The Bittersweet © 2017 by Starling Knight. All rights reserved.
Chapter 10 FIRSTDAY
Jacob drove up to a tall-ass black, wrought iron gate with a 'C' on one door, and 'R' on the other, in script. There were white rose bushes spilling through the bars, their petals scattered on the ground and being bellied up by the wind.
"Woah…" I breathed.
Jacob gave the gatekeeper our ID's and my school admittance letter. After looking them over, he let us in and Jake drove up the hill the school was on which looked like a massive mansion, nothing like the public high school I went to. Obscuring my view of it was a sea of red made up of the blazers of the other students who stood by. I sure was making an entrance, being driven up to the door and being completely new.
"Jacob, they're all staring…" I grumbled.
"That's because the windows are super dark. They can't see you."
"Sure, but do they have to fucking stare?!"
"Go in with that attitude and they wouldn't dare." He said with a smirk. I took a deep breath.
"That's a great idea," I said, actually taking his advice seriously. He had a point.
"No, no it isn't. Bella if you get expelled or suspended on your first day-"
"If I get caught." I slung one strap of my backpack over my shoulder and opened the door, foot on the gravel purposely allowing my skirt to ride up.
"Jesus Christ…" I heard Jake mutter. I slammed the door shut and said-
"Take a fucking picture why don't you? It'll last longer." -before strutting to the front doors with a full-on anger face. I slowed down when I got inside because the heels of my boots were scarily loud on the cherry wood floor. I noticed the admittance office and headed straight there.
"Hello, I'm-" Shit, the fuck's my name again?!
"Bella Masen!" I nearly shouted. I coughed.
"Yes, I'll check you off." The sweet lady said. "Welcome to the Crimson Academy," She said with a smile, like she was damn proud of working here.
"Thanks," I said, returning her smile. She reminded me of Alice.
How could I forget my new name? I scolded myself and facepalmed. Oh yeah, cuz I've been Isabella 'Bella' Swan my whole life and my kidnapper, no matter how fantastic he is, gives me a new one and HIS last name. There's only one case in which a woman changes her surname. It certainly was awkward, and he just blurt it out when he was briefing me-
"Your name is Bella Masen. Learn it, embody it because if you act like it wasn't always your name someone will get suspicious." -My mind just slooowed dooown. Bella Ma-well, no one's looking for a 'Bella Masen'. Anyone looking for me wouldn't find me here.
I turned and others started coming in. They either rushed up the stairs or walked past me. Fuck me. I'm gonna hate this... I groaned in my head.
It became clear to me very quickly that this was a school for gifted children who already had a career in mind and the money to fund their education to get it, not average 'shmo's like me. These kids certainly came from money. The boys pretty much acted the same, and so did the girls. Stuck up, like their all that. Some girls were nice, like Angela and Katie who were sitting quietly as well until they noticed me, but others like Jessica and Lauren made it clear that I wasn't wanted or going to be accepted here anytime soon.
"At first I thought 'There must be a reason why she's been accepted in the middle of the semester', but looking at you now you're absolutely plain and unremarkable. It's unbelievable that you somehow got into our rank!" Jessica said after the bell that alerted it was lunch time.
"What rank? You're just as awful as the bullies and therefore, below me. No better than the dirt I walk on. And in case you didn't make the connection, let me spell it out for you, " I got real close.
"You're no better than me, in fact you're no better than the garbage that sullies the whole society that makes up the world. No amount of money will protect you in the real world." I growled, then walked past her, shoving her to the side.
"She touched me!" I hear her cry in surprise. After that, it was just screeching.
"That was…fantastic!" Someone said next to me. I looked to my left and saw a chinese guy with glasses who ran to catch up to me.
"Oh, hey Eric." I reached into my backpack to take out my lunch made and packed by Edward with love.
"Hey," He said, his grin still on his face.
"Everyone didn't exactly understand what you meant by 'real world' but one thing is for sure, Jessica and Lauren are no longer the Queens. They're already coming up with a name for you." said Angela who appeared on my right, Katie by her side. Both of the things she said were making me think 'What the fuck is this?!'. It was a total mindfuck.
