Silent World

by Natalie Warren

  "Not happy with them?" Elaise guessed as they put her stuff with Raven's.

  "I hate them, I really do," Raven grumbled.

  Elaise hugged her warmly. "Just think, tomorrow we'll be at White Grass and everything will be fine."

  They both groaned as they were called back downstairs and they found the four adults sitting at the kitchen table with papers sitting in the middle. "I hope you both know what you're doing," Elizabeth raised her chin. "Let's also hope White Grass can straighten you out. When you come back, you should be respectful young ladies."

  "And you won't be such a snob?" Raven said before she could stop herself. Elaise was forced not to choke on laughter as her mother's mouth fell open.

  "What did you just say?!" Elizabeth snarled but Raven rolled her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to deal with their attitude.

  "You need to change your tone, miss," Jon muttered to her.

  "And you need to stop talking to me like you're my father!" Raven shot back at him.

  Lorna quickly did her best to calm everyone and she held out a brochure for the two girls to read. The blonde took it and looked at it, seeing the name of the school at the top. Elaise looked over her shoulder as Raven flicked through the pages and looked at the pictures of the school. It was huge, with several large buildings for the classrooms and dorms… Raven saw pictures of the inside with a library, dining hall and even a swimming pool on the outside. She spotted a list of elective classes to participate in.

  "We need the two of you to pick three elective classes so we can fax them over to the school," Lorna told them. "That way, your schedules will be ready when you get there." She held out two more sheets of paper that already had the girls' names on them. English, Math, Physical Education, Science and History were the mandatory classes with three blank spaces underneath for the electives.

  Elaise gently took the brochure from Raven and read over the classes, politely asking for a pen. Jon gave her one and Raven wasn't surprised when Elaise wrote down Engineering, Dance and Information Technology. When the pen was handed to Raven, she tried to think of what electives she wanted to do. There was just so many choices, she didn't know what to choose!

  "You should definitely pick Music as one of them," Elaise suggested with a smile.

  Raven nodded and wrote it down before deciding on Art and Home Economics. She liked cooking and hoped that the class had enough room for her. Surely with a school as big as White Grass, there would be several open spots. Raven just hoped there was a chance she could at least share some of her mandatory classes with her friend.

  The girls handed the papers back to Lorna and she went straight to the study to fax them over to the academy. Raven looked at the brochure again and smiled when she saw another picture. "It has a church."

  "Really?" Elaise gasped, looking at the page. "That's incredible!"

  "It is a good school," Adrian said to them. "You'd better not mess up. If you can't get your lives on track there, you'll never make it in the adult world."

  "Says you," Raven retorted.

  "Come on," Elaise grabbed her arm and dragged her back upstairs. They sat down on the beds and Raven cuddled her teddy, letting her chin rest on its head.

  "I just want to be out of here already," Raven sighed. "White Grass actually sounds pretty cool."

  "I know what you mean," Elaise giggled. "I'm so excited!"

  They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and making jokes about the consequences Erik and Sam would have to face. It wasn't long before it was dark and the two girls were called down for dinner. Elizabeth and Adrian said their goodbyes to their daughter and Raven watched them go, catching Elizabeth's sneer.

  They ate with Raven's parents and Elaise made sure she complimented Lorna's awful cooking, although pasta bake was far from her favorite food. Raven had to bite her tongue to stop her complaints and regretfully ate in silence.

  After dinner, the girls washed the dishes and said goodnight to Lorna and Jon, going back up to Raven's room and settling down for sleep. Raven put Rover on the bedside table and curled up under her blanket.

  Elaise was asleep almost instantly, but Raven found that she could barely sleep. She was trying to imagine how things would be at White Grass. Would she be found? She was going to spend the next five years at the academy, which would pretty much be her new home. Would the students be friendly or mean? Either way, Raven had a chance to make new friends and she probably could be able to get her life on track. Without anyone knowing her old reputation, she might not get picked on. But then again, she thought, she would always be picked on about her appearance. There would always be the 'hot' girls that would be quick to shun her and degrade her.

  She slowly drifted off to sleep as she thought more and more about the academy, and before she knew it, her morning alarm was ringing in her ears, snapping her awake.

  "Turn it off!" Elaise complained, sitting up and covering her ears as though the sound was bursting her eardrums.

  "Merr," Raven muffled as she reached her hands across, slamming it down on her alarm clock. She lifted her head and saw '7:30am' displayed in big red letters. She yawned and sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes as Elaise recovered from the rude awakening.

  With a knock at the door, Lorna walked in with a smile. "Rise and shine, girls! Time to get up and get ready to go. Breakfast will be on the table."

  Raven blinked as her mother shut the door and she heard the woman almost skipping down the hall. "She's never so cheerful to wake me up." Was her mother that eager to get rid of her?

