Scarlett: The Doctor's daughter

Chapter 1: Welcome to Wilson Academy

This could not be happening. Boarding school? Seriously? So what there are no other ‘decent’ schools here? High school suits me just fine. Boarding school, what a joke! It’s just full of selfish snobs that think an ipod is some sort of sci-fi film.
“Okay sweetie, we’re almost there!” My dad exclaimed from the front seat. I just sat in the back seat with my arms crossed, sizzling, letting my anger rage and bubble up inside me. Why couldn’t I just tour with Mum and Richard? I could keep up my studies and take a private exam. Anything but this.
So here’s the deal, I have been living with my Mum and, more recently, her new boyfriend Richard, for the past 11 years. My parents split up when I was 5. But, now Richard has had a big break and is going on tour with his band. He’s a drummer you see. So anyway, mother decided that spending my junior year touring with a rock band was not exactly stable for my academic career. The solution? To go and live with my dad.
My dad is the opposite of my mum. He always needs ‘the best’ of everything, no matter the cost. Not that money is an issue for him, he’s a doctor you see, but seeing as there are no private schools with decent exam results every year, I am going to be kept at Wilson Academy of New Jersey. It was a co-educational boarding school with no ‘day school’ option and absolutely no freedom whatsoever. Perfect, so my dad said. He and my mum broke up because he was always too ‘safe’. He worried because my mum was wild. She liked going to bars and staying out all night. He liked staying in with a crossword puzzle.
“Oh no.” The car pulled up around a roundabout at the top of the driveway for a huge mansion. School? 17th century prison seemed more appropriate.
Wilson Academy of New Jersey.
It was in the middle of the country, approximately 15 miles from Dads house. Hardly a distance, and that’s how he liked it. The nearest town was Chatsworth, where Dad worked. This was going to be a fun year.
“Okay sweetie, what do you think?” I said nothing, just scowled at him from the back seat as his excitable nature shone through his face. “Isn’t it lovely? Huge campus, founded in 1722. Beautiful grounds with lots of trees and there is a lake if I recall.” Oh yes, lovely, a lake. That just made my day. Like hell it did.
“Daddy?” I said quietly from the backseat.
“Yes pumpkin?”
“I appreciate everything but…”
“Oh Dr Fischer, you’ve got here in perfect time. Everyone is just about to head off to Orientation. I’m so glad we’ll be seeing Scarlett in our school this year.” A youngish man in a beige suit with a blue shirt spoke to my dad through his wound-down window.
“Of course Principle Maguire. I’m sure she’ll love it here, won’t you sweet peep.” When my dad starts using all of the pet names under the sun for me, it means he is genuinely excited, which rarely happens for him. The idea of me going to a top boarding school instead of Jacksonville’s local high school is extremely exciting for him. Wilson Academy represents everything he stands for, stability, quality, assurance, wealth and above all, a high IQ. Sure, everyone here graduated, but they all probably ended up in a mental hospital because they went into depression from chipping a nail after some man bumped into them in the street. They have no idea what the outside world is like and probably never will. If they do find out? It will be so much of a shock that they won’t even believe it.
“Hello, Scarlett. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Principle Maguire, but between you and me most of the students call me Xander anyways so you feel free to call me by my first name too.”
“Thank you, sir, uh, Xander.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll settle in just fine.” He said.
“Out you get sweetie, he won’t bite.” I did as my dad said and got out of the car, my converse crunching on the white gravel of the driveway as I got out. I pulled on the hem of my blue and red tea dress and let my short red hair droop over my face.
“Before you go to orientation, Scarlett, I’d like you to meet Vivien, she’ll be your big sister while you’re here.” He introduced a tall, slim blonde girl to me and then left to greet more newcomers.
“Vivien Loraine Hampton, head girl.” She held out her hand to me, which I ignored.
“Um, sister?”
“It’s just school lingo. I’ll be a friend, a helping hand while you’re here. You should shake my hand, it’s out of respect.”
“Oh right. Well, first of all, I choose my friends? And when the head girl has earned my respect, then I’ll shake her hand. Got it?” I wasn’t normally so cheeky, but I was having an off day. Vivien gave a spiteful look and walsed off, her knee length bell skirt swaying with her hips in anger and disgust.
“Alright sweet peep, I’ll see you at the parent’s evening in October. Enjoy yourself!”
