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My eyes scanned the courtyard of the school in the distance. The bell chimed for class as I waited with my eyes trained on the ground below, hoping to catch anything weird about the students. Our target was here, that much we knew, but it was our job to determine who and what they were.
My money was on the quiet girl, the one who stood out from the crowd. My anger boiled every time I saw them shove her or laugh at her expense. It's disgusting the way humans treat each other.
My comm beeped before voices crackled in my ear. "I think it's the brunette with her head down. By the fountain."
"That was my thought too," I answered back as I landed on the top of the bridge nearby and sat still. "I've got night watch."
The others all said their goodbyes, and the comm went silent, leaving me to my thoughts. I kept my perch, using my ability to control the shadows to surround myself in darkness, invisible to the naked, untrained eye. Even though we took turns, I always preferred to take the night shift. Darkness was my thing, and I'd catch far more after nightfall than the rest of my team would.
It was hours before I saw any movement. One solitary person walked out, arms wrapped around herself like she would blow away if she let go. Her steps were hurried as she made her way towards me, and I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle as she greeted the twin gargoyle statues below me. My heart stopped when she leaned over the edge, only relaxing again when she sat down, her feet dangling over.
Could she be our target?
February 19
Evening
Lennox
It wasn’t easy being the most hated student at Obsidian Cove Preparatory Academy. Sure, there were the occasional moments that someone did something and became the talk of the school, like who slept with who and all that, but I was constantly the main target. It had been the theme for almost four years now, though I had no clue why. If I smelled bad or there was some obvious reason for it, it might have been an easier pill to swallow, but I was pretty normal.
Everything had been fine at the beginning of freshman year. My parents dropped me off, I got settled into my dorm room, and even liked my roommate. It was exciting being here, feeling like we were special and grown up because we had the freedom to live on our own. Then one day everyone just turned on me. I went from getting along with my classmates, to being the target of their ridicule. I had a sinking suspicion that it was because one of the guys in our grade started talking to me, and Clara, my main bully, liked him too. It only takes one rumor to bring down a person, and I've heard several ridiculous ones over the years, each one turning more and more of my classmates against me. I would never understand how someone like Clara could intimidate so many, she was small. She may be small, but she’s ruthless, I reminded myself.
Thankfully, it never got physical, they just made every waking moment a living hell. Even my room wasn't a sanctuary since my roommate was just as bad. Though, now that it had been a few years, she ignores me more than anything. I even got a break on the weekends because her parents lived nearby and always had her come home for the weekend. The school was no help; I requested to get my own room several times, but they refused to 'bend the rules' for me, even though they never seemed to worry about doing that for my Clara and her lackeys.
After a particularly nasty mealtime, where bits of hamburger were thrown at my head, I went up to my room and grabbed my coat so I could go for a walk. I still had thirty minutes until curfew, which was the perfect amount of time for me to clear my head. Plus, nobody would want to stand out in the cold in the middle of February, which meant I'd have the grounds all to myself. I shook the last bits of food from my hair and pushed the anger aside. I refuse to let them win, their words don’t mean anything.
The front doors of Obsidian creaked open ominously, the echo reverberating through the empty halls. Snow was falling lightly, blowing around in the soft breeze that swirled through the courtyard. The grass and sidewalks were dusted lightly, the icy sheen sparkling in the moonlight. Everything was still and peaceful out there; the tension eased in my muscles, and I breathed in deeply, letting the hurt and anger fall away with every exhale.
The courtyard opened up to the front gates of the academy. Beyond that was a single lane road that parted the trees and led over a stone bridge that had the academy's symbol carved into the pillars. The little gargoyles glared down at me as I passed, looking far more sinister than any school symbol should. Maybe that’s why I like them, though. They don’t quite fit the prestige of this school, and neither do I.
"Hello, boys," I quipped, patting the closest one on his horns before taking a seat on the edge of the bridge, dangling my feet over. The dark, inky waters of the Obsidian Sea swirled violently below me as I peered over the edge. Our school was on the edge of the coastline, a small sliver of the sea separating us from the rest of Obsidian Cove.
Something about the dark water called to me... the kind of call I had a really hard time shaking off. It pulled me in, almost literally, with an overwhelming urge to dive into the frigid waters below. Which would probably kill me. Which they would probably all like. Which is why I haven’t done it.
The thing that bothers me most about it is that Clara seems to hold all the power. Sure the others jump in and never miss a chance at what they call ‘fun’, but she is the puppeteer, always using her influence to make others act how she wants them to. Even her own friends don’t seem to think on their own. Fuck, focus on something else, Lennox! I looked back over the sea, desperately trying to numb my feelings.
The sound of the water helped relax me even further, my thoughts drifting again to the places I couldn't wait to go after this. Obsidian Cove Academy had an extension program that was a fully accredited college, so if I wanted to stay for four more years, I could. But the very idea made me want to dive into those dark depths for a whole new reason.
The bell tolled in the distance,
signifying that I had fifteen minutes until curfew. I wasn’t one to challenge the school staff; detention was no place for a person like me at this school. With a sigh, I stood up and stepped away from the edge, working my way up the path that led back to the building. My stomach knotted with anxiety as my hand touched the door. Please let me slip by unnoticed, for once.
Obsidian Cove Academy loomed in front of me, the dark stone exterior reflecting the moonlight and illuminating my own personal Hell on Earth. Thankfully, as a senior, I'd be done with this place at the end of this semester. I can’t fucking wait.
My footsteps echoed along the path, the only other noise was from a coyote howling in the distance. The cold winter air kept everyone from loitering out here, which was why I chose it in the first place. Plus, the bridge was my happy place. Once I was inside with the door closed, I shook off the snow and turned to walk upstairs. A familiar voice startled me, the sound grating on my nerves immediately.
