I get dressed into plain clothes, a white top and brown skirt. I go down to the hall, where the police are waiting for me.
"Perfectly punctual, Miss Gordale."
"Please don't take me. I heard stories about the school." I murmur quietly. They sigh and smile sadly.
"It is for best Miss Gordale." I sigh.
"It was worth a try." I mutter.
"We're sorry Miss Gordale. We have to leave." I nod and follow them into the carriage.
When we arrive at the school I gulp at the size of the gates. We get let through and we walk past a young boy.
"Who is that?" I ask as the second cop carries him in.
"Pepinot. He's an orphan, but he refuses to accept it and will come down here every Saturday to wait for his dad." I bite my lip as we ring the bell. The door is opened by a tall, thin, old man with white sideburns and dark hair at the back of his head.
"Hello, you must be Miss Gordale. I am Mr Rachin. I am your new headteacher. You will treat me with respect. You will have your own room so nothing happens between you and the boys that could be disrespectful. Our motto is action - reaction. Understood?" I nod.
"Yes sir." I say quickly. He smiles, and he looks and sounds evil. A bell sounds and he grabs my wrist. He drags me to the outside grounds and keeps a tight grasp on my wrist. "Please let go sir." The boys in front start laughing. "You're hurting me Mr Rachin!" I cry out as he twists and my wrist snaps. I refuse to cry. "Action - reaction." I mutter. I stamp on his toe so hard it breaks.
"Take her to Morhange and Le Querrec. They'll put her in her place." Mr Rachin says to a teacher. "This is our new student, an only girl. Her name is Rosalie Gordale. Treat her as she treats you. Understood?"
"Yes Sir." The boys all say, and a teacher takes me to the side.
"Please don't hurt me." I mutter to him. He looks down at me. He's bald apart from sideburns, and he's got a round build. He smiles softly.
"I won't hurt you." He says gently. I frown in disbelief.
"Everyone does." I reply. He smiles sadly and then calls out two names.
"Le Querrec and Morhange." Two boys come forward. "Follow us." They sigh and roll their eyes but walk behind me and the teacher.
"What's your name, sir?"
"Mathieu. I'm a supervisor. Clement Mathieu. What did you do to get in here?"
"I don't know." I say. "I can't remember. They say I hit my head, I was unconscious and that's why but I think the cops knocked me out. To cover something up." I reply.
"Why would they do that?" One of the boys behind me says. He has dark hair and freckles.
"I can't remember. All I know is they didn't want me to remember something. All I can remember from that night was yelling at them to leave me alone. And blood on my black shoes." I say, and we stop walking. I'm handed a key and a set of books. I unlock the door in front of us and it is plain, with no bed, purely a mattress. I set my books on the desk and check the draws. My clothes are all here. I sigh. There's no going back home. Not that I can remember where I was before here.
"I'm Le Querrec." The dark haired one says. "Can't remember my first name."
"I'm Pierre Morhange." The lighter haired boy says.
"Nice to meet you."
"I'm a music teacher and I've started a choir. Do you sing?"
"Not in front of people." I reply quickly to the supervisor.
"Maybe if it were just in front of us three? You could sing anything." Morhange says.
"Why?"
"We're missing something in the choir. Morhange has a brilliant soloist voice, but if there was a female who did duets with him instead of him being a soloist.." Matheiu starts. I sigh.
"Fine. I'll give it a try."
"Thank you." Matheiu says.
'Is there a piano?" He nods. "Take me there. Morhange and Le Querrec come as well?" I ask. They all nod and I lock the door to my room, shoving my key down my bra and then we go to a room with a grand piano. I sit down on the stool and they stand around me. I begin to play then sing. "I'm not a stranger. No I am yours. With crippled anger and tears that still drip sore. A fragile frame aged with misery. And when our eyes meet. I know you see. I do not want to be afraid. I do not want to die inside just to breathe in. I'm tired of feeling so numb. Relief exists I find it when I am cut. I may seem crazy or painfully shy. And these scars wouldn't be so hidden if you would just look me in the eye. I feel alone here and cold here. Though I don't wanna die. But the anaesthetic that makes me feel anything kills inside. But I do not wanna be afraid. I do not wanna die inside just to breathe in. I'm tired of feeling so numb. Relief exists I find it when I am cut. Pain. I am not alone. I am not alone. I'm not a stranger. No I am yours. With crippled anger and tears that still drip sore. But I do not want to be afraid. I do not wanna die inside just to breathe in. I'm tired of feeling so numb. Relief exists I find it when I am cut." I finish singing and then finish playing.
"Wow." Matheiu says. "You have pure talent. Did your parents pay for you to learn?"
"They died when I was a baby, my father a week before I was born. My mother died giving birth to me. I never knew them." I reply. "I never got taught. I just always sang as a child." I shrug. "Didn't think I was very good." I think aloud.
"You have to sing duets with Morhange. You have so much talent, that can't go to waste. Just like him." Matheiu says.
"I didn't know there was a choir here."
"We just found Morhange singing. The choir has only existed for a few weeks." Matheiu explains.
"What does Mr Rachin think of it?"
"He doesn't know." Le Querrec explains. I smirk.
"So its like a secret club?"
"Exactly." Morhange smirks. "Here, me and Le Querrec can show you around. Matheiu has important things to do." He adds and Matheiu nods. We part ways from the supervisor and I almost walk into someone as we turn the corner.
"Watch out sweetheart. New girl, right? I'm Mondain.... And way more fun than these two." He smirks. He has ginger hair, and acne and freckles and chapped lips. He lifts a cigarette to his lips.
"You think that shit is cool?" I say in disgust. He looks confused.
"What, smoking?" He smirks, stepping closer to me.
"Action reaction." I mutter, kicking his knee cap. He stumbles back, giving me time to get away. Morhange, Le Querrec and I leave the hallway as he groans and stands up.
"You learn fast." Le Querrec says.
"I've been told." I reply, smirking. Morhange laughs.
"You need more than that to survive here." He says darkly. "What's that?" He asks, pointing at my arm. Oh that.
"Nothing." I reply quickly, folding my arms. He furrows his brow but doesn't push further on the marks down my arms. For now. He smirks and shows me to all the classrooms, the boys dorms, and the teachers rooms. They show me the cells, and Mr Rachin's room.
