Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The bus shuttled across the small, quiet town of Jericho - its rustic beauty unlike anywhere else in the country. Aboard the bus was Emily Dart, a woman whose world was turned upside down when her family sent her halfway across the U.S. just for a boarding school. The bullying at Emily's old school had become unbearable, and, frankly, it always had been; she just hadn't had a breakdown and tried to run away until recently. Emily was a super senior, having failed her first senior year. She told her family that she could handle one more year of that school, but they were insistent that they had found a place for people like her. She grimaced thinking about it. She hated it when they talked about people "like her," as if she were some kind of dangerous monster.

When she arrived in Jericho after what seemed like hours of forests, she was immediately struck by its coziness. She was told she had to take a second shuttle to the school, but she didn't entirely mind; that gave her time to glance around the town, especially considering it was still an hour before she was supposed to be there. Emily grabbed her things from the bus, which wasn't much. She had a backpack, a purse, and a suitcase with her. As the bus pulled away, leaving her behind at the bus stop, she saw what looked like a coffee shop across the street.

"Weathervane..." Emily mumbled to herself.

Emily had approximately twenty bucks to her name, and she was most definitely gonna get a coffee with some of it. She checked her phone; it was six in the morning. She trudged into the café, her legs sore from sitting so long and her mind foggy from the trip. There was a small sign at the register, "Short-staffed, please be patient!" Emily smiled gently at the barista, hoping she didn't look too disheveled.

"Hi, can I just get an iced latte, please?" Emily ordered politely.

The barista told her it would be 4 dollars and some change. Emily handed over a ten-dollar bill. After a couple of minutes, the barista handed Emily her iced latte. Emily dragged all of her stuff to a corner booth and sipped on her coffee. She popped in her wireless earbuds and connected them to her phone. Her music taste was incredibly eclectic, and she was unsure what to listen to. Eventually, she settles on her oldies playlist. "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore started up. She tapped her fingers against her cup to the beat.

Emily finished her coffee and a few songs before standing up to find the shuttle that would take her to her new school. She shoved her phone into her pocket and gathered her things once more. Walking out of Weathervane, she saw the shuttle at the bus stop. It read "Nevermore" across the side of it, which was quite convenient. The bus driver carefully grabbed Emily's suitcase and set it in the storage area, giving her a smile.

"New student, huh? Don't see many new students unless they're freshmen... You a transfer?" The older, gentlemanly bus driver asked with a smile on his face.

"Oh, yeah. Hoping it won't be too rough, to be honest." Emily let out a dry chuckle as she spoke.

"I'm sure you'll settle in fine! Alright, let's get this baby a-rolling!" He gestured for her to pick any seat on the otherwise empty bus and sat in the driver's seat.

Emily settled in and glanced longingly out the window. Her eyes widened as the bus approached the school. It looked like something straight out of a dark fantasy novel. The wrought-iron gates opened, and the bus pulled into the parking lot. Gray clouds hung over the school despite it being a sunny day in town, and vines crept up the spires of the academy. The bus halted to a stop; Emily grabbed her things and stepped off the bus. A tall, platinum blonde-haired woman stood in a blue suit-dress at the entrance. She watched as Emily stepped off the bus before approaching her.

"Hello! You must be the new transfer student. Emily Dart, if I remember correctly?" The woman spoke.

"Yeah, that's me. You are?" Emily asked inquisitively, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Oh, my apologies, I'm Principal Weems, headmistress of Nevermore." She extends her hand towards Emily, "It's good to finally meet you!"

Emily shook the principal's hand firmly. She was always told that a firm handshake made a good first impression. After the handshake, Principal Weems clasped her hands together with a slight clap.

"Alright, I'll show you to your dorm. Is this... all of your bags?" She looks down at Emily's singular suitcase, backpack, and purse.

"Yeah, it is." Emily looks at her meager packings a bit embarrassed to have so little.

"Well, let's be on our way then!" The principal spoke enthusiastically, turning on her heel to head toward the student dorms.

Emily tried her best to keep up with the principal with her long strides. Emily's legs moved just under a run. Luckily, the dorm wasn't too far away. Principal Weems opened the door to the dorm room and handed Emily a key as they stepped inside. The dorm had a small balcony and a large bed, which was all Emily really cared about as she stepped inside.

"You don't have a roommate, so you should be able to make yourself right at home," Weems spoke.

Emily set her bags on the bed and glanced around one last time before Weems spoke from the doorway.

"If you'll follow me to my office, I'll help you look over your schedule and answer any questions you might have." She gestures for Emily to leave the room for now.

Emily nodded and followed the principal out of the dorm room; her legs were able to keep up a bit easier without her bags. They arrived at Principal Weems' office. Emily read the plaque on the door that said "Principal L. Weems." She followed Weems into her office. A grand, stone fireplace carved to resemble the head of a gorgon, and a few bookshelves adorned the walls. The back of the office was one big window covered by light blue sheer curtains. Weems sat in her chair and gestured for Emily to have a seat on the opposite side. Emily sat in the comfy chair as the principal prepared some papers.

"Alright, so, let's go over your schedule first!" She slides a piece of paper over to Emily on the desk.

Emily glances over it, seeing the usual stuff that she would expect. History 3, Calculus, another history class, and some other stuff. She then pauses at her writing class. She looked up at Principal Weems as if there had been a mistake.

"Um, I do have one question. It looks like I was put in Advanced Creative Writing, and I'm not sure I should be in an advanced class. Could we switch that up, maybe?" Emily said with a bit of concern in her eyes.

"Oh no, there's been no mistake. From what I've been told, you are an exceptional writer. Especially when it comes to being creative." Weems smiled warmly at Emily.

"Uh, I wouldn't call myself 'exceptional' by any means. I did fail most of my classes last year." Emily said with a wry chuckle.

Weems frowned slightly at Emily's comment, her face giving way to disbelief.

"Well, your English teacher from your last school seemed to think otherwise; she even sent a short story you had shared with her your sophomore year, and, I must say, it is quite the interesting read. For you to have that kind of talent a couple of years ago, I imagine you've honed in on your abilities even more at this point." Weems refutes Emily's claim with evidence, and Emily was unable to deny that she could write.

She thinks back for a moment on the only teacher who ever seemed to give a shit about her - her English teacher. Emily had sat in her room for lunch every day of her junior and senior year. The teacher even gave her a going-away card when she found out Emily was leaving. A pang of sadness crossed Emily's face, but she quickly composed herself.

"Okay, I won't argue with that," Emily said as she looked down at her lap.

A victorious smile spread over Weems' face. She pulled out a small packet of papers and handed them to Emily.

"This is a collection of flyers for all of the clubs and extracurriculars we have here at Nevermore. Feel free to sign up for any of them that catch your eye!" A curious look falls over Weem's face for a moment before she speaks up again, "Miss Dart, I must ask, what special abilities do you hold? Your parents were rather... reluctant to speak of them over the phone."

Emily had never used her abilities in front of people before. Ever since she had discovered them as a child, her family was sure to keep them under lock and key, never allowing Emily to use them.

"Oh, I, um, don't really talk about it much, and it's a kind of boring ability to be honest, but I can shapeshift." Emily looked away and ran her hand through her short, brown hair.

Principal Weems smiled warmly, a hint of excitement passing over her face, though Emily didn't pick up on it.

"Well, I'm sure you'll feel right at home here in Nevermore with your abilities. Can you control them well enough?" Principal Weems prepared a sheet of paper as she spoke, ready to fill out a form for Emily's file.

"Uh, for the most part. I can't do any, like, super drastic changes too fast. I honestly don't use my power a whole lot." Emily felt disappointed at the fact that she had never gotten to explore her powers.

"Oh, can I ask why not? Most young people love to dally around with their abilities." She raised a curious eyebrow at Emily.

"My family never really wanted me using them, so... I haven't." Emily felt as if she had missed out on something by the way Weems spoke about her powers.

Weems wrote a few things down in boxes on the form before sliding the sheet into a folder.

"Well, Emily, it was lovely to meet you! Oh, I almost forgot," she rustled through some papers before handing her one, "a map of the school to help you settle in and find your way around."

"Thank you, it was great meeting you, too, Principal Weems." Emily stood up with her map and schedule in hand.

Emily exited the office and made her way back to her dorm. She entered the room and flopped down on the bed. Her mind thought about all of her classes she has tomorrow. Luckily, she was the only transfer student this year, so if she needed any help, she was sure she could ask and not be judged. A small sigh escaped her lips. Another senior year - just what she needed, and at a new school, of all things. A sliver of hope dawned in her chest. Maybe this year won't be so bad. Maybe she'll fit in here. Maybe she'll be okay for the first time in her life. Emily shook off the thoughts, certain not to get her hopes up. She was sure she'd become the outcast of the outcasts.

Emily stood up from the bed and began to unpack her things. She placed the few uniforms she had been given to wear during school hours into the closet in the room. She took off her sneakers and set them by the door, and then put her casual outfits she brought into a vanity-dresser hybrid that stood at the back of the room. She pulled out her cheap makeup from her suitcase, glancing over it to make sure nothing broke or spilled. After assuring that everything was intact, she put her makeup on the vanity, carefully organizing it. One eyeshadow palette, one face makeup palette, one bottle of foundation, one vial of concealer, one container of setting powder, and one bottle of setting spray. It wasn't a large collection, but it was enough for her to feel like she didn't look awful during the day. She didn't even own makeup remover; she usually used soap and water to get her makeup off, which didn't leave her with the best skin. After she finally got everything set up in her room, she lay back down in her new bed. She just lay there listening to her sad song playlist with her eyes closed. "Kids" by Current Joys came on, and she nearly skipped it, but decided to let her heart break a little today. She sang along with it one octave up from where it was sung, harmonizing with the singer.

"Oh, I'm no longer a kid, and everything has changed. There's nothing in my heart, and lightning in my brain."

Chapter Text

Emily woke up a little after one in the afternoon. It was after lunch, unfortunately, and she had only had that one latte all day. Her stomach growled, begging her to be nourished. She groaned and sat up from the bed; her eyes fluttered open, and her music was still playing. "Summer Depression" by girl in red played quietly from her phone that lay next to her on her bed. Her life seemed to revolve around music; she always had something playing, and, most of the time, it was a song she could relate to. A firm knock on her door startled her slightly.

"Miss Dart, may I come in?" The principal's voice called through the door.

"Yeah, come in!" Emily called back.

