by C. R. Jane
Dad doesn’t look much happier either. “Are you sure I can’t just drive up a little farther? There wasn’t even a picture of what the school looked like in the brochure and I would feel better if I can at least see where I’m dropping my daughter off,” he says.
The man gives him a withering look. “At Raven Academy we pride ourselves on tradition. Surely you’re not going to jeopardize your daughter’s chance at this school over something silly like dropping her off beyond the gates.”
There’s silence after that. My dad looks torn, nervous about the prospect of me losing my scholarship and him his treatment...but also a little freaked out about dropping me off somewhere that he hasn’t seen.
I decide to just make the decision for him by opening the door. “It will be fine, Dad,” I say with what I hope looks like a reassuring grin.
“Are you sure, Adi?” he asks. I melt a little bit at his use of the nickname he called me as a kid. He hasn’t used it for a while.
“It’ll be fine,” I say softly.
He sighs and gets out of the car, practically pushing aside the creepy guy so that he can be the one to pull my bag out of the trunk.
The man takes the bag with a “humph” and walks to the gate. He seems to have the magic touch since it opens for him with a rusty screech when he stands in front of it. Did he have a gate opener on his clothes or something?
I strain to see if I can find the school now that the gates are open but again, all I can see is thick forest.
I feel like crying.
My dad looks so much older than I remember as he stands there holding my threadbare suitcase. I’m terrified for some reason that this will be the last time I see him even though he’s supposed to be starting his treatment tomorrow.
I take a deep breath, trying to control my tears. I need to be brave for my dad. The last thing he needs to be worrying about is me.
“I love you, Adi. And I’m so proud of you,” he says to me in a choked voice as he pulls me in for a hug. I try and memorize what it feels like to be hugged by him.
I have a feeling that I’m going to need the memory later on.
Our touching moment is interrupted by Mr. Creeper clearing his throat in an annoyed way. Reluctantly I pull away from my dad and brush a kiss across his cheek.
“Talk to you later, Dad,” I say, and take one last long look at him before taking my bag and walking through the gates.
The gates clang shut behind me and it takes everything inside of me not to run towards them and beg my Dad to take me home with him. I listen as the car drives away.
I’m all alone.
I look up when I hear a car approaching from in front of me. To my surprise it’s a shiny, black limousine, the kind that people ride in for prom.
It stops in front of me.
I look questioningly at the gatekeeper who hasn’t uttered a word to me since I walked through the gates. “This is your transport up to the school,” he says, taking my bag and gesturing for me to get in to where the driver has opened up the passenger door for me.
I hesitantly get in the car. The scent of freshly polished leather assaults my nostrils as I slide in. I feel like I’ve been transported to a new world. One where I’m rich all of a sudden. It’s the nicest vehicle I’ve ever been in for sure.
The door closes and I look out the window in alarm. The gatekeeper is still standing by the gates as we begin to drive away. For some reason I thought that he would be coming with me. The creeper you know is better than the one you don’t know as the saying goes…
I take a deep breath to try and calm myself down and stare out the window as we drive. It’s another fifteen minutes before the school comes into view. And when it does…
It’s like something out of a movie.
I feel kind of like I’ve been transported to Europe and I’m about to tour one of those ancient castles in Scotland or Germany. The building is as large as a castle, so big that I can’t see where it ends. The school is made up of a grey stone that is flecked with black and silver. There’s actual towers and turrets all over it. A moat filled with alligators would not look out of place here.
It’s the exact opposite of warm and welcoming, and I wonder, not for the first time, what I’ve gotten myself into.
The driver, a short, middle-aged, balding man opens my door without a word and heads to the trunk to grab my suitcase. I don’t miss the quiver of his nostrils when he picks up my bag. Evidently, he’s offended by it too.
I’m distracted when the giant wooden double doors open up to the building. I’m expecting someone to come out, but definitely not the someone that I see.
He’s the most gorgeous man that I’ve ever seen... and that’s really understating it. He’s the most gorgeous man anyone could ever see.
The man has deep set, emerald colored eyes and wavy dark, chestnut brown hair. He’s wearing a perfectly fitted suit, but that can’t hide the fact that he’s got a body underneath it that probably puts a photoshopped model in a magazine to shame.
I’m so preoccupied with staring at him that I don’t even notice when he talks to me.
“Ms. Jones?” he asks again, and I have to blink a couple of times before I can form words. I can feel a deep flush spreading across my face and chest as I try to remember how to speak English.
The bastard smirks, letting me know that my reaction hasn’t gone unnoticed, and I want to jump back in the limo and hide.
Taking a deep breath, I say, “That’s me.” And then I want to kick myself.
His grin widens.
“Professor London,” he says, holding out a hand for me to shake. “I’ve been sent to be your welcome guide for the day.”
It’s as if a piece of me shrinks. I’ve just met the most beautiful man on earth and he’s a professor. This can’t be real life. I’ve never been as attracted to someone as what I’m feeling at the moment. I immediately start an internal prayer that I won’t have him for my classes. I don’t think I would be capable of rational thought having to see him every day.
