Chapter 4 Biggest mistake??

         ARIANNA'S POINT OF VIEW 

The heavy iron gates swung shut behind me with a surprisingly gentle thud. For a solid minute, I just stood there, my knuckles white as I gripped my duffel bag, taking in the sprawling campus. There was absolutely no going back now. 

Silver High Academy was nothing like I'd pictured. The red-brick buildings, bathed in the morning sun, seemed to possess an ageless charm, their walls draped in ivy.

   Wide stone paths meandered through immaculately kept lawns, and ancient oak trees offered cool, dappled shade. It was… well, it was beautiful. Almost too beautiful. Honestly, nothing about it screamed 'secret hiding place.'

I took a deep, steadying breath, forcing myself to remember the whole point of being here. 

You're not Ariana anymore, I told myself.

   Ariana ceases to exist once you cross these gates. You're Aiden now. I felt my voice automatically drop an octave as I whispered the name, practicing until it felt like my own.

I tried to deepen my voice, but the sound still felt a bit off. It would have to do, though. 

Adjusting the oversized blazer that was practically drowning me, I started walking and not long after, a knot of boys cut across my path.

They stopped talking the moment they saw me. One of them scowled. 

"What the hell?" Another eyed me up and down before chuckling.

"Who invited the kid?"

"Swear he's shorter than my little brother,"someone else chimed in. A third smirked,

"Hey, little dude, you sure you're in the right school?" The rest of them erupted in laughter. My face flushed, but I kept moving, ignoring them. Getting into a fight within five minutes of arriving would probably set some kind of school record. 

Their laughter eventually faded, but the embarrassment still burned. Being small had never bothered me before. But here, in the middle of an all-boys boarding school, it suddenly felt like the most defining thing about me.

I looked around. The campus was massive, a sprawl of identical buildings in every direction. Dad had said to report to the principal's office first. That would have been easy enough… if I had any clue where it was. 

I wandered for another minute before spotting a student walking towards me.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and exuded this effortless confidence. His uniform was perfectly pressed, and judging by the silver badge on his blazer, he was definitely a senior too. Relief washed over me, and I hurried towards him.

"Excuse me." He stopped. Slowly, his eyes drifted up to meet mine. They were unreadable. Trying to remember my new persona, I pitched my voice lower.

"I'm looking for the principal's office." His gaze lingered on me for a beat before shifting to the name tag on my blazer. Then, without a word, he just walked past. I blinked. 

"Seriously?" Not even a hint of a direction. Not a single word. I watched him round a corner before letting out a quiet sigh.

"Wow." I shook my head.

"So rude?" I muttered, realizing I had no other choice but to keep walking. 

A few minutes later, I saw another student sitting alone under a giant oak tree near the library. He was different from everyone else; no loud chatter or joking, just him and a book.

A thick novel was open in his lap, and he was so engrossed that he didn't even notice me approach. I cleared my throat.

"Excuse me." He looked up. Warm brown eyes met mine, calm and surprisingly kind.

"I'm looking for the principal's office." He studied me for a moment, then quietly closed his book. 

"Follow me." That was it. I hurried after him, so thankful that someone was willing to help. We walked in silence, and before long, he stopped in front of a polished wooden door. 

A brass plaque read: PRINCIPAL HARRISON. 

He gestured towards it. 

"Oh." Relief flooded me.

"Thank you." He gave a small nod and turned to leave. 

"I'm Aid…" The words barely escaped my lips before he was already walking away, not even glancing back. I watched him disappear down the hallway.

"...Never mind."An embarrassed laugh escaped me despite everything.

"What is wrong with the boys in this school?" I whispered.

Taking one last steadying breath, I adjusted my tie, straightened my blazer, and knocked on the principal's door.

"Come in."I heard and immediately reached for the handle.

Whatever happened next......There was no going back.

I wrapped my fingers around the brass handle, took one steadying breath, and pushed the door open.

The office was larger than I expected.

Dark wooden bookshelves lined one wall, packed with books and trophies that gleamed beneath the morning sunlight pouring through the tall windows. Framed photographs of graduating classes filled another wall, and behind an enormous mahogany desk sat a man in his late fifties wearing a charcoal suit and thin-rimmed glasses.

He looked up from the papers in front of him.

His sharp eyes studied me for a brief moment before a polite smile settled on his face.

"You must be our transfer student."Remember your voice,I cleared my throat ever so slightly before answering.

"Yes, sir."

He stood and extended his hand.

"I'm Principal Harrison."I crossed the room and shook it.

"Aiden Hart."

