❝❞

♕ ♕

I find myself gasping for breath.

My chest squeezes tightly and I find it hard to move. My breasts are pushed together uncomfortably. Don't even, I'm just stating what's happening right now.

Help me...

"M-moth-mother!" I choke out, struggling to get to the frame of my bedroom door.

I tightly grip the chipped, white frame of the door. I try to breathe in to call for help once more, but it is too damn painful. The constricting pain makes it difficult to do much.

"Saige? What's wrong?" My mother worriedly calls from downstairs. Can she not hear me slowly dying up here?

"He-help..!" I suddenly gasp out, clutching my tight chest. I stumble into the narrow hallway.

"Saige!" My mother calls out more strongly this time.

I hear her small footsteps race up the stairs. I glance up to see that she reached the top, she faced me with her brown eyes. She rushes toward me and places her hand on my back.

"What? What is it? What's wrong? Answer me!" She practically yells in my ear.

I flinch away from her loud voice. Taking the biggest breath I could manage, I point to my chest.

"My uniform is too tight and I'm dying!" I almost scream out, sweat forming on my hairline.

My mother stares at me and then down at my uniform. She blinks, her chocolate brown eyes processing my frantic words.

She takes her hand off my back and busts out laughing. I stare at her in shock as she clutches her stomach from laughing. I give her a bewildered look.

"Saige, sweetie. There's a button on the front— you know what? Let me do it." She reaches for my white, button-up shirt. In a second, she easily pops the first button off.

All the constricting pain magically disappears. Poof. Gone. Thank the lord, I'm free!

My eyes widen and I take in all the air I can breathe in. It feels good to breathe. Don't ever stop breathing. Ever. Seriously.

"Thank you so much." I sigh in relief. I'm pretty sure I was about to die.

"Silly girl. Don't go dying on your first day." My mother takes a step away and turns. "Be ready in ten minutes. I'll be able to drive you this week."

I watch her small, frail figure walk away and down the stairs. Letting go of the door frame, I turn back into my room. Well, new room.

I had spent the last two days unpacking. As far as the room setup, I had everything out and placed.

My bed was set up in the far corner, with a matching end table. My dresser was up against the wall next to the door. The closet was on the wall opposite my bed next to where I set up my desk.

What I had not been able to accomplish was unpacking my clothes and decorations. Luckily, I can tell where I placed the box I was given with my school uniform in it.

But upon putting it on, I had not realized I wasn't supposed to button it up all the way. Thus, resulting in me about to die.

Rest in peace. Saige Morris. Death by buttoning one too many buttons on her school uniform. You shall be missed.

Actually, that gravestone didn't sound too bad. But I'm not prepared to die just yet. That all depends on how well today goes.

I dread going today. I know I won't fit in. The new kid never fits in. Especially when that new kid is me.

Spotting my mirror that was leaned up against a box, I pick it up and prop it up on top of my dresser.

Looking at it, I see a girl. This girl has dark black, long hair. Her bright blue eyes pop on her fair-skinned, acne-free face. Small, pink lips.

Thank the face gods I actually look presentable today. Fixing my blue tie, I grab my folded black school blazer. Putting it on, I adjust it to my liking and button the front.

Patting down my blue, plaid skirt I did a three-hundred-sixty-degree turn. I smile.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

With a skip in my step, I walk out of my room and down into the kitchen. My mother was on the other side of the counter.

Oscar is hungrily eating his breakfast from his red bowl. He can be such a pig.

"Just in time." My mother grabs the van keys. "Let's go. Do you have your backpack together?"

I nod, looking at my plain black backpack that sat on the counter stool. It's pretty ugly if you ask me. But I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a glamorous backpack. It's just school.

Looking around the kitchen, I notice the number of boxes from yesterday has significantly decreased. My mother usually did a good job of unpacking.

Small appliances and tools litter the counters. She got everything out, but not sorted. Can't expect everything to be done in a day. Rome certainly wasn't built in one.

"Yeah, I have my schedule." I zip open my backpack and make sure. The yellow piece of paper sticks up from between my binders.

Closing my bag, I fling it over my left shoulder. I grab a red apple from a floral bowl that had been placed in the middle of the counter. Taking a bite, I savor the juicy taste and follow my mother out of the kitchen.

"Bye Oscar!" I call while chewing the piece of apple in my mouth. I got a bark in return.

As my mother weaves her way through the house, she opens the front door and walked out. Following her, I close it and pull out the key to the house that I had been given. Quickly locking it, I stuff the gold key in my bag pocket and hop down the porch stairs towards the driveway.

My mother is already in the driver's seat as I open the passenger side with a pout. Someday, the Fairy Godmother will make my wish come true and I won't have to be driven everywhere.

"Are you excited?" My mother starts the car and looks at me.

"Nope."

I stare at the confusing maze of hallways and classrooms on the map I was given. It is pretty useless. I can't figure out how to read it, there are too many confusing twists and turns. The numbering system puzzles me to a great extent as well.

Why was B102 next to C104?

Sighing, I think about a few minutes ago when my mother dropped me off. I hopped out of the van, she said goodbye, and then sped off to work. The usual routine. I make my way through the entrance which happens to be a tall iron rod gate. It's held up by brick pillars and they are covered in vines and flowers.

There's a brick pathway that leads to the aged front doors and I make my way toward them uncomfortably. Students crowd at the front and in the parking lot. They all watch me as I walk to the entrance. The exterior is quite grand. The building is also made out of various dark grey bricks, some with obvious chips and fractures. More vines and dark flowers of some kind line the side of the castle-like academy.