“Wait! No, daddy!” the car drove off and he waved excitedly from the passenger window. Of course he had Philips drive him when he wanted to have a heart-to-heart with me.
So I stood there, alone.
“Come on Scarlett, Orientation is right this way.” Xander’s soft kind voice beckoned for me to follow him. “I know the last place you want to be right now is at a boarding school.” He said sadly. “But, you may find this place a better environment for you to be in than you expected. Trust me when I say there is plenty to do, and I’m sure you’ll settle in sooner than you think.” He smiled and rested his hand on my arm before walking off faster than the other students in order to get to the front of the assembly hall before it was too full.
Alexander Maguire was a tall, slim man. He looked no more than 35 or so with sandy brown hair that wasn’t thinning at all like most men his age and pallid white skin that looked like polished alabaster. He had warm bright blue eyes and excellent posture. He looked too young to be the principle of such a developed, well-respected private boarding school. Yet, it was true.
I followed the small clusters of students into a large hall with full length windows that rose up as high as the ceiling and came down as low as the floor. The walls were a simple cream and the stage was a very basic proscenium arch with a reading pedestal in the centre. Principle Maguire was standing chatting to a slim brunette woman of similar age at the left hand side of the room. The last time this many eyes were looking at me at once was when I was 12 and had to read a poem at the front of the classroom.
Principle Maguire took his place in front of the pedestal but immediately ordered that it be taken away. It seemed he liked to feel as close to his students as was legally possible. First name terms, individual welcomes, and he also seemed to be very against the formality of a stage. The brunette woman had pushed him on, so to try to get around this he sat on the edge of the stage with his legs dangling and trusted his voice to carry the whole way down the huge hall. I took the first seat I found and got ready for a boring 3hour long speech about abstinence and working hard at your studies coming from a boring man that is completely oblivious to teen life.
Instead I got Alexander Maguire.
“Hi there everyone!” he greeted us, and everyone went silent immediately. “How was your summer? Good?” Everyone nodded, smiled and giggled. “That is good to hear. Now then, you know the drill; I don’t want to be up here boring you for ages so I’ll get straight to the point. My colleagues,” he pointed to his right and smiled, “yep there they are, are pleased to see you back and expect the same of you as they do every year. For those of you who are new here that means honesty and respect, but the teachers in my staff intend to earn that respect by organising our annual Halloween Ball, which will be, guess when, at Halloween. So that should be fun! Also, don’t be going too far into the woods this year, especially late at night because I’m sure you’ve heard there have been animal attacks there. Besides all that though, I wish you a very enjoyable, and hopefully successful year here at Wilson Academy.
“You can get your room numbers from the people standing at the end of each row, where you are sitting now, and your timetables from reception anytime between now and Monday morning. So, don’t party too hard tonight, stay within the grounds and… Oh yeah, get lost.” Xander grinned and jumped down off the stage before walking casually through the isle in the middle of us, waving hello to people as he went. This was the weirdest boarding school imaginable.
I got my room number from the teacher at the end of my row and followed the students towards the dormitory areas. This place was huge. There were more halls than I had blood cells and more rooms than that still. Eventually I found the dormitory’s and after that, my room. I was in dorm 8 b. Each dorm had two separate rooms. A, was the guys dorm. B, was the girls. I entered my room cautiously, just in case I was disturbing anyone, to find four other girls in the middle of a pillow fight on their four beds all lined up beside each other. The room went silent when I entered.
“Bed number five newbie. What’s your name?” A sandy haired girl in a floor length purple maxi-skirt asked.
“Um… Scarlett. My name is Scarlett.”
“Oh yeah, the doctors daughter. I’m Mildred.” Said a pale girl with frizzy blonde hair.
“Duffy!” said the sandy girl. “Her name is Deidre, but we call her Duffy. I’m Frances, call me Frankie.”
“And I’m Billie.” Said a tall Native American brunette. “Bethany really, but its Billie to everyone here.” Did all of their nicknames end in ‘e’?
“Hi y’all, I’m Mel.” Said the final girl, who was a blonde girl with an Oklahoma accent.
“Um, Hi.”
“So what do you wanna be called, Scar?” They giggled.
“Just Scarlett, if you don’t mind. I’ve never really had a nickname.”
“Sure. So, see any cute guys yet?” Duffy asked.
“Um, I just got here.”
“And?” They all giggled. Frankie shoved past her friend and rested a hand on my shoulder.
