I stared at Aldridge Academy's golden gates, the water sprinkling in the marble fountain beyond it. Most people would marvel at going to one of the best boarding schools in the world. Aldridge's campus was straight out of Olympus, fitting for the Greek gods who rule this place—in other words the rich. But deep down, the tangled knot in my stomach continued to twist from dread. These pearly gates only led to hell.

Back again, I hissed.

Unfortunately, Aldridge hadn't changed a bit during winter break. Still, the elegant and old vines stay latched to the stone buildings and cobblestone paths. The main building, though far, still stands tall with dark, weathered bricks, its arched windows giving off a dull, unwelcoming glare.

While I stared at my doom, I could hear the ongoing clicks of a camera. "Jesus Christ Mom."

I turn around to see my mother flashing her canon at me with a fat smile. She was laced in her sketchers and Lululemon-matched gym wear, breaking out the craziest poses to get a good photo angle—not that I was obliging to the unwanted photoshoot.

"Can you smile," she pleads.

Mom was a stunner with her luscious brown hair and smooth caramel skin. She was a copy-and-paste suburban mom, with her avocado toast and white Honda, but she was gorgeous than most. She's a fitness coach, so she has a body that has most men gawking and women covetous. Unfortunately, the daughter she gave birth to was her opposite. I felt awkward in my new glasses and grown-out bangs, my uniform looked two sizes bigger because unfortunately, I was too much of a stick to fit into clothes.

"Smile," Mom yells again.

I sigh, leaning on my luggage. "I'm gonna be late!"

She raises a brow in disbelief. "Anna, we got here an hour before the dorms opened! Give me a few minutes for a photo!"

I slump in irritation. "The whole point is to get in early so I don't have to be met with the hordes."

Mom sucks her teeth. "Hordes? Sweetie, they're your classmates."

"They're hordes Mom, y'know, the epitome demons from hell." I knew I was being dramatic but I couldn't help but snicker when she rolled her eyes and let her camera dangle by the straps. 

"Look, I know … I know you hate it here—"

"Hate is an understatement," I remark.

She raises her hand in defense. "Just let me speak honey."

I straightened my back and held her eye, biting down the urge to roll my eyes.

"I need you to push through this semester. You did so great at the beginning of the year and now is the time to start making connections!"

"Mom—"

"You only have one more year after this and then you're on to college. But you got to understand that I can't afford that pricy private school tuition, and I know how much you despise going to a state school—"

"Mom please stop worrying I'll handle it."

She presses a firm hand on my shoulder. "Sweetie, you can't always handle everything. And I know you can't handle what it's like going to this school, being the only …"

She hesitates, but I already knew what she was gonna say before she thought it. "Poor kid?"

She frowns. "We're not poor, but … we're not on their level."

I look away, trying not to think about them, and everything stupid about them. Going to a prestigious boarding school as a middle-class student on a full scholarship while everyone else was filthy rich wasn't for the weak. The crazy part is that two and a half years ago when I got accepted for a full-ride position I was ecstatic. I'd be leaving my town in New Hampshire to go to a gothic-inspired academy in rural Massachusetts. It felt like a dream—a dream any aspiring writer would sell a kidney for. But that dream slowly turned into a nightmare during the second semester of my freshmen year. Now I had to live through this nightmare until I graduated. My mother thought it was because of the coursework, and not finding enough friends. 

She didn't know the full story.

"Don't worry Mom," I assured her. "I'll work hard to get a full ride to college. You can count on that."

She smiled, and immediately I was ambushed by her kisses—I already knew her red lipstick was gonna leave a stain. "I love you so much," she says in between a kiss, and I grimace.

Sometimes I wanted so badly to tell Mom what was truly happening at school, but I didn't have the stomach for it.

After ten minutes of giving in to her demands and letting her take photos of me, she releases me and hops back into her Honda. More cars begin to come through the driveway, and they honk at her when she doesn't move.

I grimace in embarrassment when she rolls down the window. "Have a good semester sweetie! I love you! You got this!"

Even as I forced myself not to, I couldn't help but smile. "I love you too Mom."

The car behind her honks repeatedly and my mother throws them the finger before driving off. I waved until her Honda disappeared into the path, and I turned back around to the Aldridge's gates.

The academy bell rang, and I knew then, that the second semester had begun.

—

Evergreen Dorms—the girl's dorm room—was a three-story gothic villa that connected three mansions. Upperclassmen lived in the suites in one of the mansions but given the fact that my roommate, Solana and I aren't upper class regardless of our grades, we were stuck in the freshmen manor. But regardless of how unfair it was, I never complained. I liked my cozy dorm, the beautiful gothic interior from a fairytale, and my window that faced the clock tower.

"Second-semester baby!"

Solana had flopped onto her bed like a goddamn bunny, snuggling her sheets as she breathed in the nicely scented detergent—my detergent since I'm always doing her laundry.

