Everly Academy

by V. B. Marlowe

Mrs. Dillinger was quiet for a moment. “So, this mysterious woman is coming in a day to pick you up. You’re breaking your apartment lease. You can’t give us the name of the school, an address, or a phone number for it. What are we supposed to do when something happens to you?”

  When? That sounded so definite. Why couldn’t there be an if? Her mother always had to expect the worst.

  “Nothing is going to happen to me, and you can always call my cell.”

  Mrs. Dillinger paused before taking on a more sympathetic tone. “Is this because of them?”

  By them, Molly knew good and well that her mother was referring to Clay and Jessica, and they were the last thing she wanted to talk about. “Mom . . .”

  “It’s quite normal for people to make drastic, foolish decisions when they’re in the middle of a crisis. But darling, you can’t throw your life away over a person whose goal in life is to be in a boy band. He’s a grown man, for heaven’s sake. And that Jessica, I’ve always told you that girl was bad news.”

  Yes, she had. Jessica had been Molly’s best friend since the sixth grade. Jessica was the only one who talked to Molly on her first day of junior high. Molly had been terrified of starting at a brand-new school with no friends, but Jessica made everything better. Since that day, the two had been inseparable. When Clay brought up the idea of proposing, Molly and Jessica had even talked about Jessica being the maid of honor. Molly had never felt more stupid.

  “This has nothing to do with them.” Maybe it did a little. Molly felt the need to get as far away from Clay and Jessica as possible. They shared mutual friends, all of whom Molly had avoided since the treachery had been discovered. Everyone knew what had happened, and she was too embarrassed to look any of them in the eye. She dreaded the day she would come across the two of them together.

  Molly heard her mother tapping away on her keyboard. “I still can’t believe you mutilated yourself that way.”

  Molly groaned and rubbed her eyes. “Mutilated? Really, Mother. You’re acting like I’ve pierced every part of my body and covered myself in tattoos. It’s a haircut.”

  The tapping on the keyboard stopped. “When you were younger, people were always complimenting you on how beautiful your hair was. Do you remember that?”

  “It’s just hair. It grows back.”

  Molly looked around the room, feeling completely overwhelmed by all the things she had left to pack, and her bedroom was the easy part. She was unfortunately going to have to leave her furniture behind, but on a positive note, she didn’t have much furniture in her studio apartment to begin with. “Mom, I have a lot to do. I really must go. I’ll give you a call later.”

  “But—” Mrs. Dillinger protested. Molly pretended not to hear her and hung up. She looked down at her phone guiltily. Her mother drove her crazy, but she meant well. Mrs. Dillinger only wanted the best for Molly, but unfortunately they never could agree on what “the best” meant. To her mother that meant marrying well, making a great living, and climbing up the social ladder. Molly, on the other hand, just wanted to be happy doing what she loved, and she was sure that would lead her to the other things.

  Molly had a missed call and voicemail message from Denise Laughton. Denise was a professor at UCLA who had been Molly’s supervising teacher during her internship. She’d told Molly to call her right away and let her know what had happened at the job fair. Molly had wanted to tell Denise her good news, but she was too embarrassed to share the fact that she had accepted a job knowing so few details. She didn’t want Denise thinking she was an idiot. Molly figured that once she arrived at the academy and knew more about her job, she’d give Denise a call to tell her everything.

  Molly spent the rest of the night wondering if she were making a stupid decision and packing up all her belongings for no good reason. What if the old lady in the garden had just been playing games with Molly? She’d still be jobless but now she would be homeless too. She might not be able to find another place that was nice and affordable. Still, the job Ms. Beatrix had described sounded like a dream and something she would love. The chance to live on a beautiful estate while teaching amazing girls and not being confined to a specific curriculum or state budget cuts. Even if it turned out to be a farce, it was worth a shot.

  Sunday morning, Molly parked herself on her living room couch, staring at a pile of boxes. Her brother had promised to come by and put them into storage for her. That was one thing she loved about her big brother—he was always there when she needed him. Carson hadn’t asked her a million questions about her new position either. He’d simply congratulated her and wished her luck.

