Chapter 1-Mourline

Natalie sat at the rear end of the passengers seat looking out the window and trying as much as she could to enjoy the views of the outside world before she entered the four walls of Mourline school.

She didn't know how she got to this point. Yesterday, she'd had a fierce, heated argument with her father over her supposed admission into the country's most popular and prestigious school. it wasn't like they both shared a consistent father and daughter relationship. They disagreed on a lot of things since her mother's death, but getting her an admission into that school without her assent and announcing it out of the blues was totally out of the question.

Her subconscious mind went back to their conversation. Her father had come back from the company to hand her a large envelope which contained her admission letters and all then told her she was to leave the following day which almost made her go bunkers.

She'd tried to opt out of doing his bidding but he'd threatened to block her account or withdraw his support and being the only heir to the h&k business group it left her with no choice. And her friends thought she was the luckiest girl in the world. If only they knew, she thought with a scoff.

After a good five hours drive, the car entered a more lonelier route. Guessing they were driving closer to the school, she tried to brace herself mentally. To her, it seemed like Mourline was built on restricted property. She doubted if there was anyone living there except for people on campus as she hadn't seen any building nor people on their way. Her ride pulled up in front of a huge black gate. A man whom she suspected to be security came to knock at her window. She wind down and passed him a passport which her father had prepared beforehand on his request. After a thorough check, they were allowed to pass through the gate and the driver parked at the lot.

She stepped out of the car and felt a gush of wind hit her pale skin. Immediately, she regretted not putting on a thick sweater. She stepped aside to take a look at her new school. The building was old and impressive, almost like an ancient museum making her wonder how old it was. Students trooped in and out of what seemed like the study block. Her father knew the best. Mourline wasn't a place an average person with a normal income could go to though she'd have loved to not be cajoled into something she didn't have the passion for or told a day before her departure.

"Miss Natalie",her driver called out, breaking her chain of thought.

"Thank you so much, Joseph",she offered him a smile. She helped him get her bags out of the car. She'd always liked the slightly aged man. He was polite and warm and she always felt comfortable talking to him.

"I'm just doing my job... miss" he said, smiling back," I know it was sudden and everything has been hard for you to take in, but I do hope you enjoy your stay here",he offered her a slight bow.

"You know you don't have to do that",she said," I'll miss you". Joseph has been her closest friend since her mother's death and the man wasn't even surprised, the poor girl always kept to herself and having a father who cared about his business more than his child, didn't help matters.

In the next five minutes, she was all alone. She took deep breaths, before making her way into the building.