“Look, don’t worry. I know how you must be feeling now. I felt the same way when I came her last year. We won’t bite. Hey, wanna sit with us at dinner? We get to choose where we sit, how cool is that! In middle school I had to sit with my dorm and my dorm ONLY. What school were you at before this?”
“Um, Jacksonville East high?”
“You went to a high school?” Frankie asked, stunned.
“In Florida! Oh my, was it hot there? There must have been tonnes of guys!” Mel burst out.
“Yeah. I mean yes to the high school, in Florida and to it being hot. There weren’t that many guys there though. I mean, there were some, but they were…” I was going to say jerks and changed my mind. “Not particularly nice.”
“Oh right, well trust me, there’s a fair amount here. Oh this years gonna be such fun, I can feel it already.” Billie added for comfort before coming over to me and giving me a big hug. “We’re going to be such friends!” After our hug, I opened my trunk, which had already been brought up and started to unpack. Oh well, they seemed all right. This could be a lot worse.
“So Scarlett, do you wanna sit with us at dinner?” Duffy asked.
“Sure, that would be nice.”
“Great! Hey I like your dress.” She said.
“Oh, thanks. Your sweater is nice.” She wore an oversized tan sweater that came down past her waist, with faded denim jeans and a simple pair of tan ballet pumps.
“Aw... I knew I liked you.” She said with a quirky smile.
I continued unpacking before there was a commotion, and a knock at the door.
“Hey girls, you aren’t all naked in there are you?”
“Yes!” Frankie, Billie, Mel and Duffy yelled jokingly. “What is it Harry?” A tall brunette boy came in to our room in a pair of dark jeans and a plain white tee.
“Dinner is being put out.” He noticed me after a few giggles with the girls. “Who is this? Frankie, why so rude? You never introduced me.”
“Oh, Harry this is Scarlett, She’s new from Florida. Dr Fischer’s daughter. Scarlett this is Harry. He’s from next door.”
“Nice to meet you, Scarlett.” He took my hand and kissed it like a gentleman. I smiled awkwardly.
“Harry, stop hitting on my new best friend!” Said Mel. Billie seemed especially quiet though. She was blushing a great deal.
“I’m not hitting on her! Just getting to know one another that’s all.” He said with a cheeky grin. “So you’s all coming or what?”
“Yeah, we’ll be down in a sec.”
“Okay, see ya’ll later now get out, this is a girls dorm. Unless you a girl, you shouldn’t be in here no how. Out you go Harry, out!” Mel started pushing him out the door, while he waved casually to me. Mel slammed the door on him and clapped dust off her hands. Frankie stepped forward.
“Well then. Who’s hungry?”


Chapter 2: Frankie, Duffy, Billie and Mel

“You look fine Billie! Seriously, stop your fussing.” Mel told Billie as we walked to dinner.
“I just don’t wanna look like a tramp on our first night.” Billie stated while fluffing up her hair. I stayed quiet with Frankie and Duffy at my side.
“So Scarlett, figured out how to get around this place yet?”
“Not exactly. I’ll get there.” Frankie gave me a look. “Okay, so I haven’t got a clue, do you guys know where I can get a map?”
“Try reception, they gave me one last year when I kept getting lost.” Duffy said. “You could get one after dinner. We are getting our timetables then, because there is always such a big crowd getting theirs on the first full day before class starts.”
“Okay.” I didn’t really know what else to say. Duffy was very small in height. Her voice was just as small but her hair was huge. It was a big ball of blonde fluffiness that sat on top of her head, with a few straggly bits coming down to frame her pale oval shaped face. She looked, and I must say, acted like an overgrown baby.
Eventually we got to the dinner hall. Its décor was decidedly ‘medieval banquet’. The walls were a shade of deep red and the 4 chandeliers hanging from the ceiling were black with black onyx crystals dangling from them. There was a canteen bar, which looked noticeably out of place among the grandeur, was lined up the left hand side of the hall, and there were tables for groups of 6 scattered all over the huge room. At the top of the hall was one long table. In the middle of it sat Xander, with the brunette woman to his right and lots of other teachers all sitting eating cheerfully.
There was a certain buzz in the room that I recognised from lunch in the cafeteria back home. This was not what I had expected. In fact it was the farthest thing from it.
