Boarding School

Chapter 4: Not So Bad // Edited Again

Alisha's P.O.V

The stick-thin flight attendant shoves a tray in front of me. "Water?" She says in a fake-cheery voice, smiling so hard her eyes crinkle and I can no longer see the dark blue color of her irises.

I pick up the glass and she nods once - to who, I'm not sure - and walks away. I raise it to my lips, ready to take a sip, when I notice a small, disintegrating pill at the bottom and a fog like trail leading from it.

I look around the plane. I don't see any members of Gehfar that I recognize, so I simply put the glass on another passing attendent's tray. She keeps walking.

I continue looking around for a while before I decide I probably look suspicious, so I plug my earbuds back i from my new iPhone and listen to music. I change the song from an old Blondie's tune to something a little more modern. I then realize Michael programmed my phone with the album from the band I'll have to be watching over for the next ten months.

Baby, you light up my world,
Like nobody else.
The way that you flip your hair,
Gets me overwhelmed.

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I take my bags off the luggage transport and search for the sign that has Claire Monroe written on it. I find a girl who looks to be a few years older than me with a sign that says Monroe on it and I hurry over.

"You must be Ms. Monroe?" She asks politely.

"Yes," I answer, adjusting my bags.

"I'm Caroline," she tells me.

"Nice to meet you, Caroline," I respond. She smiles and waves her hand, signaling me to follow after her.

I follow her to a dark purple 1977 Cadillac Escalade where she shoves my bags into the trunk and climbs into the drivers seat. I unsurely seat myself in the back, staring out the window at the passing scenery.

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"This is it," Caroline tells me.

"Thank you." I get out and open the trunk, taking out my luggage. I slam the trunk shut and begin walking.

"Oh," she calls after me, "Be careful not to get caught doing anything stupid, Headmaster Dean is a dick about stuff!"

I for a smile. "Will do."

I walk up to the triple double-door set doorway and decide to go through the middle set. I open the door and am greeted by a gush of disgusting warm air.

Not that the air is disgusting, or stale. Okay, maybe slightly stale, but I'm used to it. I just like the cold better than the warm. At Laser H.Q. the thermostat is always at 59°F. I've grown used to it over the years.

The metal door makes a heavy clanking sound as it slowly closes. I see another wooden door and a glass window next to it. Taking my chances, I walk into the room and see a plump lady sitting at a computer, typing fast. She looks a little on the older side.

" 'Ello, sweetheart! How can I help you?" She says cheerfully.

"Are the next student-" She looks at the computer screen then back at me, "Claire? Monroe?"

I nod and she pulls out a thick, black binder. She flips and flips and flips until she pries open the rings with her chubby fingers and takes out a bundle of paper that is concealed inside a sheet protecter.

"Here's everything you need for the semester! Your room is nine hundred thirty-six, on the ninth floor. When you walk out of this office and take a left down the corridor, the elevator will be on your right after four classrooms. The staircase is right next to it. My name is Lisa, if you need anything!" She informs me.

I nod. "Thank you for all you help." She smiles and turns back to her computer.

I follow her directions, finding my way to the elevator, and patiently wait for the lift to come to my level. When it dings and the doors open, I step inside, only to be greeted with buttons all the way from one to twelve. I do as she said and press the key with a nine on it.. While I wait to be risen to my floor, I look at the stack of papers she handed me. I see a key in the front and pull it out. It's gold and has '963' on the front and 'C.M.' on the back.

A ding echoes throughout the small space and I walk into the corridor, seeing girls everywhere. Isn't a boyband supposed to be here? The further I walk down the hall, the more boys I see. I finally see '963' engraved in a plague to the right of a door on the left side of the hallway. I knock before sliding my key into the hole and twisting the knob.

The air that pushes at my through the doorway is much colder than it was on the floor level, and I find myself smiling as I walk into my new room. Maybe this won't be so bad