My roommate since freshman year was a little too enthusiastic for her good. While I kept to myself and tried not to bring attention to myself, Solana was all about attention. With the way she styled her uniform to make it look extremely revealing, to her body count that surpassed any scandalous slut in the school—Solana was good at hiding her hookups. I hated how freely she threw it around but I also understood it too. If I was a hot red-head with a body to kill for I wouldn't know how to act either.

I worried for her sometimes, especially when she'd hook up with some rich boy or jock. But she seemed safe about it, after all, she'd been doing it since freshman year.

Her back quickly straightened as I folded my clothes into my drawer, not giving in to her excitement. While she was happy to be back, picking out all the boys she'd sleep with during the opening ceremony in a game of smash or pass, I couldn't relate to her sentiment. 

I'd rather be dead than back here.

"What's with the long face?!" She yells, offended by my attitude.

I don't answer, my hands stilling as I unfold one of my blouses. Truth be told, I didn't know what was wrong with me. Right when I entered my dorm and saw the cute panda emoji sent by Mom, I already began to miss her and the comfort of our house. At least there I didn't have to deal with the anticipation of what was soon to come.

Unfortunately for me, as I sat next to Solana in the middle pews, with the Dean addressing the student body in the chapel, I made the mistake of turning around and catching the eye of Jennie, Blair, Kash, and Issac who sat in the back row. Marcus was there too.

They were both on their phones, wearing luxury brands that they stylized with their uniform. Marcus was the first to look up and catch me peeking. I still caught the green glint in his eyes even after I turned around.

They were sinister.

Solana comes from behind me and slaps my ass. I streak. "What the fuck bitch!" 

She laughs, falling on my bed and on top of my organized clothes. "Aw finally," she says as she spreads her arms. "My sweet friend is back."

I roll my eyes. "I'm not feeling it today."

She pouts. "C'mon, it's our first day back from break! Aren't you excited? More parties, more festivals, and don't even get me started on prom."

I fall onto my bed next to her, peering at my messed up clothes—I'm not folding that shit again, I thought. "I don't get the deal with prom," I said. "It's just another party where kids get drunk and have sex but instead we do it in dresses and suits."

Solana shakes her head. "Do you have to be so bratty? It's the day we get to look hot, sexy, and desired—"

"All those words mean the same thing."

She ignores me. "Prom is the night where it's about us," she notes. "Were two middle-class girls that get to wear gorgeous dresses and blend in."

"We blend in fine now," I note.

She didn't disagree, but I could tell she didn't entirely agree either. "I think Jake might ask me to be his date."

I tense. "Jake? As in Jake Santos? The senator's kid you hooked up with?"

She shakes her head. "I don't care about his family and money. He's sweet and I … like him. All the boys I've fucked usually left me on the bed right after or tried to kick me out. But he … cuddles with me, and we both like the same things. During the break, we've been texting non-stop."

I didn't forget her voice messages during the break—her explicit description of his freckled back and abs. I agree that he was kind, but she was being too naïve. Solana was never for feelings when it came to hook-ups, but she was like a child talking about Jake. I tried to paste a neutral face for her sake even though I wanted to sink my head in the pillow to stop myself from listening. But I couldn't help it, and when she saw my face she frowned. "You don't believe me?"

"I don't not believe you."

Solana rolls her eyes and jumps off the bed. After a moment, she comes back with her phone, and I huddle next to her as she pulls out her messages.

She begins from the top, and what I read was both horrifying and concerning.

They weren't even texting.

They were sending nudes.

"His dick is pretty big," she giggles.

"You're fucking mortifying," I hiss.

She tackled me on my bed and we both broke out into laughter.

One phone buzzed, and I quickly pushed Solana away to reach for it. I expected it to be an email for my class schedule—I was starting tomorrow and still haven't received them—or my mother with another funny emoji. When I click on the notification my heart drops.

Marcus

Come to Oak Hall at 7.

My heart begins to pound, and I have to clench one of my clothes on the bed before I claw at my palm. My hand began to shake and I looked away.

"Holy shit Anna are you okay? You've gone completely pale."

I force myself to rise, bile brimming in my throat as I think of an excuse. "I have to go somewhere really quick. I'll be back though."

She pouts when I leave her on the bed, heading to my desk to put on my uniform blazer. I didn't bother with my coat, the boy's dorm was nearby.

"Can't believe you're gonna miss our Uno match," she grumbled.

I didn't want to miss our usual back-to-school match but I couldn't explain anything to her. "Call Jake over."

As expected she grinned. "But you're a better player."

As I hop to put on my loafers I snarl. "Maybe you can play naked to spice things up."

"Oh," she reacts. "Kinky thought Anna."

I grimace, getting my key card from my desk. "Just don't fuck on my bed."

Solana reaches for her phone and already begins texting. "Ai Ai captain."

I rolled my eyes as I walked out of our dorm room. She could be a real cornball sometimes. 

Thankfully there weren't any stupid hallway monitors till it turned eight on the dot. I walked down the end of the hall till I reached the stairs, passing by a group of gossiping freshmen as they made their way up. I stopped once I passed them to check my messages.

Marcus

Welcome back Rag.