Weems walked in and took in the room, admiring Emily's organization.

"Well, looks like you've settled into your room! I didn't see you in the cafeteria for lunch, is something amiss?" Then, Weems hears the song playing, "Is this girl in red? Oh, how I do love their music."

Emily seems a bit shocked that the headmistress would recognize the artist, and was a bit embarrassed at the song playing. She didn't want people to think she was depressed or anything - well, she was, but that wasn't the point.

"Yeah, it is, you listen to her? I took you more for the classical type. Also, I accidentally slept through lunch, so that would explain why you didn't see me there." Emily laughed at herself for being such a mess.

"Oh, well, why don't I treat you to lunch then? We can discuss our music tastes over a sandwich at the new sub shop in town," Principal Weems stares at Emily while she sat in confusion, "Shall we?"

Emily looked at the principal like she had just said something completely out of pocket. She wasn't sure how to tell her that she didn't have enough money for that, and that she was also a bit apprehensive about everybody in the school - which included her.

"No, that's okay, I'm... not hungry." Just then, Emily's stomach growled in protest loud enough for Weems to hear.

The headmistress laughs heartily at the timing.

"I think you might be lying to me, Miss Dart! Don't worry about the money, my treat." She eased all of Emily's worries in one fell swoop.

Emily swung her feet over the edge of the bed and stood. She finger-combed her hair since she was sure it wasn't perfect after lying down for a while. Emily grabbed her phone and purse before walking to Weems, who stood in her doorway. Emily slid on her beige, high-top sneakers and looked up at her principal.

"Alright, I think I'm good to go!" Emily said as she took a deep breath.

The headmistress guided Emily to the front of Nevermore and her car, opening the passenger side door for Emily. Emily slid into the seat of Weems' older-model, gray SUV and buckled herself in. Principal Weems then makes her way to the drivers side and gets in, buckling up as well. She sighs and smiles before starting the car. The engine gently rumbles to life and she pulls out of her parking space.

"So, Miss Dart, you listen to girl in red, I know that much; what other artists do you enjoy?" Ms. Weems speaks without taking her eyes off the road.

"Oh, I like all kinds of stuff, really. I don't limit myself to one or two genres. Right now, I'm really into Laufey. She's basically modern jazz." Emily explains who she is and smiles at Weems, happy she seems to have taken an interest in her music taste, the only thing that kept her sane.

Weems pulled out her phone at a stop sign and connected it to her car's Bluetooth. She pulled up Spotify and looked up Laufey; she clicked the first song that popped up when she searched for her music. "From the Start" played through the car, and she turned the volume up slightly, loud enough to enjoy, but quiet enough to still talk. The jazzy music played through the car as they both sat in silence, enjoying the song. Weems tapped her fingers on the steering wheel to the beat.

"This is nice! I've always had a soft spot for jazz, even if it is sad and longing." Weems chuckled when she spoke.

Emily hadn't expected her to actually listen to anything she talked about, but now she knew to be extra careful about what songs she brought up. After the song ended, Weems put on a song she enjoyed. The Ink Spots' "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire" began to play. Weems hummed along to the gentle melody, her body swaying ever so slightly. As she listened to the lyrics, she brought up a similarity between the two songs.

"It seems we both enjoy very longing songs, don't we?" Weems smiles and glances at Emily from the corner of her eye.

"Huh, I guess we do." Emily smiles back and responds, "What do you listen to by girl in red, by the way? I didn't expect you to like her style of music, frankly."

"I don't listen to a whole lot of her music, but I really enjoy the song 'girls.' To be truthful, it's the only song I actually know by her; I simply recognized the voice earlier and took a lucky guess. One of my students who graduated last year introduced me to the song."

"That's a good one! I would highly recommend 'summer depression.' Only if you like heartbreaking bangers, though." Emily laughs a bit at the way she phrased that.

"Heartbreaking bangers, huh? Sounds like the name of a playlist. I'll have to see if there's actually a playlist by that name on Spotify later." The principal spoke as they pulled into the sandwich shop's parking lot.

When Emily got out of the car, she made a mental note to private her "Heartbreaking Bangers" playlist before Weems could find it and possibly link it to her. Emily follows the headmistress into the shop. They slid into a booth near the back of the shop. Principal Weems made sure to take the seat facing the door. Emily sat awkwardly in front of her. She felt bad that the principal was paying for her to eat. She tried not to get too in her head about it, considering it was Weems who offered.

The waiter walked over and handed them both a menu, asking what they'd like to drink.

"Just a water, please, for you, Emily?" Weems questioned.

"Oh, I'll just have a water as well. Thank you!" Emily spoke to waiter with a sweet smile.

Emily and Weems engaged in some small talk before the waiter came back over with their drinks and asked what they'd like to eat.

"You can go first, Miss Dart."

"Okay, I'll have the turkey and cheese, please, and thank you." Emily picked something cheap on purpose but passed it off as if it was just something she enjoyed.

"Alright then, I think I'll have the turkey italiano, no tomatoes, please." The headmistress ordered.

Emily's stomach growled again as she sipped her water, a look of mortification crossing her features.

"Have you eaten anything today, Emily, or did you skip breakfast as well as lunch?" The principal asked as she sipped her water, a tone of concern passing through her voice.

"I, uh, had a coffee?" Emily looked away and rubbed her neck nervously.

"A coffee? That's all? Your journey was long, wasn't it? You should've had more than a coffee, Miss Dart." She looked into Emily's eyes with a motherly concern, although Emily had never really seen that look before.

Weems giggled a tad at Emily's nervous habits of looking away and messing with her neck and hair.

"Don't worry, I won't pry into your eating habits too much." She smiles invitingly at Emily.

The food arrived at the table, and Emily couldn't help herself but immediately take a bite. She had been starving since she got off that first bus. Weems watched as she slowly picked up her own sandwich, a smile tugging at the edge of her lips. Emily finished her food significantly faster than Principal Weems. As she realized how she devoured her sandwich, a blush spread across her cheeks. Emily watched as an odd look crossed Weems' face. She lifted up the bread of her sandwich and pulled off three-quarters of a single tomato that must've fallen onto it accidentally. She set the tomato to the side on a napkin, looking at it like it did something wrong by existing.

"Don't like tomatoes?" Emily smiled and cocked her head to the side.

A wry chuckle escaped the principal's mouth as she finished her bite.

"No, I do not." She inspected the rest of the sandwich thoroughly before taking another bite. "I can't stand them." A smile played at the corners of her mouth as she tried to stay serious about the tomatoes.

Weems finished her food and called for the check. She paid with her card and stood up, her height dwarfing the waiter and Emily. The headmistress was, quite literally, an entire foot taller than Emily. She felt like a small child walking next to her. They walked back to Weems' car. Emily checked her phone and saw it was just after two in the afternoon. On the ride back, Weems broke the silence.

"So, have you looked over the flyers for our clubs yet? I must let you know we do require students to do at least one extracurricular activity. We like our students to be well-rounded here." Her voice carried an air of authority, and it sounded like she had said that hundreds of times.

"I glanced at them. I'm not sure yet, but I'm looking into the drama club. Maybe choir as well, since they meet on opposite days of the week." Emily spoke, looking down, as if she was ashamed to admit what she had decided on. Principal Weems picked up on her discomfort, but chose not to address it.

"Ah, a fan of musicals then, I assume?" She spoke lightheartedly.

"Yeah, I am! I live for a good musical." Emily seemed to brighten up a bit at Weems' kindness.

"What's your favorite?" Weems questioned.

"Oh, I'm not sure I can pick just one!" Emily laughed, and her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Oh, come on, everybody has that one they just adore. Should I tell you mine?" Weems asked, a glint of enthusiasm in her eyes.

Before Emily could respond, the headmistress spoke.

"I was infatuated with 'The Wizard of Oz' as a young girl, but I think now I'd go with 'Mary Poppins.'" She seemed excited to share her favorites.

"I really love 'Gypsy,' but I also just love Bette Midler as the role of Mama Rose." Emily laughs quietly. "I also really love performing 'Rose's Turn' in my bedroom. The intensity of it, considering the build up throughout the show, makes it such a critical moment, and I think I capture the raw emotion it really- sorry, I shouldn't talk so much." Emily seemed embarrassed at what she had just revealed.

"Oh, no, don't apologize! I love hearing about my students' passions, and it's my job to help grow and nurture those passions. Tell me, are there any other songs in particular you love to perform? Or is it just one of the hardest songs on Broadway?" She seemed to have an extensive knowledge of Broadway musicals, which Emily had not expected.

Emily shrugged and stayed quiet, looking out the window as they approached Nevermore.

"Alright, keep your secrets, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough." Principal Weems winked at Emily as they got out of the car. "Dinner is served in the cafeteria from six to eight in the evening; try not to sleep through it." She said firmly, as if warning Emily that she has to eat.

"I'll be there! See you around, Principal Weems." Emily began walking toward her dorm after Weems gave her an approving nod.

Emily huffed and flopped back into bed when she went to her dorm. The time on her phone read three forty-five in the afternoon. She had a while before dinner; maybe she could explore the school a little. She pulled the map that Weems gave her off the desk and glanced over it. One thing caught her eye: the library. It was sure to be quiet, and maybe she could bring her laptop with her and work on her latest poem. It was settled, Emily was headed to the library.

Chapter Text

Emily grabbed her bookbag containing her laptop and started her way down the hall toward the library, glancing down at the map in her hands occasionally to make sure she was going the right way. Before she even knew it, she had taken the steps down into the library. The bookshelves seemed old as time itself, holding tomes of history and fantasy alike. Tall, wooden ladders were scattered throughout the library, ready to help those shorter than Principal Weems. Emily sat at one of the large, round tables between the shelves and pulled out her laptop, ready to work. This would probably be the only time all year, other than breaks, that she could work on her personal writing, and she was going to take advantage of it.

Her hands fluttered over the keyboard while she looked at the screen, watching as the words steadily appeared, only making a few mistakes every now and then. She worked on a poem for which she was still unsure of the title. Her face grimaced at the mild punctuation errors she caught rereading it. She thought she should be better than that - better than making stupid mistakes when she had been practicing for so long. She leaned her head back for a moment, looking away from the screen to rest her eyes before swiftly resuming where she left off. The poem was a surrealist work about the feeling of being grown up but still acting like a child. Emily hated how she acted. She acted like a kid still, and she was nineteen. A lot of people would brush it off as her still being young, but she was forced to grow up faster than other kids, and she held that standard against herself. Emily groaned as she struggled to find the word she wanted for a certain line. Eventually, it came to her.