“Come on Scarlett, its okay to come in you know.” I realised, at an account of Frankie’s prompting, that I was still standing bang dot in the middle of the doorway, gawking insanely at the scene before me.
“Oh, yeah.” I followed my roommates into the queue and lifted a tray. I didn’t exactly know how I was supposed to order so I just followed Frankie’s example and got the vegetarian option, which I was very pleased with. I was never much of a meat lover. The only reason I wasn’t a vegetarian was because I didn’t want to make meal times more difficult for mum, or dad when I stayed with him. We took our seats at the nearest table and began to eat.
“Okay, introductions time.” Frankie said.
“But, we already did that, didn’t we?” I asked.
“Oh we mean properly.” Said Duffy. “Can I start? Goodie. Okay, Duffy. Age 16, junior year. From Connecticut.”
“Okay me next.” Said Mel. “ Melanie Harper. Age 17, junior year. From Oklahoma.”
“Yeah we all kind of know that.” Said Duffy, who began to hit Mel in defence of her playful attacks.
“Bethany Hopkins. Age 16, junior year. From New Jersey.”
“Yeah, Billie is our local.” Said Mel.
“My turn? Frances Langley, age 17, junior year. From California.”
“Your from California?” I asked her.
“Yeah. I used to attend the local middle school there before mom decided I needed to be turned into a respectful young lady with good grades. So she shipped me off here.”
“Wow. That’s not what I expected.”
“Yeah, it never is. So what’s your story?”
“Well, mom and dad spilt when I was little. I’ve been living with my mom, but now she has a new boyfriend.”
“Let me guess, you don’t like him?” Said Duffy with apology in her voice.
“No, Richard is really nice. It’s just… he’s kind of the drummer in a rock band and just hit his big break. His band was touring so my mom decided I needed a more stable education than one that toured around the country. So, she sent me to my dad, who of course couldn’t stand the idea of me at a mere high school and sent me here.”
“Wow. That’s not what I expected.” Frankie quoted.
“Yeah, it never is.” I quoted in reply. She smiled.
“So, Scarlett, see any cute guys yet?” Mel asked.
“Uh…” I hesitated.
“Give the girl a chance, she doesn’t know who anyone is yet! Okay, lets sart over there.” Frankie pointed to the far side of the room. “That’s Philip in the green hoodie, total heartthrob, and beside him is Denny in the red shirt and Matthew on the end. They’re his best friends. Then over there is…”
“Who’s that?” I interrupted. He was tall. He looked so serene, emotionless, and almost sad. He had shortish blond hair that sat in a scraggly sort of ‘stylish mess’ on his head. He had pale skin and a strong physique.
“Oh, you don’t wanna get involved with him. That’s Jasper Maguire.” Said Billie
“Maguire?”
“Xander’s son. Lost cause, he doesn’t date. Such a shame really, he has such potential.” Said Duffy.
“Yeah, but he is nice to look at.” Said Frankie.
“Amen.” Answered Mel. Tilting her head to the side to watch him walk.
“Isn’t Xander a bit young to have a son?”
“Yeah, he is. Jasper was adopted. Born in Texas. Xander adopted him when he lived there.”
“Xander used to live in Texas?”
“Yup. You’ll catch up with everything soon enough. There’s kind of a lot you gotta know ‘bout this here school.” Mel said.
“God, you probably would be able to figure out he was from Texas if he just graced you with his gorgeous presence and talked to you. He has such a cute southern twang, it almost rivals Mel’s.” Billie added.
“Hey!” Yelled Mel. Billie and Mel once again began to fight aimlessly while I just sat there. Jasper Maguire. He sat at a table with Harry and some other guys I don’t know. But he didn’t seem to be participating very well in the conversation. There was something off about him. He looked… different somehow. It was like a painting and every inch of it was red but then there was one speck in the middle that was a slightly different shade. Jasper was the speck.
Oh well, if I was going to be stuck here for a full year I may as well get to know my new friends.
“So, what do you guys do for fun around here?”
“Well, there’s the party on the first night, that will be pure awesome…” said Duffy.
“Then there is the Halloween Ball, oh I can’t wait to go shopping for my dress!” Said Frankie.
“Oh! And of course lets not forget that we go into town every Saturday afternoon.” Said Billie.
“And the rest of the time? Well, everything’s fun when y’all are with us!” Said Mel with a cheery laugh ringing through her voice.
