The sun just rised, and Dashiell knew he had time before having to wake up. Classes began two hours later so he didn't have to rejoin his mother right know. He could just... relax... A breeze suddently tickled his nose. And then a weight pushed on his chest.
"Daaaaaashy!
- Mmmh... go away Blacky...
- Daaaaaaashy! Come on! I want to have breakfeast!
- Go ask your nanny...
- Noooooooo! I want to eat with you! And she's not awake anyway."
Dashiell hopened his eyes. He knew it was a mistake but he couldn't resist : his sister was too cute. And this time was not an exception. The five years old little girl was smiling to him with all - less a few - her theeth, still in his pajamas with little black sheep on it, sited on his chest. Well... he certainly had the time before his classes.
"Fine. Let's go get breakfeast together.
- Yey!"
Excited, Blacksheep run out of Dashiell's room. She was five now, and the boy was in deep awe everytime she gave him attention. Too bad he didn't have much time now that he was seven. Her mother was bringing him to her class and the others if the professor accepted. This way, he could learn how to be an operative while learning his normal lesson. It was exhausting, but he liked leraning new things.
Two weeks ago, he asked if his sister could come as well. But the countess punished him for being greedy and trying to put Blacksheep before him. He must bonded with the little girl, but she was a savage, inferior to him. That was what she said. He didn't quite understand everything and if he had to be honest, he prefered prefered spent time with Blacksheep than trying to bond-but-not-too-much.
Blacksheep was a sunshine. Always smiling, always laughing, always hugging... And she looked up at him so much ! Everything he did, she wanted to do it to. At first it had been annoying, but he quickly realised that he will always have someone to talk about anything he wanted ! He could share his passion for beauty and clothes with her, spending hours to dress her up without her complaining at any point. He was his whole world and he loved that.
"DASHY!
- COMING!"
Dashiell got up, traded his pajamas with a shirt and a classy pants and go to the kitchen of their appartment. Blacksheep was already at the table, standing up on her chair. The boy grabbed some cereals, fruits, milk, cacao and muffins. He gave all the food to her sister who began to mix everything in a overly sugary dough. For himself, he cut a half of an apple. Blacksheep frown at this.
"Dashy! Say 'ah'! Ordered she while presenting a spoon full of her dough to his mouth.
- Oh... I'm sorry Blacky but mother said I had to be careful... She didn't want me to gained too much weight...
- But I can eat it! So you can too!
- I'm not sure...
- It's reaaaaallyyyyyyy good!"
Dashiell hesitated. She was right : it looked really good despite being a mix of weird ingredients. It must be the most sugary thing he will have in all his life...
"A-aaaaaaaaah...
- Tell me if it's good!"
Blacksheep give him a huge spoon. And... oh god. That was the best thing he ever ate. A pure explosion of sugar. He wanted more !.
"C-can I have some more... please?
- Sure! Siblings must share!"
Delighted, he took another spoon. But before he could use it, the door slammed open.
"DASHIELL!
- M-mother ?
- Did. You. Eat. THAT ?!
- I... er... she... I... just a spoon..."
Without another word, countess Cleo took his son by the arm and pulled him in the direction of the bathroom. Blacksheep didn't say a word, too scared to be punished too. She ate her breakfeast quickly until her nanny came to take her to her lesson.
It was not until late at night that Blacksheep saw Dashiell again. He was exhausted. He had to work twice harder and twice the amount of time he usually does. She was waiting for him in his room, she escaped her nanny by passing throught the windows. When he finally entered the room, he just flopped on his bed. Face first and all dressed. Immediatly, her sister came to pet his hair.
"Sorry dashy...
- It's okay... it's not your fault...
- Mother is a big meanie !
- No she's not..."
Blacksheep stopped arguing. She knew it was useless. Her mother despited her and it was clear Dashiell was her favorite. But she didn't mind too much, she had her nannies and coach Brunt was visiting her every week-end, the others faculty's heads began to teach her too. Sure, it should be Nice to go on class with her mother and brother, having her approbation, her attention, her love... But she didn't, so she dealed with it the best she can : she clinged to Dashiell.
"Can I make you braids ? And stay with you tonight ?
- Sure. But I have homework to do. So if someone came here, you have to say it's all your fault.
- Deal!"
The evening passed quietly, the two of them ending in the boy's bed, jogging each other.
"Dash! Dash eh! Dash! Wake up!
- Mrgh... Bla...cky?
- Wake up you lazy guy ! It's seven ! We must be ready in one hour !