"Ephemeral..." She muttered to herself like a madman.

Her writing wasn't up to her personal expectations she had for herself, and that would always piss her off. Why couldn't she write better? Why couldn't she act better? Why couldn't she sing better? Emily was constantly doubting herself and her abilities, no matter what anyone told her, and now, she doubts that she even belongs at Nevermore since she hadn't really used her powers before. She let out a loud sigh of frustration that echoed through the empty library. There it is again: the overwhelming urge to sob and break down. She put her head into her hands and leaned her elbows on the table, desperately trying to breathe through the anxiety. The sound of clacking heels against the hardwood stairs broke her out of her moment. Emily tried to look as composed as possible as somebody descended the stairs to the library.

"Hello, Miss Dart! I was told by a staff member that you had found your way here, and, I must say, I'm quite impressed that you've already started in on something so soon after arriving at Nevermore. May I ask what you're working on?" Emily quickly, but gently, closes the laptop before Principal Weems can even finish her statement. "Oh. I suppose not." Weems seems a bit disappointed, but keeps up her professional mask.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have closed it, I just... was trying to give you my full attention!" Emily was notoriously bad at lying.

"No worries, maybe some other time." Weems looked at the way Emily sat at the table; her hands were just below her face, elbows on the table, and the chair scooted backward a bit to allow for someone to lean on the table in what is almost always a crying position. "Are you alright in here, Emily? You look... less poised than usual." She took one step toward Emily, which was easily three steps for Emily.

"Oh, I'm... fine." Emily ran a hand through her short hair when she said, "fine."

The headmistress sat down next to Emily, a look of concern crossing her face as she searched Emily's face, looking for what the issue might be. Emily looked away from the prying eyes of the principal, hoping she would drop the issue. Weems broke the silence.

"You know, I've always been good at reading my students, and I know when something is bothering someone, but... If you don't want to share, I won't force you. I respect your privacy." She pauses momentarily before cutting through the silence again, "We usually don't let students contact their parents for the first week to help with assimilation, but I suppose I could make an exception if-"

"No! I mean, no, that's alright. I'm sure my parents are getting on fine without me, and I'd rather not disturb them so soon." Emily rubs the nape of her neck, another one of her telltale signs of distress.

Principal Weems' eyes widen a bit, and a look of shock rushes through her features, unsure why Emily seemed to become much more closed off when it came to her parents. She regains her professional composure and nods her head.

"Well, it's nearly time for dinner, care to accompany me to the dining hall?" Weems offered.

Emily glances at her phone; it's already six in the evening. She hadn't even realized how long she had been sitting in the library. She nodded her head toward the headmistress, and they both rose from their seats.

"I'll show you the way; no need to stare at the map." Weems spoke gently to Emily, almost as if she thought Emily would shatter if she spoke too harshly.

Emily walked alongside the principal until she reached the cafeteria; her heart pounded when she saw the sheer number of people in there. Ms. Weems told Emily to help herself to some food and find a place to sit. Most of these people were younger than Emily, prettier than Emily, and smarter than Emily. The principal left Emily's side to go speak to another faculty member. Emily quickly grabbed some fruit and damn near sprinted back to her dorm.

When she arrived at her room, she shut and locked the door behind her, a few pieces of fruit in hand. Tears floated over her bottom eyelids, falling down her cheeks and onto her T-shirt. She pulled out her phone and started up that playlist she loved. "Heartbreaking Bangers," the very same one she had to private so Weems wouldn't find it. "Chamber of Reflection" by Mac DeMarco popped up first. She turned the volume up and slid down the door to her room, listening to the mellow beats fill up the space. She gently sang along to the chorus, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Alone, again. Alone, again. Alone, again. Alone~" It would almost be relaxing for her to hit the notes if the song wasn't so sad.

Emily's voice echoed off the walls. She hoped that no one would come for her - that she could just rest and cry and drive that stake further into her heart. That stake of despair that she had been slowly driving further into her chest, hoping to hit an artery and cut off the flow of emotion entirely. For now, however, she just needed to smile and bear it. Smile, smile, smile. Breathe in, breathe out, one after another. Emily had tried every method in the book to get herself to calm down, but her anxiety just pounded in her chest relentlessly. Her mind started to wander. What would people think if they saw her like this? Would they laugh? Would anyone care? Would she still have to struggle alone?

The fruit that was once in her hands had fallen to the ground around her. She cups her hand over her mouth, stifling soft sobs. Emily stands up shakily, her hands balled into fists. She walks to her desk and opens the top drawer. She had stashed what little bit of weed she had left in a jar in that drawer. A miniature joint sat already rolled up in the jar. She knew that if she got caught, she'd be in trouble, but this was what helped her relax - what helped her cope. Emily had been smoking since she turned fifteen. Her own thoughts were too much to handle half the time, so she'd get stoned. She pulled the joint out of the jar and pulled her lighter out of her purse. Before she could light up, a firm knock came upon the door. Emily threw the joint into the jar along with her lighter and closed the desk drawer.

"Emily, are you in there? I turned around and noticed you had left; did you at least get some food?" Principal Weems spoke.

"Yeah, I am, and I got some food." Emily tried to control the tremble in her voice, but was not entirely successful.

Weems paused for a moment before speaking a little softer.

"May I come in?"

"Yeah, just... gimme a second." Emily tried her best to wipe the tears off her face and smile before she unlocked the door and stepped back, letting Weems open the door.

The principal slowly opened the door, immediately noticing the several pieces of fruit bruised on the floor that had somehow slipped Emily's mind. Weems looked at the fruit with confusion in her eyes before looking up at Emily, her face softening as she noticed the redness under her eyes and on her nose.

"Oh... Are you alright?" The headmistress steps inside and closes the door behind her, careful to step around the discarded fruit.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm good; how are you?" Emily tries to change the subject.

"I think you're lying to me again, Miss Dart. Would you mind telling me what happened?" Ms. Weems frowns at Emily, making her heart drop into her chest.

Emily starts to get lost in thought again, her anxiety welling up. Great, she just got here and is already in hot water with the principal - wonderful.

"Emily?" Weems breaks her out of it before she can spiral.

"It's nothing, honestly, I just... get anxious sometimes. No big deal!" Emily tries her best to act cheerful, but her face and nervous habits give her away.

Emily stared down the principal with her sickly-sweet smile made to fool. The traces of tears faintly left her face as she stood there, trying not to break in front of her new principal. Her hands shook a little, and her body shuddered, trying to keep the water from escaping her eyes. Weems stepped closer to Emily, and Emily was sure she was cooked this time. She imagined what her family would say. "Kicked out already, huh? How... disappointing." Her foster mom would move her hands up to her temples, rubbing them as if Emily had given her a headache.

Suddenly, Weems' imposing figure was staring with a mix of concern and maternal care. Emily didn't realize that her tears had finally spilled over as she thought about her family. The crying mixed with an overly-happy smile must've made her look completely unhinged. Emily wiped her eyes with her cardigan sleeves, taking a deep, shaky breath.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm-" Emily's muttering was cut off.

"No, you're not. Please, Emily, don't try to pretend here. How about this: the school works very closely with a therapist in Jericho. I could give her a call and see if she's taking new clients. If you're not comfortable talking to me, yet, maybe her?" Principal Weems put a reassuring hand on Emily's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

Emily took a couple of deep breaths. She was not used to people genuinely caring, and the feeling wasn't entirely welcomed. Emily inevitably shook her head.

"No, no, I don't need that. I can handle it." Emily nodded her head, a feeble attempt at reassuring Principal Weems that she was okay.

The headmistress seemed to sigh from the very depths of her soul before backing off.

"Alright, but the second you need someone to talk to, you come to my office, understand?" She looked across Emily's face almost pleadingly.

"Alright, Principal Weems, I will," Emily says, the first genuine thing she's said since Weems entered her room.

Weems gives Emily a knowing nod before turning to the door, leaving Emily alone. Emily watches as the door closes behind her, and she walks back over to that desk drawer. She grabs her joint and lighter and steps out onto the balcony. She lights up, taking a huge inhale from the small rolled-up paper. She breathes it like she needs it, and, in a sense, she does. She puts on her stoned playlist when she gets back into the room, and "It's Called: Freefall" by Rainbow Kitten Surprise starts as she plops her now heavy body back into bed.

"Anyway, you say you're too busy saving everybody else to save yourself, and you don't want no help, oh well."

Chapter Text

Emily wakes up to a knock on her door at nine p.m. Her stomach growled, and she still smelled like weed. Her head still buzzed slightly with her lingering high. Emily sat up in bed, tiredness washing over her from the indica blend. Before she could say anything, Weems opened the door and let herself in with a tray full of different foods. Some pasta, a sandwich, some fruit, and some vegetables. She shut the door behind her with a swift bump of her heel.

"Hello, Emily, I just thought I would bring you some of the leftovers from dinner, given that I didn't think you were going to eat the bruised fruit off your floor. Anyway, I grabbed..." She trails off as she takes a curious sniff.

Emily knew then that she was fucked. This is it. This is where she gets sent packing. Ms. Weems' lips pursed as she stopped talking. She gently set the tray down on the very desk the rest of the weed was hidden inside. She turned to Emily with a hint of disapproval across her face as she crossed her arms.

"Anything you would care to admit, Miss Dart?" The headmistress was suddenly ten times more imposing than she was a few moments ago.

Her tone carried a venom that Emily hadn't heard before. Tears spilled over her cheeks hard and fast. They fell quicker than she could wipe them away. She tried to speak, but she choked on her words, clasping a hand over her mouth to prevent a sob from escaping. Emily's breathing hastened, and her pulse rushed. She could feel the panic attack coming on, but she had no power to stop it. She could not deal with leaving another school, especially so soon. Emily got off the bed and tried to speed-walk to the girls' shared bathroom space. She barged out of her dorm room and practically ran to the restroom, hyperventilating. The last stall of the girls' bathrooms slams shut as Weems trails behind, her heels clicking rapidly along the floor. She gently walks into the bathroom, her heels visible to Emily from under the stalls. Weems walks to the last stall standing in front of it.

"Emily, I'm sorry if I upset you. Please open the door." Her voice was soft, pleading.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought any of that. I shouldn't have been so stupid. I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, please, I can't leave this school. I have nowhere else to go. My family... God. I'm so sorry, Principal Weems..." Emily's voice repeatedly cracks as she begs through broken cries of anguish.

