SAWYER AND KAT are standing at the bottom of the stairs, waiting patiently for me, once I enter the front hall. Kat begins to explain the bathroom situation in the house, saying each pair of roommates share a bathroom before beginning my tour of the house.
She guides me to the kitchen and dining area, and living room, which are all connected on the left side of the house. On the other side are Kat, her husband, and the children's rooms.
"This," Sawyer begins as we make it to the top of the stairs, gesturing to the first door on the left, "is Eris and Bea's room, they have an en-suite inside. Then, next is Summer and Teagan's room."
We continue to walk down the wide hallway. She turns to the door on the right, just opposite Summer and Teagan's room. "That is their bathroom."
We walk further down the hall, stopping in front of two doors, one on the left and the other on the right. "This is our bedroom," Sawyer informs me, directing her gaze to the door on the right. "And our bathroom," now pointing to the door on the left.
As Sawyer opens the tall, brown door, the first thing I notice is the sage-colored walls, disposable pictures stuck across one side while the other is bare and plain, which I assume is my side.
Inside it is tidy, but still a bit cluttered. The bedside table beside Sawyer's white bed is busy with plants, picture frames, and candles. As well as the dresser and desk further into the room.
I immediately start to unpack, Sawyer, helping me as much as possible. After around an hour or two, I finish organizing my clothes, making my bed, and bringing my toiletries to the bathroom, and begin to decorate my side, hoping to make this strange place feel more like home.
Once my desk is organized, Sawyer and I talk, trying our best to get to know each other since we'll be sharing a room from now on. Sawyer suggests that we should play twenty questions.
"How old are you? I mean I know we're all in the same grade but–" I ask her, sitting on my desk chair while she's laying down on her bed.
"It's fine, Adina." She laughs, cutting me off before continuing. "Seventeen, you?"
"Sixteen, but my birthday's in May."
"Ooh, a Taurus or Gemini? I'm getting major Taurus vibes from you," Sawyer teases, making me laugh at how quickly she asked that.
"I'm Taurus. May eighteenth."
"I'm a Capricorn." Sawyer informs me, cheerily. "Okay, my turn now. When you speak I can kinda hear an accent, sorry if this sounds rude, but, do you speak another language, or...?"
"Well, my Dad is from Italy. And every summer since my oldest brother was born, my family and I have gone up to stay with his side of the family. They didn't know how to speak English all that well, so we had to speak Italian all the time. I don't need to use it that often anymore, though. They ended up taking classes online and with our help, they speak English pretty fluently."
"That's so cool. I wish I could speak another language. I mean, I take Spanish but it's not like I'm fluent, you know?" I nod and we laugh together.
"I'm fluent in French and Spanish, too. Dad wanted us to be prepared for anything."
"That's so cool. Can you teach me sometime? Not like fully obviously, but like how to say hello, or something like that?"
"Yeah, yeah. That'd be fun." I smile at her before moving and flopping down on my bed. "So, how long have you been at Caldwell?"
"Since elementary school. Same with Teagan and Eris, our parents are all family friends. Tea and I started here in first grade but Eris only started here in fourth. She lived in England before coming here."
"Wow," I say, impressed. "And you're from here?"
Caldwell Royal Academy is based in the countryside of Connecticut, so not that far away from the city, but far enough that I can't just go and see my family. But, I did enough research on this place to know that, although many people who go here have lived all over the world, most have lived in the state their whole life.
"Yeah, I was born in New York. But, when my parents had my siblings they decided that they wanted to live somewhere more quiet and slow. Teagan has always lived here. Both of our families live like an hour away. But, still quite close. Where do you live?"
"New York City. Born and raised, my parents met when they were teenagers after my Dad moved to the city. Besides my Mom living in LA for a bit, we've always lived there."
"How is it? Like... what's it like having literal legends as your parents?" She laughs a little, making me smile as I answer her.
"Well, you know, it's great. I get a lot of opportunities that I probably wouldn't have gotten if it weren't for them being who they are." I laugh nervously, to which she smiles encouragingly at me. "But, at times I just kind of want to be Adina. You know? Like, not be labeled or judged for my last name. Someday I want to make a name for myself. Without the help of my father or my last name."
"I get it. There are a lot of people who have the same sort of outlook here at the Academy. Eris's Mom is Morena Blake, and same as you, Eris doesn't want to live in her shadow."
"Wait. As in the fashion designer?" Sawyer nods her head excitedly. "No wonder I sort of recognized her. And why Eris is probably one of the only girls I've ever met who is taller than me, wasn't her Mom a model before she became a designer?" Sawyer nods.
A few hours of talking to each other pass before Sawyer is facing me with a serious expression on her face.
"So... I'm not gonna beat around the bush, I've kind of been stalling this conversation because I didn't know how to say this."
This statement creates a swarm of panic that begins to bloom in my chest. What is she going to say? I think as I ready myself for whatever it is.
"Basically, the girls and I, once we found out who you were... let's just say, we weren't exactly subtle in our excitement. Especially Summer." We both chuckle.
"But, I just want you to know that we all promised to make you feel welcome and normal. Being new at the Academy isn't easy, especially when some of the girls here get easily threatened." Sawyer begins to walk up to me and places her hands on my shoulders to look me in the eyes. "I want you to know that the girls and I got your back."
