"YOU'LL HAVE SO MUCH FUN," Brian slurred from the front seat, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel. His red rimmed eyes were glued to the road and, despite of the beer bottle sitting in the cup holder, the truck didn't migrate much from the center of the road.

Sophie sat in the back seat, ignoring her father. Deep down, a small part of her secretly wished that he would make a mistake and send them racing down the rocky side of the mountain. As dark as the idea was, it was a much better alternative compared to the mysterious school that waited for them at the top. Her hands clenched into tight fists and her gaze flickered down, to the seat beside her.

The letter sat atop the beige colored leather, taunting her.

Her father continued to babble a mixture of incoherent words, avoiding the actual conflict at hand. "You'll totally have fun," he repeated. He nodded, content with himself. "Make a lot of new friends. Learn to do something with your life. Maybe even make something of yourself. You saw that online video. You might even get famous and make millions."

Her temple pressed against the cool glass of the window. She watched the trees as they raced by, trying not to throw up her breakfast. She didn't want to have fun, or make something of herself, or make new friends.

Instead, she wanted to go home and hide under the covers. Maybe watch a marathon of Naruto and shovel popcorn down her throat. Even choking on popcorn seemed a better alternative.

Everyone knew the stories. Everyone heard the gossip that circulated the lunch rooms. It made every student dread the possibility of finding that very letter in their mailbox.

It all started with a scholarship –an amount of money that even the most terrified and suspicious parent could not refuse. It paid for all of the Academy's tuition, which included rooming, supplies, food, clothing, and anything else one could want. Then, once the prospective student did their time, any college of their choice was fully paid for.

Even if the parents tried to refuse, or the kid ran away, the academy always managed to get their way. There are even rumors that several kids simply went missing. They never showed up at school the next day, nor did their parents ever hear from them. Naturally, the police became involved at one point. But there was never enough evidence to prove the school had done anything wrong.

So the letters kept coming.

"Sophie, are you even listening to me?" Brian suddenly erupted and the truck swerved a bit.

She grabbed the side of the door, glaring at her father's reflection in the rear-view mirror. "Yes, I'm listening to you! Just keep your eyes on the road!"

He grumbled at her incoherently and slouched down a bit in his seat.

Sophie's jaw clenched and her head shook with disgust. Of course, on the one day she needed him the most, her father would drink. Granted, he didn't drink as much as he usually does –then she would have definitely been dead by now. But still. She needed him to be strong and hold her hand while she had an emotional break down in front of the school.

The alcohol started when her mother left –she had had an affair with a younger man and decided to leave Sophie and Brian. It left both of them pretty torn up, but Brian suffered the brunt of the blow. Sophie had been too young to really remember her mother.

As the truck turned onto a cobblestone drive, the trees surrounding them thickened until she couldn't see the edge of the mountain. Brian grumbled something and then shifted around in his seat. The truck rocked, swaying slightly. Sophie sucked in a sharp breath.

"You're all packed, right?" he asked around a watery belch.

"Yes, I am. I had to pack before we left the house, remember?"

Of course he didn't remember, but she knew it would make him fall silent as he pondered that foreign little word. Sophie had had to pack everything this morning, from all of her favorite books, to all the clothes and shoes in her closet, and finally the stuffed anime character she'd treasured all of her life. It sounded like way more than it actually was though, as she'd managed to cram it all into one huge suitcase and a matching duffle-bag.

"Good," Brian finally grunted, as the trees thinned suddenly and a castle of dark stone appeared, protruding from the jagged mountain. He turned onto the round-about drive way and the truck screeched to a stop in front of two heavy wooden doors. He turned around in his seat, the stench of alcohol and aftershave clouding the space between them, and added, "Cause we're here."

"I didn't notice," Sophie responded as she opened the door and climbed out. She snatched the invitation off the seat, just in case she might need it later. It burned in her hands. She let a sigh escape, looking up over the top of the truck to peer at the castle looming above them.

Brian kicked his door open and gravel crunched beneath his cowboy boots. Sophie grimaced, shoving the letter into her front pocket before moving around to the bed of the truck where all of her stuff was stored. She unlocked the back and lowered it.

"You be good now, y'here?" Brian slammed it shut the moment that her suitcase was on the ground and the duffle bag hung on her shoulder. He gave her a look –a small, almost sober look. Then ruffled her hair like he used to when she was younger.

Immediately, Sophie's hands flew to her ginger tresses, lips twisted into a scowl.

His lips twitched back into a smile and then he turned away from her. He climbed back into the truck and the engine revved. Her smile faded as the truck sped away from her, quickly vanishing within the trees.

"Well," an unfamiliar voice chirped behind her, making Sophie jump. "That doesn't usually happen. Normally, parents want a fancy tour of the estate."

