It's not too late to call my dad and ask them to turn rethink their decision because to me it seems they don't know what this school is really about. I've had different thoughts about this place: reform school, boarding school for troubled kids and an asylum. But the place is actually a place for supernatural or so I'm told. I haven't seen anything to confirm the Headmaster's claim and even if I see a proof, it's still going to be somehow. It'll be as if life as I know it has been wrong and actually supernatural are living amongst us, which begs the rhetorical question: what am I doing here? I try not to think about what the Headmaster said about me causing the destruction as I dream. 

Even though I want nothing more than to leave this place, I still follow behind the twins like a lost puppy. I have so many questions with nowhere to begin.

"Can I ask you guys some questions?" The girls are descending the staircase that leads to the second floor. The Headmaster's office is at the top floor.

"Sure, Camille, what would you like to know?" 

I try not to roll my eyes, there they go again with saying the same thing at the same time. If I hadn't met twins before I'd be convinced they all behave like this. 

"What's this place?"

We step onto the floor and walk through the hallway. "The study hall." They answer.

"Not this place, I mean the school." I walk faster, moving ahead of them before turning to face them. They stop almost slamming into me. "The"–lowering my voice–"Headmaster said this is a school for supernatural. How true is that?"

The girl looks at each other, sharing wordless opinion, it's like they're communicating telepathically. They stare at each other for fifteen second solid before facing me, both smirks rivals each other looks. Fuck! These girls are more creepier than I imagined.

"Headmaster Wallace speaks the truth, and only the truth. The Vale Academy is a school for supernatural but this branch is only for witches." They tell me, staring deep into my eyes. 

I take my eyes off them and shut it for a second. The look they gave me was a bit intense, it was like they were seconds away from hypnotising me or something. I seriously can't wait to get this tour over with.

"What else do you need to know, Camille?"

"Call me Cami and I think I'm done asking questions for now." I sigh and move away from their front to give them space to walk. The last thing I need is making eye contact with them again.

I don't speak or ask questions again until they stop in front of an opened classroom. The inside of the room is foggy and I can't really make anything out, I would have thought it was an empty class if not for the footsteps I'm hearing coming from inside. I want to ask the girls what's going on but stop to watch them tapping their right foot on the floor impatiently. I shouldn't even be surprised. It's like they are the same person in separate bodies.

“What are we doing here? And where is here exactly?” I ask to satisfy my curiosity. “This isn’t some weather experiment room, right?”

I once fogged my room while trying to create a cloud from a bottle, talk about a failed experiment. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing is happening here.

Brie and Ari raises their hands and begin to count. "Wait for it, five, four, three, two–” I look at them when they stop counting. Is something supposed to happen? I don't get to ask the question as their lips curls in a smile. "Now." Students rushes out of the place hyperventilating.

I take a step back as more student pour out of the class. “What’s going on?” I ask. Is it a failed experiment or something?

The girls smirk. “This is the spell lab, Cami.”  they announce.

“The spell lab?” I try not to sound ignorant. “As in abracadabra, hocus pocus, bippity boppity boo?”

Brie raises her eyebrows and Ari coughs to cover her laugh. “We’ll get to that,” They say and turn away. “Welcome to The Vale Academy.”

The Vale Academy, my ass.

They spend the rest of the school hour showing me around. The school is just like any other schools except from the magic and shit. They show me the: schoolyard, classrooms all of them including the magic rooms where object keeps moving around, still can't get over that one. Music room, art room, computer room with limitless WiFi but no privacy, so basically I can't search or watch anything inappropriate. The library, lockers, the pool, gym and the field. They have a Lacrosse and Soccer team for both male and female.

The school looks pretty normal but nothing says supernatural than small kids levitating in air while rushing to get to class.

The girls keeps talking to me like I didn't just find out the existence of supernatural, actually, I still think I'm way over my head. This feels like a dream, a good dream but I know I'm not dreaming because I never have good dreams.

The school don't just teach magic stuff, which is obvious since they have periodic table in their chemistry lab and all.

They go on telling me the history of the school; how the person who founded it started it as a cult. A safe haven for the supernatural, they called it. More people started coming until the numbers were too high. He had to start school. Apparently people weren’t kind to witches, they burned them, which is funny because everyone knows they burn witches in Salem. The founder of the school wanted a place where everyone with powers can feel safe, hence the creation of the school.

After hearing all the talk about powerful witches and warlock, I can't help but rethink the obvious. Why the fuck am I here?

