shook my head. "No thank you. I'm getting out of here."

Nathaniel sighed. "If you don't wear it you won't have access to your dorm."

"I don't need a dorm. I don't need a uniform. I don't need this place," I said sharply.

He sighed heavily again. His smile was now gone. "Look, I don't want you to get in trouble. You could die if you try to escape. Just put this on."

"I rather have life living with a family that isn't even mine than be here!" I spat.

Nathaniel stopped. "It's not only you like this, you know. None of us have parents."

"I know..."

"And even if you escape, who are you going to go to? What if everyone escapes? Who are they going to go to? Nobody has a family."

I didn't say anything. He was right.

I took the bracelet and put it on my wrist without a word.

Nathaniel smiled, handing me the rule book. "I like you, Penny. You'll do well here."

I walked to the girl's dorm hallway. I looked up, seeing a security camera. I turned around, seeing another.

And another.

And another.

It was too much to count, and I immediately knew someone was watching.

I continued to walk, still looking at the cameras when I bumped into someone.

She was taller than me, bouncy blonde hair and piercing green eyes.

"Sorry. Really, I am sorry."

She was about to pounce on me when someone stopped her. She only scratched my cheek.

I touched the blood that dripped of my cheek. I pushed away the person that was blocking her from me and pounced on the blond girl.

She screeched and I enjoyed the sound. I slapped her face clean when the person from before pulled me off of her.

I felt someone else pull me away onto a couch.

She had straight flat hair and her uniform on. She folded her hands on her lap, smiling as wide as Nathaniel did.

"Welcome to Sweet Amoris Academy. I bet you already found out about the gangs."

I nodded, my cheek feeling tight.

"I'm Melody, a member of the Society. There are three different groups: Variants, Havoc, and of course, the Society."

I zoned out for only a second. Maybe Nathaniel was a part of this group.

"We are the safest choice, actually. We are take the safe path, never getting in trouble. And of course, we never end up in detention. It's because we follow the rules."

"What is detention?"

Melody smiled. "Detention. It's a place you go when you don't follow the rules. Once you go there, you never come back."

My eyes went wide. No wonder Nathaniel didn't tell me about it.

"Anyway, you should choose"- She was cut off by the girl that I bumped into earlier.

Melody was pushed off the couch as she sat there.

"So, I'll forgive you if you join the Havoc. I'm Amber."

Her voice was as if she was joking, but she had a serious look on her face.

"The Havoc is the best group. You don't have to follow the rules – just live how you want."

I shook my head rapidly, getting up.

"I don't want to be in any group. I want to leave. This stuff is stupid."

I walked toward the door, but there was at least half of the Society girls blocking the door. I felt Melody's cold hand on my shoulder.

"Penny, that's not how this game works. Either be in the best or be nothing."

I turned around, studying her face.

She had a snarl and her blue eyes were dark.

I felt another hand on my shoulder, this time pulling me with force. Amber.

She was chewing her gum with her mouth open, wearing her uniform top tightened with a safety pin and her school uniform skirt.

I pushed past them both. "I don't want to be in any of your groups. Leave me alone."

"You'll regret it. You will." Melody's voice sent chills down my spine.

"Leave Penny alone. If she doesn't want to be in your group, she doesn't have to." A voice beside me made me jump.

The person grabbed my arm, unlocking the door with a buzz and a click of her necklace and taking me out to the hallway.

"Thanks." It was the only thing I could say.

The girl had long white hair. "No problem. But if you don't want to be in Havoc or the Society, you're in the V's."

And with that, she left.