"How nice of you to join us Miss Corvin" a stocky, muscular man who I assumed was the teacher told me as I entered the gym for my first class – combat.
"Sorry I'm late, I got a bit lost" I apologise
"Just don't let it happen again. Have you ever done combat before?" he asks
"Nope"
"Do you mean no sir?" he asks raising an eyebrow. I could tell I was going to have problems with this guy already.
"No sir" I mumble feeling thirty sets of eyes on me.
"That's what I thought. Seen you're only a beginner you can start doing suicides" he tells me smirking. This guy was a real wanker.
"Suicides? Isn't that what you would do in gym? This is combat right?" I ask innocently.
"Yes this is combat. However seen as though you have no experience in this class I suggest you listen to my orders carfeully! Now go do suicides."
Fine then, looks like I'm doing suicides for the next seventy minutes. Suicides should be banned. Spencer's was officially my own personal hell.
I lost count of how many suicides I actually did and by the time I had behavioural study in third period I thought my legs were going to collapse from underneath me.
"So what's with the combat teacher?" I ask Veronica in class.
"Mr. Feldman. I wouldn't get on his bad side if I were you. He could easily pass for hitler's long lost brother" she tells me
That's just perfect. He's most likely going to torture me now for the next six months.
"Are you joking? Please tell my you're joking!" I plead
"Oh no! Don't tell me you got on his bad side?"
I nod biting my lip.
"That's ok. Look why don't you ask Alaska if she can help train you in your spare time so then you can catch up to what they're doing now?"
"That sounds like a really good idea. Thanks"
Maybe it wouldn't be that bad after all. I just had to impress Mr. Feldman to get on his good side.
"Do they allow students to have parties here?" I ask curiously.
"Um…not too sure as no one has ever had one here. You could go ask Headmistress Raven"
"What's with her anyway? She's seems a little kooky"
""Yeah, I guess she can come across as a bit weird. She's really cool though, really laid back. She's been headmistress here since 1987 although I have no idea why she would want to teach a bunch of spoilt brats" Veronica laughs.
"Does she teach any classes?" I ask interested about the headmistress.
"No, however she's the girl's soccer coach and coordinator. You should try out for the team. We've lost a few of our good players last season."
"Yeah I think I will. How old is she? She doesn't look a day over twenty-five"
"Alaska told me ages ago that she was like twenty-nine or something. A few years she was thinking about leaving the academy for some family issues but I guess she decided to stay instead"
I was officially intrigued by Raven. I wonder what the family issue was. It would have been pretty important for her to consider leaving the academy.
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"Come in" I hear Headmistress Raven's voice say from behind her wooden office door where I just knocked. I turn the handle and poke my head through.
"Nice to see you again Ruby. Have you settled in ok?"
She bekons me to sit down on a chair.
"Yes Miss. Spencer's academy is very welcoming. I'm thinking about trying out for the soccer team" I tell her with a big smile.
"That's good dear" she seems uninterested, "is there any reason in particular you have come to see me?" she asks shuffling the papers on her desk. Now was my chance to ask her.
"Ah…um…well …I was wondering if I would be able to throw a party at the academy for my birthday?"
"Your birthday is October 31st am I right?"
"Yes" I whisper. How on earth did she know that? Of course she would know that I realize. She has all my files remember. She must have a good memory then.
"Hmm. I suppose I could allow that. However you would have to invite all the students so no one is left out", she looks up at me smiling, "and I would have to be invited."
What is with her? She's so… Weird? Strange? Quirky?
"I can deal with that. Is it ok if I have a theme?" I ask
"Theme? Why would you need a theme? It's halloween!"
I suppose she was right. I'll have to make up the invitations tonight and put them up around the school so people have time to organize costumes. What was I going to wear? I could go as a witch? Goddess? Hippy? Cheerleader? Human? The list goes on, however everyone else will be thinking the same things. I need something that no one else would even think to wear!
My thoughts were interupted.
"…Mr. Feldman informed me that you've never done combat before. I will ensure to find someone who will be capable to train you out of school hours" she tells me.
"Thanks for the offer miss…"
"Please, call me Sophia" she interupts…again…
"…Sophia, but I've already asked Alaska Hudson to help me"
"Hmm. Miss Hudson is a great student, yet she is not the strongest fighter. You need to practice with some one who is strong and knows what to do. It will be the only way you can catch up to where the rest of the class is up to"
"Oh, ok then"
What was wrong with Alaska? I didn't want some random teaching me!