“And this is the cafeteria,” Ari says as soon as we step to the dining hall. The twins are very much alike but to people who have spend enough time with them would know they are different in some ways. I have noticed Brie is more of a talker while Ari is an introvert, she only talks when I direct a question her way or when they talk together.

There are some people in the cafeteria at the moment, and it isn’t even lunch yet. “Well, this is, um...” I look around while searching for the right word to say, it's a bit different from what I'm used to. In my old school our cafeteria is friendly with the color yellow, red and blue painting. And the plastic yellow and white table are filled with students shitty handwriting and bad English. Here, it's like a fucking restaurant with each table with four chairs, flower vase and napkins on each table creates an over the top intimate sitting arrangements and interior is a bit much and unnecessary with the forest decor.

While looking at the beautiful place because the place is okay, it's nothing like I've ever seen, my eyes catches someone and I look away before my brain can process the familiarity. I shift my eyes back and halt it on a particular figure. I’d recognize that hair anywhere. 

“Who is that?” I ask.

The girls followed my gaze to the stranger that kept looking at me at Jessica’s party. Speaking of Jessica, she doesn't know I'm here, none of them knows. I didn't tell them because I know my friends and they'll laugh at me for coming here. We always joke about this place, how they send some lost cause to be reformed and here I am. I've blocked their number to avoid contact... That is if they miss me enough to contact me. 

“Roman?” 

Roman. So that’s his name. Didn’t get the chance to exchange names at Jessica’s party.

“What is he doing here?” I ask.

Jessica don't know half of who she let into her house but she always check everyone to know how they're connected to others at the party. Roman wouldn't have been able to enter her house unless he knows someone, so why the fuck is he here?

The girls shares a confusing look. “He's a student. Do you know him or something?” They ask.

He goes here?

What was he doing at Jessica’s party?

Is he a witch too? Or whatever it is they call male witch. And of course he does, he wouldn't be here if he doesn't. I have so many questions for him, starting with the obvious: what was he doing at Jessica's party?

“That’s Roman, don’t bother him and you’ll be fine,” Brie warns me, finally saying something without me having to ask.

And she shouldn't have said that, the warning just wants me to bother him more. I need answers from him and he is going to give them to him if he likes it or not.

“Hey! Roman." The girl calls from where we're standing.

He raises his head from the book he’s reading to us. His eyes freeze when they meet mine. He recognizes me and definitely wasn't expecting me. I can tell from the way his eyes shifts from calm to disturb. He keeps his eyes on me for a moment, eyeing me from my hair to my toes. Feeling conscious suddenly, I feel exposed under his gaze. 

Please take your eyes off me. I silently pray in my head as he speaks.

“Artemis. Saoirse.” He acknowledges the twins.

Apart from the fact that I saw him at Jessica’s party, there is something else, something strange. It sounds crazy but it feels like I've heard his voice before, but that would be impossible because he never said a word at Jessica’s party and he left before I had the chance to flirt with him.

He ignores me and turns his attention back to his book. I expect him to introduce himself with the way he’s staring at me, but he remains quiet, rolling his eyes in annoyance and pulling a cell phone from the pocket of his tight black jeans. He isn't wearing a uniform like the others and if I was looking clearly I wouldn't have seen the brooche pin school badge clipped on his shirt. 

I turn to the girls with my hand on my hips, my back sore from walking around.

“Artemis. Saoirse?” I’m pretty sure I heard him call them that.

They shrug. “Just a nickname,” They say. “Now that we are done with the school tour, would you like to see your room?”

Hell yeah, I have been dying to see my room, the headmaster ordered some students to help me with my luggage. I need a very long shower, a snack and a nap.

I’m thankful that I packed a few clothes, a blanket and some personal stuff. Mom wouldn’t even let me pack anything for myself. She knows me too well, but I still got to sneak some contraband in. The headmaster already told me that my uniforms are waiting for me in my closet. I'm positive that there is no way in hell that I'm wearing the uniform. But the dorms are with mini closets. So, I think I’m going to get along just fine.

Without looking back at Roman, I follow the girl out of the school building and walk a small distance to the last and fartherest building among the four. We enter the building and walk past some girls rushing to get somewhere. We climb the stairs to the second floor and don't stop until we reach my room, Ari open the door and squeals. "Here we are."

I already know I'll be sharing bathroom with other girls, Headmaster already told me. I was upset about it before but the size of the room erases it. The room is enormous, bigger than my bedroom at home. Inside the room are two queen beds and two desks, as well as a mini closet and bookshelves attached to the reading table. There is a homey scent that makes my nose hurt because there's nothing homey about this place.