He clears his throat and I realize that once again I’ve missed something that he’s said while stuck in my head.
“I’m sorry. This is all a bit overwhelming,” I tell him, trying to cover for the fact that he’s turned me into a blubbering idiot.
“It’s fine. A lot of students are out of sorts when they first arrive here. How was the drive?" he asks politely.
"Long," I respond as he gestures for me to walk through the front doors. They look menacing up close and I can see that there is some kind of dragon looking figure carved into the heavy wooden doors.
“I thought that the mascot was a raven,” I say absentmindedly as I study the carving.
“You’ll see that dragons were a favorite of the architects of this place,” he responds, but my mind is already lost in the inside hallway. My jaw drops and it takes everything in me to try and stay cool in the midst of the fact that the inside looks like I’ve been transported to a completely different time. The entryway is several floors high with stairs going up everywhere. Everything inside is made up of the same grey and black stone that makes up the outside. Candles are lit along the hallway making me wonder if anything in the building has been updated. Cool architecture or not, I’m not sure that I can survive without electricity.
"I know it looks a little different in here," Professor London says in an amused voice. "But I'm sure the longer you're here the easier it will be to fall in love with the charm of the campus."
My heart stutters at his use of the word “love.” But then I realize that he also just used the word “campus.”
I look at him questioningly.
"Campus? You mean there's more?"
This time he really does laugh, an amused chuckle that does something to my insides. "I see they didn't send you a campus map with your admission packet. I think there's someone in the Admissions Office that likes to mess with new students.”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a
folded piece of paper. When he opens it up, I’m shocked to see that it’s a map of a campus that looks so large that it could be a college campus.
"That’s…"
“Come on, I’ll take you on a quick tour."
We begin to walk through the building.
“The rest of the campus is behind this monstrosity of a building," he says. "But I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time."
He gestures me forward through another alcove and I take a few steps through before I realize I have no idea where we are going. Up ahead of me there’s a hallway and three spiraling staircases that look like they go on forever. You can’t see the second floor from here.
I look back at him, about to ask for directions when I realize that his eyes are glued to my ass. Is the hot Professor actually checking me out?
His eyes flicker up to meet mine after a second, a slight blush coming to his cheeks. I’m not sure what to say or do. I think it’s the first time a guy has even noticed me, and I’m not sure how I’ve managed to garner the attention of this basically perfect specimen.
Of course, he has to be a professor...
He clears his throat and begins to walk beside me. We walk another long hallway. He gestures at various doors as we walk, opening them sometimes to show me what lies beyond them.
Behind one set of double doors is a giant cafeteria. "The food is pretty good here. I'm not sure how your mother is with cooking, but I haven't heard any complaints about what we serve in here."
I nod, a rush of homesickness passing over me at the thought of my mother. She’s the best cook and never too busy to make me my favorite foods. I’ll miss that.
We continue walking for what seems like a mile, until he finally opens another set of enormous doors. I’m thinking that I’m going to get my exercise here if everything is as far away as it seems.
I’m shocked when the doors lead out to a large green yard that has paths carved into it so that people can walk across it without walking on the grass. Students are walking all around, chattering with each other as they carry their books. I assume that most of them are finishing up classes in the day since it’s late afternoon.
The green is surrounded by at least six buildings, large stone ones that resemble miniature versions of the castle that we just walked out of. All the students are dressed in black uniforms. The girls are in knee-high socks with black plaid skirts and black collared shirts. All the girls are wearing their skirts at different lengths so the dress code must not be enforced too much here. I look closer as a girl passes by us, fluttering her eyes at the Professor who shifts uncomfortably at her flirting. I can see that there’s a gold crest of the school on the right-hand pocket of her shirt. The guys are wearing pants in the same plaid pattern of the girls’ skirts with black shirts and black plaid ties.
It’s kind of a hot look.
"Are we given uniforms?" I ask, suddenly realizing that I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb if I was somehow supposed to bring it with me.
He nods. “Yes, all of that is provided in your scholarship. A few sets should be waiting in your room.”
"Do you know if I have roommates or what classes I'm taking?" I ask hurriedly, starting to inwardly panic at the thought that we might be done with the tour soon and I would be all alone.
It was hitting me that I was going to be starting school somewhere new. It was hard enough to start school when I had known the kids I was attending with my entire life.
Now I was about to start at a place that was filled with complete strangers.
I shift nervously. He must've seen how I was feeling because he suddenly presses his hand lightly against my back in what I’m sure he intends to be a comforting gesture.
Immediately it feels like I’m on fire in the place where his fingers are pressed against my back. It’s an innocent gesture, but somehow it feels like one of the most intimate touches that I've had in my life.
He abruptly yanks his hand away, and I look at him questioningly, feeling a little bit out of breath. He looks confused, confused and torn as he stares at his hand like he’s never seen it before.
