Welcome To Carlsonton Academy

Chapter IV

After the game, I never left my room except for classes. Even in class, I avoided all my friends. The days slipped away with me crying myself to sleep every night. Finally, it was my birthday.

My friends had wanted to wish me at midnight, but I told them not to. My train left at seven, but I was supposed to be at the station by six, which meant getting up at five. Under normal circumstances, I would have wanted to see them, but now I just didn't feel like.

I didn't bother sleeping the whole night. I lay awake, completing school work and reading. I had got my exit pass the previous day itself, which meant that I could leave at any time. Isaac had offered to drive me to the station, but I had politely refused.

Around two-thirty, I decided to take a shower. No one would be awake and that was how I wanted it. After that, I killed some time by watching Netflix and scrolling through Tumblr.

My taxi was supposed to come at five-thirty, so around five-fifteen I left my room. The walk to the exit was long. As soon as I stepped out of the North Wing, I was greeted by James' smiling face.

"Hey Val."

"Hi."

He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a tight squeeze, which I gladly returned.

"Happy fifteenth, munch kin," he whispered into my ear. I smiled into the crook of his neck.

"Thanks."

He let go of me and planted a kiss on my forehead. We walked to the exit together, enjoying the silence. Once we got there, I could already see the yellow cab waiting for me.

I turned to James and gave him a quick hug.

"You'll text, okay," he said, as I entered the vehicle, "when you reach the station, when the train leaves, when you reach and when you leave."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, mom."

"Be careful. Say hi to Scarlett for me."

I nodded and shut the door. The driver pulled out of the driveway and headed for the station. The drive to the station was quick, and I reached in no time.
At the station, I had to go through a lot more security checks since I was an unaccompanied minor. They called the school and my parents to make sure I wasn't a runaway.

My train was on time and I took a window seat, hoping that nobody took the seat next to me. Nobody did, and I stretched my legs out and leaned against the window. I caught up on my sleep and almost missed my station.

Getting out wasn't any trouble. They let me go without any random questioning, and I was very thankful for that. I left the station and looked for my sister in the crowd. When I finally saw her, I almost didn't recognize her.

It had been almost a year since I'd seen my sister, as she never came home for Christmas. In that one year, she had changed a lot. Her red hair was shorter, and she had black streaks in it. Her chestnut eyes were covered by a thick layer of eyeliner. Her nose had been pierced. She was dressed in ripped shorts, and crop top, a leather jacket, and combat boots. The only one thing that was familiar was her smile, which grew broader when I looked at her. She ran forward and jumped on me.

"Oh, Valerie, I've missed you.

"Yeah, me too," I said, pushing her away. She grabbed my arm and dragged me to the parking lot.

"Come, my boyfriend's waiting for us."
In the parking lot we were greeted by a tall, blonde hunk with blue eyes.

"Val, meet my boyfriend Zack," said Scarlett, as I smiled at him shyly, "and Zack, this is my sister Valerie."