Day Break Academy Series book 1

Chapter 4: Transition

I woke up with a start to the sound of my dorm room slamming. Last night's pity party left a crust of mascara, and salt plastered to the pillow I'd been crying into.

Just then, a tall brunette strode in with a grin on her face, and chucked her shoes off. I sniffled and sat up, and she whirled around with a loud yelp.

"Oh!" She said, covering her heart, and letting out a surprised laugh. "I'm so sorry I didn't realise you were here already, thought you'd be showing up tonight. I'm Torri, your roommate, welcome to our humble abode" she said, presenting the room in mock admiration. "It's the pits, but we get free clothes so f**k it, am I right?"

When I didn't answer right away she pressed on.

"So…your name is..?" She prompted with a look like she thought I may be missing a screw.

"s**t, sorry yeah. Um… I'm Ava, I just got here last night. I didn't know I would have a roommate, sorry I startled you." I repeated with a small shake of my head.

"No sweat girl! Everyone has a roommate, in a school of two thousand it's unheard of to get a private suite, unless you're one of the elites. Then you get pretty much whatever whenever" she rolled her eyes.

"The elites?" I asked.

She strode over and flopped herself on the end of my bed, squishing my feet beneath her. This girl was way too comfortable, but I could use comfort.

"Yeah. They're the students who've been here longest, they have family in the council so they're destined for a seat at the high table when the time comes. They stay an extra two years after graduating to learn 'advanced council studies'." She said making air quotes. Clearly she wasn't a fan of the notion.

"Naturally they're all drop dead gorgeous, but don't even bother trying, they're as arrogant as they are sexy, and apparently too good for anyone below them" She said crisply, and chipped at her purple nail polish.

I hid a small smile at her feigned nonchalance at being rejected.

"Well we don't have to worry about that, I've never even been noticed by a guy, and I'm almost 18." I said sheepishly.

"What? So you've never had a boyfriend back home or anything? A babe like you, and no party hook ups?" She gawked at me, leaning onto an elbow.

"Ha!" I laughed aloud. "I've never been invited to any, I wasn't exactly what you'd call pretty or popular at my last school. In fact I was pretty much the exact opposite." I admitted. I don't know why I admitted that so openly, but apparently Torri made me feel at ease. Maybe having a roommate wouldn't be so bad, lord knows I could use a friend right now.

She studied me. "Huh." She stated.

"What?" I said feeling a little too on display.

"I'm just surprised! You're definitely pretty, so if you weren't particularly popular then I'm going to state the obvious that those bitches were just jealous. I'm starved, had a late night…" she said with a waggle of her eyebrows. Now it was my turn to gawk, but before I could ask any questions she was on her feet, and throwing random clothes my way.

"Here put these on, we're going to the caf."

At the mention of food, my stomach panged angrily, and I realised how long it had been since I actually ate anything. I hopped up, changed into the black leggings and oversized grey hoodie, threw my hair up in a bun, and trailed out the door after her. Questioning Torri on her sexcapades would have to wait for later.

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I was surprised to see the cafeteria full when we walked through the double doors. Jeez it's 8 am on a Saturday what's wrong with these kids. Calling them kids was probably a huge understatement...

Everyone looked up murmuring to one another as we walked to the buffet line, and grabbed our trays. If Torri noticed she pretended not to. Just then she leaned over and whispered to me.

"Your parents are kind of legends around here, people have been talking about your arrival for days."

I hesitantly glanced over my shoulder at the looming stares, and desperately wished that I hadn't. The looks were a mix of curiosity, eagerness, but also distaste, and jealousy. f**k me, can I not have a normal school experience just once?

I quickly turned back, and with a slight tremble in my hand scooped up a ladle of whatever was in front of me. I was too anxious at the feeling of eyes burrowing into my back to care what I was going to pretend to eat anyhow. Once again hunger washed away.

Torri handed me a white juice box with a black straw, and led me towards an empty table.

"So a Venus huh? That must open some doors." Chuckled the guy who suddenly appeared, and invited himself to a seat a bit too close to me. I fought the urge to shift away, and offend him. He had sandy brown hair, hazel eyes, and a warm smile full of white teeth. He was attractive in the classic way a high-school quarterback would be.

I must have taken too long to answer because his smile turned down a bit and he turned towards Torri instead.

"Hey Tor, have you finished your assignment on historical magic yet? I could use a cheat sheet." He teased her leaning forward.

"Sure if you feel like failing…" she replied, "I'm barely holding a C in history." She poked at a hash brown with disappointment before shoving the whole thing In her mouth.

"Brutal. So…is anyone going to introduce me?" He said, splitting a bashful glance between the two of us.

"Oh, right. Ava this is Blake, Blake this is obviously Ava." She pointed at us with a wave of her fork. "Blake is a freshman too, and a constant thorn in my side." She added. Despite her words, she looked at him like the opposite was true.

He grinned back at her. "Well it was nice meeting you Ava, maybe we'll have some classes together" he said a little too hopefully as he stood to leave.

"Yeah, hopefully." I smiled back.

Torri watched him leave a bit longer than necessary before turning back to her plate with a sigh.

"So you have a crush on him?" I probed, trying to hide a smile and failing.

"What? Blake? God no!" She tumbled out while her cheeks flushed a light crimson. "Don't get me wrong, he's cute and funny, but not my type."

"Oh? What's your type exactly?" I taunted her, still smiling.

Just then I saw him walk through the caf doors. Dressed again in a solid black T that hugged every muscle just right. He radiated danger in the primal way he carried himself, and I thought back to the night his chest was against me. Heat slinked it's way up the back of my neck, he must have sensed me staring because his eyes snapped up to mine. His expression wanted nothing to do with me, and I couldn't understand it.

My trance was broken by the impatient snap of fingers in my face.

"Earth to Ava" Torri said.

"Uh, sorry , what?" I asked, blinking the daze off.

"I said what's YOUR type?" She laughed off key, "let's talk about you."

I shook my head grinning, and popped the straw into the juice box before taking a long draw of the contents. I didn't have time to process the flavour before my mind went into lockdown.

My eyes clouded over in a haze of dark crimson, and the charged chatter around me hummed to a dull echo. My heart thrummed rapidly behind my chest growing stronger, and faster until it became unbearably painful. I could feel the tepid liquid run down my chin, but couldn't tell my hand to wipe it away. Everything was frozen inside me except the stampede of my heart that pounded blood in my ears to a deafening crescendo of beats.

I was vaguely aware of Torri's silhouette rising to her feet in panic, she yelled something out but I couldn't hear.

My body began shuddering and then shifted to full on seizing, before the cold concrete tile cracked me in the back of the head. Ouch. The room swam before me, and my eyes began to flutter shut. The last thing I registered was two painful points of heat in my neck, and the delicious scent of mahogany surrounding me.