Chapter |2|

Humming softly, Eden Pereira used the mist created from her condensed breath to trace out stick figures on the mirror in front of her.

It was a hauntingly beautiful song she hummed, one that had been stuck in her head for days. It played now from the music box next to her on her vanity table, the heart-rending melody ringing out in the quiet of her room.

"Lights will guide you home," she crooned, breathing against her mirror once more to cover up the drawings. "And ignite your bones. And I will try to fix you."

For a moment, she closed her eyes to keep down the well of sadness building up in her chest. Once she was successful, her eyes re-opened to focus on the music box, studying it like it held all the answers in the world. Meanwhile, all it held was the answer to one never-ending mystery.

"What are you trying to tell me?" she asked the box, tracing one of its miniature glass horses. Right before she stopped the music. She didn't want to, but it was only contributing to the difficulty of what today stood for, weighing her down with too many thoughts about her past. Today, she needed all the enthusiasm and courage she could summon up, not the bittersweet feelings the gift caused.

Eden stood up, picking up her blazer from over her bed and shrugging it on. Unsurprisingly, her sister had modified it from the hideous black monstrosity it once was, into a nice fit. After a final look in the mirror, where she skilfully smudged more of her eye makeup, she turned away. A couple of things were too much for her today, the music box and especially the blankness in her gaze. Her heavy, dark makeup covered up the bags beneath her eyes, but couldn't hide their hollowness. It troubled her that not even the promise of what today represented could change them.

Grabbing her leather backpack, she stepped out of her room and made for the stairs, as usual marveling at the tastefully furnished penthouse owned by her sister. Regina's fashion designing skills extended throughout everything she did, it seemed.

"You have the look of a future corporate worker with all the soul sucked out of them, and nothing left but constant depression and suicidal tendencies." This was the greeting she got on reaching the dining area.

"Ignoring you." Eden had her seat, not sparing Eliot a single look.

Regina, freshly showered and dressed in a lemon top and black slacks, came out of the kitchen, setting a plate of waffles and a glass of juice in front of Eden, before taking her seat at the head of the table.

Eden pushed the juice back toward her. "Can't. Juice doesn't mix well with my pills."

"Okay." But Regina was on her phone, and didn't look like she'd heard. She certainly hadn't heard in the past couple of weeks.

"So, excited about your first day?" Eliot asked as he scarfed down his breakfast and read up on a test he had that morning at the same time.

"I guess. Today's the day I can finally start putting everything that's happened behind me and start over."

"You said that when you moved in here," Regina chipped in. She placed her phone down on the table and faced her two siblings as she began to eat. "Also, since when do you share your plans with us? It's weird."

Eden stared back at her quietly.

"What? No wise-ass comment? You're no fun anymore." Regina deemed the conversation no longer interesting and went back to ignoring them.

Eden said nothing, returning to her food as well. It was Eliot who glared at their sister in her defense.

"Are you sure you're okay driving to school?" he asked Eden after a moment of silence. "I could take you then come pick you up later."

She gave him a tight smile. "I'm good," she replied as sweetly as she could. How ironic. One sibling could be thoughtless and insensitive, the other was suffocatingly attentive. The latter being the reason for her not living with their parents.

While Eliot was momentarily appeased, going back to his reading, Eden rushed the rest of her breakfast. "Good luck on your test," she told him, rising. Regina was back on her phone, so Eden took it as the dismissal it was and didn't tell her goodbye. She took her plate to the kitchen where she cleaned up, then got all her things and left the suite.

On the elevator ride down, she took out her phone and stared at the screen without turning it on. She did this until she got to the last floor. She kept it back as she stepped out into the empty lobby. Most of her sister's neighbors were workaholics who started their day before the crack of dawn.

Only the concierge was present. Eden had struck a certain camaraderie with the middle-aged Hispanic widower when she first got here and was on her own most of the time. She would hang around the lobby whenever the suite felt too lonely, and from there he had taken pity on her, inviting her to keep him company at his desk anytime. They were both people of few words so it worked out quite well.

"Morning, Denzel," she greeted, slowing down in front of his desk.

"Morning, Ms. Pereira. Finally back to school, I see." His pleasant smile transformed his otherwise stoic demeanor into a moderately warm one.

"Not exactly. I changed schools." And was still asking herself about if it was the right choice.

"Well, good luck then."