"Swing by my office tomorrow afternoon and i'll inform you who it will be" she says before motioning to me to leave the room. I guess I can tell when I'm not wanted.
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"Who is really good at combat?" I ask Laura at dinner as I explain what the headmistress told me.
"Boys or girls?" she asks
"Either"
"Well, you've got River, Michael, Stephen, Gwen and Harper. I think they're pretty much the best out of the best here. I remember Feldman once made me fight Gwen in class. It was so embarrassing. She bent me like a pretzel" Laura shudders.
"Oh" I say as my face fell. I didn't like the sound of training with anyone of them.
"Clay? Hey Clay!" Alaska shouts over my head across the hall, waving at Clay. He looks over at us before turning away to go sit with his friends.
"What's his problem?" Scarlet asks
"I dunno. He's so sullen and arogant at times. Always brooding over something" she says.
"I think Raven will get Michael to train you" Scarlet leans over to me, "he's a god and he knows it. Watch out for his girlfriend though though, she gets very jealous if any girl even talks to him. Michael's already been accepted by the royal court to guard Princess Makenna and he's only seventeen. The teachers keep pressuring him to take trix but he won't. Who knows why though."
"Can you point him out to me? I've never seen him" I ask her. Scarlet points out a tall brunette laughing with his mates. I notice a curvy blonde on his lap. That must be his girlfriend.
After dinner I asked the girls if they wanted to help me make posters for my party.
"It's so cool how you were born on halloween" Veronica gushes.
"I suppose so"
"I know this great band I could get to play at the party" Laura offers
"That would be awesome. Who do they sound like?"
"They sound a bit punk rock. They're called the Breeders. I know the name sucks but they're actually pretty good"
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Later that night after the posters were finished and hung up around the school I couldn't get to sleep. Eventually when I did, I dreamt of walking alone in the woods with a pair of yellow eyes watching me from the distance, lurking in the shadows. I started to run but they caught up with me and…
That was where the dream finished. I was awake for the rest of the night, tossing and turning, wondering what the dream meant. I hated having dreams that I couldn't decipher.
Instead of laying in bed obsessing about yellow eyes I decided that I'd go for a morning run. I pulled on a pair of tracksuit pants and an old shirt with a parker over top. I still wasn't used to the cold, drizzly weather. I quietly tip-toed downstairs and snuck out the front door. It was absolutely freezing.
I started with a light jog around the school before I started getting bored with the same scenery repeating itself. I mentally debated about leaving the school grounds. I mean no one would see me as they're all sleeping soundly in their beds. Rebel Ruby won so I decided to make my way to the edge of the grounds into the forest. I found a path to follow and I started picking up the past. Not long after I started hearing footsteps. I didn't know what direction they were coming from and I didn't want to find out. I started sprinting back to the grounds but I forgot what way I came in. I was either getting further into the forest or closer to the academy. The footsteps were getting louder now behind me. I pushed my legs to go further. They were starting to feel like jelly.
"Hey wait up!" I hear a guy's voice behind me.
I keep running staring down at my feet pounding on the uneven dirt floor.
"STOP!" he shouts, sounding closer.
Suddenly I feel a hand grab my waist and pull me back, landing on something hard. I realize that I landed on the man that pulled me back. I elbow him in the ribs, trying to pull myself away.
"Let go of me your jerk!"
His arms untangle themselves around me and I roll off him.
"You can thank me later for saving your life" he says grinning at me.
"Save my life? From what exactly?" I retort wiping myself down.
He points ahead of us. I follow his gaze to see the edge of the cliff, not even a metre away from us.
"Far out" I whisper. I almost ran over the cliff. What was I thinking?
"You didn't think to stop running when I told you to?" he asks
"Well you could have said there's a cliff edge right in front of you"
"You would have went over it by then. You weren't trying to commit suicide were you?" he asks
"NO!" I turn to face him properly. He looked as though he was my age if not a couple years older. He had dark hair, almost black as midnight and honey coloured eyes. He looked like a greek god or an underwear model. He was tan and wearing a pair of jeans and no shirt. I could feel my heart racing in my chest.
"I…I better get back now" I stammer.
"Ok then. See you around sometime again. I'll be waiting for you" he kisses me on the hand before turning away disappearing among the trees.
In a daze I made my way back through the forest to the academy. I snuck back in through the doors and took a shower. Only then did I realize I didn't even ask the handsome, mysterious stranger what his name was.