  Molly eyed her swollen suitcases, picturing the outfit she had chosen for her first day of teaching. She wasn’t sure what to wear but figured that working with such high-profile students at a fancy school, it should be dressy. She’d chosen a black pencil skirt that ended just above her knees, a beige button-down blouse, and gold heels.

  Molly stared at the stark white walls of her apartment. She’d always had an overwhelming desire to paint them a nice shade of lavender, but never did since she’d only have to paint them back when it was time for her to move out.

  Luis, her landlord, emerged from the bathroom, checking things off on his clipboard. “All right, Molly, everything looks good.”

  “Perfect.”

  “You should get your deposit back within the next five business days.” He slid his pen behind his ear and sighed. “You sure you want to do this? Just packing up and leaving with such short notice?”

  Luis was short and round with a mop of dark hair. He and Molly had become very friendly over the past year, so Molly knew the question was coming from a place of concern rather than one of judgement. “I know it’s sudden, but it sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime. And sometimes we have to take chances, right?”

  Luis shrugged. “I guess. I’m going to miss you, though. Good tenants and friends are hard to come by.”

  The two of them had spent many of Molly’s unemployed mornings talking about life over hot cups of coffee. Molly would have put on a pot right then if her coffee maker hadn’t been packed away. She hoped the school had a good one because she was nothing in the morning without her coffee.

  “I’m going to miss you too, Luis.”

  He glanced at his watch as he took a seat on one of Molly’s boxes. Carson would be coming to pick up her belongings the following evening. “When are you supposed to be leaving?”

  A knot formed in Molly’s stomach at the question. Ms. Beatrix had sent a text that she would be coming for her at five that evening, and the time was now 5:32. The last thing Molly wanted to hear was I told you so from her mother, so she hoped the headmistress was just running a bit late. She’d thought about traffic being bad, but Sunday evening was when traffic was at its best. Maybe there had been an accident. Molly couldn’t stay still as she paced back and forth, wringing her hands. Her mind was crowded with doubts she couldn’t push away.

  Luis brought up something he had heard on the news earlier that day—a report about a lady in Florida finding an alligator in her pool, probably to keep Molly’s mind off the fact that she was possibly being stood up. Even though his efforts weren’t working, Molly appreciated the effort.

  At 6:02, her cell phone rang. Luis stopped mid-sentence so Molly could answer. “Hello?”

  “Hello, dear.” It was the smooth calming voice of Ms. Beatrix. Molly’s heart leapt. “Sorry for the tardiness, but there was an issue I had to deal with back at the estate.”

  “Oh, I hope everything’s okay.”

  “Everything’s fine, dear. What’s your apartment number? Randolph will come up and bring your things down.”

  “Awesome. I’m in apartment 2D.”

  “Okay. See you in a few,” Ms. Beatrix said before hanging up.

  Molly stood and adjusted her clothing. Even though she was expected to be dressed casually, she still wanted to make a good second impression for Ms. Beatrix and first impression for the gi
rls at the school. She wore a pair of black slacks, black ballet flats with little bows at the toe, and a black-and-white polka-dot shirt. “They’re here,” Molly told Luis. “She’s sending someone up to help bring my things down to the car.”

  Just then there was a knock on the door. Molly opened it to reveal a tiny man wearing a maroon chauffeur’s uniform and a hat. His entire outfit was outlined in gold trim. The man bowed slightly. “Good evening, Ms. Dillinger. Randolph McCallister at your service. I am here to carry your belongings down to the car.”

  Molly was startled by how proper and formal he was. This was something she was going to have to get used to if she were going to be working at such an elegant place. Despite all the etiquette classes she had been forced to take, Molly was sure she would stick out like a sore thumb. “Hello, Randolph. It’s a pleasure to meet you. And please, call me Molly.” Molly stepped out of the doorway and waved her hand over her apartment. “Everything I’m taking with me is right there in the corner.”

  Randolph stepped in, nodded to Luis, and grabbed two of Molly’s suitcases. “I’ll be right back for the rest,” he said as he headed out the door.

  Luis stood and stretched. “Well, look at that. This is actually happening. I guess I’ll help him take something down.”