- Wha-..."
Dashiell open his eyes. As usual, her sister was in his bed with him. What was not so usual was the fact that she was awake and dressed already. Her class didn't begin as early as his so she slept until eight.
"Why are you ready? You don't have class with your nanny in one hour...
- Because I'm coming with you! The heads had debate last night and now they agree that - now that I'm gen years old - I'm old enough to leave mother's appartment and explore the campus with you!
- I'm... not exploring the campus.
- You go to V.I.L.E's lessons, that's the same thing! And the one at eight is coach Brunt's! Come on! I want to look around before class!
- Alright, alright... let me just dress, est and put some makeup and I'm all yours.
- YEAH!"
She ran away, excited to go out for the first time in ten years. Dashiell quickly got up, happy for his baby sister, and go to the bathroom for his morning routine. Since now he was a pre-teen, his mother showed him how to use makeup and expecting him to be perfect everyday. It was annoying at first but he enjoyed it more and more. He always liked beauty and perfection, and makeup help him to recah it. Maybe he could convive Blacksheep to wear some... secretly of course, their mother always said it was a waste to buy her anything pretty because she was a savage and will ruines it anyway. It was not entierly wrong... Blacksheep was more... wild than him.
"DASH! SPEED UP!
- ALMOST READY! PREPARE A BOWL OF RAW SPINACH FOR ME!
- WHAT KIND OF BREAKFEAST IS THAT?!"
Dashiell rowled his eyes and didn't answer, it was the same thing every morning. Blacksheep ate anything which contain sugar and he was following the diet their mother gave him. Both of them teased each other about it.
Thirty minutes later, both of them was walking in the corridor of the academy. Most of the students was there, going to there respectives class. Blacksheep bump in one.
"Watch where you go Blacky.
- But there is so much to see!
- Oh wod... I didn't know they were child on the island..."
The siblings turned to face the guy Blacksheep bumped into. It was a boy, really tall and thin, he looked a little awkward and really shy. Blacksheep poked him in the belly.
"There is. I'm Blacksheep and this is Dashiell. Who are you?
- I'm N-neal... You will come in class with us?
- Sometimes yes, cutted quickly Dashiell. Anyway, time to go Blacky, coach Brunt will not be happy if we're late for your first day.
- Coach Brunt? I have class with her right now!"
Dashiell cringed, he didn't want this guy following them. Blacksheep and he were special. Neal was one in a group of forty persons. Group wich was repeated every year. Neal will be around for a year, graduated or not and then disappear in the outside world. No need to bond with him. Bit of course, Blacksheep was too pure and naive. She took Neal's arm.
"Cool! Want to come with us?
- S-sure... I'm not used to the campus yet. Thanks..."
Dashiell had no other choice than to follow them. Her sister was overjoyed, babbling about nothing and everything while the student tried his best to keep track of what she talked about. Soon enough, the three of them arrive at the training ground where coach Brunt and the rest of the students waited for them. The professor waved at them.
"Lambkin, Dashiell, glad you're here! I see you found the last one, good. I can begin!"
The boy pulled her sister a little more far away of the group. No need to talk to anyone else, it was Blacky forst time outside and it had to be perfect !
"Today, continue Coach Brunt, is your very first day at V.I.L.E academy. And because of that, I need to test your natural aptitudes. So I want to see everyone running ten laps in 10 minutes! Go go go!"
Firstly shocked, everyone stared at her before jumping on their feet and began to run. Despite her brother, Blacksheep loved running. She was always in need to spent her energy. So she did the exercices of Coach Brunt very motivated. She even earn a compliment for her efforts. After running, jumping, climbing, throwing, sprinting and crawling, coach Brunt gave them a break. Wich mean they had to do the streching exercice. Wich was more or less what it was besides the others.
Neal was pretty good at this one. If he had been at best average until now, here he was the best without second thought. Curious, Dashiell stared at him a little too long and the young man noticed it.
"Pretty impressiv uh? You're not winning this one Dashiell. Teased Neal.
- Shut up. I'm better than you at this class anyway.
- And you will never beat him at stretching : it's science.
- No it's not!
- Yes it is. I'm not a normal dude, I have hyper-mobility.
- Hyper what?
- It's-...
- Hey kiddo! Shoot another student. Why don't you have a code name like your baby sister? Is it because you suck at the class?"