"Thanks. Have a good day." Eden moved on, exiting the building to find the valet waiting outside with her black Audi. "Right on time, Aaron."

"I was told you'd be ready to go by seven." Ever punctual, the African-American had to be the best valet Eden knew. He tossed her the keys and stepped aside. "Will Ms. Regina be going out today?"

Eden supposed not too many would notice the slight deepening of his voice as he inquired. She was almost convinced he had a crush on her sister, but knew he'd deny it till his last breath. "No, doesn't seem like it. Enjoy your day, Aaron." Not waiting for his reply, she got into her car and drove off.

Fifteen minutes later, she was driving through large iron gates emblazoned with the school crest, past a very thorough security and pulling up in an almost empty parking lot. She killed the engine, unbuckled her seatbelt and came out, instantly attacked by the crisp, biting air of Upstate New York early morning in January. Throwing her bag over a shoulder, she looked up and got her first look at her new school. Only to stare in amazement.

She had been counting on a great deal from the best private school in all of New York, but this went beyond anything she could have expected. Tomas Brixton Academy had to be one of the biggest structures Eden had ever seen. It was a mix of modern and Victorian era architecture with tall, stony buildings painted in varying shades of teal, gold, brown and navy. Everywhere she looked spoke of wealth and elegance and beauty. It was a little unnerving how it was twice the size of her old school. Yet there was a certain charm and simplicity to it that told her it wouldn't take long for the school to grow on her.

Noting the air grew colder, Eden pulled at her skirt and remembered one reason she might hate attending the school. Their uniform, while more stylish and of much better quality, wasn't gender-neutral like her old one. Not to mention it was a little overkill. It was made up of a white shirt with a navy waistcoat and pencil skirt of the same color, a striped tie designed with what appeared to be the school colors, and finally a blazer with teal lapel lines and the school crest on the breast pocket along with a pocket square tucked inside. She had been told by the woman who brought the uniform over to Regina's place and gave her a brief orientation that girls strictly wore skirts and pants belonged to the boys. At Eden's old school, girls had been allowed to wear pants on account that they wore their skirts at least once a week. Eden might not remember much but she knew she had absolutely revolted skirt days. Now, here everyday was skirt day. The only saving grace was the tights she wore beneath her skirt and the thick blazer that not only provided enough heat but covered her up.

"It'll be worth it," she muttered to herself, hesitant to take the next step. This was her fresh start. Ever since she got home from the hospital, she hadn't been able to stand being around old things, things that had once made her who she was. Her family was included but there was nothing she could do about that, they were there to stay. So she made changes instead to things she was able to control—where she lived, where she schooled, if she still had faith or not.

While not her first choice, Tomas Brixton Academy was the closest school to her new place. Since she was just recovering from a serious accident, she'd been warned not to partake in strenuous activities, like driving for long, or anything that took too much energy. Hence, here she was.

After locking her car, Eden started for the wide set of steps leading up to glass doors. On entering, the first thing she noticed was the school crest once again imprinted on a surface, this time the tiled floors in the middle of the hallway. She was beginning to think they were an obnoxious bunch due to their reputation.

Pushing that aside for the moment, she got acquainted with her new environment. The hallways were bright, had squeaky clean tiles and well-kept lockers that stood out against white, spotless walls. A peek into the classrooms showed they spared no expense in ensuring the comfort of their students. The classrooms were enormous, well-lit with additional full-length windows, and packed with steel chairs and wooden desks that looked burnished. Everything was perfect. She instantly grew suspicious. Something that on appearance looked perfect had to have its downsides. She'd consider that later though.

Now, Eden needed to get to the school office. She followed the map attached to the academy's brochure that had been delivered along with her uniform, seeing no single soul right up until she located the detached brownstone structure that was the admin building. It was empty when she entered except a lone, dark-haired woman at the reception area who greeted her with a cheery smile.

"Hello there. And you are?"

Eden surreptitiously gave her a once-over, noting her elegantly composed demeanor and the tidy, modest desk space. "Eden Pereira."

Her light blue eyes lit up in realization. "Of course. Welcome to Tomas Brixton Academy, Eden Pereira. We are very excited and honored to have you join us. We hope to provide you with a positive learning environment and an education that pushes you toward maximum success in all your ambitions." Her words were most likely rehearsed but didn't sound so robotic with the enthusiasm with which she delivered them from cherry-colored lips.

