*Amaris's POV*
I skipped happily alongside the adults as Principal Weems chattered about my dorm, "I have placed you in Ophelia Hall, it was your mother's old dormitory," She stated, "Your neighbour had space in her dorm but I felt you would prefer to have a dorm all to yourself."
I smiled at looked up at Principal Weems, "I have an Aunt named Ophelia, Mother and Father say I'm a lot like her," I smiled.
Principal Weems smiled down at me and we continued on our journey until we reached my new dorm, Principal Weems handed me the key and I was quick to unlock it and hurry inside. I smiled widely and twirled in the centre of the room, "It's perfect!" I cheered.
The room had high ceilings with dark, exposed wooden beams that added grandeur and history to the area, and the walls were painted in subdued, deep shades of purple and charcoal. A four-poster bed with exquisite carvings dominated one side of the room, wrapped in thick, velvety textiles in dark tones. The headboard of the bed was covered with artistic decorations, adding to the gothic mood of the school. There was a matching desk and chair, built from dark wood with graceful, curved lines and intricate carving.
The windows are tall and narrow, with heavy, dark curtains that can be drawn completely to block out light or left open to provide a glimpse of the academy's misty grounds and gloomy woodland. A circular window with spiderweb-like decorations was located in the heart of the wall facing the school's entrance, with a window seat beneath it, providing a cosy area for reading or contemplation.
Next to the bed was a door leading towards the conjoined bathroom. Besides the windows were two tall bookcases, shelves lined with books on the supernatural and arcane subjects reflecting the academic focus of the academy. The flooring is dark hardwood, adorned with plush rugs featuring intricate patterns that tie the room's decor together.
I floated my trunks into the room and placed them on the bed, "I am very grateful for the room Principal Weems," I stated.
As she went to speak a squeal came from across the hall, the adult moved and in the doorway was a girl around the same age as I was, she was taller than me with blonde hair, one side had blue ends and the other had pink, she has light freckles and different-coloured nails that turn into claws at different points.
"Amaris this is your dorm neighbour," Principal Weems stated and gestured to the girl, "Enid Sinclair."
Enid dashed through the adult and towards me, she stopped about a foot away, "Howdy neighbour!" she cheered and brought me in for a hug before pushing away, "Sorry I should've asked if it was alright to hug you first!"
I giggled and quickly brought her in for another hug, her warmth making me feel safe, " It's alright I do enjoy hugs," I stated and let her go.
Enid smiled widely, "I can't wait to show you around the school!" she cheered.
"Enid, why don't we give Amaris a moment with her parents, hmm?" Principal Weems suggested, Enid quickly nodded and left the room with the Principal.
I turned to Mother and Father, both had tears in their eyes, I quickly ran into their arms and snuggled deep into my father's chest, "I'm gonna miss you both so much," I whimpered.
"Oh darling," Mother whined, "We will miss you the most," she stated and caressed my head, mother's stoic expression softened as she turned me to face her, her elegant features filled with emotion, "Amaris, my darling, this is your chance to flourish among your peers and truly embrace your extraordinary gifts. We are so proud of you," she said, her voice filled with warmth and sincerity.
Father then whispered in my ear, "Mi alma, we will miss you dearly, but Nevermore will be the perfect place for you. Remember, you can always count on us."
I tried to keep my composure, knowing I needed to be strong for them, I hugged them both tightly, "I'll write to you every week, I promise," I promised, my voice catching as I struggled to hold back tears.
Mother brushed a tear from my cheek with an icy hand, her touch gentle and reassuring. "Remember, Amaris, you carry the Addams legacy with you. Make us proud," she stated.
As they embraced one last time, I watched as her parents turned to leave, their arms wrapped around each other, I ran to the window and watched as they exited the school. As if they could feel my gaze, they turned and looked up at me, I waved sadly. They returned the gesture and my mother blew me a kiss, I caught it and held it to my chest as I watched them climb back into the car and drive away from the school.
I sat on my bay window for a few moments just staring outside before a knock shook me from my trance, I turned and saw Enid standing in the doorway, "Did you want a tour now or did you want to set up your room first?" she asked me gently.
I wiped the remnant of tears from my face, "I think I'd like a tour first please Enid," I stated and stood from my position, I dusted my dress off and walked towards her, I linked my arms with her and we skipped out of Ophelia hall with a smile.
As we walked the hallways Enid gave me a rundown of the school's history, "Nevermore was founded in 1791 to educate people like us," she explained, "Outcasts, freaks, monsters, fill in your favourite marginalized group here," We walked through the corridors and exited out into a large shared space of the school, "Welcome to the quad," Enid announced and gestured to the large area.
I gazed around and noticed, "It's a pentagon," I was in awe of the space, there was a large fountain in the centre
Still walking with Enid she continued with her explanation, "Let me give you a wiki on Nevermore's social scene," using her hands she listed off, "There are many flavours of outcasts here, but the four main cliques are Fangs, Furs, Stoners and Scales," she pointed towards a picnic table of kids wearing sunglasses and drinking something red, "Those are the Fangs, AKA vampires, some of them have been here for decades," she joked, then pointed towards a rowdy table of students, "That bunch of knuckleheads are Furs, AKA werewolves, like me!"
The Furs howled seeing their pack mate, Enid waved towards them, "Full moons get pretty loud around here, that's when Furs wolf out," she stated, "I suggest you pick up noise-cancelling headphones."
My gaze flicked to a couple of students sitting by the fount talking, "Are scales, Sirens?" I asked innocently.
