First Day At Gothic Academy

Lyla's facial expression scrunched up when Anastasia appeared from behind a large wooden door carved with a dragon carving.  The mama had just finished talking to the headmaster---Mrs Campbell.

"Be good, Lyla. Don't cause any more trouble." Anastasia ordered as she's stroking the girl's cheek, which immediately received a gentle slap from her.

"Don't you wanna give me a hug before I leave?" asked the beautiful brown-haired woman in a long black dress that wrapped her slender body.

"No!" answered Lyla firmly.

Anastasia gave a faint smile. She knew, Lyla was so mad at her. But, so be it.  All for her good, she thought.

After the mother left, two women from different generation approached Lyla. She squinted at the both of them inquisitively.

"Lyla Helliwell, welcome to Gothic Academy, I'm Miss White, I'm your homeroom teacher. And this is Louisa Collins. She's your roommate." The red-haired woman with big glasses on her face introduced herself.

"Hi," said a jet black haired girl with very pale skin. However, her friendly smile was able to create a warm impression on that cold face.

"Louisa, can you take Lyla to your room?"  asked Miss White. The girl named Louisa nodded happily. Without further ado, she took Lyla's arm and led her to a building located at the far end of a row of others

"Can you not hold my hand?" asked Lyla sarcastically. She didn't like being treated this intimately by someone she just met.

"Oops, sorry." Louisa giggled as she slipped her hand from Lyla's arm.

"You're a Vampire, aren't you?" asked Lyla while glancing at the girl beside her.

"Exactly right."

"You are too cheerful for a bloodsucker."

"Is it true?" Louisa studied herself. "Hmm ... maybe, yeah." She muttered, pouting her lips.

Lyla rolled her eyes in exasperation. She was not in the mood to get to know anyone. Actually she never liked excessive interactions with other people.

"You can see over there is the library. Over there, the Witch class. The moss green building is Sirens class. Well, next to it is the Vampire class. Then ...." Louisa explained all details of the existing buildings inside the Gothic Academy, while Lyla listened lazily.

"Over there, the mixed class. It is held once a week." Louisa continued.

"And that ...." Louisa stopped in her tracks, making Lyla also do the same as her. She stared at the pair of Louisa's eyes fixed towards a bench of mossy bricks near the park they passed, where there was a handsome young man; pale skin, haughty face, shoulder-length black hair neatly combed back, with keen eagle eyes, sitting there with two of his friends, who are both pale skinned.

"Keegan Dragomir. Don't ever get in trouble with him. He's from the Dragomir family. And you know who they are." Louisa continued warning.

Of course Lyla knew who The Dragomirs are.  Very influential Vampire family in Freaky World. Wealthy and powerful. Rumors are circulating, all Vampires bowed to the family.

Lyla's eyes met Keegan's cold gaze. The boy grinned, showing his sharp canine teeth.

"Come on, Lyla. Let's go to the dorms." Louisa hastily grabbed Lyla's arm when she realized Keegan was watching them.

"Remember what I said, okay? Don't get into trouble with Keegan." Louisa said when the two of them were inside the dormitory building; a magnificent one with medieval architecture with dominant gray color.

Lyla and Louisa climbed the stairs that snaked upwards to their room on the third floor---the top floor. "Voila, this is our room," said the girl.

Lyla looked around the room which was quite spacious. There were two beds each against either side of the wall, and between them was a large window with colored glass.

One bed---similiar to a coffin---was definitely Louisa's, and the other muat be hers. A large suitcase containing her belongings was already beside the bed.

"The most important rule, no boys in the room," chuckled Louisa.

Lyla hissed. She didn't respond to Louisa's words and decided to take out the things in the suitcase, then put them in the cupboard.

"Wow, you have a lot of stuff," said Louisa as she took a small vial of green liquid from Lyla's box.

"Do not touch!" Lyla snatched the bottle from Louisa's hand.

"Sorry," said Louisa with a look of regret on her face.

"Could you go back to your own bed?" She asked. It was obvious she didn't want to be disturbed while she was doing something.  Louisa raised both hands as she pursed her lips.

"Where are you going?" asked Louisa as Lyla finished packing her things, and stepped towards the bedroom door.

"To library."

"Do you want me to accompany you?"

"No." Lyla pushed the door and stepped out. She walked through the corridor with many doors on either side of the room. She ran into several dorm residents who stared at her in astonishment.

Lyla descended the stairs quickly, then walked out of the building, and stepped into the library building that Louisa had pointed out a moment ago.

"Name?" asked the short-nosed and pointy-eared creature with wrinkled pink skin.  At first glance, he looked like an old man, with minimal white hair, showing his scalp. His name is Mister Burgog---a Goblin---the librarian.

"Lyla Helliwell."

Mr. Burgog wrote Lyla's name on a small piece of paper then took a duplicate and put it in a drawer.

"Keep the card carefully. If you lose it, you will be fined." He warned. Lyla took the paper from Mr. Burgog's hand and put it in her pocket.

The library had always been her favorite place. In fact, there was an underground library that contains books of witchcraf in her mother's house. However, the Gothic Academy's library was much larger. The books seemed to be countless.

As she was selecting books on a row of towering shelves, her eyes caught the figure of a young man with shoulder-length black hair, talking to Mr. Burgog. The young man who Louisa had warned several times not to get into trouble with; Keegan Dragomir.

Lyla wasn't scared at all by Louisa's warning. Not even scared of Keegan. After all, she wanted nothing to do with anyone.

"A Fresh Girl, huh?!"

Lyla was surprised to hear a voice coming from the right. Moments earlier, she had felt a gust of wind hitting her face softly. When she turned around, the pale-skinned and cold-faced young man stood leaning his back against the bookshelf, with his arms folded across his chest. The grin on Keegan's lips irritated Lyla.

***