Welcome to hell

With the look on her mother's face, all Mia could see was worry. First, not getting into college and now joining a pre-college program with a bunch of "elitist snubs", as she referred to them, it took a toll on her.

As she walked into the class with her head fixed down, she prayed to whatever was holy not to be noticed.

She wasn't much of a fan of people. In fact her mantra for the latter part of high school was "People are poison".

The chatter between her new classmates continued. It was strange, the first day of school how come everyone was socializing so well.

Students poured in from every entrance of the auditorium.

She made quite the observation, noting every possible means of escape.

A medium-sized building in the core of the University of Winnington – the brick building had dulled in color due to atmospheric conditions.

This auditorium had a total of six exits which also served as entrances – two in front of the hall just facing the platform, two behind, and another two placed in the middle of the auditorium.

It was a huge hall, big enough to fit everyone's ego and insecurities. It was obvious that the building was old, but a good kind of old.

Mia was very into old things, her personal favorite was old music, she said it had a ring to it, something that millennials nor the Gen-z understood.

"Welcome everyone", the middle-aged man who introduced himself as Mr. Callum Anderson, the course advisor and guide said.

The man stood in front of the class with one of those cool wireless microphones trying to get everyone's attention. It was mostly distracting because students were still coming into the class, late, not surprising.

Mia stared out the window at all the people who were dropped off by their parents. Among them was Brie, Breanna.

On the day of the entrance exams, Breanna was late. Winnington held its entrance exams for about a month because several people struggling to get into the program.

Breanna got to the hall sweating and panting trying to find her seat number. For someone who looked like that being misplaced, it made her feel some kind of solidarity towards her – like they were the same.

"You are welcome to Winnington, a place where we shape lives –". Mia wasn't one for speeches, so she blocked out the nice man with the brown sweater vest who looked like a librarian.

She seemed not to be the only one who hated lingered and unnecessary stories, Brie too had faded. She didn't know why her thoughts were in wanderlust but she liked it --- the feeling someone else was like her.

Whether she would like to admit it or not, she had now become a stalker, a good one at that.

Everyone had already started creating cliques, that was one of the things she always said. Mia, that weak people have a strong affinity to their kind – other weak people.

They think by forming groups they become stronger but Mia thought otherwise.

The idea of people in groups sickens her. At one point in her life, she thought she was one of those people who just loved hating things, but later, she realized that it was the basis of her personality – the very core.

Chastington University was her dream school, but she didn't get in. Like every self-respecting wealthy family who wanted to save face, Mia's parents sent her off to this hell hole --a fancy private boarding school.

Because it was the first day of school, they were given a "free day", to get acquainted with the school and their pairs.

Everyone took the opportunity to find cool spots, even Breanna who was creating new bonds and rebuilding old ones.

Brie knew most of the "privileged assholes" that Mia hated. Some she went to school with her, and others were friends of those she schooled with.

It was really funny, she thought she would hate the fact that Breanna associated herself closely with these kind of people, but it only made her more intrigued.

***.                                                                                          The next day Mia got to school a little bit more early, brooding as usual. Something had changed about her. The most notable one she didn't know how to feel about.

She was happy about moving to the dorm away from her parents, but another part of her was scared, terrified even.

With growing social anxiety and the constant need to criticize everyone, how was she going to fit into a land she loathe the most?

But all these concerns had no meaning became she was already at the dorm, ready to pave her way into the unknown.

Students at Winnington Academy stayed on a different campus. It was a good thirty-mile drive from there to the main campus.

The sole reason for that was security, at least that was what the management decided to put on their brochure.

It wasn't news that the flock who were brought here had a history of juvenile delinquency. Parents deemed it fit to send their children to Winnington for surveillance.

With separate campuses came separate dorms. Mia was early so she got block D, room two. "this way", Miss Jenna, the dorm lady said.

Mia walked into the room with zero expectations, she didn't want to get disappointed.

"Hey", a teenage girl was standing at the other end of the room, she had her blonde hair in two pigtails. "I'm Darby", she spoke softly.

Mia scanned the room for any other sign of humanity, she couldn't find anyone.

After moving her eyes frantically trying to register everything in sight, she fixed her eyes on Darby, with a hesitant tone she said "Hey—y Darby, I'm Mia".

"Well, it's very nice to meet you Mia", she said with a warm smile that stretched across her face.

At first glance, the room looked really small and boring, well except for Darby's corner painted in pastels.

By the time she was done with her examination of the room, she had figured out several possible ways to make it to her taste.

"What's your major?", Darby inquired.

"Human anatomy", Mia answered after taking too long.

She was very concerned with the number of questions Darby had. She stared at the room again with a slight stutter she asked "Which bed is mine? ". Darby stared in disbelief " Umm — you choose Mia".

As a person who was very used to people telling her what to do, she was surprised. "That one", she pointed to the bed close to the window, like a child choosing a new toy, she moved towards the bed and made her way up to the ladder.

"You like your new bed? ", Darby inquired, she could see her new roommate beaming with joy.

Mia nodded. "So …umm, have any plans for today? ", Darby asked. It was her nature to be inquisitive, this sixteen years old girl practically begged her parents to take her to Winnington.

She went to day school all her life and for the latter part of her growing up her parents were absent. They either chose an exotic destination to spend months at or dwelled in their vacation home in Vermont, whatever it was they stayed far away from home leaving their daughter in the company of servants.

She stared looking all giddy with excitement twinkling in her eyes, "would you – I mean, would you like to take a look around the campus", she stammered.

Mia turned to see Darby's fingers intertwined like she was saying a prayer.

"Umm, I'm not quite sure and I have a few—", she began to slow down as she saw Darby's face turn pale, it lost all the expression it once had.

"What is --?", Mia had seen this sight before, in fact, she remembered it very well as she was in the nurse's office very often. Darby was hyperventilating. "Where's your inhaler?", she asked calmly.

Darby pointed her in the direction of a pink school bag hung at the entrance of the room. She quickly rushed to the end of the room and back.

Hard as she tried, the inhaler refused to pump out air, it was finished. Why would she bring an inhaler that wasn't functional…?

Mia raced downstairs to the first-aid box to get the inhaler, doing all this and trying to maintain her composure was a bit difficult.

"There", she sighed a sigh of relief as Darby's breathing returned to normal.

"I'll take you up on your offer, the tour", Mia smiled as they both chuckled.