𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟎𝟐: 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝

                                    

                                          

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
As a new student at Beaumont Academy, the first task was to visit the front office, which meant sitting through the explanation of the standards and guidelines the school had in place. Alaina listlessly listened to the ludicrous rules they claimed to be enforcing, the staff carried no shame over their failure to do anything useful for the bullied boy threatening to kill himself.
Had the boys responsible even been suspended or, better yet, kicked out? Their speech instructed her to display good citizenship otherwise there would be consequences, but she doubted anything had happened to the group at the rooftop earlier. They would rather move past it than acknowledge its occurrence and address a solution.
Despite the hypocrisy, she was obligated to follow the rules. The repercussions of her disobedience would mean leaving the school, not because of being kicked out, but because of her scholarship. It was essentially the whole reason she was here, she could have never met the financial requirements otherwise. If her scholarship was revoked, she had no way to stay.
That was the question, however, if she wanted to stay. After this morning, Alaina was feeling more uncertainty than ever. Not because she had transferred for the second half of high school or that the school was full of wealthy students. She was beyond ecstatic for the opportunity to be here, and well aware that a fresh start during junior year would be a challenge, especially with unwelcoming rich kids around her. What was making her reconsider her attendance were the toxic and immoral bullies.
The bleak truth was that she was in no position to leave. She moved halfway across the country to get here, leaving her old life behind. Her father had put in his resignation and found a new job nearby, it was only a matter of time until he joined her. They had an apartment with a year-long lease, one with a non-refundable deposit. On top of that, attending such a reputed academy for a day and immediately leaving would certainly raise questions during college applications.
Plenty of reasons why leaving was impossible. She was stuck here until graduation, whether she liked it or not. So she might as well try to make the most of her time here, and make a plan to survive the heartless and vicious group of students she would call her classmates.
After the lengthy lecture, she received her uniform and a sheet with her schedule. That's all she looked forward to, so she could get on with her day. Skimming her schedule, the first class on her list was study hall, and since she had nothing to study for at the time being, Alaina figured there was no better time to explore the school and find reasons to like it.
It was a large school, four stories, with long halls that seemed to have no end. The walls were decorated with framed artwork and sculptures, from recognizable classics painted by Dali and Da Vinci to works labeled with the names of some of the talented students who had left their legacy. The wooden doorways were engraved with intricate designs, the doors carved with similar patterns and shimmering glass knobs. The floor was polished marble, not a single scratch or scuff visible on the glossy maintained surface. The ceilings had dazzling chandeliers of all kinds illuminating the rooms, some were made up of rings, and others looked like layers of cake.