“Oh fuck.” Violet cursed beneath her breath, shutting her locker with a bang.
Why was the principal calling her? Was it because of the form? The gods help her; couldn’t they take a joke? Was it that bad that she penned her sincerest thoughts, or were they concerned about the reputation of the school? Violet sensed it was the latter. Perhaps she had gone a little too far.
Only a little.
With a sigh, she walked in the direction of the principal’s office. Except the action only emboldened the gossipmongers.
“I said it, there was no way she could have gotten away with that.” The rumors picked up like a whirlwind.
“She’s doomed. Principal Lincoln would rip her apart. I bet she didn’t think about the consequences of her actions.”
Violet rolled her eyes as the gossip reached her ears. Were these people jobless or what? Instead of a school, they would have done well in a hair salon.
“Could you blame her? She’s only following in her mother’s footsteps.”
Violet halted at once. She had intended to ignore them all, but that particular comment hit home, and now she froze, turning to identify the wretch who was courting death.
The perpetrator turned out to be a red-haired girl who flinched as soon as their eyes met.
Violet began to stride toward her, and it might have been the deadly look on her face, but the girl began to shake like a leaf in winter, realizing that she had messed up.
However, Violet didn’t reach her before she took off running, screaming, “I’m sorry!”
Violet might not be as popular as the queen bees who ruled the school, but she was famous for fighting off Jasmine and her gang, and that seemed to have gotten her quite a reputation, seeing the way the girl had fled.
All that was left were her friends, who were trying hard not to cower like their friend had. Violet did not speak; she let the cold fire in her eyes, the hardened look on her face, and her hands balled into fists do the talking. They swallowed, seeming to take the cue as they turned and left without a word.
Thanks to the little drama, the rumors died off and Violet walked over with her head held high. Upon arriving outside the principal’s office, she took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in.” his voice echoed from the outside.
Violet turned the knob and stepped into Principal Lincoln’s office. She’d been here plenty of times before, mostly for fights, and nothing much had changed.
The room was neat, and functional, with a polished desk that held a computer, phone, and an organized stack of paperwork. Shelves in the corner were filled with educational books, binders, and a few personal items, like his award from the education board.
The walls, as always, were covered in certificates, school achievements, and the usual motivational posters telling students to “Reach for the Stars.” Except it never inspired anyone.
“Have a seat, Miss Purple,” Principal Lincoln said, gesturing towards the chair across from him.
Violet sat down cautiously, already bracing herself for the usual scolding and inevitable punishment. But when she glanced up, ready to face his usual stern expression, she was caught off guard.
Mr. Lincoln was smiling.
That smile made her uncomfortable. Something was wrong, and Violet felt a strange tightness in her chest as she shifted in her seat. The air felt heavy with expectation.
She broke the silence first. “Why did you call me in, sir? Did I do anything wrong?” she asked, even though a part of her already knew.
Principal Lincoln leaned forward slightly, still smiling, and clasped his hands together on the desk. “The results of the application process have come in,” he said slowly as if savoring the words. “I called you in to thank you.”
“Thank me?” Violet frowned. What in the world was he talking about?
He nodded enthusiastically, leaning forward. “Since the scholarship program began, only three students from this district have ever been chosen. It’s a rare opportunity, one that doesn’t come by often. I wanted to take this moment to recognize your achievement.”
A strange, creeping feeling started to slither into Violet’s gut, making her shift uneasily in her seat. Her palms were clammy. A foreboding sense of dread began to pool in her stomach. No. No, there was no way. She refused to entertain the thought.
Principal Lincoln seemed oblivious to her growing discomfort as he reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a sleek, expensive-looking envelope.
“Congratulations, Violet,” he said, holding it out to her. “You’ve been accepted into Lunaris Academy.”
Her ears began to ring, and for a moment, the entire world felt like it had narrowed down to that one sentence. This was impossible.
There had to be some mistake. Her heart pounded in her chest as she grabbed the envelope with trembling hands, hastily tearing it open.
And there it was.
Bold letters stared back at her.
“Congratulations, Violet Purple. You have been selected…”
No. No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening. She felt her breath quicken, her chest tightening. Yet the truth stared back at her, unrelenting and undeniable.
She had been chosen for Lunaris Academy.
For a week plus, Violet Purple avoided school. By law, all eligible eighteen-year-olds were required to apply to Lunaris Academy, but the law didn’t specify that the chosen had to accept the scholarship.
The offer also came with a deadline: if the recipient didn’t report to the academy within a week, the scholarship would be rescinded and given to someone else. No penalty was outlined for declining, perhaps the rule-makers never imagined anyone would refuse such an opportunity.
For people like her, the gutter kids, scraping by on the ruins of a broken world, Lunaris Academy was the dream. But not for Violet. She had no interest in going, especially when her reasons for attending weren’t exactly noble. The scholarship deserved someone better.
As if the gods were on her side, Nancy had chosen to leave town at that moment. It wasn’t unusual for her to disappear without warning or any explanation, often leaving no note about her whereabouts.
When Violet was younger, she used to think Nancy left because she was a freak, but as she grew up, she understood the nature of her mother’s work. Nancy would lose all sense of reasoning whenever she landed a wealthy client, staying with him until her services were no longer required-or, more often, until she overstayed her welcome and got kicked out.
Nancy had always dreamed of marrying rich, but with a job like hers, no man ever took her seriously. It was all fun in the beginning, but things inevitably soured.
The longest Nancy had ever been gone was a month, and Violet prayed she’d pull the same stunt this time so the scholarship opportunity would slip away before she came back. Nancy would be furious, no doubt, but by then, it would already be too late. There’d be nothing she could do about it.
However, Violet had no idea how Mrs. Florence did it, but her homeroom teacher somehow managed to get Nancy’s number. She called her ancient Nokia phone, which seemed to have survived since the ’90s when the world was still bountiful. The next day, a furious Nancy was standing over her as she lounged in the trailer, and the rest was history.
Call it a sixth sense, but something felt off about the scholarship. Despite not showing up at Lunaris Academy for a week, her scholarship wasn’t revoked as she had expected.
To make things stranger, Lunaris Academy had even sent her a letter, politely reminding her that the offer still stood. They even suggested she contact them if she was facing any difficulties preventing her from attending.
It didn’t add up. This wasn’t how Lunaris usually operated. They were almost chasing after her as if she were someone important. But she wasn’t. Sure, Violet was smart and good at sports, but there were smarter students back at her school-the nerds who spent every waking hour studying, all hoping to win this scholarship. Yet, they didn’t want them. They wanted her. It didn’t add up.
Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about it. She was going to Lunaris Academy whether she liked it or not.
“Is that all you’ll be needing?” Nancy asked, eyeing the open bag where Violet had packed her clothes and personal items. There wasn’t much by the looks of it.
“Yes,” Violet replied curtly.
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