"Emily, you're not stupid; please open the door. I need to make sure you're alright." Weems's voice is calm and steady, a hard foil to Emily's breakdown.

"Please, go away... I-I'll pack my things. I'll be out by morning. Just... just leave!" The sound of two thuds comes through the stall as Emily hits the brick wall with her fist.

Weems gasps and speaks once more.

"Emily, open the door! I'm not mad; I'm not even upset. No one is going to tell you to leave. Please, let me in." Her voice drips with worry while still trying to keep it together to help Emily.

The lock on the stall turns, and Emily looks up at Weems from the stall like a child who misbehaved. Tears run down the sides of her face, and a couple drops of blood drip from her knuckles.

"Oh dear, you're hurt... Come with me to my office, please, Emily. I'm not mad, I just want to make sure you're going to be okay." Weems gazes into Emily's pained eyes, motherly concern etched into her face.

In the dark hours of the school, they both walked to Weems' office. The principal kept one arm around Emily's shoulder, holding her steady after what happened. Emily held her injured hand, cradling it as it throbbed with pain, progressively more so as the adrenaline wore off.

It was nine-thirty by the time they reached the headmistress's office. Weems guided Emily into the room and sat her on the couch in front of the fireplace. The principal grabbed a small first aid kit from her desk drawer. She opened it gently and brought out an alcohol wipe, some gauze, and a wrap bandage. She returned to where Emily sat and knelt down in front of her, preparing to treat the wound. She hovered the alcohol wipe over the broken skin on Emily's hand, now spotted with dried blood.

"I apologize in advance; this is going to sting." She began to wipe off the blood and clean Emily's wound.

Emily inhaled sharply as the alcohol wipe moved over her knuckles. It sure as hell stung. She felt humiliated. How could she have let anyone see her like this? Especially the principal, who was so kind to her it almost pissed her off. Weems began to speak to distract Emily from the pain.

"Have I told you my first name yet?" She paused, looking up through her eyelashes at Emily's face. "It's Larissa."

Emily tried to avoid her gaze.

"That's a unique name - very pretty," Emily said as she winced.

"What's your favorite color, Emily?"

"Forest green, what about you?"

"Baby blue. Do you have a favorite food?"

"Cottage cheese. Surprising, I know," Emily chuckled, feeling a tad better.

"Can I ask you one more question while I finish cleaning?"

"Shoot."

"Why do you use marijuana?" Larissa asked gently without looking up, trying to seem less intimidating than earlier.

Emily shrugged before answering.

"It... it helps my mind calm down. Helps me to not... think so hard, so I can sleep." Emily looked away from Larissa.

Larissa nodded her head and placed some gauze carefully over the wounded area.

"Listen, I'm really sorry... for having it here, and for... my behavior. I didn't mean to freak out like that." Emily's eyes formed tears more slowly this time, and she was able to blink them away.

"It's alright; I'm not upset." Larissa pauses, thinking for a moment, "The gorgon boys typically sneak out behind the greenhouse on Friday nights to smoke pot. Maybe you could ask them for an invite?"

A knowing smile spreads across Weems' face as she wraps Emily's hand firmly in the bandaging.

"Wha- And you don't... stop them?"

Larissa let out a small chuckle, "Why would I? If they don't do it here, they risk getting caught in town or even somewhere dangerous. Of course, they don't know that I know their little secret, and I expect that to stay between us." She finished wrapping Emily's hand and held it gently between hers, "A lot of my students use it to help with their anxiety, depression, a multitude of things really. The faculty keeps me informed on their habits, and I ensure that they don't get caught by the sheriff. Call it doing them a favor."

Larissa stands up from her kneeling position. She notices the pain on Emily's face as her hand occasionally pulses.

"You should go to the infirmary in the morning; make sure you don't have a boxer's fracture or anything. If you don't want to go right away, however, I would understand. If anything, keep the bandaging on and try to rest it." She speaks smoothly.

"May I ask you one last thing, Emily?"

"Go ahead."

"Why did you hurt yourself? I understand that you had an attack, but that isn't a healthy coping skill." Larissa's eyes glean with a maternal unease.

Emily looks away, still cradling her hand, "I... the last time I was caught with weed it was by my family, and they... weren't the happiest to say the least. I guess it never crossed my mind that not all adults would be as unhappy as they were." Emily rephrases her words as she realizes her mistake, "not adults, I'm an adult, I guess I mean people in charge? What I mean is... that's just how I get my emotions back in my control. The pain is almost grounding."

Larissa lets a tiny laugh escape her lips, "Believe me, I didn't feel like an adult at nineteen, either. Don't worry about it too much, you'll get there. I was thinking that you might want to take up that offer I gave you about that therapist in Jericho, by the way. I think Dr. Kinbott could help you immensely with both your anxiety and self-harm if you let her, Emily." Larissa looks at Emily with care.

"I, um, think I probably should." Emily rubs the nape of her neck nervously.

"I'll contact her tomorrow on your behalf and let her know the situation." Larissa smiles at Emily, "While you're here, would you like a cup of tea? It might help calm your nerves."

Emily, still shaking a bit, nodded her head. She watched as Larissa walked over to the Keurig she kept in her office. Larissa pulled over two mugs, one green, one blue. She popped in an Earl Grey tea pod and let the water heat up before she pressed the medium-sized cup button. Once she had finished preparing both cups, she grabbed one in each hand and walked back toward the couch, where Emily was still seated. Emily took the green mug that Larissa offered her. Emily grabbed it with her non-injured left hand. She used her injured hand to support the bottom of the mug, but she was careful not to put extra pressure on it.

Larissa sank down onto the sofa next to Emily, sipping her tea. She let out a deep, yet relieved, sigh. Her eyes flickered with compassion for Emily's situation, although Emily mistook the look for one of pity. She hated feeling like she made people look out for her, even if the other person was the one engaging with her. Emily vowed to herself that Principal Weems would not see this side of her again. A grimace spread across Emily's face as that one saying came to mind. 'Hurt people, hurt people.' As much as she didn't want to hurt other people, it always seemed to happen. The headmistress clearly cared about her students, but Emily was sure that she was only being as kind as she was because she didn't want any bad to come upon the school. I mean, what would people say? This just in: student breaks down and self-harms on her very first day! Emily felt disgusted with herself. The only answer was clear to her. Distance herself from people before they could do it to her.

"Excuse me for a moment, Emily, I'm just going to head to the restroom. I'll be right back." Principal Weems spoke to Emily in a way that told her not to go anywhere.

Emily's eyelids fluttered gently, her thoughts racing, but her body tiring. Emily set the mug of tea on the coffee table, and sleep began to get the better of her. She desperately tried to keep herself awake, but the lead in her eyelids was becoming too much to bear. Emily pulled out her phone and started to scroll through TikTok with the volume low. She laughed gently at a few different cat videos. A yawn just barely squeezed past her defenses as she scrolled.

Larissa emerged from the bathroom to see a passed-out Emily on the couch with her phone still lying on her chest. She smiled and moved to pull a blanket from the closet and drape it over her. Larissa left and locked the office door on her way out, certain that she would wake up before Emily, given the day she had. The principal slipped out of the room silently, a small smile on her face.

Chapter Text

Emily's alarm went off on her phone, and, as she went to roll over, she turned over off the couch with a loud thud. She yelped lightly; Emily didn't remember where she was for a moment, but the thoughts came flooding back into her mind as she stared at the ceiling from the floor. Emily frowned as she heard the familiar sound of kitten heels hastily making their way toward her. Principal Weems leaned over Emily with a look of both amusement and concern.

"Are you alright, Emily? That was a rather solid thunk. You didn't hit your head or your hand, did you?" Weems offered out a hand to help Emily up, but Emily pushed herself off the ground and stood without the assistance.

The headmistress pulled her hand back as Emily silently refused the help. Emily dusted herself off and looked up at Principal Weems' face.

"I'm okay, thanks for asking. I need to get back to my dorm to get ready for my classes, so I'll see you around, Principal Weems." Emily gave her a halfhearted smile before she turned to face the door.

"Wait!" The principal clears her throat after shouting at Emily, "I have a coffee for you from Weathervane, if you want it. I also took the liberty of having the janitors remove the food that was left in your dorm last night." She picked up a cardboard coffee cup and extended it toward Emily.

"Oh, no, thank you, but I appreciate you having the food removed. I really need to leave now. Bye." Emily's words were cold, distant.

Weems watched with uneasiness as Emily left the office. Larissa was worried that Emily would break down again, maybe even hurt herself. She hated seeing her students like that; all she wanted was for them to flourish and thrive in Nevermore. Larissa picked up her phone and clicked on Dr. Kinbott's contact. The phone rang a couple of times before Kinbott picked up.

"Hello, Dr. Kinbott; I was wondering about how early you could start with a new client? Yes, they do go to the school. Of course, I'll swing by around lunchtime. Uh, huh. Alright, see you soon." Larissa set her phone down with renewed determination.

Emily walked down the mostly empty hallways and to her dorm room. She stepped inside and locked the door behind her, huffing to herself. She hated how she just treated Principal Weems, and was sure she had just ruined what little bit of a connection Ms. Weems had attempted to create between them. Emily grabs her phone and boots up Spotify. If there was one thing that would never leave her, it was her music. She put on her sad playlist again. She could never tell if the music made it better or worse, but she had a hint that it was the latter. The acoustic intro to one of the most devastating songs on the list began to play. She sang along quietly to "Only Everyone Can Judge Me" by Crywank.

"Oh, it's the routine, and it's the regret that makes me worse, yet. Oh, did I forget your name, or make a joke and no one laughed? Did I come across as stupid, or did I come too fast? This isn't a brave face; this isn't a brave face - this is a mask."

Emily felt a single tear roll down her cheek. She was determined that it would be the only one to shed today. Her steps gently echo as she walks through the room toward her vanity. It was time to get ready for her classes. She started by applying her thin layer of makeup, which stopped her from appearing as exhausted as she actually was without overdoing it. Then, she combed her short, brown hair back so no pieces would stick out. Her final step before getting changed into her uniform was to apply deodorant.

She glanced at herself in the mirror. The sight of herself in the Nevermore uniform almost sent a shock to her brain. It fit perfectly. Emily nearly teared up at the sight. For a brief moment, she thought she might be able to fit in here, but she turned down the idea from her head. She told herself that she wouldn't make any friends here, just like every other place she had been. Just because it was a school for outcasts doesn't mean she can't still become an outsider. She did like the slacks in the uniform, though; they were more comfortable than she expected them to be.