A small smile begins to appear as I take in her words. "Thanks, really, but I think I can take care of myself. Trust me, I've had a lot of practice." I tell her, giving her a reassuring smile. "But, yeah, I'll tell you guys if anyone bothers me."
"Great," she nods before stepping back. "Well, dinner should be ready soon, so I'll leave you to it. I'm gonna go down and help Kat." Sawyer says, before turning to the door and leaving.
I decide to quickly follow her down, bumping her shoulder lightly, and smiling as we head downstairs.
"I don't mind helping, I don't really have anything else to do right now anyway."
"Cool, we'll probably be left with setting the table. Everyone's already down here." Sawyer tells me as we turn into the open-plan kitchen.
The wood of the cabinets are old-fashioned, a dark brown color that matches the door frames. The floor is black and white tile, turning back to wood once it gets to the doors of the dining room and living room. There is an island in the middle, and like all the other countertops, it has white marbling with a sink in the center with stools on the other side.
Kat is standing in front of the oven with a timer, her back towards us, while James, Flora, and Gray are gathered on the other side of the island, busy trying to catch the two kids as they laugh and run away from him. I turn to my right, where the open dining room can be seen and two of the girls I met earlier walk in, laughing.
"Sawyer, listen to this," the short brunette begins, "my Mom says that we can use the country house for mine and Cas's birthday."
"That's good. When do the invitations need to be out? I can help if you need."
"Yeah, I'll probably need to get them out by this weekend. Just so I can give people time to RSVP." She tells Sawyer before both girls turn to me. "Oh, I'm sorry, Adina. I'm Teagan," she tells me, "and this is Summer," then pointing to the blonde girl beside her, but because of her very memorable introduction, I already know who she is.
"Yeah, I don't think I could forget your name even if I tried." I laugh, with Teagan and Sawyer joining in soon after.
"Sorry about that. I get carried away sometimes," Summer tells me with a sheepish expression. "I was just so excited to meet you. Your Mom is my idol. I'm sorry for what happened." Summer grows quiet as she continues, looking down at her fingers awkwardly, I give her an understanding smile.
"Thanks, I know she would've loved to hear you say that. She loved her job. I'm guessing you're wanting to go into acting."
"I've thought about it, yeah. Either that or fashion design. Any tips?"
"Sorry, not really. Modeling is more my thing."
"Oh, yeah. You model, right?" Teagan asks, to which I nod. "You and Eris are going to get along great, she loves to model as well."
"Yeah, I heard. Her Mom's Morena Blake, right?" The three girls all nod their heads before Summer whispers to me;
"Yeah, but she doesn't like talking about her, she's sort of a–"
"A bitch," I finish for her, "Yeah, I know. I've met her." I tell the girls. "I mean I was like nine, but even then I could tell she was... something else," I tell them, screwing up my face in a disgusted expression, making them laugh.
"Yeah, you'd be right about her being a bitch." Eris says as Bea and her walk towards us, having just entered through the hall door. "When did you meet her?" She asks, coming to a stop before me, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Ages ago," I answer, "I modeled for her, and even though I was a kid, sorry if this is rude, but she was such a dick to me."
Eris nods her head, chuckling along with the rest of us.
We head to the living room, sitting down to chat as we wait to be called for dinner.
"She's always been like that, that's why I don't mind boarding school. Being alone with her is my definition of a nightmare."
I laugh as I flop down on the middle couch with Sawyer on one side and Eris on the other. Teagan sits down on another couch to the left of us while Bea decides to sit at her feet, leaning against the seat. Summer, meanwhile, sprawls herself out on the couch to the right.
"Have you gotten your timetable yet?" Teagan questions.
"Yeah, I have English Lit first period."
"With Mrs. Langley?" Teagan sits up excitedly, I nod which makes her grin widen. "Bea and I are in that class."
"What do you have second?" Sawyer questions and we all spend the next ten minutes talking about who's in my classes and who's not.
Second period I have History, consisting of just Summer and me. Then in AP Biology, it's Sawyer, Teagan, and Bea. We all have lunch together because each grade has the same lunch group, so at least I have people I can sit with.
Sawyer and I are the only ones in fifth period PE and then in French, it's Eris and I. Second last, in my favorite class, Art, it's Teagan and me. After that, it's the last period and Eris, Summer, and Sawyer are in my class. Meaning, that I'm not alone in any of my classes, luckily.
"Do you play any sports?" Sawyer asks, still in her athletic wear, I smile at her.
"Yeah, athletics is kinda my thing. I'm a high jumper and I did cross-country in my last school." I inform her and the rest of the girls.
"Awesome," Summer exclaims, "Sawyer and I are going to tryouts tomorrow after school if you wanna come?" I nod happily to the bubbly girl as she finishes, excitedly grinning at me.
After a few more minutes of catching up with the girls, Kat calls us all to dinner, the table already being set.
We begin to dig in, the girls making conversation, trying their best to get to know me. As the night goes on, Kat and her family, as well as my roommates, help me feel comfortable in this new place.
By the time we have to head to bed, I feel a weight of pure relief lift from my shoulders, happy to say that I think I could like it here.
❀❀❀
sorry for the delay
went out last night to celebrate
the start of summer
hope you enjoyed