"It's good to finally meet you, Aiden. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, sir."I lowered myself into the chair opposite his desk while he opened a brown file with my name neatly typed across the front.

Well...Aiden's name.

He adjusted his glasses and skimmed through the documents.

"I've already received your transfer records. Since you're joining us rather late in the semester, there'll be a bit of catching up to do, but your previous grades suggest you won't have much trouble academically."

"I'll do my best, sir."

"I'm sure you will."He closed the file and folded his hands together.

"Silver High Academy takes discipline very seriously. Our students live on campus throughout the semester, classes begin promptly at eight every morning, and breaking school rules comes with consequences."He slid a thick booklet across the desk.

"Our student handbook."I picked it up.It looked thick enough to be a dictionary.

"There are regulations regarding attendance, dormitories, uniforms, lights-out, study hours, and weekend privileges. I suggest you read it carefully."

"I will."He nodded approvingly before reaching into a drawer.

"This is your student identification card."He handed it to me.

My fingers curled around the plastic card almost instinctively.

AIDEN HART.The photograph staring back at me looked unfamiliar.

My hair was cropped short,My expression was serious.Even I almost believed I was looking at a boy.....Strange.

Principal Harrison reached for another folder.

"This contains your class schedule, locker assignment, dormitory information, and a campus map. If you find yourself getting lost and trust me, nearly every transfer student does.....the map should help."

A nervous smile escaped me.

"I'll probably need it."

"You certainly won't be the first."For the first time since I'd entered the office, I found myself relaxing.

To my surprise, he seemed more welcoming than intimidating.He pressed a button on the intercom resting on his desk.

"Mrs. Brooks, could you come to my office, please?"A few moments later, there was a gentle knock.

The door opened, and a woman in her early thirties stepped inside. She wore a navy blazer over a cream blouse, and a pair of reading glasses rested on top of her head.

"You wanted to see me, Principal Harrison?"

"Yes."He gestured toward me.

"This is Aiden Hart, our new transfer student."She smiled warmly.

"Welcome to Silver High, Aiden."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"I'd like you to take him to Mr. Carter's homeroom."

"Of course."Principal Harrison stood, offering me one final handshake.

"I hope you'll settle in quickly."

"I hope so too, sir."Mrs. Brooks waited by the door while I gathered my things.

"This way."I followed her into the hallway.The corridors buzzed with life.

Classroom doors stood open as teachers lectured inside, lockers slammed shut every few seconds, and students hurried from one end of the building to the other carrying stacks of textbooks beneath their arms.

Silver High suddenly felt much bigger than it had from outside.Mrs. Brooks glanced over her shoulder as we walked.

"First days are always overwhelming."

"I guess they are."

"You'll find your feet soon enough."

"I hope so."She smiled.

"I'm sure you will."We climbed a wide staircase to the second floor before turning into another hallway.

She glanced at the duffel bag hanging from my shoulder.

"You won't need that in the classroom.....One of the attendants will take it to your dorm."Before I could protest, a staff member stepped forward, collected my luggage, and disappeared down the hallway.Somehow, watching it disappear made everything feel even more real.

"This wing houses the senior classes," she explained.

"You'll be graduating with this group, so you'll spend most of your time here."My heartbeat quickened with every step.

The voices spilling from nearby classrooms grew louder.We passed one room...Then another...Until she finally stopped outside a door near the end of the corridor.

She knocked twice and a man's voice answered from inside.

"Come in."Mrs. Brooks opened the door and stepped into the classroom while I followed her.The teacher paused in the middle of writing on the whiteboard and turned toward us.

"So this is our transfer student?"

"Yes," Mrs. Brooks replied with a smile.

"Sorry for interrupting your lesson."

"Not at all."He set the marker down before looking at me then he faced the class.

"Alright, everyone. We have a new student joining us today."The room gradually fell silent,Conversations faded.

One by one, every face turned toward the front of the classroom,toward me.

Mrs. Brooks gave me an encouraging nod before stepping aside.

My breath caught.Every seat was occupied by a boy.More than thirty pairs of eyes settled on me at once, and suddenly the classroom felt much smaller than it had a second ago. 

Some leaned back in their chairs with open curiosity, others exchanged amused glances, while a few simply stared without blinking, as though trying to figure me out.

Standing in front of a classroom filled with nothing but boys, every pair of eyes fixed on me, my carefully rehearsed confidence vanished.

My heartbeat thundered against my ribs.

For the first time since arriving at Silver High, I couldn't help wondering if coming here had been the biggest mistake of my life.