Chapter Text
“Please, remind me again, why do I have to enroll here?” Luisa whined as their black town car pulled in front of the Winston School for Girls. She put on her sweetest pout, accompanied by her first-class puppy eyes.
“You know my darling why. Your education at our local school has been… compromised, which is why you will now be immersing yourself in the finest of them all. There is no need to worry, I have made some arrangements to make you feel at home here,” her father promised her. Luisa scoffed and dived into her thoughts while her father exited the car to find the principal. Obviously, he knew her and that’s how Luisa got into this prestigious school, because of his connections.
By “compromised” Luisa’s father had meant oh-so-many things his daughter had done to jeopardize his grand name in the eyes of society. First of all, a month ago, Luisa had come out to her family. She had never claimed to have a crush on a boy nor had she ever had a boyfriend, so she had never lied to anyone. Her father, however, had more conservative views, which is why he took the news hard. He found it just a misguidance, he thought that Luisa had been hanging out with the wrong crowd, thus he came up with the idea of sending Luisa to boarding school.
Second, Luisa really had been spending her time with some unusual people, but Luisa was not a person who could be influenced so easily. She always stayed true to what she believed in. When Jake, one of Luisa’s ‘troubled’ friends, had offered her a sip of beer, she had turned it down. Besides, she preferred tequila. The party they had been to had suddenly taken a wild turn, which is why Luisa ended up with some of the previously offered drink on her dress – Jake had tripped and landed next to Luisa on the couch, spilling beer everywhere. Emilio had smelled the alcoholic beverage on his daughter when she had got home and made his assumptions.
Third… Luisa’s trail of thoughts was interrupted as her father opened the car door for her. Luisa crossed her arms and did not show any signs of getting out of the vehicle.
“Darling, it’s time to see your new room. I will help you carry your luggage there,” Emilio said with a reassuring smile. And by “I” he of course meant his driver, who had already picked up Luisa’s things.
Luisa just looked away and sighed.
“Luisa,” her father’s tone was firmer and more commanding now. He stretched his arm out to her, inviting her to follow him.
Luisa was stubborn and almost always got her wish, but she knew that sometimes there was no point in fighting back. She groaned and took her father’s hand. Emilio wanted to take his daughter to her dorm by the hand but as a sixteen-year-old girl Luisa couldn’t allow people to see her clinging to her father’s arm. Especially if she was going to live here for the next two years – she had a reputation to gain.
They walked through a hypnotizingly green park, decorated by a few fountains and elegant wooden benches. Luisa had to admit – it was beautiful here.
“Ah, here we are – private singles,” Emilio stated as he opened the door for his daughter to enter a colonial building. Luisa entered quietly, just staring straight ahead. She had been totally fine with her school back in Miami. She knew everyone there and it hadn’t cost much, contrary to her new school here in Boca Raton. Luisa was not actually happy whenever she got treated like a little princess – she didn’t really care about money, she wasn’t a material person, vice versa to her father.
“Oh good, you are here! Hello, my name is Felicia Anders and I will be your dorm mom for your time in WSG. Luisa, right? So wonderful to finally meet you! Welcome to the Burming House!” a perky blonde woman approached them and pulled Luisa into a suffocating hug.
“Yeah, hi. I shouldn’t be here, but nice to meet you too, I guess,” Luisa muttered bitterly.
“Emilio Solano, we talked on the phone. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. So, which room?” Emilio shook the woman’s hand.
“We have prepared a room on the second floor, it’s called the Chamber of Purity,” Felicia announced.
Luisa rolled her eyes – of course there would be a propagandistic title for her room.
“Sounds marvelous! Could you be so kind and lead us there?” Emilio asked Felicia.
They started climbing the stairs to the second floor, Felicia dragging Luisa by the hand, enthusiastically telling her all about the building and the school in general. Luisa was sure her stories were interesting and the school great, but she did not want to be here. Her friends were back in Miami, not here in Boca Raton.
“We are hereeeeeee,” Felicia sang as she unlocked a dark brown wooden door. It The room was decorated modestly and painted in calm colors. There was a queen-sized bed standing in her bedroom, accompanied by a large window hidden by thin white curtains, and a silver desk in a corner. She also had a small kitchen area and a bathroom, which housed a bath, a washing machine and a drier. Emilio nodded approvingly, Luisa was just really tired and frustrated, so she blankly stepped in and fell onto her new bed.
“I’ll let you get settled in. If you need anything – anything – let me know. There’s a leaflet on your desk with my number on it, so text me, call me… whatever you need. We want to make sure you have a nice life here at Winston’s,” the blonde woman smiled warmly.
“Thank you so very much, Ms. Anders,” Emilio addressed the woman.
“Oh, please. Call me Felicia. Ms. Anders is my aunt.”
They both grinned at each other, and at that moment, Luisa was pretty sure she had just met her next future step-mother. She sighed and buried her face deep into a soft pillow.
“Darling, I must return to my duties back in Miami. If you need more allowance or anything else, call me,” he kissed his daughter on her forehead before leaving, his driver following behind him.
When they had closed the door, Luisa couldn’t help but groan again. She never did that, but she felt like today was a special day for doing that. It all sucked.
Luisa was so angry with the rest of the world right now, that she decided she would just take a nap to enjoy the sweet ignorance of unconsciousness.
Luisa woke up two hours later to the sound of her phone ringing right next to her ear. She decided to let it go to voicemail, tugging her head tight under the pillow. After a few more agonizing seconds later, the ringing stopped, and Luisa rested her head on the pillow again, starting to drift away into the sweet world of dreams. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, a demanding ring of her phone chiming into her ear made her blink open her eyes. She yawned before sliding the green dot across the screen to accept the call. “Hello?” she mumbled groggily.