Now that she thought about it, there were no clubs or classes for shapeshifters. There were plenty of classes that taught control over abilities in Nevermore, but not one listed anything about shapeshifters. She wasn't sure if shapeshifters were common or not, considering she grew up hiding the most crucial part of herself. She shook off the thoughts and checked her phone for the time. It had just hit seven in the morning. Emily took one last look at herself in the mirror before heading to breakfast.

She walked through the hallways with her head hung low, trying not to attract any unwanted attention. She walked into the crowded cafeteria and grabbed an apple and a croissant for breakfast. Emily eyed the cafeteria for any empty tables, but when she didn't see any, she decided she would eat in the quad. She walked to the courtyard-like area and sat on a bench off to the side, quietly eating her food. After eating her food, she still had about half an hour before she needed to start toward her class. She pulled her backpack off and got out her laptop. She set it on the table connected to the bench and started working on the same poem she was interrupted in the middle of while she was in the library. However, just as Emily goes to write the next line of the poem, a voice speaks up from behind her.

"Miss Dart! Just the student I was looking for." Principal Weems walks up from behind.

Emily sighed, at least thankful that she announced herself instead of reading the poem she was so interested in before from behind her. Emily shook her head a bit. She knew Weems respected her privacy, and she would never do that, but she knew better than to trust the face people put on for others. Emily composed herself, closing the laptop and turning around to face the headmistress.

"Hi, Principal Weems." Emily put on her best 'nothing is wrong' smile and spoke to the principal.

Principal Weems sat down next to Emily on the bench and lowered her voice, "I made that call to the therapist I told you about, Dr. Kinbott, and she can take a new client. I was simply wondering if, after your classes today, you would like to get established with her in person. I will be meeting with her at lunch on your behalf to explain some of your strengths and weaknesses, but she would love to meet you in person as soon as possible. What do you say?" Weems beamed at Emily, her genuine smile nearly contagious.

Emily looked at Weems for a moment. Emily knew that the principal was only referring her to a therapist because she thought something was wrong with her. Who wouldn't have given what she did the previous night? Emily kept up her carefully crafted smile.

"Sure, sounds good. Does the bus run near her office?" Emily asked.

"If you don't mind, Miss Dart, I had actually intended on driving you to her office for your establishing meet-up and any further sessions if you decide that she is a good fit for you." Larissa smiles warmly at Emily.

Emily nearly choked on air. After how she treated her this morning, Principal Weems was still willing to give her a ride. It didn't make sense, but on the other hand, being in a school built for people with supernatural abilities wasn't quite normal either.

"Uh, yeah, sounds good. When and where should I meet you?" Emily asked, trying not to drop her face.

"We can meet here, in the quad, after your last class of the day. I look forward to seeing you, Miss Dart! Now, you should be on your way to your first-hour class. Do you want me to escort you there?"

"Oh, that's alright, Principal Weems; I think I can find it. Thanks, anyway." Emily began to pack up her laptop after blowing off the principal once again.

Weems nodded and stood, waving goodbye to Emily as she walked away with her bookbag to her very first class at Nevermore.

Emily arrived at the doors to her first class with two minutes to spare. The rest of the class had already taken their seats. Emily spied a table with no one sitting at it and immediately took the opportunity. The room sure did look like a history classroom. Globes, maps, and books covered what seemed to be every inch of the classroom walls. The class was called 'World History 3,' but she suspected that they covered more of the outcast side of history than any normal school. The teacher was a small, round woman with a mild German accent. As the class began, she announced that they had a new student in their midst. Emily could've sunk into the ground right then and there. The teacher introduced herself as Mrs. Glenwald and told Emily that she was glad to have her as part of the class. The class went by with the students doing a 'get to know me' sheet for the teacher. Mrs. Glenwald gathered the sheets up at the end of class. Emily had a feeling this is how most of the classes would be on the first day. No real work didn't sound bad to her, though.

The bell rang, signalling the end of class. Emily grabbed her bag and walked to the next class she had, which would certainly be her least favorite. She always hated math, and calculus was the opposite of what she was good at. The teacher didn't acknowledge that Emily was a transfer student, instead, he went right into introducing himself. His name was Mr. Simmons, and he loved math and hoped even the students with the most disdain for the subject would grow fond of his class. Like her previous class, Emily was handed a 'get to know me' paper. She filled it out with the same answers from before.

The next class she had was another history class, but this one seemed like it might be a bit more interesting. It was "The History of Outcast and Normie Relations," and Emily hoped it would actually dive into the prejudice against the outcasts and not give an 'everyone got along, happy ending' story. The teacher seemed a bit nervous; his name was Mr. Phillus, and he was a tall, gentlemanly fellow. Another introduction sheet later, it was finally time for lunch.

Emily decided to skip lunch, opting to go to her dorm room instead. She had already been around so many people today, and she didn't know if she could handle a crowded cafeteria. Emily entered her dorm, finally able to drop her half-smile into a low scowl. She always kept a mask on around other people. At least she had been able to sit by herself in all of her classes so far. Emily did what she always did and played music on her phone. One of her favorite songs of all time came on. "Never The Muse" by Madilyn Mei. She sang along with it as if it were muscle memory.

"Always the poet, never the poetry. Wanna be somebody you only see once in your life, but remember forever. Eye's sharp as a knife, hair soft as a feather."

Chapter Text

Emily lay on her bed, phone gently cupped in her left hand, her bandaged hand resting on her forehead. She was appreciative that nobody in the school seemed to pay her hand any mind. Her right knuckles still pulsed whenever she held a pencil, moved too quickly, or got overzealous while typing. She had hoped the pain would have subsided some by now, but she was never one to have her hopes delivered on. She still had an hour left before the end of lunch and the start of the second half of the day.

A firm, determined knock came from the other side of the door. Emily sighed and moved to the entrance, where she swung the door open to be greeted by Principal Weems.

"Oh, hello, Principal Weems! I thought you were meeting with that therapist in town?" Emily questioned.

"Oh, I already did; she ended up being available a tad earlier than lunch, so we met over tea and discussed the best course of action for you." Larissa smiled politely at Emily.

"Okay, was there anything else you needed?"

"No, I simply figured I'd keep you updated. I'll be on my way now, and I hope you're settling into your classes well, Miss Dart. I look forward to seeing you in the quad this afternoon." The headmistress turned and left, closing the door behind her with a satisfying click.

Emily bore the weight of the silence as Larissa left, having turned her music off to better hear the principal. She glanced down at her right hand, memories of the night passed flooding through her. Emily slowly and carefully unwrapped her injured hand. She saw deep bruises on her knuckles, but having it unwrapped and stretched seemed to help. There was a layer of healing skin over where it was previously broken and bleeding. Emily spread out and retracted her fingers a few times, trying to feel out if she needed to go to the infirmary. She decided that it didn't hurt too badly, so she should be fine.

Emily got her laptop out and set it on the desk. She worked on her poem without interruption for the first time since she had arrived at Nevermore. She carefully thought out each line, each word, each syllable. She didn't take her eyes off the screen until she had finished the piece. Her voice in writing was her own, especially in her poetry, but she was always comparing her writing to other famous authors. Most of the authors were of the past, but there was one thing she would tell herself to make herself feel better. She whispered it under her breath every time she felt like shit about her writing.

"At least I'm not Colleen Hoover." Her voice echoed slightly off the wall in front of her.

Emily took solace in the fact that writers ten times worse than her had been published, so her chances looked decent at worst. She thought about what she should title her new poem, but nothing came to her. Looking at the time, she decided she would pick out a title later and just head to class.

Her steps never made much sound when she walked; she treaded lightly, probably because of how she was raised, but she didn't want to think about that right now. She made her way across the school and arrived at the open door to her Advanced Creative Writing class. The class only had a few other students, so it wasn't hard to find an empty seat. One girl's uniform was in shades of black and gray; she had black hair and pale skin. Emily wondered what her deal was, but she wasn't here to make friends, so she kept her distance. Emily just wanted to graduate and get the hell out, and she didn't really care if she got to know anybody on her way.

The teacher of the class walked up to Emily before the bell rang, extending her hand to Emily for a handshake. Emily took her hand into a firm, steady shake as the teacher introduced herself.

"Hi! You must be Emily! I'm Ms. Vasquez. It's lovely to finally meet you. Principal Weems said she thinks you'll thrive in this class, and I hope you do!" Ms. Vaquez pulls her hand back and smiles sweetly at Emily.

"It's good to meet you, too, Ms. Vasquez. I hope for that as well."

Ms. Vasquez was a person of average height and build. Nothing really stuck out about her except her piercing green eyes. She seemed a bit eccentric, and her clothing was odd for a teacher. She wore a navy blue maxi dress with what appeared to be black, laced boots underneath it. She radiated with energy and clearly adored her job and students.

The bell rang for class to start, which confirmed that the class was small, as no one else showed up. Ms. Vasquez started the class by talking about the importance of writing and how everyone has their own authentic voice. She gestured with her hands as she spoke animatedly. She assigned everyone to write one long paragraph describing themselves and turn it in tomorrow. Ms. Vasquez said that it could be typed or handwritten, but that if it was typed, she would need it emailed to her. Emily worked on her laptop, trying to find the best words to describe her, but nothing in particular came to mind.

The bell rang, and Emily decided to brush it aside for now. She walked to her botany class, which, from what she heard, had a new teacher this year. She stepped into the room and glanced at the seats. There was only one seat unoccupied, and it was next to a girl with ocean blue eyes and perfect makeup. She looked intimidating to say the least. The girl wore a beautiful golden amulet. Despite it being the only open seat, Emily still wanted to be polite and ask.

"Hey, my name's Emily, can I sit next to you?" Emily smiled politely.

"Sure, I don't see why not. I'm Bianca, by the way, it's nice to meet you!" Bianca smiled at Emily and eyed her up and down, taking in Emily's appearance. "You're the new transfer student, right?"

"Yeah, that's me." Emily brushed her hand over her hair. "Your amulet is beautiful, is it special? Sorry if that's out of pocket, I've never been around other outcasts before." She held up her hands a bit as she tried to explain herself.

"Nah, you're good, I get it! I'm a siren, so the amulet helps dampen my powers." She held up the amulet gently as she spoke about it.