  Luis grabbed one of the bigger boxes while Molly tried to balance two of the smaller ones, which proved to be a challenge to carry down the stairs. When Molly reached the parking lot, she had to blink twice. She had expected to see some sort of expensive car, but not the vehicle that sat there. A black-and-gold motorized stagecoach with a seat in the front for the driver.

  The stagecoach was cream colored with gold trim running along the bottom edges. The tires were huge, causing the vehicle to sit well above the ground. It was entirely closed in, including the front part for the driver.

  Luis whistled. “Never seen one of these before, at least not in real life.” Neither had Molly. It looked like something one would find in the modern-day version of Cinderella.

  Randolph took the boxes from them and loaded them into the back with the others. He held the door open for Molly. Ms. Beatrix, who’d been waiting inside, smiled brightly. “Why, hello, Ms. Dillinger. It’s lovely to see you again.”

  “You too, Ms. Beatrix.”

  “Please, call me Bea.”

  Molly nodded, then she turned to Luis and wrapped her arms around him. “Thanks for everything, Lu. I really appreciate it.” She kissed him on the cheek, not forgetting all the times he had accepted late rent from her during the times she was short on cash and couldn’t bear the thought of asking her parents for a loan.

  Luis took her hands and squeezed them. “I’m going to miss you. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but you’ve always been my favorite tenant. Take care of yourself and keep in touch.”

  “I will. Bye, Lu.”

  Randolph helped Molly climb up, and she slid onto the seat beside Ms. Beatrix. Randolph closed the door and hurried back upstairs to grab the remainder of Molly’s belongings.

  Ms. Bea gestured to a small table in front of them. “Help yourself, dear.” On the table sat a beautiful silver teapot and a silver dome. Molly removed the cover. Underneath was an assortment of beautiful cookies and pastries. Some of the cookies were shaped like tiny castles, lined with pink, yellow, or sky-blue icing. The pastries were packed with delicious-looking peach, cherry, and blueberry jellies.

  “Wow, those are gorgeous,” Molly said under her breath. Ms. Bea poured her a cup of tea, and she helped herself to a few multicolored macaroons.

  After everything was loaded, Randolph took his place at the front of the stagecoach. Molly took one last look at her apartment complex as they pulled off. Ms. Bea patted her knee. “From this moment on, your life will never be the same. This is going to be a unique, magical experience for you.”

  Molly nodded, suddenly excited. She needed some magic in her life. “I’m sure it will be.” And they were off.

  3

  The ride was amazingly smooth, and Molly was surprised at how fast the stagecoach moved. She held her cup of tea delicately while staring through the window. “How long will it take to get there?” It had dawned on Molly that she had no idea what town the school was even located in. Since Ms. Bea had found her at the job fair, she assumed it must have been local. She felt stupid for not asking just to be sure. Ms. Bea was typing something on an electric notepad. “Just a couple of hours, dear. We’ll be there in no time.”

  Molly had so many questions she wanted to ask that it was hard to focus on one. “When will I officially start teaching the girls?”

  “Well, we’d like to give you a few days to settle in and to get familiar with the academy and the property. We have plenty of rooms and amenities. I’ll introduce you to the rest of the staff and the help. Everyone is lovely and helpful.” Molly’s mind reeled at the thought of meeting new people. She hoped everyone liked her. Bea went on. “Tomorrow after breakfast, I would like you to meet with all the girls as a group, not for formal lessons, but just to have a discussion so you can introduce yourselves and get to know each other. They really are remarkable young women. They are each so different. You’ll love them.”

  The way Ms. Bea beamed, Molly could tell she loved the girls dearly, and that made her even more eager to meet them. “So, the girls . . .” Molly began, “they live on the premises. How often do they go home? Do they leave on the weekends?”

  Just as Ms. Bea parted her lips to answer Molly’s question, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen. “This is Ms. Halifax, the assistant headmistress. I have to take this.”

  “Of course,” Molly replied. She set her teacup back on the small table and rested her head against the window. Ms. Bea’s end of the conversation consisted of “yes” and “okay,” which wasn’t terribly interesting to Molly. That along with the soothing motion of the stagecoach had lulled Molly into a light sleep.

