My Enemy, My Stalker

Radical Face - Welcome Home

Peel the scars from off my back

I don’t need them anymore

You can throw them out or keep them in your mason jars

I’ve come home

Savannah Quinn

I flop down laying on my stomach, my hands perched on the pillows. I prop my chin on my arms as I lay on the opposite end of the bed facing my friend. But She is not looking my way, her focus is on the task at hand, the tip of her light pink tongue is stuck out, as she squints her eyes in concentration, altering another inch of her skirt.

Ever since school started, she had been on a mission to shorten her skirt. Our school has a rule that our skirt has to end just above our knees and it is a minimum requirement. You can wear it like a long maxi skirt if you wish and look like a complete clown. They won’t mind at all.

‘In Hawthorn Academy for Young Girls, we educate them to be liberated. We raise them to become compassionate, inspiring women. We prepare them to be elegant, sophisticated ladies. And you can’t do that wearing a short skirt like a scarlet woman.’ These were the words said to me on my first day by Principal Meyers, 10 years ago. Even as a kid, those words were absurd and now that I am in High School I can’t actually believe she said that to an 8-year-old.

My mistake was, being a little smarter than the other girls in my school. While the others my age wore their skirts on their stomach, mine hung on my hips. Where it should be. I have an hourglass figure. Back then, as a kid, I thought my hip bones were popped out and that it looked weird. So when my teacher told me to adjust it and wear it like the other bozos, It rode up my legs and all hell broke loose. I found myself sitting in the principal’s office on my very first day.

And now 10 years later, on my last day, I am watching my friend Gabriella Wright, a ninja rebel, prepare for her deception. She thinks if she alters her skirt every week, they won’t notice the difference. She calls it an inconspicuous technique. I shook my head, feeling silly I would have joined her if I were supposed to stay at school.

Done with the last stitch, she wears her skirt and twirls around like a fairy. The white blouse and the plain navy blue pleated skirt look perfect with her dark skin. She smiles, showcasing her pearly white teeth as she giggles. I miss seeing her curly hair bounce, This year she came with dull straight hair, Though It doesn’t make her any less beautiful. Both her parents are doctors, who treat mostly celebrities. Rich and influential, Just like every other student in this boarding school.

She snaps her fingers in front of my face and twirls again.

“It’s perfect. But they will notice eventually.” I say.

“But at least I will have the satisfaction. I have been doing this for 8 weeks now. And about me getting caught, you won’t be here to witness that.” Her brown eyes saddened as she said that.

She is the only person I will miss at Hawthorn Academy. Everyone here is an ally but Gabriella is a friend, the perfect roommate, the perfect girl. In this academy, we are good to each and everyone, Even If we don’t want to be because the school has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying. With the people you don’t like, you just coexist and with the others, you are an associate. Hawthorn Academy grooms its girls to be perfect, elegant women. The epitome of sanctimony no wonder half of the alumni went into politics Or Married a politician at least once in their life or A big businessman whose factories have a big hand in polluting ocean water.

“I am going to miss you.” I croak as my eyes well up in tears. Gabriella is the only one in front of whom I have cried and told my secrets to. According to the teaching here, this will come back later in my life and She will threaten me with those secrets. Making me regret the day I showed up my emotions.

Placing her palm in front of the other she gave me a purse-lipped smile. I threw my pillow in her face and we erupted in laughter. Another thing we are not supposed to do.

“Hey… What was that for? I still have to stay here and continue the act.” She laughed tackling me, we fell down on the floor with a thud, the carpet beneath us minimized the impact.

We stay on the floor as I ask, “You didn’t tell anyone, right.” Her face showed hurt before she masked it quickly, my cheeks redden in embarrassment “…I am sorry. I shouldn’t have..”

“And I should have answered immediately. No. I haven’t and I won’t. Don’t worry, You will be fine…”

The door to our room opened, and the table beside it rattled from the impact. As the cuckoo in our nest, Emma Pine came barging into our room without knocking, without permission. Typical Emma style.

I stood up, dusting my skirt. I give her a fake smile.

“Savannah Quinn.” She took my name with venom on her tongue, giving me a once over with a bored look on her face. She had dark hair which was beautiful and contrasted with her blue eyes but this year, she coloured it matte black like a dark abyss where her Dutch braid gets lost, I don’t know why she even tried, it looks like a bump on her head. We’re the same height, 5’5 but Gabby says I look taller than her because of my personality. Maybe that’s why Emma hates me. Done with judging each other’s appearance, her gaze darted to Gabriella and she gave her a bright smile. Because everybody loves Gabby.