His eyes meet mine just then. It’s as if something has happened between us. In that moment, it was like he could see me, the real me. And he likes what he sees.
He clears his throat again, shattering the moment and looking uncomfortable. A group of girls amble by. Their skirts are so short that I’m shocked that I can’t see their underwear.
“Professor London," the lead girl says while fluttering her eyelashes. She’s gorgeous, they all are, and I immediately feel even more like I don’t belong. That’s the kind of girl that would end up with a guy like him. Not me.
She puts her hand on his arm and a wave of jealousy passes over me. It’s so strong that it takes everything in me not to scratch her eyes out.
I shake my head at myself, trying to calm myself down, but one of the girls sees. She immediately gives me a look of death, I guess thinking that I was shaking my head at her and the rest of the girls. There isn’t really a way for me to correct what she’s thinking so I just pretend I’m looking at something else. I can feel her scanning my clothes and I’m reminded again how much I’m going to hate starting at a new school.
“Girls, I have to be going. I need to finish the tour with Ms. Jones,” he says, shaking off the girl’s hand. Now all their eyes are on me. They evidently don’t like what they see judging by the looks on their faces that resemble the look you get when you smell something rotten.
“I would be happy to help with her tour,” the brunette girl says to Professor London in a saccharine voice.
“That won’t be necessary but thank you as always for your eagerness to help,” he replies smoothly, taking my arm and beginning to walk away from the group. All of their attention goes to where his hand is touching my arm and my face goes red. It’s hard to breathe under their scrutiny and I can’t relax until we’re across the green and entering one of the other stone buildings.
We stop in the front room of the building and I see another dragon insignia. Maybe they should have called it Dragon Academy instead of Raven Academy with how obsessed the founders seem to have been with the mythological creature.
“We’ll be able to pick up your class schedule here,” he says, leading me past another set of winding staircases to the first room I’ve seen that actually resembles something you would find in a school.
A gorgeous young woman is at the front desk, typing on a laptop.
I’m beginning to have a complex about how good looking everyone is around here. Is it something in the water?
“Professor London,” she practically squeals before smoothing down her hair and getting her composure back. “How may I help you?” Her eyes briefly flash to me with disinterest before her attention snaps right back to the Professor.
“Cassie, I just need to pick up the schedule for Adeline Jones. She’s just gotten here today. She’s one of our scholarship students.”
At this pronouncement she gives me her full attention and this time she seems very interested in me. There’s a small smirk on her face. “She’s a bit different than most of our scholarship students, isn’t she?” she asks.
I look up at Professor London, puzzled. He nods at her non-committedly, confusing me more.
“How interesting,” she says as she finally looks back at her computer and starts to type something out. A minute later the printer on her desk starts going. She picks up the paper, glancing at it briefly before handing it to Professor London.
“What dorm is she in?” Cassie asks, and I see Professor London give her a look of disapproval. “I think we can give Ms. Jones a chance to settle in before she has visitors,” he says somewhat shortly.
I’m wondering why Cassie wants to visit me at all, but evidently this conversation is going over my head since she merely smirks at his statement. “Just being friendly,” she says lightly, although there’s something menacing in her eyes that tells me otherwise.
/> I’m practically dragged out of the room again without so much as a goodbye to the Cassie woman. I’m beginning to think that he’s embarrassed of me or something.
We walk outside, to a mostly clear green. Evidently the students are all at dinner or something. My stomach growls at that thought and I get a little smile from the Professor.
“How old are you?” I blurt out.
He smiles at my awkwardness. “How old do I look?” The way he says it almost sounds like he’s flirting with me, and I see his eyes flick down briefly to where a little bit of cleavage is peeking through above my v-neck.
I’m just imagining this, right?
“Too young to be a professor,” I tell him bluntly as a cool breeze suddenly passes over my face. My eyes flick away when I see a flash of gold out of the corner of my eye. Much to my surprise, it’s a guy. Gold hair, gold eyes, golden tan skin. It’s as if I’m seeing a Greek statue come alive. A very gorgeous statue.
The boy’s in a black uniform that highlights his unique coloring. A perverse part of me is happy to see it because it means that he’s a student too. Not that he would even notice me.
Just as I think that our eyes connect, and I give a small gasp as a shiver travels from the base of my neck down to my toes. He studies me, a confused look on his face. The Professor clears his throat next to me, and I turn my attention back to him briefly before glancing back to see if the golden god is still looking at me.
When I look back at Professor London, he has a frustrated look on his face. It almost looks like a jealous look.
But it can’t be right.
“That was Dante Moroi,” he says stiffly. “He’s in your same grade, I believe.” There’s an undercurrent of loathing in his tone that makes me want to know more.
I look back at Dante who shoves a hand into his friend’s arm, a friend that I’m just now noticing. “Let’s get out of here, Nyx.” His friend has the bluest eyes and deep brown hair, and when he catches me staring, I shiver all over and it takes me a moment to bring my attention back to Professor London.