Once inside, I feel all the stares as I obviously look confused making my way through the arched hallways. The interior matches exterior, just without vines and flowers. There are candles and chandeliers that light the pathways. I wasn't expecting this ancient-styled building from such a small town.

I think about Rowan and I'm glad she wasn't too freaked out by a new student moving into town. She seemed pleasantly surprised and nice. I wonder where she is. I've also been wondering if she's even in my grade and if she is, I wonder if she has classes with me.

That's a lot of ifs.

Finally fed up with walking through a maze of identical halls, I stop and observe the students.

My eyes land on a girl that is closest to me and looks to be around my age. Surely she can help me. Gathering my courage together, I walk toward her. From the back, she has black hair that flows down in waves.

"Excuse me? I need some help." I ask hesitantly as I stand a foot behind her. She shuts her locker and whips around to face me.

"I don't recognize you. Are you new?" She peers closely at me. A little too close.

"Yes, I am new and I was wondering if—" I get cut off.

"Oh! So you're the new girl! My best friend was telling me all about you." She chirps.

I stare at her. Blink a few times. And then blink some more.

Her best friend? The only other people I've met was the good-looking mystery guy and Rowan. And I don't think the good-looking guy counts since I only did bump into him on accident.

I wonder if it was either of them that she was talking about.

"Um, I just need help finding—"

"Well come on! We're going to be late for the October Senior Assembly. We do it every month. I'm assuming you're a Senior, right?"

I stare at her as she starts pulling me through the hallways. Her big gray eyes observe me. I nod my head and she smiles.

She seems to be the type of perky person who would continue to chat on and on.

"Great! I'm good at figuring people out. Right this way, I'll introduce you to all my friends! Oh my God! I haven't even introduced myself!" She exclaims.

Turning a corner sharply, she comes to a screeching halt and turns toward me. She extends her hand and smiles.

"I'm Zaylee. What is your name new girl?"

Staring at her, I weigh my options. I can become friends with two people. Two people!

It's been about a year since I lost the last couple of friends I had. They moved onto new and more interesting people. I had spent a lot of time recovering from my father leaving. I made the mistake of putting too much distance between myself and my old friends.

Zaylee is a bit chatty, but that can be a good thing. She seems nice enough. I'll take my chances. Here goes nothing.

"I'm Saige." I shake her hand. Wow, she has small hands.

"Lovely name! You're so lucky," Zaylee grips my hand and drags me down the hallway once more.

Huh, Rowan said the same thing about my name when I introduced myself.

Ahead of us, I can see a tall, oak double door where some students make their way inside. A few others linger outside. Someone opens one of the doors and I can hear loud conversations commencing.

Everyone is wearing uniforms. Girls and boys with the white shirt, blue tie, and black blazer. The only difference is us females have plaid skirts and the boys have khakis. Also along with shoes. Some girls wear flats or heels. The boys wear formal shoes.

Zaylee pulls me toward the doors. She gives me a wink while I notice some other students give me curious looks.

She opens one of the doors and pulls us both in. It is a very grand and large auditorium. A small stage at the front. Rows upon rows of individual red cushioned seats.

It is filled with about a hundred students or so. They are either in groups talking with friends or sitting by themselves.

I gulp as I feel more stares as we enter. I grip tighter onto Zaylee's hand and it's rather freezing to the touch. Perhaps she is cold? That thought is forgotten as another uneasy feeling of being the center of attention settles in the pit of my stomach.

"Oh! Rowan!" Zaylee waves frantically with her free hand.

Looking toward the direction she is waving in, I see Rowan. She starts walking toward us.

"Hello, Saige. We meet once more," Rowan smiles. Her brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail.

Rowan is Zaylee's best friend. Small world. A very small world indeed. Now I'm going to find out my teacher lives next door to me or something like that.

"Hey, Rowan. So I guess you're a Senior too." I laugh nervously. The uneasiness in my stomach unfortunately still alive.

"Yeah! Super cute necklace by the way," Rowan points out.

"Huh?" I look down to find the small red pendant necklace hanging around my neck. "Oh, thank you."

It is necklace that boy dropped yesterday. I wore it to make sure I wouldn't forget to return it. I had hope that he attended the school. Shamefully, part of me wanted to just try it on.

"Good morning Senior year students. Please take a seat and the monthly assembly will begin," a middle-aged woman speaks into the microphone.

Everybody who already hasn't taken their seat, begins. Rowan and Zaylee pull me along with them. They choose a couple of seats near the middle. People stop their chatting and look toward the woman on the stage.

"I hope you students are having a wonderful experience at Wintercrest Academy as Seniors so far," the lady, who I assume is the headmistress, says with a kind of creepy grin.

I glance around nervously, eyeing all the students that sit near me. I slouch down lower in my seat to hide. Even with Zaylee and Rowan sitting next to me, I feel uncomfortable. It was a bad feeling, almost like I was surrounded by danger.

"I can't believe three splendid months of school has already passed. The staff and I will continue to watch your performance for the remainder of the year," she narrows her green eyes already picking out the group of people who would cause trouble, "remember, this is a private academy and we expect you to achieve great things. Only the best vampires can work for the company after they graduate."

Vampires, yes that's what— WAIT. WHAT?

♕ ♕

★ @within_days

★

★ : @within_days