Chapter Three

The two months passed in a busy manner. Since I had never been to school before, Sarah and Daniel fussed over me, making sure everything was fine; from the size of my uniforms to how strong my pencil lead was. Sarah tutored me a little when we stayed home alone. She helped me with my history and sciences, and taught me how to better my handwriting. In mathematics she said I didn’t need help, because living in the streets stealing for a living requires an awful lot of math. On the weekends, Daniel would take me to the backyard to teach me how to play tennis. After a while, he would sit down and make Sarah play me. They were both really good, and I could never beat either of them, although I think they sometimes went easy on me.
By the end of August, I had been so immersed in my new family that I almost forgot who I really was. I sometimes felt as if I had always been Lily Edwards, and not just plain old Lily. But then I would remember what the dagger symbolized, and I had to pull myself from those fantasies.
In September, the weather became breezy and cool, and beautifully colored leaves fell from the tree outside like rain. But aside from this beauty finally came the concept of school. On the night before the 2nd, Sarah and Daniel threw a small going away party for the three of us. There was much crying and hugging on Sarah’s and my part, but Daniel, I think to spare himself the shame of crying, instead cooked dinner.
The next day, at five in the morning, I was already dressed and showered, with my trunk packed and going downstairs for a quick breakfast. I was carefully dressed in my crisp new uniform. The blue plaid skirt was neatly pressed and the white blouse was free of any creases, the school emblem clean. My now long hair was loose and straight, a blue hair band around my head. Sarah said I looked beautiful, I thought I looked obsessive.
Sarah and Daniel were rushing. She was looking tearfully for her car keys while he ate as fast as he could. I sat down at my plate and ate as fast as I dared, still careful to keep my uniform clean.
Ten minutes later, my trunk had been lifted into the car, and we left. Celeste Academy was a fair distance away, at least a two hour drive, and every moment, my excitement mounted higher. After a long uneventful time, Daniel pointed it out.
The entrance was an old building, large and castle-like. On the sides were long stretches of buildings, and I supposed those were the dormitories. I couldn’t see anything beyond, but I could see that the grounds were well taken care of; with it’s neatly kept laws and trimmed flowerbeds. There was a courtyard where several cars were parked. Many families were clustered around their children, who were making their way up the steps toward the entrance. Daniel parked the car and quickly got out. Sarah followed suit, and I was last, deliberately slowing them down.
“Get the trunk, Daniel. She’ll be late!” Sarah said wringing her hands in worry.
“Don’t worry, Sarah, we’re on time.”
Daniel pulled out my trunk and proceeded to carry it toward the doors, Sarah and I following behind. I couldn’t help but be excited as the looming doors got closer. All around me were people in the same uniform I was wearing, most of them hurrying to find their friends, others hanging back uncertain.
Finally, Daniel reached the entrance and put my trunk down next to the others; they would be taken up to our dormitories later. Then he turned to face us, smiling sadly.
“Well Lily, I guess we’ll see you at Christmas. We’ll write to you every week okay?” he said. I gave him a quick hug and turned to say goodbye to Sarah. She had tears in her eyes, but she kept her voice steady when she spoke.
“I want to give you something,” she whispered. She pulled something out of her pocket and placed it in my hand. It was a silver necklace, with a shining white flower as the charm. Sarah took it from my hand, undid the clasp, and put it around my neck. I couldn’t say anything; I was too surprised.
“It’s so you remember us, okay?”
I nodded, and then unable to take it, I threw myself upon her into a strong hug. She hugged back even tighter, as if unwilling to let go, until Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Come now, time to go,” he said.
“Well then, goodbye,” she said smiling.
“Goodbye,” I whispered back, and turned to join the throng of students making their way inside.

The school was quite beautiful, I noticed as all the freshmen lined up for the first day tour. It was a middle and high school, but the middle school’s classes were taken separately from ours. I was quite alone; nobody seemed to notice me as I lined up behind a pretty girl talking with her friends. I didn’t really mind, so I kept myself busy by looking at the architecture of the school. I was looking interestedly at a nice vase to my right when my last name jumped out at me.
“-Edwards adopted some urchin off the street. I used to have respect for Captain Edwards, but not since then,” the girl in front of me was saying in dislike.
“I heard she was a thief, my mother said she was in jail when he found her,” another girl said.
“And Sarah Edwards, agreeing to it! It’s an outrage; I had always believed she was a woman of class,” another girl added. I suddenly felt sick. What would they do if they found out I was the girl they were talking about?
Luckily, a middle school girl passed them just then, and the three girls turned to her.
“Hey Ayden!” the one who spoke first jeered. “I heard that Damian cut nearly all his hair off. Do you still like him now?” they laughed.
The girl turned slightly pink but jeered back.
“Well, you talk Marella; I heard that Travis is flirting with Jessica. How does it feel to be dumped so easily?” she laughed at Marella’s look of horror and walked on to join her friends.
The girl called Marella quickly set off down the line, probably looking for the boy called Travis. Her friends trailed behind her, looking like little children following their mother.
Soon after that, the guide arrived and we began the tour. The tour was really only for the newest students, like me, but all freshmen were required to take it. We were shown where the boys’ and girls’ dormitories were, where the dining hall was, and where the freshmen classes took place. It took nearly all day to navigate the palace like school, and most of the afternoon to show us the grounds. By the time we returned to the dining hall, we were starving, only having eaten breakfast.
The dining hall was very large. Students sat by year, so there were seven very long tables facing a large glass stained window depicting the school crest, the crescent moon at dawn. Three large chandeliers flooded the hall with light, and it would’ve been quite nice had I not been forced to eat alone.
At the end of the meal, the Headmistress, Ms. Paranell, came up to each of the tables to take attendance and assign dormitories. It took her nearly an hour to sort out each of the middle school years, but finally she reached the freshman table. She began in alphabetical order, so my name would take a little bit.
She began with Janice Aaron, all the way down to Kevin Asern in twenty minutes. The rest took a while, but I did jump when I heard Marella Damena’s name, followed by-
“Travis Deasena, room 85, boys’ corridor.”
The boy that was addressed stood up and my heart started thumping. He was tall, with a shock of white hair which I had a feeling had been dyed. His eyes were very light brown, almost hazel, and his uniform complimented him. I saw Marella giggle as he joined her going upstairs and my heart seemed to momentarily stop. I forced myself to look back at the headmistress.
She was now calling for a Samantha Durnet, and as soon as the girl stood up, she began on the E’s. Sadly, I was the first E.
“Lily Edwards, room 89, girls’ corridor.”
Most of the students stared at me, and I could feel my face becoming hot. Whispers began to spread throughout the table, and I could see Marella’s two friends snickering at me. I walked as fast as I dared toward the staircase, but I could still hear those cruel whispers from the dining hall following me.

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