  The two girls groaned as they forced themselves out of bed and they trudged downstairs for breakfast, eating slowly as their grogginess refused to leave them. They both drank a cup of coffee to help them wake up and they washed the dishes. With new energy, they dashed back upstairs to brush their teeth and prepare themselves. Raven brushed her hair and applied her make-up in the bathroom as Elaise got dressed in the bedroom. They switched over and Raven changed into black mini-shorts with a white tank top. She clipped her silver necklace around her neck and pulled her knee-high black boots on, packing her pajamas, a pillow and her blanket into one of her bags. Elaise returned wearing a black mini-skirt decorated with white skulls, and a red, strapless shirt. She bounced around in her black sandals and Raven noticed that her friend wore an anklet that she had dipped in holy water, along with her cross necklace hanging from her neck.

  "Let's get our stuff into the car," Raven suggest and it took them three trips to get their bags and Elaise's trunk into the boot of the car, having to put two bags on the back seat between them.

  Lorna and Jon were cheerful as they all got into the car and Raven's stepdad drove off. It wasn't long before they left the town and Jon explained that White Grass was an hour away. Raven couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness when they left town and got onto the highway. She would have at least liked to say goodbye to their friends, but it was too late for that.

  She looked out the window and watched the trees zoom past. Mile by mile, she found herself dozing off again and sleep tried to pull her into its grasp. She was snapped awake again when Elaise shook her excitedly.

  "Raven, we're here!"

  Raven blinked and realized the car had pulled to a stop. Lorna and Jon were already out of the car to unload the bags and Raven sighed, getting out of the car and grabbing the bags that had been beside her. The bags and Elaise's trunk were put onto the ground and the girls quickly said goodbye to the adults.

  "Be good, please," Lorna sighed as she hugged her daughter. "I just want you to reach your full potential."

  "I'll try," Raven promised, shaking Jon's hand in goodbye. Her parents got back into the car and drove off, leaving the two girls to turn and face the school. "Oh, dear God…"

  "It's bigger than I thought," Elaise frowned as they stared up at the huge silver gates. "How are we going to find our way to administration?"

  "We're just going to have to guess," Raven murmured and picked up her bags, gaspi
ng from the weight. Elaise stacked her bags on her trunk and was thankful it had wheels as she dragged it, taking one bag from Raven to help her. They made their way through the gates and into the school, glancing around at students who were making their way to their classrooms.

  "Hey, there's some new girls!" called a male's voice and Raven saw a group of boys with their noses in the air. She blinked with confusion but Elaise led her through the school, entering the building at the front. They walked down the hallway and Raven was aware of being watched by the students. She felt her skin prickle with discomfort and she kept her head low. Were they judging the two girls?

  "Wow," Elaise muttered and stopped at the door of a classroom. Raven peeked in through the open door and her mouth flew wide. The classroom was empty with wooden floors, and an elderly man dressed in white robes held his arms up in defense, ready for an attack. But what caught Raven's eye was the other body in the room.

  It was a boy, almost six feet tall with jet black hair, stunning emerald eyes and nicely tanned skin. He wore nothing but black sweatpants, his shirt tossed aside where his shoes and bag were sitting at the edge of the room. His muscles rippled smoothly under his skin and Raven saw the glimmer of sweat that covered his body, dripping from his hair.

  "Focus!" the elderly man snapped at the boy. "You'll never learn control otherwise!"

  The boy snarled at him and attacked him, throwing a series of kicks and punches with anger shining in his eyes. Each attack was easily blocked and Raven found it difficult to drag her eyes away. The boy was letting out all of his aggression, but wasn't getting anywhere. With a fast roundhouse kick from the older man, the boy was smacked in the chin and knocked backwards, his head hitting the solid wall and he slid to the floor.

  "Do you think he's okay?" Raven asked worriedly, wanting to rush in and check on him.

  "He's fine," Elaise assured her and they moved on, finding administration easier than they thought.

  "You must be the new girls," the woman at the counter smiled when she saw them enter. "I have all of your papers ready for you. Your dorm is room number three hundred and ninety-seven, and I'll assign someone to take your bags up." She gave them a key each and pushed two piles of six, heavy text books across the desk; one pile for each of them. "Here are your books that you will need for your studies and your schedules will be brought up with your bags. Your first classes can start after lunch. Good luck, girls."

  "Thank you," Elaise said nervously as they both took the books. Raven almost dropped them right away, but mustered just enough strength to hold them. They abandoned their bags and walked back out into the hallway. Raven struggled to see past the books and she prayed she wouldn't walk into any walls. The last thing she wanted was to crash and have all the students remember her as 'the clumsy new girl'.

  "I wonder if there'll be any other girls in our dorm," Elaise voiced her thoughts. "We could make new friends right away!"

  Raven nodded in agreement. She just hoped that if they did share a room with any other girls, they wouldn't be total snobs and set up personal space rules to keep Raven and Elaise away from them. That would be a complete nightmare!

  Her thoughts were cut short as she suddenly crashed into something and her books tumbled out of her hands as the force knocked her backwards.

  Making Friends

  3. Making friends

  Someone grabbed Raven's elbow and ceased her fall, quickly pulling her back to her feet. When she was stable, her elbow was released.