“Luisa! Hey – it’s Felicia! I hope you don’t mind – I found your number from our database.”
“Yeah, it’s fine,” she sighed.
“Cool! Anyway, I am calling you to invite you to our building’s start of the school year celebration!”
“A party?” Luisa’s eyes lit up.
“Yes! We are going to watch movies, braid each other’s hair…”
“Whoa-whoa-whoa. This does not sound like a party.”
“We would like to have you anyway, even if you don’t think it is a party. Everyone’s excited to get to know the new girl in the house,” Felicia sounded a little hurt.
Luisa closed her eyes, grimaced, and then answered. “Okay, I’ll be there. What time and where?”
“On your floor, the common living room. Yay! You’re not going to regret this,” the blonde exclaimed excitedly. “I have to go, see you there at seven!”
“At seven, common living room, got it,” Luisa mumbled before hanging up.
“Yay! You came!” Felicia ran up to Luisa when she entered the living room. “Everyone! Hush! This is Luisa Alver – she is the new resident of the Chamber of Purity, and your new dorm sister!”
Everyone mumbled their hi-s, Luisa waving shyly back at them. Luisa’s new neighbors were all seated to the floor or on the couch, already stylizing each other’s hair.
Luisa stood awkwardly next to Felicia, not really sure where to sit. Fortunately, a girl leaning against the couch invited her over. “Come, sit here. I’m Sally.”
Luisa parked herself next to Sally, shooting a thankful look at her.
“So, where do you come from?”
“I’m from Miami.”
Sally looked at her patiently. “And?”
Luisa eyed the girl with a confused expression on her face.
“And, why did you come here?” Sally asked in a kind tone.
“I’m here only because my father thinks I’m a reckless little girl, shaming his good name, though we don’t share it – I prefer to use my mother’s.”
“So – I hope you don’t mind me asking – are your parents divorced or…?”
“It’s fine. My mom died years ago. Ever since my dad has had, uhm,” Luisa paused to count in her head. “… eight step-mothers, one of them also the mother of my little brother. He’s only nine years old, so he can be a pain in the ass sometimes.”
“Hah, yeah, I get that. I have two sisters, I’m the middle child, so my life is pure hell. I have to be the younger sister to my older sister, and the older sister to my younger sister. It gets so confusing sometimes, so I am happy whenever I get to leave home at the beginning of every semester,” Sally laughed slightly.
“I don’t get that. My life is in Miami. No offense, but I don’t want to be here! I want to go back home to my room at my dad’s hotel. I am even willing to babysit my brother.”
“None taken. I get it – it blows to be you right now. But hey, as long as you’re here, why not make the most of it?” Sally offered.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Luisa chuckled as she looked down on her hands. She hadn’t really thought about it like that before. She had focused on not staying, but the truth is, she could be out of her father’s attention here, do whatever she desired.
“Alrighty! I think everyone’s here now… Oh, hold your horses – where’s Clara?” Felicia wondered.
“Here,” a voice rang through the air before a tall red-headed girl came around the corner, her light blue eyes glistening through her black framed glasses. She was in the middle of tying her hair into a messy bun, when she suddenly stopped walking, her eyes resting on Luisa.
“Ah, Clara, this is Luisa. She is the newest member of the Burming household.”
The girl kept her eyes on Luisa the entire time Felicia was talking. Luisa didn’t want to look away, but she made herself do so, she had to live with these people, she couldn’t go around ogling them as she pleased.
Eventually, the redhead proceeded to sit next to Sally, bumping her in the shoulder as she fell onto the ground.
“So, Clara, how was your summer?” Sally asked jokingly from the red head.
“Don’t. Call. Me. That,” the girl clenched her jaw. “You know how much I hate it.”
“That’s why I do it, Ro,” Sally grinned.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Bertha,” the red head darted her tongue towards Sally who had narrowed her eyes.
“It’s my middle name, they are supposed to sound bad. Yours, however, is not.”
“Do you think Clara is an ugly name?” Luisa quietly interrupted.
The tall girl’s eyes again rested on Luisa’s face. “No, not for anyone else. For me it is completely wrong. Please, please, call me Rose,” the girl said, bringing her hand theatrically to Luisa to shake hers. Luisa accepted it, grabbing the girl’s hand. Rose’s skin was the smoothest she had ever touched. Luisa gasped quietly at the touch, hoping Rose hadn’t noticed.
“Hello?” Sally positioned herself between them. “I am still here, you know.” Apparently, Luisa and Rose had been holding each other’s hands longer than they had thought.
“Girls! Eyes here! Hey, guys!” Felicia tried to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, great, now that you are all looking at me, today’s movie is a timeless gem – “Grease”!
“Ugh, just what I need – some hormonal high school guys dancing in leather pants while inappropriately touching their girlfriends,” Rose groaned.
“You sound bitter – do tell me what you did during the break,” Sally urged.
Rose laughed. “You know, you are no better than them,” she said, pointing at the people in the screen, singing “tell me more, tell me more”.
“Please, you’ll feel better afterwards, trust me.”
Rose turned quiet. She started playing with the string of her hoodie. She swallowed hard before answering. “We broke up, me and Taylor.”
“Oh, Rose,” Sally gave her friend a comforting hug.
“It’s fine. We just, you know, grew apart,” Luisa could see Rose was trying to hold back tears. The redhead was looking down on her fingers. “I almost… We almost…”
“Really? Wow, I didn’t realize you were that serious,” Sally gasped.
“I really liked her, but that wasn’t enough – at least not for me.”
Sally put a reassuring hand on Rose’s. The three girls just watched the movie, occasionally whispering comments about it to each other.