“Yeah sure it is losers. Just don’t be getting yourselves in trouble this year, again. And Newbie? If you are going to have any chance to survive this year I would be spending less time going into town and more time on my studies, high school girl.” Vivien walked past with a sneer. God I hate that girl.
“Don’t listen to her Scarlett, she’s just jealous of your awesome red hair.” Duffy spoke first.
“Duffy! Apologise to Scarlett.”
“What, I didn’t say nothing! I just said her hair was nice.”
“Yes but it’s the way…”
“Um guys its okay.”
“I really did mean it in a nice way you know…”
“I know. Look its fine. It’s about time someone said it. My hair is a bit… different, in colour.”
“It reminds me of cinnamon and pink roses.” Said Billie.
“Yeah, that’s a pretty good description of it I guess.” They all smiled. This might not be so bad after all. They all seemed really nice. So Vivien was a snobby bitch, but there’s one in every school. Mind you, she was a little more obviously bitchy than most.
“So what’s the deal with Vivien?” I asked Frankie.
“Oh, her family has been at this school for generations. There has always been a head girl or a head prefect in each generation that’s been here. So basically she thinks she owns the place. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Serious?”
“Yep. You would think she would at least have some sort of tragic past that made her incapable of human emotion. That, at least, you could understand if not condone. But no, she’s just a bitch, that’s it.”
“Whoa.”
“Tell me about it. We had to endure a whole year of it.”
“Ouch.” Once we finished eating the four girls walked with me to reception to get our timetables, and a map for me. I tried to take in where I was going but I still found myself oblivious to where our dorms were. Eventually we got back to our rooms. It was late now. But the girls were getting changed out of their regular clothes only to get into more revealing ones. And no, they weren’t pyjamas.
“What are you going to wear Scarlett?” Frankie asked
“Um… I dunno. Wanna help me pick?”
“Ooh goody!” Duffy replied. She pulled out a few outfits before finally deciding upon a purple cutaway shoulder dress that tied with a lace ribbon around my waist. “Oh! You’ll look so beautiful! Where did you get all these clothes, they’re so… chic and yummy.”
“Duffy, would you like to borrow them?”
“I thought you’d never ask! Oh, this will be so much fun. Oh sweet shoes! You have to wear these with this.” She handed me a pair of black stilettos. “Oh I love these.” She picked out another pair of shoes, that I never wore anymore.
“Keep them, I don’t need ‘em.”
“What? Oh I will treasure them! Please let them fit, please let them fit… Yes! Thank you thank you thank you!!!” She hugged me, shoes in hand and bounced off to her own bedside to put them on and admire them. “And they match my dress too!”
Duffy was wearing a pink chiffon bandeau style dress with a black belt with a gold buckle pulling the fabric together at her waist. Her hair was particularly fluffed up and she wore a light pink lace rose in it. It was curious to me how easily such a small girl could walk in such treacherously high heels, but she could, and with style.
Soon, everyone was ready. Stiletto heels, handbags, compact mirrors and sparkling jewels made everyone fit to be seen at such a party as this was supposed to be. All I felt like doing was lying down and sleeping for thirty or so hours. But, they said it was vital for my social life within the school, and I’d rather have one night of misery, than a whole year. So together we walked down through the winding corridors until we bumped into Harry.
“Hiya Harry, change of plan, we’re holding the party in the grand hall tonight, courtesy of Xander. He doesn’t want anyone getting hurt what with those animal attacks and all the missing people. So, it’s just really for safety.”
“Oh right, awesome. Well, be a doll and escort a lady will you?” Mel asked. Harry took her arm and they walked off dramatically together. Billie once more was very quiet. She looked at her hands while the four of us walked together.
“Billie? Are Mel and Harry going out?”
“What? No! Have you heard they are? Of course they’re not.”
“No I was just asking.” I paused. “You seem to like Harry.”
“Why wouldn’t I? He’s kind and good looking and… and different.”
“Oh sweetie, tell me your not…” Frankie asked Billie.
“Not what?”
“Well, You REALLY like Harry, don’t you?”
“What? Who told you that?” she giggled awkwardly, “Of course not. No… just… no.”
“Well… okay.” Frankie said with sympathy in her voice. It was so obvious, but clearly Billie didn’t want to talk about it, so we kept quiet.
We eventually got to the grand hall, where the party had already started. Frankie took my hand.
“Well, You ready Scarlett?” and we went in.

