Chapter 2. Clarkson Academy: pt. 1

Nicole Janeʼs POV

“You behave there, okay? Donʼt worry because weʼll always call you,” Mom said.

I just rolled my eyes and plugged in my earphones. I was tired of their reminders already.

Since the day they told me about my fiancé, they hadnʼt mentioned anything about it again. They didnʼt even give me a chance to speak again because they suddenly left at that time.

I also asked them about it several times whenever I had the chance because I really felt uneasy. But they didnʼt really give any other explanation. Up to now, Iʼm still hoping that what they were saying wasnʼt true.

I donʼt know what my parents were thinking when they put me in such a precarious situation. I havenʼt even been in a relationship or even admired a single man in my entire life. Then theyʼll just break the news that I will be married off to someone?

Then, out of the blue, they broke another piece of news to me. That Iʼm going to transfer to who knows where; they didnʼt even tell me what the school was called or where it was. They were deciding to transfer me in my last year of senior high.

Just great.

I looked outside the window. All I could see were tall buildings. While the people around were busy with their own activities.

My lips thinned. The fact that I didnʼt have any idea where we were going made me feel anxious.

Truth be told, I refused to leave at first. But the moment they told me that they were going to cut my allowance and leave me with nothing, I shut up.

Though I didnʼt believe in them at first. The thing is, they left me alone in our house for a week without any extra money on hand!

They can be in any part of the world, for all I care. But as long as I had my allowance with me. What was going to happen to my adventurous life if I didnʼt have the money I needed?

That reason alone led me to this kind of situation. Itʼs all thanks to my loving parents.

We have been traveling for some time now. I didnʼt even have the chance to memorize the routes they took because it took too many turns.

Right until tall trees replaced the view of the roads, the whole area around me was almost entirely covered by green, and I couldnʼt see a single house standing anywhere.

I didnʼt really know the place. The last city we passed was so far away. It would have taken maybe more than an hour to reach it from this place.

“Donʼt tell me that the school where Iʼm going to transfer is somewhere in the middle of the forest?” I unplugged my earphones and asked them in disbelief.

It didnʼt seem right to study just anywhere. The school I used to attend was prestigious, and most of the students were the children of businessmen or politicians. Then all of a sudden, they were transferring me to an unknown school.

They both looked at each other. But before I could ask again, I was stunned when I saw, from not far away, the two towering golden gates.

“Wow,” I whispered in amusement as we got nearer.

But I didnʼt let my parents see my amazement for fear of what they were going to think and say.

To be fair, the gates did look expensive. Letʼs see what they had on the inside.

When we stopped at the gates, they slowly opened up from the middle, clearing the way for us to go inside.

Welcome to Clarkson Academy

Those words were engraved at the bottom of a statue that looked like a warrior with a cape, riding a horse. They were the first thing that caught my attention as soon as we entered.

It actually sounds familiar. I just canʼt remember where I heard the name of this school.

I was amazed to see the huge stone buildings. They were white and chocolate. They had sliding windows, and each hallway had pillars.

I would have mistaken the place for more of a vintage palace than an academy, because its structure and design were so classy and elegant. It looked like a place for a royal family.

In addition, the guards outside caught my eye before we finally got inside. Security seemed to be very tight here as well.

I havenʼt seen any students around yet. It was still too early, so maybe they were still in their respective dorm rooms.

Dad stopped the car in front of the main building, and then we all stepped out. I looked up at it and saw the big round clock on top.

I hugged myself as a strong, cold breeze blew. Because of this, you wouldnʼt feel the heat of the weather in this place. Even the sky was a bit overcast.

After all, the whole area was located on an elevated area; add to that the towering trees that surrounded the place.

I didnʼt know why, but this school felt creepy. Sometimes something too perfect on the outside can be scary because you canʼt quite see whatʼs hidden inside.

I was about to ask Dad when I spotted an elderly man approaching. He was wearing a black hat and suit with a white polo shirt inside. His eyes were narrow, and he had a small beard on his chin. He was tall but a bit thin.

I blinked. I may have sounded weird, but I could sense a strange aura from him.

He smiled as he approached us. But I didnʼt know why I was suddenly horrified by the way he looked at us—especially when he looked directly at me.

Another thing I noticed about him was the color of his skin. I wouldnʼt say it was white—a bit pale, maybe. Perhaps they didnʼt get much of the sun due to the cold climate of the area.

“Good day, Mr. and Mrs. Parker!” he greeted my parents in a cold, deep voice before he turned to me.

Was the coldness in his voice also due to the climate here?

“Same to you, Young Miss.” He stared at me intently.

Thereʼs something in the way he looked at me that made me smile at him, even though I had no intention of doing so.

Why would I do it in the first place?

“You take care of our daughter. We know that you will be able to watch over her better here. Please let us know if anything happens,” Dad said seriously, which surprised me.

What did he mean by that? Were they leaving me in this isolated place because they were tired of taking care of me?

Something felt wrong. In fact, our maids took better care of me at home because my parents were often abroad. So why did they have to move me here?