After one of the most embarrassing experiences of her life, Viola Hawkins is left feeling hopeless and demoralised. So when she's told that she's able to work as an undercover agent in a boarding school, she's given a new chance to change her life...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As soon as Mr. Arlington dismisses us, I rush down the stairs and through the various hallways, trying to escape Will, who is calling my name desperately.
My heart is beating so hard I fear that I'm going to faint. My eyes, welling up with tears, are so blurry that I can't see where I'm going, colours and lights coalescing into the same, dull shade.
Everything has gone wrong. It wasn't supposed to happen.
Not like this.
"Vi, please!" Will's hoarse voice croaks, most likely tired from shouting my name. He needs to be careful, or people will hear.
But I don't care. I just need to run away from him. Away from this stupid school. Away from the memories that keep returning, filling my heart with that same dreaded sadness that I try so hard to ignore.
A group of girls flash me dirty looks as I plummet through the centre of their little gathering, pushing them apart.
Will's legs are so long that I hear the girls groan again a few seconds later when he does the same.
Luckily, I reach my dorm room just before he gets to me, slamming it shut and locking it so he can't come in.
And then I press my back to the door and slide onto the cold floorboards, a deluge of tears running down my cheeks as I hear Will panting on the other side, still calling my name.
"Viola." He whispers. His voice sounds very close - as though he's squeezed out every stretch of air that he can to get to me. "Please, open the door."
I don't even move. My head just rests backwards, cheeks stained with mascara and a tinge of salt.
He sighs quietly. "I don't care about whatever just happened in there. I just..." He pauses, and all I can hear is the sound of him breathing. "I just want to know if you're okay."
It's hard not to let him in, really. But I can't. He wouldn't understand, and I'm too upset to talk to anyone. To even see him, to see that look of sympathy that embodied so many people, that look which frequented my nightmares for years.
Eventually he leaves. I know because his breathing cuts off, and footsteps that most likely belong to him slowly fade away. A part of me wanted him to stay, but I didn't want to hear his soothing voice. Not this time.
My hand reaches in my pocket, and I pull out my phone, dialling the number that I know off by heart.
He picks up straight away. "Dad." I say quietly, hardly letting the word out of my mouth. My lips are so wet with tears that they stick together, pulling away as if ripping them apart.
"Viola? What's wrong?" His concerned voice yells down the phone. I feel bad for calling him, because it will make him upset, but I don't know what I'll do when I'm alone.