Enid giggled, "You catch on quick, and that girl, Bianca Barclay, is the closest thing Nevermore has to royalty," she joked, "Though you could give her a run for her money that and her crown's been slipping lately, she used to date our resident tortured artist, Xavier Thorpe," Enid pointed towards a lone student painting on the wall.
Xavier is a tall and handsome Caucasian teen, his eyes are a light olive colour with brown surrounding his pupils. He has dirty blond shoulder-length hair that he tied up into a man bun, and his school uniform is worn neatly, the only alteration being the school-coloured hoodie that he wears underneath his blazer. I couldn't take my eyes off him, he must've felt my gaze as he turned and his eyes drifted across the quad before they landed on me.
Xavier looked me up and down before smirking at me and winked before turning back around, "But they broke up at the beginning of the semester, reason unknown," Enid stated.
"Lovely," I muttered moving some of my hair behind my ear.
"My vlog is, like, the number one source for Nevermore gossip," Enid giggled, "It's a small school. There wasn't much online about you," She then suggested, "You should get on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok."
I looked up at her, "I am, I just keep my accounts private," I pulled out my phone, it was a Galaxy S22 Ultra in Phantom White, and the case was a cute clear case with silver and pink heart gemstones around the edges. I opened my Instagram and held it out toward her, "Here," I said and gestured for her to add herself to everything. With a squeal, she quickly did so and handed me back my phone before continuing with the tour.
We ended it at the registrar's office where I collected the three sets of my white uniforms, Enid had run off to do something else as I carried the three dress bags back to my dorm. However, I wasn't looking where I was going as the dress bags were bigger than me and I walked right into someone.
Dazed, she blinked up to see Xavier, his tall frame lying flat against the hardwood floors of the hallway, he groaned and sat up slightly, "Can you watch where you're going?" he grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head, his eyes scrunched in pain.
"I'm so sorry!" I said, feeling a flush of embarrassment as I gathered myself.
Hearing my voice he looked up and stared at me, my gaze caught him and I was stuck.
*Third POV*
Xavier's intense eyes locked with Amaris's, and for a moment, both of them seemed frozen in place, mesmerized by the unexpected connection that passed between them. Amaris could feel her heart racing, and she wondered if Xavier could hear it too. She looked at him apologetically, but he simply smiled in response.
"Not a problem," Xavier said, his tone light and easygoing, "Sorry about the attitude though," standing to his feet he reached out to offer her a hand, which she accepted as he helped her back to her feet. "It's good to meet you, though I wish it were under different circumstances." His striking features were warm with amusement.
Amaris gave him a small, grateful smile, brushing off her dress, "I could say the same, I'm Amaris," she held out her hand, "Amaris Addams."
Xavier smirked and gently grasped her hand but instead of shaking it he brought it to her lips and pressed a gentle kiss upon her knuckles, "I'm Xavier, Xavier Thorpe," he replied but didn't let go of her hand, opting to just hold it and swing their hands gently. Amaris blushed but it wasn't noticeable underneath her makeup, "What's with the bags?" he questioned seeing the three dress bags Amaris held in the other hand.
"Oh," Amaris remembered, "They're my uniforms, I was taking them back to my dorm so I could put them away and start unpacking but I got lost," Amaris smiled bashfully.
Xavier nodded, returning her smile, "Yeah, it can be a bit of a maze at first. Let me help you get back, what dorm hall are you in?" he asked, taking two of the three bags from her.
Amaris smiled happily, "Ophelia Hall, Room 33," She replied.
"Gotcha, this way then," Xavier replied and began guiding her down the halls, as they walked down the corridor, Xavier kept the conversation casual, "So, how are you finding Nevermore so far?"
Amaris listened to the echoes of their footsteps in the hall as she replied, "It's been a lot to take in, but I'm excited to be here, I'm excited for the class though," She cast him a curious glance. "What about you? How long have you been at Nevermore?"
"This is my third year," Xavier answered, "Nevermore has its quirks, but I think you'll find your way around pretty quickly. Plus, there's always something new to discover," He paused, looking at her thoughtfully, "And you've got a lot of opportunities here to let your talents shine."
"Thank you," Amaris said sincerely, feeling a touch of warmth at his words. As they reached Ophelia Hall, Xavier gave her a nod, "Well, here we are," He stated and looked down at Amaris, "I trust you can find your room? Guys aren't allowed in the girl's dormitory."
"Yeah, I know which room," Amaris stated and turned to him with a grateful smile, "Thank you for your help, Xavier. I appreciate it."
"Anytime," he replied with a wave before leaving her in the hallway. Amaris watched him go, feeling a sense of reassurance knowing there were friendly faces at Nevermore. She then entered her dorm room and sighed happily.
*Amaris's POV*
I quickly placed my dress bags on my beds and snapped my fingers, my trunks laid out on the bed opened and everything flew out. My belongings circled me as I thought about where everything should go, I snapped again and my clothes flew into the wardrobe, organising themselves by colour, my shoes sitting below them. I snapped again and a vanity appeared out of thin air matching the rest of the furniture, my makeup fewl to it and began organizing itself into the drawers.
I spun to look at the bay window surrounded by the bookcases, I snapped and my books from home appeared, next to the left bookcase my alter appeared and my crystals and herbs floated over to set themselves up. Once everything was in its place, I smiled and my bags floated underneath my large bed, I thought for a moment with one last snap I conjured a white comforter set with pink throws and cushions. Satisfied with my room I gathered some pyjamas and hurried into my conjoined bathroom to begin my night routine.
I couldn't wait to start tomorrow.