Dark Haven Academy

CHAPTER FOUR - MISS J

Treat yourself like a queen and you'll attract a king.

Morning couldn’t have arrived at a sooner time for me, I had tossed and turned for the duration of the night allowing me to be awake long before my alarm clock. My unusual but punctual wake allowed me to slack off until I was early no more but seriously late. the school was alive with girls all kinds of girls really some helping me find my way, some pushing me away as gracefully as they could of course while others paying me no particular attention. I didn’t mind at all; I was scrambling to get to block D as quickly as I could.

When fate decided to shine a light upon me, I soon realised that block D was basically a beauty centre of some sort. Each floor holding a different section of interest ranging from uniforms, to spa treatment to god knows what. I needed to find the admission instructor.

"Late on your first day, miss silver?" a shrill voice interrupted pulling me out of my dazed reverie. I came face to face with a woman who looked like she wouldn’t smile for a million pounds. I vaguely remember mumbling an incoherent apology whilst panting from all the running but I was simply waved off as she beckoned me to follow her.

"Lucy dear, the new student here needs to be ready for her assessment before twelve." the scary lady said to what seemed like the head of the entire plaza. I shrunk back visibly as the lady gave me a look over and smiled coyly placing her arm around my shoulder whilst possibly leading me to my death.

Approximately three hours had gone by before i was allowed to leave, I had gone through an extreme makeover: human edition and I currently sported some sort of foreign, alien look. My mood was currently fluctuating seeing as i had been in the company of the instructor who was yet to introduce herself repeatedly stating how my performance in my assessment was very important and how failing could possibly put me at the bottom of my year. I had no gift for patience and yet I smiled politely every time she made such comment with my hair being pulled in every direction. My mum would be so proud.

My uniform was something else. There was a store set aside for uniforms but of course one didn’t have to pay. I was shown many different alternatives than what I originally thought was the uniform. A specifically customised high waist skirt was compulsory, so I went with a navy blue one rather than the standard plaid. New students like me had to wear the grey or black sweater that came with it as with higher rank came more freedom on what to wear.

I had to dress quickly though, the teacher began to grow impatient and I hurriedly ran after her pulling on my black pumps in the process as she led me to a part of the school I would never have thought existed.

The classroom was ancient as far off from the high-tech the rest of this place has. It had been seemingly abandoned for a while now or so I was informed when I was left here by the teacher. I placed my hand on the edge of the table tapping continuously.

"Could you stop doing that? It’s extremely annoying." Said a voice behind me. i turned around to see the unnoticed intruder sprawled on a chair absentmindedly staring at the window.

"I never heard a please?" i replied secretly delighted to have company after nearly half an hour even if the company would be a moody smoker.

"What are you even doing here?" i ask once I see that he has no plans of replying. He taps out the lit bottom of his cigarette against the edge of his table and I wrinkle my nose in disgust when I accidentally inhale some of the poison. He was far too young to mess up his life this way.

“You’re staring.” He says suddenly and I blink twice in an attempt to draw my eyes away from him. He was quite the attractive man. I feel embarrassed for my awkward behaviour but he smiles reassuringly. Then I ask him a question.

An hour goes by before I regain my senses. Mystery boy has kept me entertained for the duration of the time and has me cracking up over the slightest of things. According to him, his mother works here-albeit as a teacher- and his plan is to escape this hole any chance he gets.

“Come with me.” he says all of a sudden.

“Me?” I ask puzzled and he nods his head.

“Where?” I inquire actually contemplating his offer.

“Away from here.” He replies shrugging his shoulders. I don’t believe my ears, I only just met him and he wants to take me ‘away’. It was flattering and exhilarating and so much more to say the least. He made everything sound so easy, like one could just disappear from the face of the planet if only they were with him. I stared at him for a moment pondering why he would take such interest in me. I was just a girl – not even a pretty one– what was his ulterior motive? Most people had one.

Then it hit me.

His smile was too sweet – his hair too messy. Of course this would happen, it was dark haven academy and I could’ve laughed in that moment as he stared back at me, puzzled. I heaved a sigh and stood up disappointed in myself. For once, my lack of self-esteem had aided me rather than the opposite. I headed to the door, pushed it open and unsurprisingly there stood the instructor.

“Here’s your card back.” She said pressing my room card back into my hands. How did she get it? And why was it with her?

“That wasn’t funny.” I deadpanned. They shouldn’t play with someone’s feelings like that. Who was the boy anyways? Was anything he said real? Why would I even care?

“Just so you know the headmistress’ son is off limits to you and every other student here, please don’t go looking for him.” she replies and I turn to look back into the class room searching to see where mystery bo- I mean the headmistress’ son was. But the sly bastard had disappeared. The instructor should have also have mentioned that he was a bloody vampire.

“Congratulations, you’ll be staying.” She said patting me on the back.

“Why did you have my key anyways?” I ask finally wondering if I had misplaced it somewhere.

“Let’s just say that not all students need it anymore once the assessments are done.” She concludes naturally and I dread to think the embarrassment of any girl who takes pretty boy up on his offer. I excuse myself politely in hopes of returning to my dorm where I could privately vent to myself.

“Call me Miss J.” she slowly says.

I turn quickly to ask her exactly what she means. Was that her full name or an abbreviation of some sort? Surely ‘J’ was short for something and I was sure she’d be married. But when I do turn to address all these question seeing as calling her “the instructor” wasn’t exactly polite, she was nowhere in sight and all that was left to show that miss J was ever here was the lingering sent of a high street perfume.

Bloody vampires.