Maddox Academy: Grievous Beginnings - Wattys 2022 Shortlister

Chapter Six - An Inescapable Glare

I made it back to the dormitory without getting caught.

My hands shook as I unbuttoned my coat and hung it up on the peg. I kicked my boots off, pulled the ribbon from my hair which was now dripping wet, and climbed into bed, pulling the blankets up to my neck. Every crack of lightning made me jump. I listened out for the sound of the other girls returning to the room, but they seemed to be taking their time.

A tear ran down my cheek.

I had known fear before. All those times Dad had been taken to the hospital over the years had scared me beyond belief, but this was a different type of fear. Back then, I had been scared for him and his safety. This time I had been scared for myself. Scared of what they would have done if I hadn't put up much of a fight. If I had lost the struggle against Victoria. They may have said they meant it as a joke, but none of them saw the glint in Victoria's eye at the edge of the pool. She knew what she was doing.

The other girls returned to the dormitory not long after, none of them saying a word as they shed their outside clothes and climbed into bed. Soon the room was full of soft snoring and the occasional muttering as the bad weather continued. They may have been able to sleep, but I laid there with my eyes wide open until morning broke.

Outside, a light drizzle continued but I kicked my blankets off and grabbed my balled up running clothes. Regardless of what the weather may have been like, I needed to run off the events of the previous night and try to get my head straight. I changed in the bathroom, slipped my shoes on and disappeared to the hallway to meet Katie in the entranceway.

"Are you sure you want to go running in that?" Katie asked as I swung up the front door.

"I run in every whether," I shrugged."

"Hey, are you alright? You look really tired."

"Thunderstorms aren't my friends; I can never sleep in them."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

"Alright, I'll stay here. I don't really feel like getting soaked."

Katie stayed under the archway above the door as I jogged down the steps and used a nearby tree to stretch out before I started to job. With it being the weekend, Lacrosse practise wasn't being held and Jo had come down with a cold after getting caught in the thunderstorm the previous day. For me to get in my run, Katie had offered to keep an eye on me to avoid another telling off by Victoria or Mrs Maddox.

I appreciated her offering to help me, this run was needed more than any others.

The rain soaked through my clothing as I stretched, trying to release the pent-up energy that had built up since the incident the night before. Once I felt warm, or as warm as I could be with my clothing sticking to my skin, I started to run across the drive. I went back and forth and gradually sped up as I went. My mind was still reeling after the previous night's event and my anger only got worse the longer I ran.

My old school had been chaotic, outright feral on occasion, but never had someone threatened the life of another student. Victoria had a purpose for the events of the previous night, and she was determined to follow through with them regardless of the outcome. I didn't know how much the other girls knew of her intention, but I refused to be chased out of the school by someone who brushed their hair longer than they read a book.

I slipped on the grass as the rain grew heavier. My shorts stuck to my thighs and my hair dripped down in front of my face and down the back of my blouse. Katie looked at me in the entranceway and tucked her bottom lip under her teeth to keep from laughing. I pushed my hair off my face, jogging back across the grass and taking shelter under the arch just as another torrent of rain dropped from the sky.