After moments of appreciating the interior design of the room, my eyes travel to occupied bed space. There is a girl sitting on one bed, her bright black hair packed in a French bun, eyes lined with dark mascara. She's wearing her complete uniform with her shoe still on, I think she just got back from class.

“Hey,” I say, offering a smile, a smile that I find quite intriguing, much to my surprise. It’s not my usual MO to laugh or smile at someone I just met.

I expect her to return the gesture, but she ignores me, while chewing her bubble gum and clicking away on her phone. She doesn’t even know who I am or seems to care that I am here.

“She’s kind of crazy, sorry.” The twins’ voice offers before leaving me to it. “We’ll be on our way now. Our room is just down the hall, so you can come to us when you need something." 

"Thank you guys for showing me around, you probably missed class for it. I really appreciate it." I tell them before seeing them to the door.

"It's okay, Cami." They assure me and take turns hugging me. "Welcome to The Vale Academy." They say on last time before departing.

“Freaks.” I hear my new roommate mutter under her breath after their exit. 

I don't comment as I approach her side. She gets up from her bed and go stand in front of the floor full length mirror to adjust her uniform.

“Hi, my name is Cami,” I introduce myself to her. Since we are going to be living together, I want us to get along.

I watch her roll her eyes from the mirror. “And I don’t give a shit who you are.” She responds harshly like we've been having issues before. 

Keep your calm, Camille, you can’t lose it on your first day. 

"It appears that we'll be living together. I want to straighten out some things before you..." She scrunches her nose like she's perceived an offensive smell, "settle in or whatever," she turns away from the mirror, giving me her undivided attention. "There are some rules that you'll need to follow if you want to room with me. I don’t like noise because they keep me distracted. I don’t sleep with the lights on because there's some certain amount of light my pupil can take. I expect you to be back inside this room before nine because I go to sleep early and I don’t sleep without locking the door. Don't walk around when I'm sleeping it keeps me awake. No eating in the room, I’m allergic to bugs...”

Her rules go on and on.

Fuck!

“You done?” I cut off her rant because that's all it sounds like to me. “Listen to me carefully. This room is mine as much as it’s yours, I can do anything I want. I don’t know who the fuck you think you are or give a fuck about your allergies and shit. Don't let this repeat itself, I have more things to do that listen to you vomit words. Excuse me." I walk to the direction of my bed after rendering her speechless.

Who the hell does she think she is? Listing stupid rules like I’m begging to stay here with her. I have a few rules of my own, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to make her feel uncomfortable. This is our room and she should at least be polite instead of being rude.

I see my stuff placed beside my bed and the reality of everything just hit me. I'm not longer at home. It's funny how people's lives can just change in a matter of seconds. And now I have to unpack and arrange. I sit down on the bed and begin remove my boots before reaching for my duffel bag. I open it and take out my blanket and sheets, setting them on the bed.

A knock on the door makes me raise my head. I can’t help but hope that the twins are back. I'm new here and I could really use their help fitting in.

"Come in!” my new roommate, whose name I'm yet to know yells. The door opens and two people waltz inside, parading the place like they own it. I don’t even care about that, I’m concerned about the fact that guys are allowed in the girls room. I thought this was a boarding school with rules and regulations, I mean Ari and Brie gave me the list of their rules, one of them is no male allowed the female room and vice versa.

“Hey, you are Alyssa’s roomie?” The guy asks. Alyssa. So that’s her name.

I nod at the guy and reply to him. “Yes. My name is Cami,” I introduce myself.

“I’m Calvin. Nice to meet you,” he replies with a smile, reaching out to touch my shoulder  “You’ll love it here.” His expression is warm and inviting despite his choice of friend. He’s wearing the complete uniform, which I find ridiculous. 

That brings me to the second person who entered the room. She's definitely Alyssa's friend. I can tell by the way she’s staring down at me like I’m inferior. Her perfectly ironed uniform, her painted nails, her blonde hair, and the stupid expression on her face.

“This is Penelope.” Calvin introduces her, and she rolls her eyes.

Like I want to know who you are. 

“Calvin, I’m sure Penelope can introduce herself. If you guys don’t mind going out, I need silence and peace." I tell them. 

What I need is pain killers. My head is pounding.

I notice the three of them sharing a look, and I’ll be damned if I don’t know what it means. They are getting back at me soon; I know they are, because I wear the same expression anytime someone tries to prove that they are tough.

Well, bring it... Bitches, they clearly don't know who I am.