  The stagecoach took a sharp turn, jostling Molly awake. By then the sky was pitch-black, and she had no idea where they were. According to her phone, it was now 8:08. She looked over at Ms. Bea, who had her nose buried in a book. The woman looked up, met her gaze, and smiled. “We’ll be there soon.” She leaned forward and removed the silver dome that rested on the table. “Sandwiches. They’re delicious.”

  Molly frowned. Under that same dome there had been cookies and pastries just a couple of hours ago. Maybe Bea had replaced the sweets with the sandwiches while Molly slept. She was famished so she took a tiny plate and filled it with the dainty sandwiches.

  Bea wasn’t exaggerating. The sandwiches were some of the best Molly had ever tasted. They were cut into perfect rectangles with no crusts, just the way Molly liked them. Whether the sandwich was tuna, turkey, or egg salad, there was a spread on them that made them taste absolutely delectable.

  Molly was enjoying the last of her sandwiches when the stagecoach hit a bump, almost sending her head to the roof. “What was that?”

  Ms. Bea continued to read as if she hadn’t felt a thing. “Oh, just a little bump. Are you all right?”

  There was no way that had been just a little bump, but Molly nodded. She peered through the window into the darkness. The only light she could see was from the stagecoach and the moon. The road was dark and deserted. Tree branches formed a creepy canopy over them as they rode along.

  “Where are we?” Molly asked.

  “The outskirts of Fairfield. We are lucky to have such seclusion. There isn’t another house for miles.”

  Molly didn’t know if that were a good thing or a bad thing. She’d always liked having friends and neighbors close by who she could chat with on a regular basis, but she guessed for the girls from high-profile families, it was probably necessary.

  “Here we are,” Ms. Bea announced a few moments later. Molly leaned forward to peer through the window. Illuminated in headlights was a massive golden wrought-iron gate. The gate was beautiful, made of intricate swirls and designs. One side of the gate had an E,
and the other side had an A.

  Ms. Bea took Molly’s hand and squeezed it. “Welcome to Everly Academy, Molly Dillinger.”

  “Everly Academy,” Molly muttered under her breath, pleased to finally know the name of the school. She took a deep breath as the gates parted and the stagecoach rumbled along the brick driveway. Although it was dark, there were lights on inside and outside of the house. It was the most extravagant home Molly had ever seen. Estate was an understatement.

  The house was four stories and made of beautiful tan brick. It had steeples and windows that rounded at the top. The place reminded Molly of a castle. “This is gorgeous,” Molly said, not trying to hide the fact that she was in awe.

  Ms. Bea chuckled. “I’m glad you like it, but you haven’t seen anything yet. The interior is even better than the outside.” Molly could believe that. The path turned into a circular driveway. Randolph brought the stagecoach around to the grand double doors. The golden doors were works of art. One pictured a ferocious lion with its mouth open in mid-roar. The other door displayed an equally terrifying bear showing off its sharp teeth.

  “Randolph will deliver your belongings to your room while I show you around,” Ms. Bea said before sliding out.

  Molly nodded as she took a deep breath and stepped out onto the cobblestone driveway. She followed Bea up the short staircase which led to the front doors, almost slipping on the smooth marble tiles. As they approached, both doors swung inward. Molly stepped inside, expecting to see servants holding the doors open, but no one was there. She was about to ask Bea how the doors had opened on their own, but Bea spoke before she could. “Welcome to your new home, Ms. Dillinger. I hope you love it as much as we all do.”

  Molly quickly forgot about the doors opening on their own as she took in the foyer and the sitting room. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. The foyer was open with tall lemon-colored walls filled with antique paintings and art pieces. One painting was of an underwater castle which appeared to be made of coral. The water surrounding the sea castle was a mixture of beautiful aquas and teals. A variety of colorful fish formed an arch above the coral palace. There was another painting of an enormous tower made of bluish-gray brick. Molly thought the artist must have been a genius to be able to capture the height of the tower in such a small area. She felt as if she were standing on the ground looking up at the structure. There was a single window at the top. The tile was shiny and immaculate. Molly bent down and realized that the tiles were decorated with tiny people and that each square was different. She couldn’t even wrap her mind around how much the tiles must have cost.