Morta Hartkin

“I think that it’ll be better for her if she goes somewhere else.”

I knew that sentence more than my own face. Said, usually behind my back and into the ears of my parents when they think I’m not listening. But I have ears that can hear the scorns and the whispers from a mile away. This time it was Principal Nyx, principal of Carmen High.

Ten schools in three years, almost a record. Before I was averaging two schools per three years. Guess they didn’t take me seriously back then. Typical. Just because I may have trapped his daughter in the janitor’s closet with spiders. Not my fault that she’s scared of them.

But there are always two sides to every story, but he just doesn’t listen to me. To him, his daughter was the apple of his eye. Not the callous queen bee that keeps on trying to make my life miserable, trying to make me cry, or even turn my expressionless gaze into a mouth prone to tears.

Of course I trapped her, I admit to things like that, when justice keeps on picking favorites. I was just annoyed that the janitor unlocked the key after ten minutes. There’s always somebody that wants to spoil my fun.

And of course, I’ve got called into his office and my parents were called. Yippee. Just what I need.

“You’ve been incredibly lucky that I’ve not charged you with attempted murder.”

Really, attempted murder and that wasn’t the worst thing I did that got me expelled. Just because the spiders liked her too much. Bit overdramatic if you ask me.

But I haven’t met a school that couldn’t handle me. And, of course, my parents were yapping at me on the drive home. Not that I cared to listen, it was the same old trivial rubbish. I could rewrite it by heart by now.

“We just don’t know what to do with you anymore, Morta Harkin. There are no more schools that can put up with you given your record.” My father said without looking at me full-on in the face.

I didn’t bother to answer him. He didn’t seem to care but my mother on the other hand, then said,

“We don’t get nearly as many problems with your sister, and she stayed at her schools for the entire time.”

I tried my best not to groan. Of course, she’ll mention my perfect sister Alina at her perfect private school with her perfect friends. A year and a half older seem to make her the favorite little princess. Though she’s taller than me by about a foot, with her lightly tanned skin being the opposite of my pale complexion.

I’m glad we will only see her during the holidays.

“When will you get out of that goth girl stage, honestly, you can be such a pretty girl like your sister, but you just make a state of yourself but for what?”

At least I don’t wear make-up, or wear clothes that are tortuous to the normal eye. I just kept on blankly staring at the distance, not moving an inch of my body. Not my fault that I’m not a clone to society.

Though there seems to be no more schools that can handle me. That I can take. Maybe I can have more time to think about my future, unlike the rest of my age group, practicing my writing, that sort of thing.

But of course, fate has other ideas. Especially when my mother is involved.

It had been a week since no other school could take me when my mother came bolting into my room and turned the bright lights on. Seriously, I thought, there was enough light in the electric candles. I couldn’t help but swerve my head over to her fake smile as she then said,

“Good news Morta,” her eyes were gleaming, “after loads of careful research, we finally found a school that could take you. Wildflower Academy. A boarding school, which makes sense as it’s about a few hundred miles away but hey, at least they said yes.”

I didn’t answer her. Another school, I thought, yippee, let’s see how long they last. I wouldn’t even bet for a few weeks. Maybe a day or two, if they’re lucky.

“Maybe they’ll finally knock some sense into you, make you more like your sister. Get rid of that Goth girl, expressionless vibe.” Mother then said, making me try and not to imagine taming a wild cat to scratch her colorless eyes out.

She then slammed the door as I then, at once, turned off the light. Finally, my room is what it should be. And the advantage of a boarding school, I don’t have to see that judging face all the time, that nagging voice.

I always thought only people like my sister go to boarding school. Guess I was wrong there.