Expectations (wlw)

Chapter 1

SUBJECT: The Matter At Hand

Darling,

Just get settled into your new environment for now. Enjoy yourself.
For when you start, though, below is a list of what we’ll need:

-Established clan name…[Expand]

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This new school wasn't as bad as I thought it’d be. Aside from a marginally awful first day.

It was also confusing, but I can bet that on being the new kid. The uniform took some getting used to; a white shirt, dark green tie, a plaid skirt that wasn’t actually terrible, and loafers with black knee-high socks. It was cute in the same way a haunted building might be chic.

I pulled my collar away from my neck. It was hot in here. The hallway of jostling students was a sea of plaid, every person a blur of green, white, and black fabric. While I was occupied with people-watching, someone -  with more energy than what was appropriate for the first day of school -  slammed into me. The books I carried went flying and I was thrown back into my own open locker.

“Sorry!” they said, dropping to pick up the books. They handed them back to me, reached to adjust my tie, and smoothed the shoulders of my shirt. “There, you look great.”

I said, “I thought you were a boy."

An immaculately-groomed eyebrow raised; I would be worried if it wasn’t complemented by the biggest smile I’ve seen all day.

They flicked the fringe of their short hair away from their eyes. “I get that often, these days. Hi. Emilia. I’m sorry and also have a nice day.”

“I’m Sam,” I called to her retreating back. She was running again, using her bookbag to shove people out of the way. All right, that was weird. Before I could shut my locker door, a voice much too close to my ear whispered.

“Are you done?”

The door slammed, and the voice chuckled; I turned, ready to glare and argue, and stopped short.

She was so pretty it was hostile. On second thought, she was both of those things separately, with her chin tilted up. She was literally looking down on me - which she might have had to do anyway because she was several inches taller.

“That’s against school regulation,” were the first words out of my mouth.

She had a white streak on her otherwise jet black hair; a jarring anomaly on her perfect, symmetrical face.

Between Emilia and this new person, I was not making good impressions.

Her eyes, like dark pools of whiskey, narrowed. She shouldered me -  gently, but I could tell she was holding back - and pulled the locker open.

“Hey!”

“This is my locker.” Her voice was gruff, like she just rolled out of bed.

“Well, it’s mine too.”

She muttered under her breath, something I didn’t catch. Taking several textbooks from the messenger bag slung across her torso, she started shoving them into place.