The Academy

Chapter 1

Thud! My dad dropped the last box down in my new room. We spent the last few hours unboxing and decorating my new dorm room. Contrary to what you might think, I'm not starting college. I'm actually starting my junior year of high school at Xavier Academy, an elite boarding school. There are three different sections of the school: the elementary school, high school, and college. A student can only apply once to the institution. I decided to humor my mother and apply here for my junior year. I wasn't expecting to get in, so imagine my surprise when I received an acceptance letter. As my mom stated, "I was lucky and should be extremely grateful and honored that I got in." Excited isn't exactly the word I'd use. I'd much rather be attending the same public school as my older sister. She, unfortunately, got denied from this school two years ago. She wasn't disappointed at all; in fact, she was relieved. Oh how I wish that I was the one who got denied. I had to leave my friends and family to come to a spoiled rich kid school. Yuck! My parents most definitely could not finance even one semester at this place. The only reason I can attend this institution is that I have an anonymous sponsor here. The deal is that I write a thank you letter each year and keep my gpa above a 2.0.

"What do you think?" My dad rested his hands on his hips as he gazed upwards. He had successfully hung up the flag of North Carolina.

"Not that patriotic about my own state, but it's nicely centered." I teased him. My dad rolled his eyes before embracing me in a bear hug.

"I'm gonna miss you, Col, but I'm pretty sure you'll get along with your roommate just fine." He nudged his thumb towards my roommate's neatly made bed. I giggled as I gave him a tight squeeze. I really was going to miss my father. My mother couldn't join us because her manager refused to let her take time off. As for my sister, she had better things to do than visit a "prissy school." Reluctantly, my dad left to begin the 12 hour drive back to North Carolina.

I was straightening the pictures on my desk when I heard the door creak open. I turned my head to see a girl with long, light pink hair. She had an oval face with high cheekbones. Her chocolate brown eyes sparkled as her eyes crinkled. Her pearly whites were visible as she grinned from ear to ear. She quickly sped over to give me a tight hug.

"Hi! I'm Rosé." She was practically crushing me. "Like the drink." She added a moment later.

"I'm Nicola and I can barely breathe."

"Opps! Sorry." She sheepishly muttered while her eyes were downcasted.

"Don't worry. I'm happy to see you too." I managed to get Rosé to instantly smile. Her sad demeanor quickly disappeared. Rosé excitedly tapped her bed for me to sit. I smiled as I made my way over. We spent the remainder of the night getting to know each other. The biggest mistake I made was asking about her Totoro plushie. She spent nearly an hour going off on a tangent about how much she loves him and Studio Ghibli.

X

I woke up to a series of alarms going off. I had taken a shower and was now applying my makeup. It's my first day of school so I want to look decent, but not too over the top. I just added some mascara to complete my natural look. I was mid swipe when I heard Rosé's alarm go off again.

"Rosé, you need to wake up now. Commencement starts in 20 minutes." My statement was met with a groan. Rosé turned so that her back was facing me. I giggled as I stood up. I made my way over and started tickling her. She squirmed around for a while. We came to a compromise that I'd cease my tickling onslaught if she got out of bed. Her eyes nearly bulged out her head when she saw the time. She zoomed past me to access the bathroom. Rosé was simultaneously brushing her teeth, putting on her uniform, brushing her hair, and applying her makeup. Watching her, I soon realized that I definitely did not know how to multitask. With 5 minutes to spare, she grabbed my hand and dragged me out the room.