Page 9
Story: From the Ashes
She shakes her head. “Nope. It’s a building. But other things do exist here. It’s primarily for eating, but home economic classes take place here. The school decided they wanted to have a brand-new auditorium. Well, new, like they remodeled a whole building new, but they had to move some things around. And this is where they put them.”
“Wow,” I say with little enthusiasm.
Liz holds the door open for me, and the moment I step over that threshold, my jaw drops. This dining hall is high-end. It doesn’t look like any cafeteria I’ve ever eaten in. There are round wooden dining tables that are scattered throughout the room. Massive, detailed bases, beautiful high-back dining chairs that have actual padding on them. The ceiling is vaulted with wooden beams spanning the space. Beautiful modern fans and chandelier lights stretch from one side to the other to cool and light the space. Then there’s the food.
It’s set up like a luxury buffet. As we walk closer, the combinations of all the different smells inside my nose. I look up and see chefs cooking behind the food stations, with the steaming food laid out in front of them. My mouth drops at the sight.
“What in the upper-class bullshit is this?” I can’t turn my head away, but Liz knows I’m speaking to her.
She lets out a laugh. “What? Normal high school doesn’t have a buffet filled with amazing foods such as sushi and lobster and made to order food from top chefs?”
I roll my eyes. “No, you asshole. Normal high school has normal fucking terrible food. Rubber, bland chicken nuggets and canned fruit. Oh, and square pizza every Friday.” I can’t even believe what I’m looking at. My eyes don’t know where to look first. “This is seriously the school dining hall?”
“Yeah, it is. Welcome to Darkwood. Though, I’m sure more surprises await,” she says mysteriously.
Before I can respond, she heads over to grab a tray and a dish. I follow and do the same. This isn’t diner food. This is so much more. I’m standing in front of prime rib and whole chickens, watching the chefs carve it in front of us to place on the dish.
I turn to look at her. “Is there a station where I could get a burger?”
“You want a burger and not prime rib? Sushi?” Her eyes widen, and her brows raise up with her question.
“Yeah, I think I prefer the simpler foods.” I nod and try to swallow the uncomfortable feeling I have standing in front of a luxury most normal students don’t have. She points to a station towards the end of the line. As I head over there, I feel eyes on me. I get it, new girl. Apparently in the spotlight more, thanks to the unusual nature in which I got here, since they don’t usually admit seniors in on scholarship.
It’s not just their eyes, but the whispers. As if I have a neon sign on my back that says, “Hey! New girl here.” Add in my social status, and yeah, circus freak.
I order a bacon cheeseburger and fries, standing there with unease as I wait for the on-demand burger to finish. This place is weirdly dark and animated at the same time. There’s a weird fake vibe that people walk around with. But when you step outside, when you feel the wind blowing in your face through the trees, it’s haunting.
It’s the same sensation as when I felt those eyes on me earlier.
Placing the burger on my tray, I turn and find my smiling roommate behind me. I try to not react, but I flinch a little at the sight of her near me.Warn a person that you’re coming up behind them.
“Ready? Let’s go find a table,” she says as she bounces away, her blonde hair swinging as she approaches a table in the corner of the room by a window.
I plop my tray down and then fall into the disgustingly comfortable chair.
“So, tell me about yourself,” my ever happy new ‘friend’ says as she takes a bite of her salad. I almost want to throw her comment back in her face. Sushi and prime rib, but she gets a salad?
“Nothing to tell.” The last thing I want to do is share anything about me with anyone here. I want to get in, get out, and move the fuck on with my pathetic life. Just like the headmaster said.
“Well, there has to be something! You don’t just get accepted in to Darkwood your senior year, unless you know people.”
I take a bite of my burger, relishing in the juicy flavor bursting in my mouth from each bite. This bitch is better than any diner burger I’ve ever had. “I don’t know. I just got accepted,” I retort through a mouthful of food. Un-lady-like? Yep. Do I give a fuck? Nope.
Liz opens her mouth to ask me yet another assumably annoying question, but nothing comes out, and her eyes shift behind me. It’s at that moment I notice the whole place has become quiet. Pin dropping quiet.
“Oh my God, they’re here,” she says as a pink hue forms on her cheeks.
“Who?” My brows pull inward, and I stare at her like she’s grown a second head.
“Shhh! Them.” She points to a set of three guys who have walked into the dining hall. I turn to take a look at the sex gods. Holy fuck me. “The boys that run this whole place. The Kings of Darkwood.”
Turning back to her, I scoff, “The Kings of Darkwood? What the fuck elitist bullshit is that?” She doesn’t answer, and I turn back to the guys who have stopped time around us. Each one of them are cut from the molds of perfection.
She breaks contact with royalty and turns to me. “They run this place. They are who everyone wants to be around or be associated with. It means you’ve made it. You’re on their level. Every girl wants to be claimed by one of them, marry into money.”
I choke back a laugh. “You mean more money than they already have?”
