Page 7 of The Holy Academy of Witches

“Presentable, we know.” Silva stated.

“Don’t mind Silva, Sage. She’s just hangry and isn’t fond of strangers.” Melody spoke softly, a small touch on my arm grounding me. Her glance back at Silva reminded me of a mother to her children, an odd relationship, but then who was I to talk? I currently hated mine.

“Well go on and tidy up lovely. We can wait another 20 minutes before heading out.” Amelia spoke, slowly pouring some milk into whatever she was mixing.

“Yeah okay, I can do that.” Melody stepped back and I put out a hand to touch the wall just to be sure that wouldn’t also move on me.

The black sweater hadn’t wrinkled and the white collar was fine. The lace was plain, compared to the embroidered masterpieces everyone else seemed to be sporting. The pleated silk skirt was a bit wrinkled, but that was fine. Running to the mirror, I gathered the top half of my hair into a ponytail before adding a black bow. With five minutes to go, I removed my smeared makeup and reapplied my mascara and cherry lip gloss. Boom. Nailed it.

Running, I slid into the kitchen with my thigh high socks and combat boots in hand. Amelia stepped aside calmly as I slid by.

Marsha looked down, a timer in hand. “Made it. With 30 seconds to spare.”

I grinned before I could remember to feel shy and three smiles met my own.

Silva rolled her eyes, “can we go now then?” She grabbed a small shoulder bag, designer of course, before stomping her stilettos out the door.

The rest of them followed as I hopped into my boots. Melody was holding the door open for me. And I smiled again. Was it really going to be this easy?

Five

Adeline

As I opened the door to my dorm I was engulfed in a smog of perfume and deodorant. They were still here then.

“Adeline!” Lillian cried with excitement, jumping up from her spot on the sofa, her ginger hair flicking up as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. My eyes wandered over the living area to see it had already been taken over by everyone’s belongings.

“Don’t worry, we’ll move it when we’ve finished unpacking,” Gemma said, patting me on the shoulder good-naturedly as she passed. I had one of those faces that always showed my thoughts. Dorcas insisted I had ‘resting bitch face’ but there was nothing resting about my bitchiness, I was just that… a bitch, constantly fed up with the façade that was my life. I was living one giant performance after another… even these girls I had known for years and called my friends didn’t really know me. Not really. They just liked what I represented to them. Money, popularity, beauty… power. It was bullshit… But better that than being alone,right?

“Can we go get lunch now? I’m starved.” Dorcas asked, walking from her room, her heels clunking against the wooden floorboards. Dorcas looked like the epitome of what you imagined a witch to look like… I suppose I did too with my long black hair and my tendency towards darker magic but Dorcas screamedWitch. Her makeup was on point… eyeliner perfectly precise and sharp against shimmering lids and silver nose jewellery which drew your eye to her glossy full lips. Her hair fell down to her waist, poker-straight and coloured like frost, so pale a silver it was almost white. The contrast against her skin was startling but beautiful. Her eyebrows were arched in a way that made her appear arrogant… which she was. A permanent scowl on her otherwise pretty face. If she’d been alive 400 years ago she would have been burned at the stake for sure.

“Yeah, let me just freshen up,” I called over my shoulder as I went to my room.

As we entered the dining hall shortly after, the usual whispers broke out around us. First years being told by their friends that I was the headmistress’s daughter or that I was a bitch… one of the two. And if it wasn’t either of those it was gossip or idle chit chat about me. My friends, who flanked me as we walked to our usual table, relished the attention. Gemma tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and added an extra sway to her step.

As we took our seats I noticed Saffron on the other side of the hall standing with some girls who I recognised as being in some of my classes last year. They must be who she’d been roomed with.

“Who’s that next to Amelia? Is that the new girl you showed around earlier?” Gemma asked, following my gaze.

“Yeah, Saffron something… She’s American.” I replied.

“Ooh!” Lillian was positively gleeful. “What do you think she’s like?”

“…Happy,” I replied, watching her leave her new room mates behind as she crossed the dining room.

Dorcas laughed as Lillian looked pleased with my answer.

“You eating anything?” Gemma asked, standing up from the table.

“Yeah just a salad or something.”

“Okay. Lil?” She asked, turning to Lillian.

“Oh! I’ll come help!” She replied jumping up from her seat, “the usual Dorcas?”

“Please! I’m starving.”

Gemma and Lillian strode away from our table. Dorcas sniggered as we watched the students gathered round the lunch selection part like the Red Sea. Being the most popular girls in the Academy certainly had its advantages.

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