St Leonards - Anastasiya

Anastasiya Baranova - 15 Years Old

Today would be my first day at St Leonard’s and I was not sure if I was excited or scared.

Kiara had told me about all the nasty goings on that no one knew about, and frankly, it terrified me. Checking my floor-length mirror one last time, I left the confines of my room and hoped today would be a good day.

I hum my favorite tune as I descend the staircase and see my mother getting her bag from the foyer table. She was so beautiful; I admired her so much, but her recent cancer treatments have taken it out of her. I don’t know why my father allows her to be back at school when she should be focusing on her health. At night, when she thinks everyone is asleep, I hear the heart-wrenching music emanating from her music room. Her cello weeps for the pain she is in.

“Mamma,” I call and her head whips up. She smiles when she sees me and I run into her arms, wrapping her in a tight embrace