Black Elm College | 18+

Chapter 5: Elsie

Five minutes before dinner, I hurry up the stairs, open the door with my elbow and head to the bathroom. Opening the tap, I put my blood covered hands under it, watching the dirty water disappear in the sink.

After Timothy's shitty punishment, I was unable to contain my anger and frustration. I spent the rest of the afternoon looking for a place that could substitute, if only a little, for a proper skatepark. Not only did I find nothing, but the one time I tried to get a trick in on the flat - a kickflip, my favorite and the one that gave me the most trouble - a stone blocked my board and sent me flying.

I remove some gravel with tweezers, spray my palms with disinfectant and wrap each in a bandage before putting the first-aid kit away. I have just minor scratches, but hands are drama queens. Even the smallest cut and it bleeds like hell.

I gather my bushy hair in a ponytail as I descend the stairs and arrive in the common room right on time. The style of the room is similar to that of the apartment. The furniture is made of light-colored wood, golden lamps illuminate the space and, in daytime, large windows bathe the room in natural light. Large cream sofas surround a TV in the lounge area, a smell of rotten beef comes from the kitchen area, a modern table sits in the center of the dining area and further back, a circle of bean bags can be seen next to a bookcase and shelves filled with games and art supplies.

I quickly spot Jason and Sarah, the red-haired guy and the girl from noon, sprawled on a couch watching TV with lazy smiles on their faces. Meanwhile, Timothy is on the other couch, frowning at his phone, his posture rigid.

Just looking at him brings back my frustration, making me feel like my collar is choking me.

"Hey! What's your name?"

A cheery voice interrupts my thoughts, my focus going on the girl approaching me. She has hazel eyes, the same color as her curly long hair whereas her earrings and piercing below her eyebrow are green. She gives me a friendly smile.

I smile back, taming my anger.

"Hey! I'm Elsie. You?"

"I'm Alix! Brian, there, is my dom." she explained, pointing at a black-haired boy playing chess near the beanbags. "How are you? First day, especially in the middle of the year, must be... stressful." she asked, dragging me to the chairs surrounding the dining table.

I sit next to her, stopping myself from flinching.

"Um... I sure have had better days. I am... way out of my comfort zone. All of this is new and there is a lot I don't understand. What about you? How was your day?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Fine. As usual except for the game. Our team lost." She winces. "I don't really care about it except that the rest of the school behave as if they are grieving." She rolls her eyes. "Whatever. You seem nice, I am sure I can help you. What don't you understand?"

Her banter calms my emotions a little.

"A lot... For example, why is everyone eyeing me like I just grew wings or I spit fire? Or why are the collars white when mine is black? If I can choose, I'd rather have a light one without the silver. Or none at all. As you can see, I'm not really into gothic style."

She snorts.

"All that is because of who your dom is. Woods is the first in the ranking and the strongest dom gives his sub a black collar. Woods has had the most points for two years, that's why there are two silver squares on the leather."

I absently run my finger on the material while Alix continues.

"The matches between the subs and doms mostly depend on the similarity of their score and his is so high that he hasn't had a sub for as long as I've been here. Everyone, even the teachers, are gossiping about you."