"Ah, gotcha. That's really cool that they make something like that!" Emily slid into the seat as she spoke.

Before Bianca could respond, the bell rang for class to start. The teacher spoke in a low tone, making everyone quiet down so they could hear her.

"Hello, class, I am Ms. Owens! I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you. I'm not the best with names, so it will take me a couple of tries to remember yours at first, but I promise to put my best foot forward. Now, why don't we go around the room and introduce ourselves? You will say your name, your favorite color, and one hobby of yours." The class groans at the concept, "I know, I know, but this will help me get to know you, and help you get to know your peers. I'll go first. My name is Ms. Owens, my favorite color is pink, more specifically salmon, and one of my hobbies is gardening! Now, let's go from left to right across the room, starting in the back."

The anxiety welled up in Emily's chest as it neared her turn. Bianca went just before Emily.

"My name is Bianca, my fave color is royal purple, and I like to sing." She said with confidence.

Now, it was Emily's turn, and she was shaking a bit, but she spoke in a resolute tone.

"My name is Emily, I love forest green, and I enjoy writing." Emily took a deep breath after speaking, feeling the nervousness subside.

Emily watched as the rest of the class introduced themselves, but she didn't pay much attention. Her mind wandered to what she might name her newest poem, but she drew another blank. Finally, the class ended, and she had a study hour, which was basically just a free hour for her to take at the end of the day. She put in her wireless earbuds on her walk back to her dorm. She hummed along to Mitski's song "I'm Your Man" as it played in her ears.

She sang out loud once she was finally in her room.

"You believe me like a god. I'll betray you like a man."

The barking at the end of the song was accompanied by ethereal voices before it finally went silent. She pulled out her earbuds and replaced them in their case. She started up her laptop, trying to work on her assignment from Advanced Creative Writing. How would she describe herself? She wouldn't use many positive words, and she assumed her usual self-deprecating nature would be frowned upon by Ms. Vasquez. Maybe if she looked at herself from someone else's point of view? She shook her head, sure that everyone else saw her for how unstable and untalented she was. Maybe she could make something up, describe a character she wrote one time, or something like that. Emily didn't like the sound of that idea either. If Ms. Vasquez actually read the paragraph, she would definitely notice the discrepancies between how Emily described herself and her real self.

"Ugh," Emily groaned to herself; she had spent twenty minutes writing and deleting stuff to try and describe herself.

Between the time and the total lack of idea on how to describe herself, Emily made the decision to wait in the quad for Principal Weems. Emily sat at the same bench from earlier, but this time she was people watching as she waited. She watched as the girl in the black uniform walked by with her head in a book, followed by a bubbly girl with colorful highlights in her hair, gesturing and talking to her while she didn't seem to listen. Emily almost liked the eccentricity of this school, but she knew better than to get comfortable.

"Miss Dart, you're here early. Did your classes go smoothly?" The voice of the headmistress spoke from behind Emily, causing her to jump.

Principal Weems let out a chuckle and smiled, amused at Emily's reaction.

"Yeah, they went alright," Emily responded quickly and stoically.

"Well, shall we be on our way?" Weems didn't press the question.

"Yeah, let's go." Emily stood up and spoke without looking at Weems, hoping that she would distance herself all on her own if Emily treated her poorly.

They walked to the parking lot of Nevermore in silence.

Chapter Text

Larissa occasionally glanced at Emily as they walked side by side. Emily could feel her looks, but luckily, she was used to ignoring stares. Emily just kept her neutral face and walked toward Principal Weems' car. Before Weems could open the passenger door for her, Emily helped herself in. Weems entered the car and turned it over, preparing to take Emily to Dr. Kinbott's office. The headmistress was clearly not thrilled at Emily's silence, but was determined to see how she was settling in.

"So, how was your very first school day at Nevermore? I trust you made some friends?" Larissa spoke with an inquisitive tone.

"It was fine."

"Did you do anything interesting?"

"No, not really."

"Have you decided on any clubs yet?"

"No."

With each answer from Emily, more concern filled Larissa's features.

"Well, Miss Dart, I was thinking of going to the Weathervane for hot chocolate after you speak with Dr. Kinbott. Would you care to join me?" Larissa made one final attempt at connecting with Emily, hoping she would get through to her.

Emily got increasingly annoyed at the principal's questions. She tried to make it clear that she didn't want the headmistress involved in her personal life, but she was fixed on getting to know Emily. Emily lashed out, having had enough 'getting to know me' work today.

"Principal Weems, I don't even really want to be in the car with you right now, let alone meet up for small talk." Emily felt like shit after she spoke, but she didn't want the headmistress getting involved with her life.

Everyone who had ever gotten close to her ended up leaving, and Weems would be no different if she were allowed in her life unchecked. Emily looked down at her own lap, ashamed of snapping like that, even if she did have good reason. Weems stayed silent for the rest of the drive until they arrived at Kinbott's office.

"We're here. I can go in with you for this establishing session if you'd like, but I am also perfectly content to let you do this on your own." Weems looked at Emily with compassion, "Dr. Kinbott and I have also already discussed the night you had, so don't worry about describing those events to her."

"I can go in by myself. Thanks for the ride." Emily unbuckled and let herself out of the car.

"I'll be here!" Larissa called out after her, to no response. She sighed as she watched Emily walk into the building before whispering to herself, "You don't have to do this alone."

Emily walked into the building to be greeted by a petite blonde woman.

"You must be Emily; I'm Dr. Kinbott, and I look forward to getting to know you." She reached out her hand to shake Emily's.

Emily grasped her hand. The third firm handshake she's given in two days. Emily gave her a small smile, although her eyes didn't smile with her.

"You can have a seat on that chair if you'd like. I'm all about whatever will make you comfortable, so feel free to stand, as well." Dr. Kinbott sat in her beige recliner in the office, gesturing towards the seats across from her.

Emily sat down across from the doctor.

"So, Principal Weems and I have already discussed some stuff that went on last night. May I ask to see the knuckles on the hand that got harmed?"

Emily lifted her right hand and held it out flat for Dr. Kinbott to see.

"Yeah, the wall did quite a number on it. You must've swung pretty hard. Can you tell me what you were feeling when that happened?" She pulled out a small notepad that already had some notes about Emily scribbled onto it.

"I don't know. Anxiety?" Emily's answer wasn't entirely untruthful, but it wasn't the whole truth, and Kinbott knew that.

"Were you anxious about anything in particular? You know, Principal Weems did tell me she had entered your dorm room prior to your injury; I vaguely know what happened, but I would like to hear it from your perspective." She smiled invitingly.

Emily thought for a moment. What did she have to lose? Kinbott was a therapist, so everything was confidential unless Emily wanted to kill herself, of course. She had learned about the mandated reporter thing from her guidance counselor at her last school. The counselor basically said in so many words, 'Don't mention your mental health to me.'

"So, long story short, Weems smelled the weed I had smoked right before she came in, and I panicked, given past experiences. One thing led to another, and I hit the wall a couple of times." Emily gave her the summary, not wanting to dive into the details.

"Could you tell me about the past experiences that made you panic?"

Emily thought back on how her foster mom reacted when she found Emily's stash at sixteen. She remembered her mom screaming, the slur in her words as she yelled, and the smell of alcohol in her breath as she got in Emily's face. Emily's eyes glazed over, brought back to that moment.

"Emily? Can you tell me what you're thinking?" Dr. Kinbott's voice broke through Emily's thoughts.

Emily snapped out of it and looked back at Kinbott, a lingering fear in her eyes.

"I... I remember my mom yelling after she found the weed under my mattress. The smell of vodka on her breath... she called me a druggie. Told me I'd end up like..." Emily looked away and ran her hand through her hair, not finishing the sentence.

"End up like who?"

"My biological mother." Emily sighed after she spoke.

"And you were worried that Principal Weems was going to be angry like your mom was?" Dr. Kinbott jotted down notes as she asked.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Have you ever hurt yourself before you hit the wall last night?"

"I have. I... used to cut myself when I was younger. I haven't done it in nearly 5 months, but... I've thought about it a few times." Emily's eyes looked down at the ground, her hands gently pressed into one another. "Sorry... I know this was just to get established with you; I don't mean to drop everything at once." Emily laughed dryly and rubbed the nape of her neck.

"Don't apologize, Emily. It's important to me that you know this is a safe space. You can share as much or as little as you are comfortable with, but I also need you to know that sometimes therapy takes us to uncomfortable places. I feel like this topic may be a little heavy for you, right now; why don't we talk about something else?" Dr. Kinbott pauses and flips to a new page in her notepad. "Why don't I ask some questions to get to know you better without dredging up the past?" She smiled softly at Emily.

"How have you been getting along with the people at Nevermore? Have you made any friends?" Dr. Kinbott tilted her head when she asked.

"It's been fine. The classes don't seem too hard. I, uh, met one girl in my botany class. Her name is Bianca; she's a siren." Emily spoke in a low tone, trying not to give away that she was not settling in well.

"Have you been assigned any work yet?"

"Only one thing I haven't finished..." Emily bit the inside of her cheek, thinking about the assignment from her creative writing class.

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Just a paragraph describing myself."

"Is there something you're struggling with in that assignment?" Dr. Kinbott could tell something bothered Emily about that assignment.

"I... Honestly, I don't know how to describe myself. I thought about writing it from someone else's point of view, but I know people see me for who I am."

"And who are you?"

"A loser." Emily chuckled as she said the word, trying to make it seem like she meant it lightheartedly, but she knew that it was the truth.

"We're almost at time. Why don't we schedule weekly sessions from this week forward? Is there any day in particular that would work best for you?" Dr. Kinbott smiled as she set her notepad aside.

"Um, I think Wednesdays or Thursdays? I'm looking into clubs that meet at the beginning and end of the week."

"Alright, how about Thursdays from five to six?"

"That should work for me." Emily stared in disbelief, unsure if this was real life.

Dr. Kinbott said her goodbyes to Emily, and Emily walked back out to Principal Weems' car that was parked parallel outside. Emily had never had a therapist before. When she asked her mom about therapy when she was younger, her mom told her that it was for 'sick' people. Weems smiled as Emily slid into the car.

"Welcome back! I hope it went well. Did you schedule any future sessions?"

"Yeah. Thursdays from five to six." Emily took a deep breath before she spoke up again. "Would you still be down to get that hot chocolate?"

The headmistress's eyes light up at the suggestion before softening.

"Of course, I'll take us there." Larissa turned the key, and the car jolted to life.