I decided not to say anything and went back to closing the flap of my backpack that I was juggling along with my lunch, and slung the strap over my shoulder.
"Hey, I brought cakes. Let's sit together!" Proclaimed Katie.
Eric did the honors of setting down Katie's picnic blanket she brought with her and lent the girls a hand in sitting down. I just tossed my bag and swept my skirt under me as I sat plopped onto the ground, eager for Edward's fantastic food.
"So what school did you transfer from?" Angela asked, carefully sipping tea the cafeteria passed out.
"A public school."
"What did you learn there?" Katie asked.
"The same things only from worksheets, books and movies. I guess here it's like college, all lectures and mainly independent studying."
"Hey Bella!" We all looked up the hill and saw Michael Newton walking down with Ben, the intellectual jock, Connor, the movie buff, and Tyler who seemed to be an extra, just tagging along. Aw, great... "You're secretly enjoying this," I could easily imagine Edward saying. My first friends in a while.
Everyone said hello politely, everyone was so polite, and I just sipped my cup of tea. It wasn't my cup of tea.
"That was quite the stance," Mike said looking at me, while I sat my cup off to the side.
"Where I come from, we would call it a 'smack down' because I put her in her place." I said while opening my tupperware, revealing a Gimbap roll, steamed veggies and some fruit salad in their separate compartments.
"Right. I came to ask if you were busy this afternoon?"
"Uhhh, yes?"
"Well, cancel them."
"Excuse you?"
"Michael made reservations at this amazing restaurant that has a wait list of up to 2 years!" Katie gushed.
"Oh."
"I'm inviting you. You'll be our guest of honor and we'll toast to you." Mike added.
"Um, that's nice, real nice. But, um,"
"Oh, you're probably busy getting used to a new school." Angela said sweetly.
"...Yeah, that. Thanks anyway."
"Ah. Well, maybe next time." Mike said, unsuccessfully hiding his disappointment from me.
They continued talking about how great the restaurant was and told me how Mike was able to snag it. With Dad's help of course. Must be nice, but I had no idea what I would do if I had that kind of cash to burn or power. After that, Angela kindly filled me in on the coming events at the school that would preserve the school's place at the top and the fast approaching prom. They planned on spending a lot of money on themselves and other things to make it a night to remember. I smiled awkwardly along with them. I was never going to attend prom at Forks high school anyway.
After an hour -a full hour for lunch!- the bell rang, letting us know it was the end, and we packed up. We didn't share any of the last few classed together so we split up and I headed to my public speaking class. My stomach was in knots in anticipation and then there was fencing. People were still buzzing about my showdown with Jessica and in my class when I sat down. At the sight of me, they would clap and whistle, making me flush beet red. School couldn't be over soon enough.
When it finally, mercifully, was, and I waited at the pick-up spot for Jacob to roll up. There was a long parade of cars driven by chauffeurs passing by the front of the school on the road, picking up Richy McMega-rich from the pick-up spot, until it was my turn. I groaned as I got in and slammed the door.
"I was going to ask 'how was school',"
"It was...interesting to say the least. Let's go home."
"Home?" He asked.
"Yeah, the tower dude."
"Right. I take it you didn't like it?"
"The school is fine, great actually. It's the people that ruin it."
"Isn't it always,"
"Yeah." I bet my school could benefit from a wealthy donor. But now I didn't have to wait around for Edward to be done with work, I realized. By the time I got back, he'd be in the tower.
Edward was actually in the front yard waiting for me.
"Hey, I thought you'd be upstairs?"
"I missed you."
"You better," I said.
"How was it?"
"It was great," I told him about the entire day and boasted about my confrontation with Jessica. He chuckled.
"Ah, kitten. Is it wrong this side of you turns me on?" He said, pulling me to him and made-out with my neck.
"No,"
"If it was then I don't want to be right. I'm not condoning it. Ass upstairs,"
"Wait, what?"
"You heard me. You were very naughty,"
"But I didn't get into any official trouble?" He smirked but then it was gone.
"You drew to much attention to yourself."
"...yeah, I'm sorry."
"It's fine." I reached around and squeezed his ass twice.
"Am I still in trouble?"
"I guess not." He chuckled.
Yay! Three updates in a row. Meowr X3