Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mariam

“Grandma, tell me the news if it will make me happy.” I asked, curious to find out the exact details of my grandma's message.

“A minute ago, you looked like you were sad”" she said.

“And I still am.” When I rolled my eyes, she smiled and ran her hands through my hair.

“We're moving to a place called Dranovile, and you'll be attending classes there as well.”

With glee, I jumped to my feet. Leaving this cursed town and the obnoxious school that takes pleasure in tormenting me will be a relief. I'm going to erase the past and reject the bully in me.

To have this happen is fantastic. I feel like Cinderella right now, and I gave my grandma another tight hug while telling her, “You are the best fairy godmother that life has given me.”

“This is the best news ever; I love you so much, grandma. It's like winning the lottery.”

“Grandchild, you have my love as well. My greatest happiness comes from seeing you happy, so never let anything take that away from you. I hope this learning enlightens you.”

She touched my face gently, and I couldn't help but laugh.

“It's better for people to think you're strong than to find out you're weak, so learn to put on a brave face even when things seem dire.”

“Grandma, you seem very moved right now; I know you're thinking of someone who always has a big grin on their face; who is it?”

“Your mother.”

“She's a strong woman, but in private, she cries like a child, so even I, her mother, didn't know about her problems even when they were at their worst.”

I felt tears beginning to form in my eyes, but I forced myself to smile at Grandma instead. I really feel like crying, but here, look at me smiling for grandma; “Grandma,do I resemble her in any way?"

“Sure, you do.” “I wish she were still here to see how much you resemble her in appearance at your age.”

My grandmother didn't give me a lot of information about my parents; she only told me that my mother had died of an illness and that my father had disappeared.

She has been very caring for me, but when I do find my father, I will ask him why he never bothered to look for me.

Suddenly, I was reminded that the tuition at Dranovile's schools is quite high. I don't know where my grandma is getting the money to pay my bills and feed us. Instead of her working, I plan to take on some extra gigs.

"Grandma, you know how expensive the schools are in Dranovile."

“You got lucky, dear child,” She said with the words as she cut me off before I could finish. “Working as a maid for the Herndon family will require time away from school, but the family has promised to cover your tuition costs.”

Wow, what a pleasant surprise! If it means working, getting paid, and starting over at a new school without worrying about tuition, fees, or an outdated uniform, I don't care if I end up as a babysitter or a maid.

“I'm grateful to you, grandma, for everything you've done for me.” I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

“It's bedtime now. Keep in mind that we will be packing our bags tomorrow in preparation for an early morning departure from this city the day after tomorrow.”

"Well, no worries, grandma.” Another kiss on the cheek from me!

After locking the door and hiding the key, I tried to get some rest, but I ended up having to get a thick rope and tie myself to the bed. This time, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to sleepwalk out of the room.

I was drenched in sweat when I awoke in the morning. I had a nightmare in which the wolf transformed back into a human, and the worst part is that, as usual, I really cannot recall the face of the human.

I untied myself and saw some red, round bruises on my wrist where the rope had been. At least I didn't sleepwalk.

I went back to the woods where I was raped while taking the clothes I was assaulted in. I spread out the cloth, poured in some fuel, and held the matchbook.

I'm leaving Scarovile for good and starting over in Dranovile; I deserve to be happy, so stay in ashes; this is where I was raped by someone I don't know; everyone thinks I'm crazy, but I know what I saw anyway; I need to bury this memory in the past now. The garments were burned to ashes. Putting on a happy face after hearing Grandma's stories about my mom, I went on my way.

DRANOVILE

My grandma and I have become permanent residents of Dranovile. My grandmother told me I could go to school after she gave me a brown envelope containing all my registration details, and I must say the air here is different from where we are coming from. I love it here, everything; it is so lively in here. Thanks to the Herndons, I've never been happier.

I can't wait until classes start up again here.

"Grandma, please let me know when I can start to work at the Herndon residence."

"Mrs. Herndon hopes you'll have had a week to acclimatise to your new environment at school and in town before beginning your work with her next week."

"That's very thoughtful of her, and I can't wait." My grandmother and I got up and danced.

Day One at Dranoville Senior High

WOW! That's all I can say! this school completely surpassed the one I had previously attended in size and quality.

Except for the university building, which is apparently not far from here, the junior and senior buildings here are identical to those at the college.

I went to the principal's office, where I was fingerprinted, issued an ID card, given my schedule and a map of the campus, and told to go get my uniform.

While using the clean and shiny women's restroom, I was approached by a stranger who said, “Hey, you must be the new student, right?”

“True, but how did you figure that out?”

“A general announcement is made whenever a new student is about to join us. In any case, I'm Cindy. And what about you?”

“Mariam.”

“It's nice to meet you, Mariam; may I be your friend if that's okay with you?” I'll admit that her voice is incredibly diminutive, but at least I wasn't bullied on the first day,I got accepted and someone wants to be friends with me so that's a plus.

I had just finished my shift and decided to walk home rather than take the bus when a car nearly ran me over.

The person got out of the car, and I knew I had to take a stand. He had hazel eyes and seemed relatively calm. “Are you blind or what? Didn't you notice me? Do you want to take my life?”

“How come you're talking to me like that? Are you aware of who I am? It was you who walked out into traffic without looking.” He yelled.

"It's clear you're off your rocker."

"What?" He said.

I'm overjoyed; now I can express myself freely in conversation with anyone.

TBC

Who is this guy?

Do you think she was rude?

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter