October, 2027

Two days.

Kayla had two days at the school. She had arrived on a Friday -thank God she wouldn't go to class immediately- and Hope had showed her around.

Kayla didn't speak at all, just followed the older girl as she explained what the school was about. The rules, the classes. What everyone from the outside saw them as.

"Rich and troubled kids?" Kayla repeated, slightly amused.

Hope snorted, "I know, right? But that way we hide in plain sight and we're not exposed"

"It's ridiculous" Kayla expressed her thoughts.

Hope shrugged, "Like we told you. The school protects these kids"

That made Kayla fall silent. She saw it. The way the little kids and everyone seemed carefree, happy. Unafraid.

They had no one to tell them they were a mistake, an abomination.

Kayla had wanted that for her childhood.

Something curled inside her, growing hotly. Where were they when she needed help? Where were they?

The lights flickered making everyone break to whispers, looking at each other.

Hope frowned, "Weird. We haven't had anyone lose control over in a while"

Kayla was behind her, seeming calm and curious. However, deep down she knew the lack of control was her. There was a fiery, hot to handle rage in the deepest part of her.

A voice kept chanting in the back of her head. No one cares. That's why no one found me and no one saved me.

The ground began to shake. The chandelier swung back an forth as the students began to notice the danger.

Kayla's breathing was heavy. I hate them. I hate this stupid school. They don't care. They don't care. It was too late when they found me. It's too late to help me.

Hope looked around frantically at the witches she knew were in the room as unnatural wind blew through the room as she tried to find the responsible when it suddenly it clicked, turning in her heels to face the new student. "Of course!" She breathed out. "Kayla!" She walked closer to the girl. Her name made the girl flinch, hearing her mother's voice instead of Hope's. Anger curled into her sides, snapping her head to the other girl. Hope's body couldn't take another step closer before she was flying backwards, her back crashing against the stairs, falling to the floor.

So sudden, the shaking stopped. The lights stopped flickering. The wind subsided, leaving a heavy breathing Kayla with her fists tight at her sides and looking to the ground as everyone slowly turned to face her, realizing she was the cause of the disaster.

Some students pointed at Kayla warily. Some in fear, some cautiously.

Kayla took a deep breath, her hands uncurling, suddenly realizing she could finally breath. There had been, since the day before a bubble inside her. The school was crawling with more magic she could handle, it was suffocating her. She had felt overwhelmed. She didn't know she needed a release.

Kayla felt lighter. She felt exhausted all of the sudden.

The whispering began again. This time Kayla was able to detect what it was about.

Her.

Her lack of control.

How 'powerful unstable' her magic was.

How dangerous.

Her blue eyes met a sympathetic green as Hope stood stiffly, grimacing slightly in pain.

The girls didn't say anything before Kayla backed away, leaving the scene.

The other students parting ways, stepping out of her way as she left with her head high.

No more. No one was going to make her feel like she was worthless. Like she didn't matter. The school wouldn't dictate how to behave.

If the school didn't care enough for her to save her when she needed it when she was little. Then she wouldn't care about it either.

~8~

Outside - Garden

Kayla sat under a tree, watching toward the woods, lost in thought as the wind blew softly her hair back.

Penelope walked closer, arms crossed over her chest, "Not even day one and you already made an impression"

"Good or bad?" Kayla asked carelessly without turning to face her.

"People say you went psycho on them" Penelope told her, raising her eyebrows, "You tell me"

Kayla clicked her tongue, "Saw it coming"

Penelope sat next to her, "You don't sound surprised"

Kayla briefly looked at her in acknowledgement "I've been called worse"

Penelope allowed surprise briefly appear "So, care to explain what caused you to snap like that?"

"Why do you care?" Kayla asked harshly.

Penelope barely bat an eyelid at her tone "We're roommates. We're supposed to know everything about each other, right?"

"That we're going to share a room for probably the rest of our lives-" Kayla began bitterly.

"Don't be dramatic" Penelope told her, smirking.

"-It doesn't mean we have to become besties" Kayla finished as if the girl hadn't interrupted.

Penelope rolled her eyes, "Fine. It's not like I wanted to be friends with a psycho" She didn't miss Kayla's wince at the word, "Call it self preservation. I want to know if that's gonna be a daily occurrence so I won't be in the room when it happens again"

"I was overwhelmed" Kayla explained defensively. "Back home I wasn't allowed to practice magic. This place is crawling with magic and people freely practicing it"

Penelope softened slightly "Your parents didn't teach you?" Kayla looked away, back toward the trees "So you do understand why everyone freaked out by your display of magic?"

"No" Kayla answered. "This is freaking Hogwarts. A school of magic. There's expected to be someone who loses control once in a while"

"Yeah" Penelope agreed with a shrug "But you didn't feel it, did you? You made the whole school shake. Not even newbie witches are that powerful. Except maybe a tribid, who you managed surprisingly to land a hit on her"

Kayla furrowed her eyebrows in confusion "Tribid?"

"A witch slash werewolf vampire" Penelope answered.

"You're kidding, right?" Kayla asked.

Penelope shook her head, "Not really. People got freaked out because you actually got her. Send her flying back"

Kayla's lips parted in realization, "Wait. Hope?"

"Yep" Penelope confirmed, nodding. "Now you understand why people freaked out?"

Kayla sighed, "Well, add that to the list of why people are scared of me"

Penelope frowned, "You're not lying"

"Why would I?" Kayla asked, shrugging.

"You're a powerful witch, screw them" Penelope told her. Kayla flickered her eyes at her. "Let them be envious"

Kayla let out a sarcastic laugh, smiling bitterly "If that were so easy"

Penelope shrugged, "No one said it'd be easy. You have to prove them you're not affected by their comments. Let them have their opinions. The one that matters it's your own"

Kayla sighed softly, managing a small, sad smile "Right. Like mine is better"

Penelope rolled her eyes, "Okay. We're gonna have to work on that"

Kayla looked at her in surprise "'We'?"

"We" Penelope confirmed. "This is so you don't snap like that again and this time take me down just for being close to you"

Kayla looked away, for the first time in years feeling warmth inside her. She wouldn't say it was friendship yet as Penelope said it was for her own sake but for the first time, someone was actually treating her with kindness, showing there was still kindness in this shitty world.

For the first time since she arrived the Salvatore School, Kayla felt like she could fit in.