The student laughed like it was the funniest joke ever. Blacksheep wanted to tease him in return with her brother, but when she turned to him, he was as red as a tomato. He lowered his head, saying nothing. Blacksheep saw red. No one was missing with her brother ! She was the only one allowed to do so ! But she couldn't do anything because coach Brunt came back with a life buoy.
"Alright everyone, follow me for the last test."
A little apprehensiv, the group follow her. Blacksheep glued to her brother's side and Neal beetween them and the bully. Everyone stop at a cliff. Coach Brunt smiled at them with mischief.
"Everybody here jump in the water.
- WHAT?!"
All the students backed off. The cliff was huge and below there was icy and wild wave. Even if the island was in the tropics, no one wants to jump this high in the ocean.
"When you will be graduate, you will have to escape on every way possible. That includes jumping in the water. I want to see how you swim. Now... Who wants to try first ?
- Me me me! Shouted Blacksheep.
- Back off pipsqueak, I go first."
The bully pushed the little girl out of his way and go to the end the cliff proudly. Blacksheep saw red : she suddently jumped on her feet, ran as fast as she could and push the guy him off the cliff.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Blacksheep giggled and jumped after him. While she dived relatively elegantly - thanks to her swimming lessons -, the student made an impressive belly flops in the ocean. Coach Brunt laughed at little girl's mischief while everyone else winced.
"What a kid... whispered Neal.
- Come on class! Called Brunt. That's your turn!"
After the end of the lesson, Dashiell caught her sister by the arm, looking upset.
"Why did you do that?!
- Do what?
- Why did you push him of the cliff?!
- Because he was a meanie to you ! He laughed at you!
- I don't need you to protect me! I can do it on my own!
- Oh? Can you?!
- YES!
- What is happening here?"
The siblings arrived at Blacksheep's class. Her nanny was watching them, confused. Annoyed, Dashiell leave them their and went to his next lesson. They didn't see each other before diner time. Well... they were supposed to see each other at diner time. But Blacksheep wasn't anywhere. And it was not normal !
"Are you... okay...?"
Dashiell jumped and looked for the origin of the voice.
"Over here...
- Where are... WAAAH!"
It was Neal, popping out of a vent.
"Hey... are you searching your sister?
- Why were you in the vent?!
- Blacksheep suggested me that using the vent was a good way to travel around the campus without being seen... it's a good idea for me.
- Wait... you saw her?! Where?! We were supposed to eat together before my evening's lesson !
- I saw her thirties minutes ago around doctor Bellum class...
- Come with me! We need to find her before mother catch her."
Dashiell draged Neal all around the campus without finding his sister. His panick grew minutes after minutes. He wanted to cry. What if the bully caught her? What if their mother caught her?! What if she had been crushed by one of doctor Bellum's invention?! Neal tried to ask where was the little to every student, but no one saw her after her last lesson. Where was the nanny when we need her?! Finally, Neal round someone who saw her : the cleaners.
"They said they saw her hours ago with another student going to this corridor...
- But there is nothing there! And which student?!
- I don't know! Come on, the sun is going down..."
The two boys run in the corridor, Dashiell calling his baby sister's name. But no one answer.
"Hey... Dash...
- Don't call me like that! Find Blacky!
- Listen for one second you pipsqueak! Look at this door!"
Dashiell looked at it. It was an old door, in steal but not very clean. But something caught their gazes : body hand prints. Both of them rushed to the door and bursted outside. They had been greet by an heavy tropical rain and by the moon. It was full night now. For a couple of seconds, Dashiell thought that Blacksheep wasn't here too. But then he saw a little ball curled on themself, trembling because of the rain and the cold.
"BLACKY!"
The little girl jerked up his head and stretched out his arms.
"D-dashy..."
Dashiell hugged her like he was afraid she will be gone again if he let her go. She had scrap and bruised all over her arms, legs and face. Her nose was covered of blood and her hair was a mess. Dashiell knew exactly what had happened and he was furious. Neal kneeled besides them and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry little sheep, w-we will avenge you.
- But first, said Dashiell while he standed up with her in his arms, let's go to my room. You need a bath, some cares and a good warm meal. I will stay with you, don't worry.
- But... your evening's lessons?
- Don't care. I will tell our nanny that I don't feel well.
- Can... can Neal come too? I have a huge bag of chips under my bed. We could share!"
The boy wanted to say no, but when he saw the huge smile of Neal and the puppy eyes of his sister, he sighed.
"Okay fine.
- Yey ! Thank you big brother!
- Yeah ! Thanks little Dashy!
- DON'T CALL ME LIKE THAT!"