3

In vain I got excited

It's great that the lessons were going on, and I slipped out of the school unnoticed. Returning to the hostel, I suddenly discovered that there were no locks in the room. None at all. Well, okay, let's say they're all like a friendly family here and trust each other, but I don't know anyone. She sighed resignedly and dragged the heavy chair to the door. Carefully propped up the handle, I felt calmer.

- Domi, you saw me off and happily forgot?! - Damian picked up the phone only on the third attempt to get through to a friend. Evil is missing. - I saw your treacherous smile when I left! We have been friends since childhood, I thought you might even cry. At least pretend.

- Brrr! Why are you so scary? Did you like the new school? - Damian was not at all upset by the thrashing from his girlfriend, on the contrary, he seemed indecently cheerful. Have you found friends yet?

- Clearly, I will not wait for tears from you, traitor. I'll get straight to the point...

- Hey Lisa! Don't be offended, baby, I'm just kidding. Of course I'm a little sad, but no, I didn't cry. Because soon… it's actually a surprise, you'll find out later.” Damian laughed. Yes, he really is too joyful, bastard! - Oh, yes, sorry, I interrupted. What's the deal?

I exhaled, counting to ten in an attempt to calm my raging nerves. Not sad, and to hell with him, it hurts.

- Domi, I have a request: please go to the cemetery, to your mother. No one visited her today, I feel uneasy. Well, tell her that I'm fine, - she said and felt stupid. Who needs my experiences? However, maybe I should have left...

- Of course, Lisa! I'll definitely go," Damian assured him warmly.

I exhaled. It's good to have a friend you can rely on. And why did I just run into him ...

- Hey, Domi, sorry for being rude. It's just… it's not very good here. I mean, I don't know anyone yet, if only you were with me… - She sighed again.

- Higher head! Who knows, anything can happen,” Damian said cryptically.

I put my phone on the bedside table and stretched out tiredly on the bed. The evening sun peeked through a small window just under the ceiling, illuminating the walls red. The branches of the trees, whimsically intertwined, cast intricate shadows on them. Everything here seemed unreal. Suddenly I'm sleeping, and I'm about to wake up? Again I remembered my small town, which remained very far away, somewhere in another universe.

The sun was setting and shadows slowly crawled across the walls. A vague thought scraped in the back of his mind. Something about school. I wonder how my classmates are? What are they doing now? School. Classmates. Yes, stop! I sat up abruptly in bed. Here it is! It is already evening, and the hostel is still silent with an unnatural silence. I don't think the students here study all day long. Then where is everyone? I rushed over to the paperwork I signed at Director Rice's today. Among them, there should definitely be a lesson schedule. She dug out the paper she needed and began to study. No, although the students did not study around the clock, but ... the lessons began only after lunch! My eyebrows went up. Wow, these kids love to sleep a lot. Interesting quirks of the rich.

I put the schedule aside and began feverishly remembering what strange things I had noticed, well, except for the fact that some student of the graduating class (and part-time my “fiance”) is called the master or master. The school looked too luxurious, but you can't call it strange. But it's just too hidden from people, and there are no cities nearby. And very, well, very rich children study here. And I ... Who then am I? Where is my family? Why haven't they taken me to my father yet? Imagining myself as the heiress of unknown super rich people, I laughed nervously. Well, imagination. I made a mental note that I would ask the director about my father, no matter what the cost. Even today the commandant's wife looked displeased. It's weird, I haven't done anything yet. Yes, they are all looking at me. I knew for sure that they didn't like me. but no one openly attacked me. Although, as they say, it's not evening yet. Well, that is, time will tell what's what. For some reason Tobias was sure they were afraid of me. Tomorrow it will definitely be necessary to arrange an interrogation of the only friend so far. A noise pulled me out of my thoughts. Girlish voices and rapid footsteps filled the corridor. The lessons are over. I automatically glanced at my phone screen. Nine pm.

Someone gently knocked on the door. I closed my eyes. What do they want from me? Maybe they'll leave. The knock was persistently repeated. Scratching the floor, she pushed back her chair and opened the door just enough to see huge gray eyes and a thick blond mane.

- H-hello! The girl smiled guiltily and waved her hand. - I'm sorry if I interrupted. They are waiting for you for dinner in the dining room. The thin voice cracked. It was obvious that the girl was nervous.

I opened the door wider. In front of me was a beauty queen stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. Delicate facial features, a chiseled figure, covered in a fashionable expensive outfit.

- Who waits? - I did not understand.

- Well, dinner time has passed, but you're still not there, and I didn't have time for lunch, - the girl shifted from foot to foot, - I was sent for you. The cooks can't leave until you eat.

My eyes widened.

- Why?

“You are… the clan lady.”

Damn, ma'am again. I rolled my eyes.

- Western? - so, it seems Patrick said, and I could not resist a joke.

- Well ... it turns out, yes. And the South, of course.

Oh, and the South? The information became more and more confusing. I urgently needed an informant.