Chapter 3: Meeting at Midnight

The grand hall was unrecognisable. From earlier it had been completely transformed. Yards of white silky material hung from the ceiling in ribbons, like those sky dancer ribbons at a carnival. There was a long table along the right hand side filled with every drink and snack anyone could possibly want, from water to whisky, cake to strawberries. Music was playing through speakers that hung from the ceiling. The chandeliers were lit, and all the windows were opened to let in a slight breeze that wafted through the yards of silk like the leaves of trees. All the girls were dressed in stylish dresses and all the guys in loose jeans and shirts. The music was loud; it was some sort of indie rock that I hadn’t heard before.
“So, I suppose it is my duty to ask the new girl to dance?” Harry winked at me.
“Um, no I’m okay. Why don’t you ask Billie to dance? I’m gonna go get a drink.”
“Oh, well Billie…”
“I’d love too.” She said shyly, before mouthing ‘thank-you’ at me when Harry’s back was turned.
“Hey Scarlett wait up, I’m coming with you.” Frankie called behind me. “The place looks good doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. It does. It’s all kind of magical.”
“The first party always is. Mid you, it was better in the forest. We’d have a campfire lit. The speakers would be in the trees. We have tree huts out there you know. It was even more magical then. Especially last year. It was a perfect full moon when we held the party then. You couldn’t imagine the rush you got, being out there at night. It was like being inside a dream or something.”
“Does everyone come to this party?”
“Usually. Mind you, I don’t see Jasper here tonight. I suppose he’ll be along later. I don’t imagine he would miss a party like this. Harry will know.” We got some punch each and stood at the side watching the party thrive for a time.
“Hiya Harry.” Frankie greeted Harry, who was holding Billie’s hand. “So, have you seen Jasper?”
“Didn’t I tell you? He’s not coming tonight. Headache apparently. Why? I’d of thought you would know better than to chase after Jas, Frankie.”
“Trust me, I’m not. Just wondering why he wasn’t here that’s all. I mean, it’s a bit weird; it’s the first party for goodness sake. No one EVER misses the first party.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Although I don’t think he’s that bothered to be honest.”
“I swear that guy is weird. I mean, no offence I know he’s your friend and all but seriously, he doesn’t date, and he doesn’t like parties. Is he even human?” They laughed.
“Nah, he’s just into different stuff that’s all. To be honest he’s a bit of a nerd, books and that, but we still love the guy anyway. For the life of me I don’t know why.” Harry giggled again. I smiled awkwardly to play along with things.
“Pardon me, Miss Fischer isn’t it? The doctors daughter?” a tall boy with dark brown hair stepped towards me.
“Yes.”
“Well, I was wondering if you would do me the honour of a dance.” He held out his hand. Frankie, Billie and Harry smiled at me with their eyes bulging from their heads as if to say, ‘go on!’.
“Um, sure. Why not.” I took his hand and he escorted me to the middle of the hall. He put his hands around my waist and put mine on his shoulders. The music was getting quieter, slower. It was Paolo Nutini’s ‘Last Request’.
“I’m Scott. Scott Heaney.”
“Scarlett.”
“Scarlett. It suits you. So, what brings you to Wilson Academy?”
“Um, my dad really. My mum is touring Richard. He’s kind of in a rock band. So I came to stay with my dad for a while.”
“And he dumped you here?”
“No. Well, it’s not like that. He just wants me to get ‘the best education’ that’s all. The idea of me being at a high school in Jacksonville makes him shudder. Now he has the chance to get me a ‘proper education’.”
“I see. Yep that sounds like the doc.”
“Everyone seems to know my dad around here. I mean, he seems like royalty.”
“Well, he works in Chatsworth. Anyone who grew up here had him as their family doctor. And now, he’s the nearest medic that’s even remotely qualified for anything serious. So yeah, I suppose he is pretty well known.”
“I see. So where are you from?”
“Right here. I grew up in Chatsworth so… I guess I’m kind of close to home.”
“Yeah.”
“You on the other hand, you must miss home.”
“You could say that.”
“You don’t like it here?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just, it’s not what I’m used to, that’s all.”
“Well that’s kind of understandable. It’s a bit different from Florida here.”
“Yeah.” I sighed. The song ended.
“Well, I hope you settle in okay. I have to go. Tell your friends I said hi.”
“Okay.” I answered, he walked away. Someone patted me on the back.