“Fuck! You look like a slut.” Emma exclaimed and winked at her and Gabby beamed.

Madam Meyers would shit bricks If she heard us talk like that. You can curse as you may please when no one important is around, that includes only your maids and butlers because you have made them sign an NDA.

Emma opened the curtains. The brightness blinded me for a second.

“You bitches got the best view, so why would you cover it.” Emma groaned, giving me a sharp look when she didn’t even know if it was my idea or not. Gabby scrunched her nose apologetically and gave me a look to bear with Emma. It’s true, we got the best view in the hostel. This was supposed to be our wing’s matron’s room. The floor-to-ceiling window was there to give her the perfect view of the outside. I was 9 when I threw another tantrum, another reason to hate this school. I told my dad that I felt suffocated in a room with a small window with bars. He solved the problem by moving me and my roommate Gabby here. Matron Clarissa still despises me for that.

Since I can’t answer Emma why. I moved to the mirror to check my reflection, my blonde hair was perfectly pulled in a knotted bun, We are not allowed to leave our hair down. Until 2 years ago, my life before the rebounding therapy, my hair would turn into a tangled mess, To the point, that I had to cut it to untangle it. I didn’t have the necessary patience like Gabby, She is simply perfect.

My eyebrows are bushy enough so that I don’t have to do anything to shape or fill them. The most beautiful part of my face is my violet eyes, I got them after my mother. My eyelashes are non-existent just a few tiny tips, enough to perform their purpose of keeping dirt and sweat from my eyes. I still have that baby fat on my cheek, Gabby says It gives me an innocent look. My lips are in perfect shape but they are always white and dry. My nose was just okay but last year, I ran into a metal door and broke it, and everyone saw the humiliation. The blessing in disguise, I got a reason to get a nose job right under everyone’s nose And had it done to look exactly like my mother’s.

“I’ll see you, ladies, on Monday …” Mrs Jacobs smiled and I gave her a death glare. If looks could kill, she would have been lying in her own pool of blood now. She was the first person in my very first violent thoughts and still has her name on top of my hit list. I hate her guts, and why shouldn’t I, she humiliated me in front of the whole class pretty brutally so much for being a ‘Lady’ to pick on 8 eight-year-old. My fault, I used to get confused between ‘b’ and ‘d’, and I still write it like that sometimes. Mrs Jacobs, after my first week, had asked me to write my feelings on paper, what I felt about this new boarding school and experienced so far. And like an idiot, I did. She read that essay in front of the whole class ′ I mabe a new friend Gadriella, She is my roomie She is very deautiful, She has bark hair….’, And Mrs Jacobs read it exactly like it was written and everybody laughed at me, and it wasn’t a very ladylike laugh but Mrs Jacobs allowed the mutiny, the only silver lining, Gabby and I became friends.

Giving a final menacing look to Mrs. Jacobs, I walk out of the final class of my day in the school. Every time the teacher gave us homework, I jumped and danced on the inside. I wanted to show Mrs. Jacobs a middle finger, but since I can’t reveal I am leaving, I didn’t.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn’t see anyone coming my way. ’Sorry.’ We say in unison, crouching to gather our books. I look up to find who she is, Sierra Montgomery. The epitome of perfection. Who will, no doubt, one day lead the country. Unlike others, her mannerisms don’t come out as a compulsion, she is elegant like that.

Handing me my books, she smooths the creases on her trousers. She is the reason why we are allowed to choose between skirts and trousers. After she politely brought up the topic during ‘Open House’. Madam Meyers, the fake pathetic woman’s mask, almost slipped off but Sierra remained calm and composed during the request turned debate. I also wore trousers to show solidarity, but I am a girly girl. Hence, I am back to wearing skirts now.

Friday evening, when the students are allowed to go home to see their parents who love them so much, they send their most expensive cars with a chauffeur. I also slip off carrying a small bag like I am going just for the weekend. Parting with Gabby was a difficult but necessary evil.

My car was in the middle of the other two cars escorting me back home to California. My driver and bodyguard are talking in hushed tones. Ignoring their presence, leaning my forehead in the window, watching the minor changes in the places fleeting by comparing them to the first time I came here.

That day, my vision became blurry, the tears streaming down my cheeks, every time I tried to focus on the view outside the window, to avoid looking at my father sitting next to me. I was a weak girl, wallowing in my own sorrows. Because I had lost everything. Today, I am on my way back, but I am not weak, not anymore. I’m strong, confident and ready to face Asher Carson, my enemy.