6

Dear diary,

I met him.

That figure always spoken of in those fairy tale books which filled mother's shelves, except this one wasn't a prince.

A prat, perhaps. The words of Audrey, not mine.

You should know her. She's the one I'm rooming with alongside Hannah Grace.

Those two lovelies who were kind enough to get me familiarized with this school.

Wilbur Bowers is weird don't you think?

I mean they have separate school for the boys and girls, yet bring them together to eat, funny isn't it?

I even came to find out that a lot of kids hookup during social night, but that's some gossip for another day. Back to that strange figure who had managed to captivate me.

Dreamy, if I am to describe him.

With those piercing eyes which did all to get a hold of me, I can only imagine what color they are.

The way his smile crosses his lips, I'm afraid I might have fallen for him, dear.

And yes, I know what you're gonna say, Hannah Grace is head over heels in love with him, that's the hard part, but

maybe, just maybe, that one who goes by the name Zachary Cobain has somehow managed to steal my heart.

"Anna?" The voice of Audrey snapped me off the peace I had been englobed in, eyes coming to register that form stood by the dresser.

"We will be late for school!" Her voice was laced with worry, hands pulling up the black stockings on her feet all the way up to her thighs.

"School?" My tone hinted at wearisome, figure soon sitting up on the bed.

"It's Wednesday, Anna!" Followed that voice, in a tone that said you better get your ass off there, and hurry to the showers this minute.

"I hate to break it to you, Anna— Her figure was found pacing around the room, hands reaching for one thing or the other at every corner she hurried to—but Bowers take punctuality as their core value" She followed soon coming to stand right in front of me, hands holding onto a towel. My towel.

"You're found late, and you're found dead. It's the rule, sweetie" She tossed the towel over to my face, the sound of her voice becoming faint.

"I'll be in the halls waiting for you" She called out.

"Hannah Grace left already. I'm still undecided about who's the nerd between you two"

Her words were drowned out while she made leave out the space, and at her exit, I had pulled out of the bed, hurrying out the room to the showers.

Now, if I was to get better settled in, in here, I'd better consider acting like a student.

I just could hear the voice of mother snapping at me, telling me how jumbled and disorganized I was, while Father stood at a corner sending that disappointed gaze my way.

At the strike of Seven in the morning, I already would be on the way to school, back in Stanford.

There were no complaints to be given, no delays to be made, Mother made sure I carried school to the forefront. Perhaps the reason I was tagged Stanford High's lamest.

***

I stifled a yawn, eyes trying to fight the tears that welled up in there. Tears from the boredom that had taken my entirety.

"It gets worse at each lesson"

The form of Audrey had leaned closer towards me, face scrunched up, perhaps out of disinterest while her gaze remained centered on the figure of that lady taking the Literature lessons.

"You should have seen me in the previous class" She called out. "I slept off" Her words came with a chuckle.

"Miss Peyton?"

That voice had snapped the attention of Audrey at once, eyes coming to behold the form of Miss Garner stood before her.

"Would you be kind as to telling us all the last thing I said"

"Communication?" Her voice was inaudible, pleading eyes onlooking the ones away.

"Communication in what?"

"I don't know, Ma'am"

"For someone who comes from a long line of Journalists and archivists, you disappoint me" I could feel the sting in those words, ears catching on to the coos that followed from the students.

"That's the thing girls—Literature teaches us to communicate. It teaches us to live, it teaches us to feel" The voice of Miss Garner was rushed with such vigour, eyes shifting through each one of us.

"But how am I supposed to communicate with a bunch of students who'd rather be anywhere than sat here listening to my tedious words"

"It does tire me as much as it tires you, because this is supposed to be fun. We are all students of literature. We should start acting like one"

A yawn followed from the back at the lady's utterance, which had at once earned the glare from Miss Garner, gaze fixed on that form.

"Which is why I've decided to call for a social gathering"

I could hear the murmurs that followed at the break of those words, gazes shifting through one another, confusion filling the room.

"I have called for a social night, happening this weekend, it will see each student of Wilbur Bowers coming together. The boys, the girls, believe me, there will be no restrictions"

"And I implore you all to communicate, live! For literature is to be found around us"

It didn't take long for the cheers to ring out, students clapping and taking to the feet, as what they felt was the best news they had hear in a very long time.

"It will be our Social night" Followed Miss Garner.

"And believe me when you return to this class next week, you return with an essay on how your night went, and just maybe I get merciful enough, that will be used as your test" The cheer had died at the call of her words, the joy which had taken the room for a moment, surprisingly making its leave.

"Enjoy your weekend" Those were the words of the lady before she walked out of the room.

"Social night?" Hannah Grace called from behind, pulling her things into a bag.

"We've never had a social night at Bowers. This is concerning" She added.

"What's concerning about being given our much sought freedom to mingle with the boys" Called Audrey at once, hands holding onto her bag.

"It will be fun, people!"

"It's a trap" Interjected Hannah. "A trap to catch us unawares"

"Do you know what this means?" She followed with widened eyes.

"There will be a lot of engaging..... Boys and girls getting knocked up"

"Exactly!" Called Audrey. "For we are to communicate, dear students of Literature! Consider it communication!" Followed the girl in a cheer-filled voice, with arms spread out, while she made leave out the room.

I never partied.

Never got to have a feel of what a hangover was.

Compared to me, Laurie was a breath of fresh air, so the students would say.

I wasn't one you'd find at one of those parties thrown by Martin Douglas.

Martin was the school's football captain back in Stanford High, or those sleepovers hosted by Sally Carpenter, she sure made sure I kept away from all.

I was boring.

Not the type that thought she was boring all because she'd waited till sixteen to have her first kiss, or the type to try push into conversations that involved the school's populars.

No.

I knew I was boring.

Boring to the core. There was no denying that now, Anna.

But all that was to change out here.

Not the punctuality though, I was to keep up with all of that. But I sure didn't want to be referred as a nerd. Not anymore

Anna Darcy was a changed being now.

I was to venture on a path I never would, come a hundred years, and that exactly was the reason I had created a bucket list.

One that changed me, and all that concerned my entirety.

One that changed my story.