A smile appeared on her face, obviously joyful that Emily had decided to accept her invitation, even if she had been cold to her earlier.

"Emily, I know the transition to Nevermore can be difficult, but I want you to know that you don't have to do it alone. My door is always open, and I'm sure Dr. Kinbott would say the same." Larissa spoke with genuine sincerity, and Emily didn't know how to react to that.

Emily never had anyone she could open up to, and suddenly she had the headmistress and a therapist in her corner. It was almost surreal to her. What could Weems see in her that she couldn't? What made her so patient with Emily?

The drive to the Weathervane was short enough that they probably could've walked, but after her session, Emily wasn't really in the mood to walk anyway. They both stepped out of the car. Weems waited on the side toward Weathervane as Emily walked around the front of the car. The principal's eyes and smile bore into Emily, and she was beginning to regret her decision to get hot chocolate. She avoided eye contact and headed toward the cafe.

Larissa walked beside Emily, keeping her strides a bit smaller so she didn't get ahead of Emily. Emily kept a neutral look on her face as they entered the Weathervane. Weems gestured for Emily to have a seat in one of the booths as she ordered two hot chocolates. Emily walked over to one of the booths against the windows, and as she reached the table, Weems walked over by her. The principal instinctively took the seat facing the exit. Emily absentmindedly checked her phone when she sat in the seat opposite the headmistress. It was just after five.

"The hot chocolate will be over in a moment. So, how have your classes been? Getting along with everybody so far?" Weems asked.

"Oh, yeah, everything's going great!" Emily made purposeful eye contact as she spoke, hoping it would make her words seem more sincere.

"That's good to hear; do you have any assignments yet?" Weems folded her slender hands together on the top of the table as she spoke; she looked like the kind of person who would say exactly what someone needed to hear without even realizing it.

"Only one..." Emily broke eye contact; she hoped Weems wouldn't push the conversation further than that, but Emily knew she wanted to ask for the principal's help on the assignment despite it being something that should be easy.

"Are you... Having trouble with this assignment?" Larissa smiled up at the barista who placed the hot chocolates in front of them after she spoke.

Emily took a sip of her sweet drink. "I mean, kind of? I know how I would complete it, but I feel like I'm not going to turn what Ms. Vasquez wants to see."

"It's for your writing class, then?" Ms. Weems picked up on which teacher it was. "I know you can write, don't doubt yourself."

"It's not that, it's just... I don't know how to write what she wants me to write." Emily motioned with her hands, something she only really did when she was really exasperated.

"Well, what is it you need to write?"

"..." Emily stares for a second at Weems, getting increasingly embarrassed that she now has to admit that she can't describe herself without sounding like she has a grudge. "Um. It's... stupid really. I'll just talk to her tomorrow." Emily tries to brush it aside.

"Nonsense. I'm sure whatever it is, it's not stupid." The principal shook her head and looked back at Emily expectantly.

Emily stayed silent and took a sip of her hot chocolate. She sighed and set the cup down with a light thud of irritation.

"I have to write a paragraph describing who I am."

Chapter Text

Larissa looked at Emily with what seemed to be empathy in her eyes.

"Oh, I can understand that." Principal Weems said nonchalantly as she sipped her drink.

"You can?" Emily looked shocked.

"Yes, I can. It's difficult to know how to describe yourself when your own mind is constantly feeding you lies. I was the same way as a young woman." She looked a bit sad, but also nostalgic as she spoke. "How about I tell you how I see you; maybe that will give you some insight?"

"Uh... Yeah, I think that could help." Emily's words were slow with disbelief as she stared at Larissa with her cup clenched in her left hand.

"I truly believe that you are full of potential, Miss Dart, but you struggle with copious self-doubt. Maybe you could write about your creative soul? Or perhaps you could start with your physical appearance to get it moving? I see you as someone who cares deeply for others but struggles with showing that. Don't be afraid to get into the nitty-gritty in the paragraph; I know for a fact that Ms. Vasquez loves it when people can show self-awareness in their work." Larissa reads Emily like a book, and Emily makes herself increasingly smaller as the headmistress talks.

"Ok, thanks..." Emily rubs the back of her neck and sips her hot cocoa.

Larissa seemed pleased with herself until she realized that Emily was uncomfortable with how easy she was to read. Principal Weems swiftly changed the conversation topic into something less heavy.

"How's the hot chocolate?"

"It's alright, a little watery for my taste," Emily answered honestly.

The headmistress took another sip before nodding. "You're right; they must've put too much water in the machine."

"I'm still gonna drink it, though." Emily laughed wryly as she took another sip.

"Well, they still cost three dollars each, so me too." Larissa smiled as she drank the watery hot cocoa.

Emily took a deep breath.

"Principal Weems, I... I should apologize for how I've been treating you. I don't... I didn't mean..." Emily couldn't quite find the words to apologize as she wanted to.

"Miss Dart, there's no need to apologize, truly." Larissa set down her hot chocolate and looked down before looking at Emily. "I know that transferring schools can be difficult. I promise I don't take anything personally."

Emily just nodded and accepted her answer, not wanting to push her luck too far. She finished up her hot chocolate and glanced at Ms. Weems, who had also finished her hot chocolate.

"Shall we go, then?" The headmistress broke the silence when she noticed that Emily was done.

"Yeah, let's head out." Emily scooted out of the booth.

They walk to Weems' car. Emily strapped herself in and prepared to head back to school. She pulled out her phone and scrolled absentmindedly through a couple of TikToks as she waited for Larissa to get in and ready to go.

"You may connect to the Bluetooth if you'd like, Miss Dart. I'd love to hear more of your music recommendations!" Larissa clicked the Bluetooth pairing button and gestured to the radio, waiting for Emily to connect before she got the car moving.

Emily connected to the car and booted up her Spotify, but as she went to click on her classical playlist to play it safe, she accidentally clicked on her playlist titled "Literal Legend." It's the playlist she put on when she was feeling good, but the songs were not all that appropriate. The song "Slumber Party" by Ashnikko played throughout the car.

"I'm not shy, I'll say it, I've been picturing you naked. I'm a little faded, you look like a fucking painting. Big doe eyes, amazing, she's everything I've been praying. My heart palpitations, she looks like the type to break it. Me and your girlfriend playing dress up at my house. I gave your girlfriend cunnilingus on my couch."

She fumbled with her phone repeatedly in a panic. It got through the first verse and then some before Emily could switch it to her classical music. Vivaldi's "Summer" played in stark contrast to the lyrics that were just blasting in the SUV. Emily's face turned red as a tomato, and she covered her face with her hands. She heard Weems desperately try not to laugh and could've melted into the seat right there.

"Well, that was... interesting." The principal said with a grin on her face before breaking down into hysterical laughter. "Oh dear, I did not expect that! I'm so sorry, I just wasn't prepared for that." She breathed in and out loudly a few times, trying to catch her breath as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Principal Weems, you cannot speak a word of this to anyone, ever." Emily buried her head in her hands as she blushed.

Emily was thoroughly humiliated by her mistake. Weems was laughing at her, and she would probably never look at Emily the same. Emily could cry from shame, but she wasn't about to look even more pitiful than she already did. She sat upright and turned up the volume in the car so that the classical music would drown out the memory of what had just happened.

Emily sat in mortified silence as Principal Weems glanced over at her as she turned the car over and began their way back to Nevermore. They pulled into the gravel parking lot, and Emily quickly got out of the car, not wanting to be stuck with her feelings of embarrassment for any longer than she had to. She held her phone as she stepped out and silently cursed herself for her butterfingers as she went to turn the music off earlier. She thought like a boomer for a moment and blamed the fact that it’s Monday before setting off toward the school. Ms. Weems swiftly caught up to Emily because of her long strides.

“It’s nearly 6 already. Would you care to join me for dinner? We could discuss what you need to write for your class with Ms. Vasquez.”

“Sure! I promise I won’t run off this time, if that helps.” Emily smiled gently, letting her humiliation wash away from the previous incident.

Ms. Weems slowed her pace a bit so she could walk next to Emily. They entered the bustling cafeteria, but this time, Emily didn’t feel quite as anxious. The principal walked in front of Emily and grabbed a sandwich from one of the buffet-like dishes. Emily grabbed a chef salad and poured a bit of ranch over it before sitting across from Ms. Weems at an empty table. She began to enjoy the salad, glad to get something in her stomach other than hot cocoa. Of course, she still paced herself; she wasn’t going to scarf something down in front of the headmistress and make herself look messy. The headmistress took a bite of her sandwich. After she finished chewing, she started to talk to Emily.

“So, like I said earlier, you could most definitely start with your physical appearance to get the ball rolling on this assignment. I feel that being honest about how you feel about yourself could help both you and Ms. Vasquez understand your mental state better.” Weems took another bite and waited patiently for Emily to respond.

“Yeah, I guess so. I’m just worried she’ll think I’m crazy or something. Not that you don’t think I’m crazy already.” Emily looked away as she realized what she had said.

“I don’t think you're ‘crazy,’ Miss Dart. I think you’re like a lot of the other students here. You’re just struggling a tad. I was the same way when I was younger. Full of self-doubt and afraid of what people will think. It’s not abnormal to struggle, I promise.” Larissa spoke with compassion in her voice.
Emily smiled at her, not quite as put off by being read this time. It’s clear that Ms. Weems cares about her students, and it doesn’t help that Emily is as unstable as she is right now. Emily starts to let her guard down ever so slightly with her, but she’s still prepared for Weems to start resenting her. The only person who ever didn’t become distant or cold with her was her old English teacher, and she was probably one of a kind. Emily knew that she was hard to deal with sometimes; it wasn’t a secret.

“Miss Dart, why don’t you get that assignment finished tonight, and if you need any help with what to write, just swing by my office.”

“Alright, I’ll try.” Emily felt herself get a tiny bit of determination knowing that Principal Weems was on her side.

They both finished their meals and parted ways. Emily walked back to her dorm, the hallways quieter than before, but not silent, as students still walked and chatted. When she arrived, she took off her shoes and set straight for her desk, ready to write. She opened up her laptop and began to type, starting with her physical appearance.

