2 Chapter 1

The bustling street received the carriages from all the upper families who brought their youngs to start a new year at the Academy. My nerves and excitement had left me a bit speechless. The big plaza encompassing both buildings was too big for a girl who came from the countryside. Even if I was staying all past trhee years at the Rochester's property, it was a lot different. Here I was now kind of alone.

I got down from the carriage holding my leather schoolbag, it was a gift from my adoptive father, he told me it was for me to remember he had my back, even if he was not right beside me. Since I was the only child living on the Main Mansion, I had come alone in the carriage, my father had already bid goodbye by the Mansion door. Lucille and her sister, Aunt Sophie's daughters came together, followed behind by Uncle Mark and Uncle Paul's children.

Even if I had stayed for a three years in the family, I only got to know my other cousins the Sunday before starting school, since I was hold back in the Mansion so I could learn all that I neede to be able to attend school, so I was not close to anyone. Apart from Lucille and her sister Hellen, who came once in a while with their mother, I had not talked with any of them. Even Lucille was usually cold and distant, and Hellen was just indifferent. That have not bothered me while I was in the Mansion, and with my father, he was all I had needed, but today, about to enter a new place, I needed someone to be with me.

Clenching my hands on my schoolbag handle, I breathed deep, turning around and giving a last look to the carriage and the chauffer, I went into the Saint Claire Building at the left. To the right was Saint Michael Building, the Boy's school.

My father had made me memorize where I should be going so I didn't get lost, of course, being a man, he had to seek help from Aunt Sophie and her older daughter to be able to help me, since he couldn't enter St. Claire building. So her and her daughter draw me a quick sketch so I could identify where to go.

So, according to the schedule I was given, I would be starting on the room 1-D, with Mrs. Smith at the left end of the corridor. Entering the room, I could see the seats arranged into 4 rows of five chairs with a desk each.

When I entered the room, no one paid me particular attention, so I just took a glance to the blackboard at the front to know where I should seat. Mrs. Smith have written down the places and the names of each of us to know where to go. As first time in the Academy at eleven years old, I would get to learn the ways to conduct and rules for us as fast as I could so I would catch up to my peers.

My place was right at the center of the room, so I walked directly avoiding some girls talking around and just got seated, reading myself to start a class with a teacher and not the tutors at home.

I looked around, and saw there was a classmate already seated to my right, the sun bathed her from the windows shining her golden locks, she looked really pretty while she write something happily on a paper sheet, and I thought that maybe we could get to be friends. So, I cleared my throat to give her my greetings.

— Hello, I'm Cha… Jane Rochester –, I said extending my hand to her.

But the moment she raised her head and looked on to me I could see how her eyes went wide, and a loud gasp was heard from her lips.

— Hellfire –, she said while looking at my hair, and a hand got quickly to her mouth, like she realizes she said something wrong.

And I could not understand why she would say something like that.

But her words, her gasp and astonished eyes garnered the attention to those near her, and suddenly they begin to look at me and whisper between themselves.

Looking around I began to feel awkward so lowered my eyes, my hand grasping at my one sided pigtail falling over my chest, as if I wanted to hide it, even if I didn't understand why should I do that. But I felt my hand beginning to tremble, or it was myself?

Like it was oxygen to fire, they started to change the whispers to low voice comments, and then to speak openly, since no one was saying anything on the contrary.

"Just look that hair color", "Did she tint it?", "It is even natural to have it like that?", "My mother would have fainted if she got a daughter like her"

Were just about the comments that I could hear around me, and I could not get myself to say something or even lift my face.

Then, the teacher, Mrs. Smith got inside the room.

— First day of the school year, and you are all already making such a ruckus. I could have thought that your families have educated all of you better –, she said after reaching her desk and accommodating herself –. A high-class Lady should know not to talk like that about someone else features, no matter how exotic they look.

That earned more small laughter from all the girls.

Hitting her desk with a ruler, Mrs. Smith silenced them again.

— From today onwards, you are all starting a new year as students of this Saint Catherine Academy, so remember that you represent with pride not only your family's name, but this Academy's name as well. So, you should conduct yourselves with dignity and poise, if you want to finish your school years and be recognized within your circle. You all should already know my name, I am Mrs. Smith, and this year, apart from being the Manners class teacher, I will be your Counselor. I hope that there is no more shameful behavior like the one I witnessed today.

After introducing herself, Mrs. Smith made us all present ourselves so our classmates could get to know our names.

— My name is Anne Colton – said the girl in front my seat. She had a beautiful black hair and blue eyes –. I hope we can continue to get along.

Now it was my turn, but the previous incident got my nerves augmented beyond from the morning excitement.

— Hello, I'm Charl… uh, no, Jane Rochester. Plased to met you all.

"Does she not know her own name?", "You heard her? She said Plased, ha,ha", "Bloody Jane"

I felt my cheeks burning, and I sat down again in my place, trying my hardest to not emit any sound while the rest of the girls presented themselves.

. . . . .

After the class ended, I waited to all of them to get out before going out myself, but when I was about to pass the door, Mrs. Smith called my name back to her desk.

— Miss Rochester. I hope you could explain it to me, but I cannot understand, why would you tint your hair such an exotic color. Even more how such a highly educated family could let you do it and come here like that. You need to undo it before the week ends.

— But, I was born like this, I didn't do anything to my hair –, I responded not being able to look into her accusative eyes.

— Don't joke, people can't get such a deep red color by nature, it is just not natural, you need to fix it by next Sunday, before getting back to school.

After saying that she sent me away to my next class.

But what was I going to do? I could not change my hair color. Up to this day, I have never felt ashamed of myself, the other children at the orphanage never said anything about it, even my father had said it was such a unique and pretty color.

I wanted to go back to the Mansion, get back with a fishing rod to the stream, with our checkered blanket, and stay all daylong with my adoptive father. But he had trust me that I could do it, that I could come here and learn like my cousins, and become a nice girl.

So I could just brace myself, even when it almost repeated the same with every teacher asking me to fix my hair color, as if it was something so unsightful.

When it was mealtime, it got a little worse. I tried to search for Lucille, but she ignored my glance, and even seated giving me her back, surrounded by her own friends she continued laughing. I tried to search for my other cousins but it was the same with my three cousins, so I just went to a corner of the two rows of tables.

Of course, to get there I had to walk half the dining room, getting people to notice me, and again, sparkling voices about me and my ominous hair color. From my seat I just watched everyone get in the chat about the "Hellfire hair" girl, while I, for the first time got to know the feeling of envy, seeing every girl with nice black, brown, blond, honey colored hairs.

By the end of the day I got up to the fourth floor to my bedroom. Since yesterday, my father had sent, as all the other girl's families, people to arrange the room I was going to stay during the week while I attended the Academy. I was going to share room with one of my cousins, but they already had a two beds room, one for Lucille and Hellen, and the other for Loise and Elsie. There were not a room with three beds, and my father didn't like the idea of some stranger living with me the first year I attended the Academy, not knowing if I could be fine, so he arranged for me to stay at a single room, next door of Elsie's.

If the circumstances were different, I would have feel a bit lonely by myself, but today I was so glad because I finally could let out all the sadness accumulated through the day.

With watering eyes, I walked in front of the mirror, and watched myself, specially my hair, one that before I could even say I love it, but now was getting an unwanted attention. So, I sat down there, watching my hair in the mirror, and wondering what I should do about it.

Finally I got back up, went to change my clothes and was already sleeping when the Sisters came to check everyone was sleeping properly and on time.