𝕊𝕥𝕦𝕡𝕚𝕕 ℂ𝕦𝕡𝕚𝕕 ➶

𝕆𝕟𝕖: 𝕍𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕖

"'Founded in 1791, Nevermore Academy is an academic institution that nurtures outcasts, freaks, and monsters. It is a safe haven for our students to learn and grow, no matter who they are. Our mission is to help each student master their extraordinary abilities through world-class academics and unique extracurriculars.'"

Valentina refused to acknowledge her mother, even as the woman read aloud from the school's brochure. Instead, she kept staring out the window, her mouth arranged into a petty pout.

"Oooh, Valentina, there's even testimonials from current students! Listen to this... 'Nevermore has encouraged me to sharpen my mind and my fangs. My warm memories of Nevermore will last a lifetime -- which for me, will likely be around three centuries long.' She must be a vampire! You know, the school welcomes outcasts of all kinds..."

She tried to act like she wasn't listening, but she couldn't quite suppress her resulting scowl. It was only when her mother heaved a great big sigh, like she was the one being put-upon, that she redirected her glare towards her.

"Do you hate me that much, my little cherub?"

She looked away, down at her shoes, and scuffed at the carpet of the minivan with one little kitten heel. Even in the throes of her teenage angst, she knew deep down that she didn't hate her mother. She just resented her. Or, rather, her decision to send away her only daughter.

"Do you hate me?"

"Of course not! I love you with all my heart. This isn't-- It's not a punishment."

Valentina let out a cynical snort. Could have fooled her! Though, try as she might, she couldn't think of a single thing she'd done wrong, done to deserve being banished from her home in sunny southern California to a dreary New England boarding school for weirdos.

Maybe those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, though. She wasn't exactly normal either. She was different, not just from normies but from her fellow outcasts as well. She was no ordinary witch or psychic. She was Cupid's envoy, a living vessel of love magic... Just like her mother before her.

She had some pretty big shoes to fill. Her mother was a famous matchmaker. She arranged some of the most successful marriages in the outcast community.

"Nevermore gave me a place for my relationship intuition to blossom," she continued, before being interrupted by her daughter.

"Why can't I just go to a normie high school back home?" In her family's line of work, socialization was more important than learning hexes and spells. Many of her powers were hereditary. You need to be able to read people to match them.

"For a lot of reasons. First and foremost, satanic panic is still alive and well. I don't want you to be the subject of a witch hunt just because one of your normie classmates was freaked out when her Tarot reading was devastatingly accurate.

"Then there's the necessity for networking. Most of my first customers were my peers from my time here. And besides, it's tradition! I attended Nevermore, as did my mother before me and her mother before her."

Valentina pressed her lips together into a pale pink line, refused to blink lest the tears pooling in her eyes fall. Her mother shook her head. The rest of the two-hour car ride was spent in silence.

It was only when the school was within sight that her mother cut through the quiet again. "Ah, Nevermore..."

Curious despite herself, she peered out the window. She couldn't deny that, even from a distance, the campus was impressive. It was beautiful in an incredibly eerie way. If the school were personified, it would look like a heroine in a Gothic romance.