“Nice choice, Scarlett.” It was Duffy.
“Huh?”
“You know… he doesn’t give that look to anyone. Scott is a real nice guy. Not to mention hot. Something tells me your gonna fit in here, just fine.”

The party went on for ages. At midnight I couldn’t stand it anymore. It was a great party, but I didn’t really know anyone. And I was tired. So unbelievably tired I felt like I would pass out. The room was buzzing. Everyone was dancing, laughing, and enjoying themselves. I thought if I saw one more couple making out I would throw up. I mean fair enough, you like each other. Just not in public, please. I suppose that’s what the tree huts were used for when the party was held in the forest.
“Where are you going?” Frankie called to me as I tried to leave.
“I’m feeling kind of tired. I don’t really feel great right now, so I’m just gonna go back to the room now, okay?”
“Oh, okay then. At least you came. See you later.” She smiled
“See you.” I turned around and walked out the door. The music could be heard throughout the corridors. Then I remembered I didn’t know my way very well. Seven wrong turns and one awkward ‘walk-in’ later, I found the right dorm.
I opened the door to dorm 8 and headed straight for the couch. I collapsed onto it and sighed a huge sigh of relief at the softness of it. I was so tired that my whole body kind of hurt when I first lay down, like there was a 3 millisecond delay for parts of it to relax, and then it eventually let gravity win and collapsed with a ‘clunk’. I closed my eyes and sighed, pulling my hair back from my face before eventually getting up to get a drink of water before bed.
“Oh jeez! Gosh you scared the hell out of me!” Jasper stood in just his jeans in the dorm kitchen, a bottle of water in one hand.
“Wow, uh… sorry.” He said, laughing a little. “I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just… you came in and didn’t see me. I didn’t wanna disturb you or nothin’. I was trying to be quiet was all. Are you okay?” His soft Texas twang was obvious in his voice. It suited him.
“Yeah.” I shook my head and blinked. “Yeah I’m fine.”
“You know that’s the most common lie in the world. ‘I’m fine’.”
“Really. Well anyways… I better um…” I pointed to room b.
“Yeah, yeah you look like you need the rest.” I tilted my head to the side. Was he serious? “No! No I didn’t mean it like that, not at all. You just seem kind of exhausted is all. That’s all it is, I swear.”
“Oh.” I laughed at myself and he smiled awkwardly. “It’s okay.”
“I’m Jasper.”
“Yeah I… I’m Scarlett.”
“Oh yes, Scarlett. My father told me about you. He said you seemed kind of nervous about moving here.”
“I… uh…”
“No its okay, its only to be expected. I suppose you thought we would all be a bunch of strict, obedient little snobs, right?”
“Well… kind of, yeah. But you’re not.”
“Nope. That’s one of the reasons my father took charge of the school. He wanted the school to be like a sanctuary. Somewhere people wanted to come to. Somewhere safe, and maybe a little fun too. You were at the first party weren’t you?”
“Yeah. The hall looks amazing. That was really nice of your father to arrange all that.”
“Yeah, He loves his students. He doesn’t like the idea of people being afraid of him, so he does what he can to be ‘cool’, so to speak. My father is a great man.”
“Yeah. He seems like a really nice guy. Mind you he doesn’t look old enough to own his own boarding school.”
“He worked his way through the ranks, same as everyone else. I guess he’s just a natural though.”
“I find that very easy to believe. I thought you would have been at the party.”
“Not my thing really. I had a headache anyways and… well I’m not a great dancer to be honest.”
“Me neither. I didn’t really wanna go in the first place. Frankie and Duffy and everyone said it would be suicidal for my social career, though.”
“Their right. That’s why I went last year. One night of hell versus three years.”
“That’s exactly what I thought. So anyway, it was nice meeting you.”
“You too, Scarlett. You too.” I couldn’t help but notice that he was standing before with no shirt on. I redirected my eyes as best I could and walked away, into my room.
“Goodnight.” He called after me, before I closed the door.
“Goodnight.” I replied.
         Well that was… unusual. I got changed into my pyjamas quickly and quietly and turned out the lights. I snuggled up in my bed and closed my eyes. I don’t know when I drifted off to sleep at, but it was sure to have been fast, because I don’t think my body could stand lying awake for very long. My new world disappeared, and suddenly it was just me, wrapped up in my warm bed back home. Not a care in the world to trouble me.