My name is Emily Dart, and I have short, fluffy, brown hair that I frequently comb through to try to keep in place. I typically wear greens and browns, but I do like how the Nevermore uniform looks on me. I can be found in the library when in need of a quiet place to research or write. My favorite food is cottage cheese, but I do adore a good grilled salmon. I’m not one to get into the nitty-gritty about myself, but I am willing to do it just this once. I am full of self-doubt nearly constantly, and get semi-frequent panic attacks. My eyes tend to well over with tears when I’m too full of emotion – this is the worst when it happens during anger or rage. I feel weak a lot of the time, and I compare myself to others at a near-impossible rate. My writing doesn’t feel up to par with my own standards. Although I am an adult now, I still feel like I have outbursts as a child would, and I can’t stand that about myself. Thank you for reading this, and I hope that this is what you were looking for in this paragraph. It was hard for me to write this, but in doing so, I have discovered that I am braver than I previously thought.

Emily sighs and sits back in her seat as she finishes the paragraph. She’s tempted to delete it all and take a zero, but thinks back on the words of her principal and decides that, at least this once, she needs to push through and send it in. Emily goes back over it, fixing minor spelling mistakes and punctuation. She finally decides it’s up to her liking, and emails it to the email that Ms. Vasquez put in her syllabus.

Emily prepared for bed, her heart beating a bit faster after she sent the document to her teacher. She keeps wondering if Ms. Vasquez will find mistakes she missed, or even just say that it wasn’t what she was looking for. Emily can’t always admit it, but she knows that her writing is good. She laid down in her bed and listened to some music before she turned the lamp next to her out and fell asleep. The song “Dark Red” by Steve Lacy played in her mind.

“Oh, something bad’s about to happen to me. Why I feel this way, I don’t know, baby.”

Chapter Text

Emily woke up to her blaring alarm. She always made sure her alarms were as loud as possible; she frequently had trouble waking up in the morning. She flipped around in bed and turned off the alarm. Her sleep wasn’t always the best quality, but she still slept deeper than anyone else in her family. She assumed she had adapted to sleep deeper due to the screaming matches at 3 A.M. when her parents decided to get into it.

As she thought about her family her mind raced back to the time she silently screamed at any god who would listen to kill her when she was only 11 years old. Emily had always been mentally ill, but she couldn’t tell if it was from her genetics or the conditions she was raised in. With an alcoholic mom and a narcissistic dad, she never really got the chances other kids did. Not to mention the genetics from her birth mother.

Emily shook off the thoughts of her family and sat up in bed. She threw the covers off of her and stood onto the frigid hardwood floor. Her toes curled a bit as they froze on the wood. She decided that she should probably hop in the shower before it got much later. The hot water only lasted 15 minutes at her house, so she was used to washing up fast. She grabbed her bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash and headed to the communal shower area. She wrapped a bathrobe around her and undressed underneath it, setting her sleep clothes underneath the sink in front of the shower she was using. She stepped in and closed the curtain behind her, removed the robe, and hung it on the hook outside the shower curtain. The hot water was turned all the way up, just how she liked it. If her skin wasn’t steaming by the time she got out, it wasn’t hot enough. The hot water poured over her.

She finished up in the shower and grabbed a towel she had set outside the curtain to dry her off. After her hair and body were sufficiently dry, she threw the bathrobe back on and grabbed her bottles and clothes. She trekked back to her dorm feeling more awake than before.

She sat in front of her vanity and combed her hair back, getting rid of any tangles or knots. Afterward, she started on some light makeup; her concealer always went toward any acne and the dark circles under her eyes from both physical and mental exhaustion. A tad of foundation, some setting powder and spray, and she was done. She took a final look in the mirror to make sure everything was in place. She threw her uniform on and checked the time on her phone – 7 A.M. She had time to get breakfast before class, so she made her way to the cafeteria.

Emily entered the cafeteria and grabbed a banana and a small pastry before heading to the quad to eat in the fresh air. The quad still had quite a few people in it, but she found a secluded side of a table to sit at. She ate in silence, mostly people watching as she did. She noticed a distinctly odd grouping at a table. The two girls she saw the day before sat at a table together along with a few others. The girl in all black and grey seemed relatively uninterested in conversation, but the bubbly girl with colorful highlights yammered on almost constantly. Bianca, the siren Emily had met in Botany, sat with them; finally, next to her was who Emily assumed to be a vampire due to the sunglasses and deep red drink. The group of girls all chatted on and off as they ate. There was room at their table for two more, and Emily was almost tempted to get to know them, but before she even had a chance to stand up after finishing her breakfast, the girl in black spun her head toward Emily faster than she could react. Emily tried to look down at the table, but it was too late, the girl was already in front of her.

“Who are you, and why were you looking at us?” The girl spoke monotonously, and she crossed her arms as she expected Emily to be doing something malicious.

“My name is Emily; I was just people watching and happened to land on your group. Sorry if I did something wrong! I promise I didn’t mean any harm by it…” Emily looked at the girl almost fearfully, hoping she didn’t just make her first enemy.

Behind her, the other three girls approached. Bianca started to talk to Emily.

“Sorry about her; she can be… protective, to say the least.” Bianca turned to the girl in black and addressed her, “Wednesday, this is Emily, I met her yesterday in Botany; she seems pretty chill.”

Wednesday turned to Bianca then back to Emily before turning back around and heading to her table. Bianca and the other two girls stayed to talk.

“Hi! I’m Enid! I heard we had a new senior this year; it is SO nice to meet you!” Enid extended her hand out to shake Emily’s.

Emily shook Enid’s hand politely.

“It’s good to meet you, too! I’ve seen you and Wednesday around, but I haven't gotten to talk to many people yet.”

“Oh, that’s okay! I am totes fine with introducing myself first.” Enid put her hands together in front of her and leaned back and forth on her heels.

“I’m Yoko, by the way. Do you want to come sit with us? It might be easier than crowding around the edge of this table.” The final girl in the group spoke up.

“Yeah! We could definitely use some new company.” Bianca waved her hand to follow as she turned back toward the table they were all previously sat at.

Emily followed the 3 girls to the table and sat down next to Bianca. Emily didn’t talk much, but she contributed to conversation every now and then about little things. She stayed and chatted with the girls until it was time to get to their first period classes. They all headed their separate directions, but Bianca and Enid were sure to let Emily know she was free to sit with them at any time.

Emily arrived at her first hour class a minute before the bell rang. She took her seat and waited for class to begin. Mrs. Glenwald started in as soon as the bell went off; she went over what their first unit would be about, and went on to explain how they will have two units per quarter to go over. Emily sat through the class with no issue, and the same went for her next 2 classes.

Lunch came around and Emily went back to the cafeteria to pick up a grilled cheese – one of the options for Tuesday’s lunch. Emily walked jauntily to the quad and was quickly waved over to the same table from earlier by Enid. Emily sat down and greeted the girls; she then asked how their classes had gone, and if they were enjoying the beginning of the year.

“Yeah! I’ve had a great start! Honestly, I’m just happy to be away from my mom, finally.” Enid groaned and rolled her eyes in exasperation as she mentioned her mom.

“Tell me about it.” Emily said with a sigh in concurrence.

“She can be SO overbearing. Like, it’s super annoying.” Enid huffed and crossed her arms, “but I’m here now, so the most I have to see her is for parents day, which I am so not looking forward to.” She uncrossed her arms and went back to being mostly enthusiastic.

“Hey, Wednesday, I saw you were in Advanced Creative Writing with me; I was just wondering what kind of stuff you write?” Emily asked politely.

“The kind of stuff that would probably send Enid into a spiral of insanity.” Wednesday answered without looking up from the book she was reading.

Enid let out a small whimper, but shook it off and went on to explain.

“Wednesday is actually a SUPER good writer, she has this whole series she’s written, but it’s not published; not yet at least!” Enid said excitedly.

Wednesday glanced at Enid looking a bit annoyed by her antics, but her eyes softened a bit as she took in her happiness.

“How have you been settling in, Emily?” Bianca looked over and smiled.

“Oh, I feel like it’s gone pretty well so far. I mean, it is only the second day of classes, but I think I’ll be fine.” Emily said, thinking back on the night before last night where she had already thought she was going to be expelled.

Bianca nodded and told her that it was nice she was settling in well. They all chatted as they finished up their lunches.

Emily went on to her writing class, and as she stepped in, Ms. Vasquez called her over to her desk.

“Hi, Emily! So, I got your paragraph. I went ahead and printed it off so we could both have a physical copy; that’s just how I keep track of things more easily, no need to panic!” She handed the paper copy over to Emily, who had just gotten hit with a wave of anxiety, “I wanted to let you know that this is well-written, and I really appreciate you getting into the truth instead of just placating me with physical descriptors or things you enjoy. I don’t get a lot of students who can get the truth out of themselves, so thank you.” Ms. Vasquez finished speaking and beamed at Emily.

Emily didn’t say much other than a quiet ‘thank you’ to her teacher. Emily was terrible at accepting praise, and she hated when people would talk her up. She sat in her chair dumbfounded. She didn’t figure that Ms. Vasquez would actually read the whole thing, but she wasn’t exactly displeased at it. Maybe it’s just an English teacher thing – being so kind and accepting. Emily knew she had definitely just raised the bar for herself in this class. She sat quietly for the hour and listened to Ms. Vasquez as she talked about different forms of writing as self-expression for the day’s lesson.

The rest of Emily’s school day went by without a hitch, and she decided she would go check out the drama club since it was meeting today. She walked in and was greeted by the music teacher, who oversaw the clubs.

“Hi. I’m Ms. Capri, and you are?” She smiled warmly at Emily.

Emily introduced herself and gave her a firm handshake, despite how her right hand felt a bit sore still. Emily let Ms. Capri know that she’d like to join the drama club, and that she was thinking about doing choir as well. Capri told Emily that she was actually the one who watched over both of the clubs, and that she’d be happy to welcome Emily into both. They went on to discuss meeting times and days. After a while of talking with Ms. Capri, Emily decided that she was officially joining Drama and Choir.

Emily was thoroughly satisfied with herself. She made some new friends, joined a couple of clubs, and all of her classes were going smoothly. Why then, did she have this sinking feeling in her chest that something dreadful was going to happen? She couldn’t shake it away. Emily walked back to her dorm with her earbuds in, hoping for a good song to pop on and lift her mood.

She opened her door to her dorm room and stepped inside, but something was off. A piece of paper sat on her desk that she hadn’t seen before. It was a note. All it said was “You’re Beautiful” with a heart next to it. Attached to the back of the sheet was a picture of herself sitting at the table with the girls. Emily’s anxiety spiked, and the song playing didn’t help.

“Please don't go (Please don't go) I'll eat you whole (I'll eat you whole) I love you so”