  "Shit, sorry!" came a male's voice and Raven glanced at Elaise before slowly looking up. She had to stop her jaw from dropping as her eyes rested on the boy that had been fighting in the other room. His hair still dripped with sweat, but he was wearing a white shirt with his bag and a towel swung over his shoulder. He no longer looked as scary and aggressive as he did before, but Raven felt her heart racing when she took in just how amazingly his emerald eyes beamed. They shone like the beautiful gems themselves and Raven couldn't look away.

  "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice silky smooth that sent shivers up her spine.

  "Um…" she struggled to find her voice as she gazed at the boy.

  "She's fine," Elaise assured him and Raven finally noticed another boy that stood beside her friend. He was almost the same height as Raven's savior, but he had sandy blond hair and chocolate brown eyes. He wore dark blue jeans and a black singlet shirt, a bag over his shoulders.

  "Yeah," Raven quickly shook herself and looked up at the green-eyed boy. "Sorry, I couldn't see where I was going. That was my fault."

  "It's fine," he smiled, revealing his pearly white teeth and Raven had to stop herself from melting into the floor. "I should have reacted a bit quicker."

  "I doubt that would have been possible," she mumbled but suddenly remembered her books. She bent down to pick them up and her savior knelt in front of her, helping her collect them. He took most of them from her hands and she smiled her thanks.

  "Would you like help with your books too?" the blond boy asked Elaise and she was quick to give him all of her books except one.

  "Thanks," the brunette grinned. "Who knew a boarding school would harbor gentlemen?"

  "So, you're both new here?" her new helper questioned.

  "Can't you tell?" Elaise giggled.

  The blond boy chuckled and bowed his head respectfully. "My name is Derrick, but everyone just calls me Der. This is my friend, Jason." He gestured to the black haired boy and Raven blinked up at him.

  "We saw you earlier," Raven murmured to Jason and he turned to her. "With that old man…"

  He grinned but shrugged his broad shoulders. "That was my Martial Arts class."

  Elaise was suddenly bouncing in place. "I'm Elaise! My clumsy friend is Raven," she stepped beside the blonde girl and gently elbowed her in the ribs. "Our parents dumped us here not even half an hour ago."

  "Sounds like another pair to straighten out," Der winked but laughed as Elaise narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't worry, the school isn't as strict as the outside world suggests. It's actually a lot of fun, and right next door to a large forest!"

  "What room are you girls in?" Jason asked. "We'll take you there."

  "Three hundred and ninety-seven," Raven recited and the boys immediately led them away.

  The girls rushed to catch up with them and Elaise skipped ahead. Raven found herself almost having to power walk to try and match the pace of the boys. Jason seemed to notice and he slowed down for her. "You didn't get hurt, did you?" he asked her quietly.

  "No, I'm fine," she offered a small smile, doing her best to hide her crooked teeth. "Thanks for catching me."

  He smirked. "At least my reactions were fast enough for that."

  They walked around the school and took the elevator instead of having to take the stairs all the way up to the Girl's Dormitories. Elaise was fascinated with everything she passed and Raven stayed close to Jason in case she fell behind and got lost. She was at least glad they had help to find their way.

  "Here it is," Der announced as they found an oak door with the numbers '397' written in gold at the top.

  Elaise took her key from her pocket and unlocked the door, rushing in to inspect the room. The boys waited for Raven to follow and walked in after her, putting the books on the bench of the little kitchen to the right. Directly in front of them was a small living room with a flat-screen television and two three-seater, beige couches with a fuzzy rug. For a boarding school, the dorms were done up quite nicely.

  "Why do we have a kitchen?" Raven blinked, staring at the silver fridge. There was also a small chest freezer and a microwave on the bench a little further away. Raven spotted a dishwasher and an oven. She inspected the cupboards and found a bunch of cups, plates, bowls and cutlery. Didn't the brochure say there was a dining hall?

  "It's just for drinks and snacks that you'd like to keep up here," Der explained. "Breakfast and dinner is in the main hall directly below us at the bottom floor. Breakfast is at seven-thirty and dinn
er is at six. Lunch is available on both breaks between classes too."

  Raven nodded and looked around the dorm, finding four small bedrooms with double beds, wardrobes, bookshelves and desks. Each room also had its own bathroom, but Raven was disappointed when she realized there was no one else staying in the dorm.

  Elaise skipped out of one of the rooms with a smile. "It's all to ourselves! Which room do you want, Rich?"

  "The best one has a view of the forest," Jason told them.

  Raven frowned and caught Elaise's eye. "I… I think I'll pass on that one."

  "That's okay," Elaise shrugged. "I'll take it!"

  Jason and Der exchanged glances but let it go. "Anyway, we have to get to class since we're a little late," Jason half smiled. "We'll see you girls later?"

  "Sure," Elaise nodded and the boys took their leave. Raven took a deep breath and inspected the other three rooms, picking the one beside Elaise's that faced the rest of the school with the courtyard and the basketballs courts. She eyed the swimming pool that wasn't too much further away and recoiled, but she went and collected her books from the bench. She took three trips to put them all in her room and she arranged them on her new bookshelf.