Converse ·· Luke Brooks

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I decided to walk through the main doors of the academy instead of climbing up the ladder to my window. I know my Auntie will be waiting for me, not sure where though. If she was in my room and I came in through the window, she would move me to another room where I couldn’t climb out of the window.

I walked through the doors, where students were talking to each other or rushing to another room or even going back to their own room. Classes were finished. A few students glared in my way, but I didn’t pay attention to them. I walked towards the staircase.

I was only half way up when I heard my Auntie’s voice. “And where do you think you’re going this time?”

I spun around, stopping mid step from walking up the stairs. Other students also turned around, intrigued. They could never get enough of watching me get in trouble. I guess it was their idea of entertainment and also because they think I deserve it. I wouldn’t even be in this situation if my parents never sent me here.

“I’m just going back to my room” I said, trying to play innocent. I didn’t want to make a scene in front of the other students here. It’ll just give them something to gossip about.

“Oh, no you don’t. My office. Now!” She said, crossing her arms. She gave me a look of warning and I knew she was angry. She stomped off down the hall, towards he office, her heels clicking on the tile floor.

Everyone looked at me, smirking. I put my head to the ground and followed my Auntie to her office. I hated the looks everyone was giving me. Couldn’t they just stop? I don’t want to be here just as much as they don’t want to be here! I understand that they had to work to get into this academy and I didn’t, but that doesn’t give them a right to judge me.

Everyone who comes to the academy must get offered a position and audition. If you pass that audition, you have another audition where you dance in front of all the teachers and they mark you on the performance. The highest marks get through. I didn’t have to go through that process. My parent sent me here because my Auntie was the principal and she let me in without a hesitation.

I walked into my Auntie’s office, her already sitting in her chair, her fingers tapping the table impatiently. Time to found out what she’s going to take away from me this time…

“This is the second time this week you’ve skipped classes, Avery. Not to mention the amount of times I’ve caught you trying to sneak out after classes, even though you’re grounded” She said. Her eyes were concentrated on me. Mine, on the other hand, was trying to look anywhere, but at her.

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again”

“And yet, that’s what you say every single time. How many times must I ground you, Miss Johnson?”

“Please, stop calling me that”

“I shall call you what I like. Now, where were we. Ah yes. I don’t seem to have a problem with any of the other students here. In fact, everyone in this school is trying their very hardest to keep their place, except for you”

“There’s an easy solution to all of this Aunt Susan-“ I began.

“And what is that? Please, share your magical wisdom” My Auntie answered, waving her finger in the air to symbolize a wand. My mouth tensed as she made fun of me, but I didn’t let her see she was getting enjoyment out of this.

“Just kick me out of the academy. Poof, your problem is solve” I said, doing a small curtsy at the end, just to annoy her. I glared at her and hoped she would consider this. Then again, this was my Auntie we were talking about here.

“You know very well I cannot do that. Your parents have put you here for a reason” She said. I could tell by the tone of her voice, that she wasn’t interested in what I had to say. It was the same everytime.

“Who cares what they want. They don’t care about me, that’s why they sent me here, so they don’t have to put up with me. I mean, why should you care what I’d do? Everything would be so much easier for the both of us if you just let me do what I want to. We both know I’m not liked very much here and I cause the teachers here stress, so why not let me skip? I-“

“Miss Johnson, I don’t think you understand. If you’re apart of this academy, you will act like it” She said, banging her fist lightly against the table. I could tell I was starting to press her patience.

“Stop calling me ‘Miss Johnson’. My name is Avery, I suggest you start using it” I paused. “You’re supposed to be my Auntie, by the way, so I suggest you start calling me by my first name and not my last name like you do to the other students here”

“If I do recall myself, Avery, you are technically a student here.”

“Seriously-“

“That is enough. You are dismissed” My Auntie held up her hand, gesturing towards the door. I sighed and stomped my foot lightly as I walked towards the door.

As I reached the door handle and pulled it open slightly my Auntie said, “Oh, and also, another week has been added to your grounding. Have a nice day”

I rolled my eyes and slammed the door shut behind me. The walls shook a little from the force and I could hear the curtains over the little window of the door, bounce on it. Students close by looked over, but went back to whatever they were doing. They were used to seeing me come out of the principal’s office, slamming the door shut.

I walked back up to my room, as fast as I could, without looking stupid. I had only shoulder bumped about two people, making them curse at me. It wasn’t like they weren’t used to it though. They got it at least three times a week. It was the same thing every time. Get caught by my Auntie as I came back, get sent to her office, get grounded again, slam the door shut and shoulder bump people as I walked back to my room. I guess you could say it was also regular gossip for everyone else, trying to pick up on where I would go all day, what I got grounded for, that I secretly had a boyfriend outside of the academy, or I was out all day breaking the law. I was used to all of it though. It was nothing new to me.

I chucked my backpack down at the foot of my bed and stormed over to my closest, wanting to put on some comfier pants. I pulled out some pyjama shorts that had tweetie bird on them and slipped them on, after taking my other shorts off. I decided to leave my black singlet on and slipped off my converse. They were still slightly soaked from stepping into the puddle this morning. They should be dried by the morning though. I pulled out the bobbie pins in my hair and through it into a messy bun, pinning back any loose hairs.

I didn’t know what to do, so I decided to continue reading my book, City of Glass, from where I had stopped. I only had a few more chapters to go, so I decided to finish it. I fished it out of my bag and got comfortable on my bed and opened up the book.

I wished I could concentrate while reading the book, but I kept finding myself wondering back to the boy on the roof. Is that how I’m really going to remember him? Just, the boy on the roof? God, I was so . . . plain. I wonder what he remembers me by? Probably nothing. He probably doesn’t even remember me. I mean, why would he? I was just a random girl who he had just happened to spot.

One question kept running over and over in my head. Who was he?