- Will you go with me? One uncomfortable, - I hopefully looked at the blonde.

She fluttered her long eyelashes and said uncertainly:

- Well, if only to the dining room.

Well, thanks for that. I hastily put on my jacket. Aina, my new friend, warned me that the cafeteria was in the school building. We walked through the corridors of the hostel. The girls lowered their eyes, not wanting to meet my gaze. Only one student, fair-haired, like Aina, and with legs growing from her ears, stood at the very end of the corridor and looked straight at me. There was a wry smirk on her lips.

- Who is she? I asked as we walked out into the school yard. The stars had already poured out in the dark sky. The cold wind got under the clothes. I pulled my jacket tighter around me and looked at Aina.

- This is the best student of our school - Viola. She was friends with ... - Aina faltered and blushed. - I think you'll find out soon enough.

- Listen, Aina, why doesn't anyone want to tell me anything? - from indignation my voice sounded angrily. Aina shuddered.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” I immediately apologized, “it’s just that it’s very difficult to be in a new place with strangers, and even when ... you want to run away and hide from everyone.

Aina's eyes grew huge.

- Alicia, that is, Lisa, I did not think about your feelings. You lost a loved one, it's probably very hard for you now ... I would like to become your friend! she suddenly blurted out.

I smiled gratefully at the girl.

- Thanks. So we're friends? Then will you tell me everything that's going on here?

- Well, only another time, - Aina smiled, - we came.

She stopped, nodding her head at a tall white door that seemed to lead into the dining room.

"Are you sure you won't come with me?" I looked at Aina with hope. She shook her head negatively and, looking around, shared in a whisper:

Zark is back!

Then she turned around and quickly ran down the path back to the hostel. Zark... Another strange character. Yes, this school is full of secrets. I sighed in relief and pushed open the doors.

The dining room was like the dining room of kings. Tables made of precious woods, chairs with high carved backs, silver cutlery. If my classmates got into this school cafeteria, they would not have a piece in their throats for fear of breaking something, or losing, God forbid, at least one of these silver spoons.

- Madam, come in, please! The young cook bowed politely. I already had a jaw drop at that word.

- Boy, listen, I'm not a mistress. You wrong.

- Well, ma'am, everyone here knows you. Waited a whole month. It's such a joy, the lady is back! Have a seat, please.” He pushed back his chair, and I simply obeyed.

Dinner was amazingly delicious, although maybe I was too hungry. Only now I remembered that I had not eaten anything since morning. The roadside cafe didn't count. I happily leaned back in my chair. If I'm going to be fed like this every day, well, I'll admit that this place isn't that terrible. Moreover, Aina and Toby treated me so well. Rich guys are not as arrogant as I thought they were.

- Are you full? I flinched at the harsh, rough voice.

She jumped up in her chair and, of course, knocked it over. The roar echoed through the deserted dining room. I looked at the chair in horror. If even a sliver of this beautiful product breaks off, I am sure that I will pay for a very long time. After making sure that everything was in order with the chair, I carefully lifted it and only then looked at the psycho who almost gave me a heart attack.

A tall, muscular brunette of about seventeen with chocolate eyes stood with his arms folded across his chest and his legs apart. His indifferent gaze slowly moved over my figure. Her curly hair covered her ears and fell casually over her forehead. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it 10 out of 10. But I did not like his cold contemptuous look, which now felt every inch of my body. Even the relaxed posture of the guy did not inspire confidence. And if with Toby I wanted to smile carefree, then with this my insides crept up and shrunk like a wound spring.

“In general, nothing special,” the guy finally delivered his verdict, apparently referring to my appearance. Me too, beauty pageant judge.

- Who are you? I muttered just as unfriendly.

- Zark.

Wow, that Zark! And, by the way, who is it? The fact that Aina could only mention him in whispers meant nothing. And I expressively shot the guy with my eyes. Like, so what?

- Well, all right, your eyes are beautiful, blue, - the guy suddenly lazily gave a compliment, - you just came in vain.

I don't understand anything. From these scraps of information, which they stuffed me with from the very arrival, I was rather tired.

Anger boils inside.

- I'll do without your advice, - I also fold my arms on my chest and stubbornly drill the guy with my eyes. We stand silently in front of each other for a minute, exchanging cold looks.

- What did you forget here? - harsh words sound like a spit in the face.

- Ask my fiancé! I didn't get lost.

- Would you like to talk to your fiancé? The guy's eyebrow goes up.

- Well, if you can find him, - I'm not so sure of myself anymore. She herself has never seen this “groom”.

- Ha! I will definitely look. Maybe send something? The guy looks like he's bullying me.

- Let him go to hell!

- I will definitely pass it on, - Zark mockingly smiles. At this point, his face becomes completely irresistible. His smile makes my heart skip a beat.

I begin to blush and hurriedly leave the battlefield. Already running out of the dining room I notice how the young cook bows to Zark. Another local bump. What a medieval hierarchy in this strange school!