Page 9 of I Don't Need Your Protection
“Here we are,” Carly says. “Room 110.” She flings the door open. As we step inside, I see two beds that are made, two closets, each large enough to host all the clothes I brought with me. Two vanities, two large TVs, two desks, and a table and chairs. There’s also a kitchenette. The room is three times the size of the one I had back home. There are two windows that have a view of the beautiful trees, grass, flowers, and sky outside.
“Neat, huh?” Carly says with a smile. “But check this out.” She leads me to a door that opens to the balcony. She bends over the low wall, sighing happily. “This is the life.”
I bend over the wall as well, taking in the fresh air and beautiful scenery. Have I fallen into a fairytale? As much as I hate that I have to live here, this room sure does have its perks.
“Does every room have a balcony?” I ask.
“Yes.”
I glance around. “Do I have a roommate?”
“Um, I don’t think so. This was Marie’s room, but I heard they moved her into a larger room with two other girls.” Her eyebrows scrunch. “Wait a sec. Why would they do that and leave you without a roommate?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she wanted to move in with them?”
“Well, those three are best friends….Too bad the school didn’t let me bunk in with my best friends, who are together this year. But I guess money reallydoesbuy you everything. My roommate this year pretends I don’t exist.”
“Sorry about that.”
She waves her hand. “That’s okay.” She scans around until her eyes land on the suitcases that are resting against the wall. “I guess I’ll let you unpack. Unless you have any questions?”
I shrug. “This is all so overwhelming.”
She nods in understanding. “Everyone feels like that on their first day. I’ll just go over some basics. Dinner is at six. Curfew is at ten. We’re allowed to leave campus, but not during school hours unless given permission. You can go anywhere you want on the weekends, but it can’t be too far or you’ll need permission, too. And if you think you’ll be gone for more than two hours, you need to let the office know.” She taps her chin. “What else? Oh, duh. No parties are allowed on campus. Girls and guys are not allowed to be in each other’s dorms after nine. Classes start at eight, breakfast is at 7:30. Did I cover everything? Probably not, but that’s all I can think of now. Read the student manual, if you want. Most kids ignore it, hehe.”
I smile. “I’ll probably skim through it. I don’t want to get introuble or anything.”
She nods. “Right. We scholarship kids have to be on our best behavior at all times or else we’ll be threatened with expulsion, right? We don’t have rich daddies and mommies to bail us out.”
I force a laugh. “Right. But wouldn’t expulsion taint the school’s reputation?”
She waves her hand. “They’d come up with some lie or excuse to cover it up.”
“Does that happen often? Expulsion?”
She shrugs. “Like any other school, I guess. This place is pretty fair. They won’t expel you for no reason.” She studies me. “Why are you so worried?”
“I’m not. I was just curious. I’ve never been to a rich boarding school before.”
“Yeah, I get that. I was the same, sort of. I’m not so worried about expulsions because meh. School isn’t so important to me. But never mind all that. You should unpack before we have to turn in for the night. Don’t forget to go to dinner at six.”
“Okay, thanks.”
She flings her arms around me. “No problem. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.”
She’s about to exit my room, but then she faces me. “Oh, almost forgot. The shower was giving Marie problems for days and it broke this morning. They didn’t have a chance to fix it yet, so you’ll need to use the communal shower for a couple ofdays. It’s right next door.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“No problem. I’ll see you later.” She waves and walks out.
Chapter Four
Addie
I head to one of my suitcases and start emptying it. I have a few pairs of the school uniform, which consists of a short green and black plaid skirt and a matching green vest or blazer, as well as a crisp white shirt. I’ve never worn a uniform before, but I guess it has some advantages. I hang those up, and the rest of my clothes. Clothes that I’ll wear outside of school hours, plus my pajamas.
