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ChapterTwo
SCARLETT
“You’resure you can’t change his mind?” I whisper to my mom. My eyes stay pinned to the back of the driver’s seat where my dad sits with his fingers locked around the steering wheel.
Her hand squeezes mine from where she sits beside me in the back seat, thumb grazing my knuckles. “It’s only eight months until you graduate, then the future is yours.”
“Yeah, right,” I mumble under my breath. The future has never been mine. It’s always belonged to The Blue Bloods.
Mom drops my hand and tucks my hair behind my ear. “You’re going to do great here, honey.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” My voice is soft, as it always is with her. No matter how many mistakes I make, my mom is always in my corner. Dad is, too, but it’s different with my mom. She’s warm and gentle in a way that makes me feel safe and content.
“You’ll check in on Maddie, right? Make sure she’s doing okay?”
“Of course. You know how much we love Maddie. She’ll be fine, as will you.”
Dad shifts the car into park, rests his hand on the back of the passenger seat, and turns to face me. “Are you ready for this?”
“No,” I spit out on impulse, “but it seems I have to be.”
“Well, honey. You made your choices, and this is where they brought you. Can’t say I’m sorry about it. You were meant to be here. The Academy is going to reshape you, and when you leave, you’ll have a newfound knowledge about your place in The Society.”
Maybe I want to reshape myself without this place.Instead of saying the words, I nod in response. My fate is sealed. I’ll be getting out of this car with my bags and staying here, no matter how much I don’t want to.
Dad turns back around and pulls the lever to pop open the trunk. Once he’s out, he pulls out my bags and sets them down on the sidewalk beside the car.Mom squeezes my leg and gives me a comforting smile before opening her door and getting out, so I do the same.
I’m looking up at the massive building, then to the other smaller ones surrounding it when Mom holds out her hand. “Phone, Scarlett.”
I look down at her open palm, moping. “Seriously, Mom?”
“Rules are rules. We’ve told you many times they’re not allowed.”
Reaching into the back pocket of my jeans, I pull it out and plant it in her hand. “Who made the stupid no phone rule? How’s anyone in this day and age supposed to survive without a phone or the internet?” Not that it matters. I snuck my own untraceable phone for emergencies in one of my bags. There’s no way in hell I was coming to this desolate place without one.
“That changed shortly after my and your mom’s attendance here.” Mom and Dad look at each other and it feels like the air has thickened—almost as if they’re sharing an unspoken secret. “It’s best to avoid outside communication during your stay.” His tone shifts abruptly as he waves his arms out toward campus. “I mean, look at this natural beauty. You don’t need the internet when you have this in your backyard.”
He’s right there; it is an impressive view. Rolling hills and sharp peaks that kiss the sky. A mix of greens, while autumn colors of fire red and burnt orange manifest in the distance. It’s something straight off a postcard, but The Academy itself is nothing I want to write home about. Therefore, I grumble at his words.
A guy interrupts Dad’s spiel about this outlandish place, joining us with a broad smile on his face. He’s about the same height as Crew and Jagger—roughly six-foot—with a smaller frame. Not skin and bones, but also not muscled and toned. He looks young, and I assume he’s a student here since he’s wearing a teal polo shirt with the Boulder Cove Academy logo stitched on the pocket. “Good evening,” he says, extending a hand to my dad. “I’m Elias, and I’ll be Scarlett’s tour guide.”
My head immediately shakes no while Mom gives me a ‘knock it off’ look. “I appreciate that, but I’ll be fine.”
“Scarlett,” Dad scoffs, “you really should have someone show you around. It’s easy to get lost here.”
“Dad,” I say with contempt in my tone, “I’ll be perfectly fine. Besides, I have a roommate, and I’m sure she’ll show me the ropes.”
Dad blows out a heavy breath. “Have it your way.”
Elias nods in response, eyebrows raised. “Okay, then. I guess I’ll just load up the cart and leave your things outside your dorm room.”
“Thank you very much, Elias,” I say, kindly.
Hugging myself, I look around and take it all in. It’s much colder than I expected. I credit the chill in the air to the abundance of trees and mountains hiding the sun. It’s dark here, almost eerily so.
Chills shimmy down my spine as soon as the car door latches shut. With them comes a weight on my chest that’s suffocating.
I never intended to attend Boulder Cove Academy, let alone enroll for my final year of high school. Most of the kids who come here do so during their junior year. I’ve always done things ass-backward, though, so why should that change now?
