Chapter One
Victoria paid the cab driver and pulled her suitcase and carry-on as she slid out of the cab. Those were the only things she had with her as the rest of her things would be arriving in a couple of days.
She turned to the look at the school that screams aristocracy. From the massive iron wrought gates to the thick brick walls that surrounded the school premises, there's no wonder why the school is chosen by royalties, successors, future leaders and those who are just filthy rich to educate them.
"It is going to be another long year!" she thought to herself.
As she walked towards the school, she could see and notice people staring and sneering at her. Muttering 'commoner' under their breath as if the word was plastered on her forehead in bold letters, Victoria didn't heed them any mind them. She had a couple of years of experience and had already settled to ignoring them.
Cross Academy is like a small city in itself, with a lot of infrastructure that dated back from the eighteenth century. There is a huge English garden with a fountain found in its center going to the main building where school offices and other facilities are found. There are trees of different kind scattered all around giving the cool breeze of air. The green grass that was found everywhere was trimmed meticulously. There were also other buildings that stood proudly all around the place. Covered walk ways were found to and fro these ancient buildings.
In short, the whole place was like something out of story that is dated in the Victorian Era.
Victoria ignored all the stares and glares that were sent her way as she dragged her suitcase and continued to make her way to the Main Building. Just like what she usually does for the past couple of years, she made her way to the School Office for her schedule and dorm assignment.
When she arrived at the School Office, she knocked on the door thrice before opening it and going in. She was greeted by a straight-laced secretary who was doing alot of paper works.
"Umm...excuse me," Victoria said settling down her suitcase before looking back at the new secretary, "I am here for my schedule and dorm assignments."
"Yeah?" the blonde secretary said without looking up from her work. "Name please?"
"Victoria Rostova."
After hearing her name, the secretary's eyes popped out. She looks up from her work and stared at her. "Umm...I...am....completely sorry, Ms. Rostova. The Headmistress is waiting for you. I am sorry I am new here."
As if it wasn't as obvious as before.
"She is?" Victoria asked completely confused. She didn't expect that nor did she expect the fact that efficient secretary to shutter before her. The headmistress might have said something to her secretary about herself.
"Yes, Miss Rostova," she said standing up from her seat towards the huge elegant mahogany door at the end of the room.
After a discreet knock followed by a muffled 'come in', Victoria found herself in front of an elegant middle-aged seated behind the mahogany desk on the middle of the room
"You wish to see me, Headmistress," Victoria said.
"AH! Miss Williamson," the regally dressed middle-aged woman greeted her as she sat down on her comfy leather chair. "Come in. Take a seat, dear."
"You know very well," Victoria said. "That I am using my mother's maiden name here, headmistress Griffin. It's Rostova."
"Ah yes, Rostova," she said smiling as if recalling a very fond memory.
"Why did you call me here for, Headmistress?" Victoria asked wearily.
"Always the out-spoken one, dear," The headmistress smiled.
Victoria's eyes popped out of its socket. "I didn't mean to be vocal, madam. I just want to know why? I apologize."
"I understand that, dear," The headmistress smiled. "I'll tell you. But before we start, I need to give you this," she handed her a brown envelope with the school crest on it. "I took the liberty of printing your schedule and dorm assignment. Everything is in there."
"Thank you," she said keeping the envelope in front of her.
"I called you here," she said looking at the young woman in front of her, "because you are in your senior year, dear. Are you finally revealing to the school who you really are? I have heard all those incidents that happened to you last year. The bullying, my dear. They would lessen once they know who you are."
Victoria smiled. "I have been thinking. However, I need time, though, Headmistress."
"Of course, dear," Headmistress Griffin smiled nodding her head in agreement.
"Is this all?" Victoria asked.
"Oh yes," she said.
Victoria stood up and made her way towards the door. But before she could make a move in opening it, the headmistress called out.
"How are your parents, dear?"
Victoria looked at her. "They are doing well and they send their regards, Aunt Calissa."
"Send mine to them as well, Tory dear."
Victoria smiled at her before she slipped out of the office and back to the shuttering secretary.
She smiled at the blonde secretary before she took her suitcase and carry on and left the office and out the building on her way to the girl's dormitory.
***
The girls' dormitory was found some yards away from the Main Building. The huge building stood proudly in its five storey structure. On the two bottom levels is where the scholarship granted students stay while the top three are for the rich and powerful or translation rich, bitchy and clingy females of the school.
As Victoria made her way towards her dorm on the second floor, she could still sense all the glares and sneers sent her way.
So much for fading in the background.
Victoria was thankful to have finally arrived at her room that she shares with her best friend and only friend in the entire school, Elizabeth Paige.
"VICTORIA ROSTOVA!" Elizabeth exclaimed the moment the door shut behind Victoria. "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?"
"Elizabeth Paige," Victoria said. "Do not yell my name out loud. What if someone hears? They probably think we are smuggling endangered birds or something."
"Pl-ease," Elizabeth said in a dismiss tone. "I don't care about them."
"Okay, I get it, Liz," Victoria said as she flopped down on the vacant bed on the other side of the average-sized room. "No need to remind me."
Elizabeth flopped down beside Victoria on her bed. "I still don't get that after three years going to four, mind you Tory." She gave her a look calling her by her nickname. "Why do you hide yourself from this people?"
"You know why," Victoria said before standing up and opening her suitcase beginning on putting away her things.
"And because of that reason, you decided to stay in a scholarship dorm," Elizabeth said. "With me as your roommate. I still can't believe I did this for you. Staying here rather than that posh room upstairs. I must really love you a lot, Tory" She added the last in mock sorrow.
Victoria stops what she was doing and looks at her best friend on the bed. a watery smile on her face. "Thank you for doing this for me, Elizabeth."
"You are always and forever welcome, Tory." She stood up from the bed and hugged her best friend.
After that rather 'emotional' talk and Victoria finished putting away her things, the two moved one to lighter topics, like what they did over the course of the month of not seeing each other after Tory went back to Italy with her parents after they spent a week in Ireland.
"How are you dealing up with after what that cheating bastardos did to you?" Elizabeth said as the two sat on each others' bed facing each other.
"Nate!" Victoria said shrugging her shoulders. "I dunno. I have been good. I guess. I knew sooner or later he would cheat on me especially since I didn't give him what he was after."
"Good!" Elizabeth nodded. "He doesn't deserve those tears you were crying him for."
"Indeed," Victoria nodded. "He doesn't."
"I didn't even know why I was crying about him in the first place."
They heard the sound of the bell ringing signaling that dinner would be in fifteen minutes. The two stood up and made themselves presentable before looking at the door.
"Ready?" Elizabeth asked.
"Ready," Victoria nodded. "It's a start of another year. And this is going to be wonderful."
"Of course," Elizabeth nodded. "It will be." Elizabeth said with a knowing smirk on her face.
'They'll never knew what hit them."