The Hell Files

Chapter 1: Jamie

Four things to know when in The School.

Number One: Curfew is always to be followed. No matter how early or late it is, you never leave your room.

Number Two: Never cheat. Ever. No matter how tempting it may seem, even if there is a loophole, never take it.

Number Three: Anything you don't want anyone to know, you never say, write or even hint at.

Number Four: The only safe place for anything that you only want a few people to hear is in the very back of the Library.

Once you know all of those, you're pretty much set for a while, until the Challenges that is. I guess the one good thing about these things is they're unknown to the teachers and the fourth one isn't known by most of the kids here either.

While we're still talking about The School, let's get something straight. It's not what the government or commercials crack it out to be. Half the time it's pretty fun, and half the time it's a stressed out hell filled with tests. Most of the time it's like they're training us to be soldiers or something. Especially in PE. We have literally done boot camp stuff in the form of "fun" games. If barbed wire ultimate dodge ball doesn't sound like some army drill on steroids, I don't know what does.

But the real stuff is the Challenges. It's the hardest stuff the School throws at us and the prize is getting to see you're family for a day or two. You never know what to expect with those things, with rules constantly changing. Not to brag but I've won quite a few in the year that I've been here. Probably because two of my best friends are champions at them.

Riot and Mayhem. Two kids with stupid nicknames but a heck of a lot of skill at the Challenges. If they don't win they either didn't try, didn't enter or were cheated out of their trip. That mostly happened to Riot, who during my first Challenge, got cut out of every Challenge that will ever happen. She actually became my dorm mate right after she got cut out of the Challenges.

Three knocks on my dorm door jar me from my thoughts. I smile and yell, "Come on it."

Swaggering in, Mayhem holds a plate with two pieces of cake on it. "I thought you deserved this after acing that test today," he tells me and holds out one of the pieces and a fork.

I smile. "Thank you. I take it you passed too," I respond and take a bite out of the cake. Red velvet, my favorite. If there's one thing this place knows how to do, it's make food.

He nods and starts eating his after pulling out a chair and sitting in it backwards so he can face me.

"Where's Riot?" I ask between bites.

Mayhem shrugs and looks back at the door. "Who knows. Library I bet, she's almost always there."

He is right on that. Almost everyday sense she's been kicked out she's been in there, leaving me mostly alone until Mayhem started hanging out with me.

It's a weird look actually, the two of us. We're polar opposite in looks almost; his eyes are nearly black and mine are an amber color. He's got that pale-outside-tan-inside skin tone and I'm that "perfect" tan. Our hair kinda matches I guess, both pretty dark, but his isn't brown like mine, it's jet black. Clothes couldn't be more different between us. He rocks the darks and jockey-yet-punk look and I pull off the sweet and innocent look with pink unicorn sweaters and oversized sweatshirts.

He places his plate on my desk and takes mine as I shove the last bite of the amazing cake into my mouth.

"What's curfew tonight?" Mayhem asks and leans forward a bit in the chair.

"Eight thirty," I answer and then check the clock next to him. "So in half an hour."

"Good," he says and scoots the chair close to me. Oh god, he's going to kiss me. He's so close to doing it when his chair is knocked out from under him and he lands on the floor, but not before hitting his face on my knee.

"Get out of my room," Riot growls, obsidian eyes flaming. Mayhem stands up, towering over her. Glares matching each other, he sneers and grabs the plates before storming out.

Riot sets the chair back up and pushes it into the desk. I don't bother asking why she kicked it, she seems like she's in too bad a mood for that. Rubbing my knee I try not to glare at her.

"Screw the rules, screw this so called School, screw the Challenges, screw the teachers. I hate this place. Are they trying to drive us insane or help us?" She fumes and I shrug, knowing I shouldn't say anything. "I got every single answer correct and they still said I need improvement? For what? To be dumber? Then they'll tell me to be smarter! Like what the heck!" She looks at me and her eyebrows crease. "Did I say something?"

I straighten. "Huh? No, you didn't say anything bad," I answer.

"Nothing rude or anything?"

"Nope." I pause for a second. "Why?"

Riot tilts her head, "You look sad. Are you sure I didn't insult you?" I almost answer and then I smile. Her head tilts more and eyebrows knit further. "Why are you smiling?"

I laugh. "It's at times like these I remember why you're single."

Riot's confusion drops like a stone and a hint of a smile replaces it. She glances around the room and sighs before running her hand through the jet black hair that runs down to her back.

"Next Challenge tomorrow, you entering it?" She asks me.

I nearly laugh at how stupid it is. Of course I'm entering. "Yeah."

"It's the Ram again someone said but this time it's a solo Challenge."

The Ram. It was my first Challenge I was ever in and also the same one that got me and Riot to be such good friends and for her to be disqualified from all Challenges. If there's one Challenge I know how to win, it's that one.

"Got it," I say and that was all we said to each other for the rest of the night.

§§§

Thank you for reading my story! This is my first story that I've uploaded so feedback or comments would be nice! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter of my story and stay tuned for more! I've been planning/writing this story for a while so it's nice to finally share it!

Oh, and thanks to my friend Nonsensicalsenses for making the opening picture for me! We had such a hard time choosing between the one I made and the one she made so I used hers for this first chapter. You should really check her out, she's got two awesome stories out right now!

Anyway, until next time, bye! -FollowingHope13