Sophie whirled around, eyes wide as she stared at the slender girl beside her. For one long moment, she was too stunned to speak. The girl was strikingly beautiful, the kind of beautiful seen in expensive fashion magazines or on the television. Her hair, an iridescent blonde, fell down to her stomach in gentle waves and framed her structured face. Sunlight reflected off the shimmery lip-gloss that coated her pouty lips like a beacon. The girl even dressed like a model, sporting a sleeveless mint-colored blouse, bleached white jeans, and matching jewelry and pumps.

Sophie's lips pressed into a sour line and she said, "Well, I'm sorry that my family issues are abnormal."

The girl glanced down at her, startled. "Oh! I didn't mean it like that."

The more Sophie looked, however, she could see from the look in the girl's pretty blue eyes that she clearly did mean it like that. A flair of dislike surged through her. The girl flashed her a huge smile and said, "My name is Aubrey Jane and I'm here to welcome you to Redstone Academy. It's nice to meet you, Sophie Brooks."

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh, I make it my job to know everybody," Aubrey Jane responds, waving her hand at Sophie. She turned and sashayed towards the now wide open front doors. Sophie grabbed her suitcase and fumbled after her, just in time to hear her little speech.

"As leader of our...student council," She paused for a split second, as if she'd just remembered something, or was looking for a different term to use, "which, of course, you will learn more about later, I always greet the new students and show them the ropes."

Sophie nodded. "Thanks, then."

Aubrey shot her a patient smile. "First, let's check you in at the main office. The headmaster probably wants to meet you. After he's finished with you, I'll show you to the dorms."

"Should I be worried?" Sophie fought back a wince as they climbed up the marble steps towards the main door. Aubrey stopped in the doorway, eyes raking over Sophie's battered t-shirt, short frayed shorts, and black flats. Her baby blues flicked upwards, hesitating at Sophie's face, before taking in the messy bun her hair was falling out of.

Then Aubrey's lips curled. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

Sophie's stomach did a nervous flip and Aubrey twirled around again, stepping over the threshold. The sound of her pumps clicking against the tiled flooring echoed throughout the vast expanse of space. The room was huge, with sky-high ceilings and jagged stone walls. An elegant chandelier hung above Sophie's head, sparkling with diamonds, and it cast a glittering reflection of dulled rainbows down onto the floor. Two huge staircases circled around the opposite end of the room, facing Sophie and Aubrey, and vanished behind a stone wall, where a large ornate tapestry with the school crest –the same engraved crescent moon that had been stamped onto her invitation— was centered in a bubbled gold color.

Aubrey started clicking towards their immediate right, where a large angled desk was set up in front of a glass trophy case that was almost as tall as the ceiling. It was almost overflowing with different shaped trophies and different colored ribbons and plaques.

A slender woman with a sharp face and tanned skin sat behind the desk. She had the same unnamable quality as Aubrey, which made it look as if she belonged within the pages of a fashion spread. The woman flashed her a beam of pearly whites when Sophie met her gaze. "Welcome to Redstone, Sophie."

"This is Ms. Liza." Aubrey gestured to the receptionist as she sauntered past, completely cutting off Sophie as she went to respond. She then disappeared through a doorway several feet from the magnificent trophy case.

Sophie stared after her, a mixture of confusion and irritation swirling inside. Then she looked to Ms. Liza, who only looked amused.

She smiled at her and then thanked her before rushing after Aubrey. Said girl stood a few feet away from the door, arms crossed beneath the abundance of her chest, right foot tapping impatiently. Her eyes caught Sophie's as the girl entered the hallway, and Sophie could almost taste the disapproval radiating off of Aubrey in waves.

"What?" she asked innocently.

Aubrey clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Just thinking. Come on."

Sophie once again trudged after her, the wheels of her bag catching on the rivets between the tile she walked on. The sound bounced along the walls of the barren room, making it seem even more empty than it really was. Aubrey paused in front of an unmarked door and Sophie slammed on the breaks behind her, to keep from plowing over the undiscovered supermodel.

Aubrey glared at the elegant handle.

"What?" Sophie asked, exasperation tainting her tone.

"Nothing." Aubrey started down the hallway again. "Absolutely nothing at all," She repeated and something about her voice made the knot in Sophie's stomach tighten.

They stopped in front of another impressive door. It looked like a smaller, more compact version of the double doors out front. Aubrey quickly rapped her knuckles against the old stained wood. No sound answered her knock, but after a few seconds of silence, Aubrey opened the door and held it open for Sophie to pass through.

Sophie entered the room slowly at first, eyes wide and roaming the barely lit space. There was a smaller desk, carved with extravagant symbols and swirls, and bookshelves behind it. A large rectangle of blackness was also behind it, somewhat centered between the two bookshelves. A lamp sat on the desk, casting light across the room, and there were two maroon cushioned chairs in front of it.

"Sit," a deep voice rumbled ominously from the darkness.