“Yeah.” She shrugs. “I mean, I would love to be hanging off the arms of one of them.” She smiles and stares off like she’s daydreaming.
“Wow,” I say with little enthusiasm.
Liz holds the door open for me, and the moment I step over that threshold, my jaw drops. This dining hall is high-end. It doesn’t look like any cafeteria I’ve ever eaten in. There are round wooden dining tables that are scattered throughout the room. Massive, detailed bases, beautiful high-back dining chairs that have actual padding on them. The ceiling is vaulted with wooden beams spanning the space. Beautiful modern fans and chandelier lights stretch from one side to the other to cool and light the space. Then there’s the food.
It’s set up like a luxury buffet. As we walk closer, the combinations of all the different smells inside my nose. I look up and see chefs cooking behind the food stations, with the steaming food laid out in front of them. My mouth drops at the sight.
“What in the upper-class bullshit is this?” I can’t turn my head away, but Liz knows I’m speaking to her.
She lets out a laugh. “What? Normal high school doesn’t have a buffet filled with amazing foods such as sushi and lobster and made to order food from top chefs?”
I roll my eyes. “No, you asshole. Normal high school has normal fucking terrible food. Rubber, bland chicken nuggets and canned fruit. Oh, and square pizza every Friday.” I can’t even believe what I’m looking at. My eyes don’t know where to look first. “This is seriously the school dining hall?”
“Yeah, it is. Welcome to Darkwood. Though, I’m sure more surprises await,” she says mysteriously.
Before I can respond, she heads over to grab a tray and a dish. I follow and do the same. This isn’t diner food. This is so much more. I’m standing in front of prime rib and whole chickens, watching the chefs carve it in front of us to place on the dish.
I turn to look at her. “Is there a station where I could get a burger?”
“You want a burger and not prime rib? Sushi?” Her eyes widen, and her brows raise up with her question.
“Yeah, I think I prefer the simpler foods.” I nod and try to swallow the uncomfortable feeling I have standing in front of a luxury most normal students don’t have. She points to a station towards the end of the line. As I head over there, I feel eyes on me. I get it, new girl. Apparently in the spotlight more, thanks to the unusual nature in which I got here, since they don’t usually admit seniors in on scholarship.
It’s not just their eyes, but the whispers. As if I have a neon sign on my back that says, “Hey! New girl here.” Add in my social status, and yeah, circus freak.
I order a bacon cheeseburger and fries, standing there with unease as I wait for the on-demand burger to finish. This place is weirdly dark and animated at the same time. There’s a weird fake vibe that people walk around with. But when you step outside, when you feel the wind blowing in your face through the trees, it’s haunting.
It’s the same sensation as when I felt those eyes on me earlier.
Placing the burger on my tray, I turn and find my smiling roommate behind me. I try to not react, but I flinch a little at the sight of her near me.Warn a person that you’re coming up behind them.
“Ready? Let’s go find a table,” she says as she bounces away, her blonde hair swinging as she approaches a table in the corner of the room by a window.
I plop my tray down and then fall into the disgustingly comfortable chair.
“So, tell me about yourself,” my ever happy new ‘friend’ says as she takes a bite of her salad. I almost want to throw her comment back in her face. Sushi and prime rib, but she gets a salad?
“Nothing to tell.” The last thing I want to do is share anything about me with anyone here. I want to get in, get out, and move the fuck on with my pathetic life. Just like the headmaster said.
“Well, there has to be something! You don’t just get accepted in to Darkwood your senior year, unless you know people.”
I take a bite of my burger, relishing in the juicy flavor bursting in my mouth from each bite. This bitch is better than any diner burger I’ve ever had. “I don’t know. I just got accepted,” I retort through a mouthful of food. Un-lady-like? Yep. Do I give a fuck? Nope.
Liz opens her mouth to ask me yet another assumably annoying question, but nothing comes out, and her eyes shift behind me. It’s at that moment I notice the whole place has become quiet. Pin dropping quiet.
“Oh my God, they’re here,” she says as a pink hue forms on her cheeks.
“Who?” My brows pull inward, and I stare at her like she’s grown a second head.
“Shhh! Them.” She points to a set of three guys who have walked into the dining hall. I turn to take a look at the sex gods. Holy fuck me. “The boys that run this whole place. The Kings of Darkwood.”
Turning back to her, I scoff, “The Kings of Darkwood? What the fuck elitist bullshit is that?” She doesn’t answer, and I turn back to the guys who have stopped time around us. Each one of them are cut from the molds of perfection.
She breaks contact with royalty and turns to me. “They run this place. They are who everyone wants to be around or be associated with. It means you’ve made it. You’re on their level. Every girl wants to be claimed by one of them, marry into money.”
I choke back a laugh. “You mean more money than they already have?”
“Yeah.” She shrugs. “I mean, I would love to be hanging off the arms of one of them.” She smiles and stares off like she’s daydreaming.
Table of Contents
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