It looked like they kept up the perfect streak by having excellent staff.

"Would you like a brief historical outline of our school accolades?"

By brief, she meant some tedious story the other woman had been yapping about while Eden was distracted by ways to get her to leave the suite. "Actually, Alicia," Eden spoke, reading the name plate on her desk. "I would just like to know what other formalities I need to complete before I can start."

"Alright." To her credit, the woman's smile didn't dim. "Lucky for you, there are only a few forms you need to sign. Your guardians have taken care of the rest." She brought out a padfolio stacked with neatly arranged files, pointed to the ones Eden needed to sign and gave her a pen. When that was done, she set the files aside and brought out a different folder which contained a sign-up sheet. "This contains all thirty plus extracurricular activities and clubs we provide. It's obligatory for students to join at least three—"

"Three?" Eden interrupted incredulously. Who had the time?

"Yes, but we give a three week stint. You're welcome to join a number of them and see which ones suit you best. Or you may ask your Peer Guide to share her knowledge on activities that interest you. By the end of three weeks, you have to be ready to submit your list of extracurriculars."

"I'm sorry, Peer Guide?"

"Yes, a Peer Guide. We appoint them to every new student who hasn't been with us from middle school," Alicia explained patiently. "We match your hobbies and interests with students of the same gender who already attend our school and find someone you're compatible with to help ease your transition and get you settled in. A friend, if you like. Many Peer Guides and their Recruits end up staying friends throughout their stay here. We also don't discriminate age or year, we pick based on who is available to help and who we think is a best fit for you."

So there was all likelihood Eden would get a freshman or sophomore hoping to earn extra credit. Delightful. "Is there anything else?" she asked, more than ready to leave.

"I'll need you to come back after school today to pick up your other uniforms. We've found your size. And for the delay, we count the first uniform given to you as an apology gift from the school. You'll get the full three sets you paid for later today."

Yippee. More skirts. "That's so thoughtful of you guys."

Alicia seemed to take the praise personally, beaming up even more. "Thank you. I trust you have a copy of the school map. If you get confused, your Peer Guide is available for whatever you may need. But you're free to relieve her at any moment. We encourage her sticking around your first couple of weeks here, but it's all up to you. Let us know when you no longer require her help so we can terminate her assignment."

"Okay," Eden drew out, eyeing her warily. Terminate her assignment, Peer Guide and Recruit, mandatory clubs? This was too preppy, uptight school for her. She hoped she hadn't landed herself in one of those schools that turned their students into mindless, overachieving robots. Eliot's words that she had dismissed earlier this morning came to mind. "Can I leave now?" Not exactly subtle, and rude given how welcoming Alicia had been.

"Yes, that will be all. Your Peer Guide should be waiting right outside for you." They dragged some other poor girl out of her bed so early? "Once again, welcome to Tomas Brixton Academy. I hope you enjoy your time here."

What a load of crap. It was a school, not a five-star hotel. Eden doubted she'd find anything enjoyable. All she hoped for was a chance to start afresh.

After a mumbled thanks, Eden turned away, her face immediately returning to a mask of blankness she'd been fighting for the sake of not appearing rude.

As predicted, Eden stepped out and found a tall blonde waiting for her. Stopping just short of running into her, Eden backed up a bit to get a good look at the girl dressed in the same uniform as her except her blazer was missing. She was extremely pretty with thick blonde curls, deep-set brown eyes, a button nose and small lips well suited for her dainty, feminine features. Her delicate looks were a contrast to the ease and grace with which she carried herself. Her chin was set high and her back ramrod straight like she didn't take crap from anyone. At the same time, her gentle, polished beauty unlocked protective feelings, like you'd do anything to keep such beauty safe from the harsh world.

When she opened her mouth though, her voice wasn't sugary sweet like Eden expected. It was a throaty, low, whiskey-tenor. "Eden Pereira?"

"Yes."

The girl studied Eden for a full minute without saying anything. During that time, Eden realized her eyes were actually black. They had Eden guessing her heritage and she landed on Asian. "I'm Sharpay Carmine," she finally introduced, putting a hand out. "Nice to meet you."

Eden took it then let it go a moment later. "What now, Sharpay?"

"Now," she replied, her bright pink lips pulling up into a smile as she stepped to the side to let Eden through. "You get to decide if you made the right choice coming here."