The Dare

Chapter Five • Introductions

Ahhhh. So EVERYTHING is cleared up. Or, so Rose thinks. Enjoy :)

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FIVE • INTRODUCTIONS

What met my eyes was beyond exquisite. The place belonged in a story book rather than in reality. Large marble structures and polished, mahogany pillars supported the high ceilings that were domes of glass windows, allowing light to stream in and sparkle on the black, glossy floors. I gaped at the staircases that wound around every corner and the bustle of jittery students going to their next class. This place was completely Victorian and looked as if it could've homed royalty instead of students.

When Dr. Rondon finally caught the expression on my face, he chuckled and patted my shoulder.

"Pretty, isn't it?" he said, also taking in his surroundings. I shook my head.

"Pretty isn't the word...it's...it's...well, I don't know," I breathed, my blood freezing in my veins. I hadn't seen anything like this; not in books, not in movies, nowhere. It was beautiful. Dr. Rondon nodded.

"Do you know what Reietto means?" he continued. I knew it was Italian and happened to know my fair share of the language. It was one of my favorite languages and sometimes I even checked out books from the library in Italian just to feel like I could speak it. After some continuous use, I had definitely picked up a great amount of words.

"Reietto...hmm. It's Italian for...exile?" Dr. Rondon pondered my answer.

"Close. It means outcast. I take it you know some Italian?" I nodded. "That will certainly come in handy here. All the students are required to take Latin and Italian here," he explained, pulling me aside against a wall. The amount of students began thinning out, the bell probably about to ring. I looked at him a bit confused.

"Why those languages?" I asked. Dr. Rondon coughed into his elbow before proceeding.

"Because Latin helps with the sciences and math. As far as the Italian goes, no one is completely sure, but according to the school officials, it's in honour of our founders who were Italian immigrants. They also describe it as a way for students to communicate with each other in a different way since there aren't many Americans that speak Italian. A way to be unique, I guess." I crinkled my nose as I always did when I was thinking.

I was taking in all the information, but I wasn't sure why. I was leaving soon, right? To get my limited amount of things from my house and say goodbye to my very stupid mother? Why was he speaking as if I was now a part of a whole here?

"So...outcasts. Are those the qualifications I fit? Being an outcast?" I inquired calmly. Most people would probably be offended by this assumption, but I felt that I could only embrace and accept it. It seemed very true in my situation. Dr. Rondon bit his lip, trying to plan out his words carefully.

"Shunned by your own bloodlines, tormented by your acquaintances, too bright for the rest of the world. Is that proof enough?" he muttered. I mulled over his words, realising how true they were. Maybe the definition of outcast was much simpler than it seemed.

"I'm not going home, am I?" I asked.

"No." It was a simple word that told me everything. This school, Reietto Academy, was my future. Reietto Academy was my home now. Whether or not I agreed, it didn't matter. Not that I minded too much, considering that I had no future back at home. To be honest, I couldn't say I would miss it too much and neither would they miss me. I could disappear and everyone could care less. Perhaps that was the definition of outcast; someone who could vanish into thin air and never be missed.

"However, you arrival at Reietto is a bit unique to most. Our recruiters often discover runaways. In fact, about 99% of our school's population are runaways. You're 1% unique."