𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋

001

part 001
pilot

They thought, throw all the unstable rich kids together in one place. Southview School, the boarding school which is supposed to shape us into leaders and do our parents dirty work after they die. To be a student here you either have to have done something so terrible it ends up in the tabloids or something so bad that your parents get so sick of you they send you here. That is for those who fuck up really bad though, there are the few here who want the great education they provide here. They sit an entry exam, from what I've heard it is hell. Then again there isn't much shock as the workload is a lot and the lessons are very heavy content.

"Athalia's father became a multi millionaire after taking over le vignoble from his father putting them right at the top, and it has been like that for over twenty years." Mrs Kane smiles at me. She's stood at the front of the class, her arms folded over her chest pacing back and forth. I divert my eyes from her to the clock above her head. A whole ten minutes left. As she carries on talking about my father and his accomplishments I look out the window and see two butterflies flying around each other. They fly away and the groundskeeper walks past the window with his team of people walking towards the evergreen bushes and trees.

The school is surrounded by trees, the woods doesn't stop the odd few students from running out and down to the lake, or even to their private yachts. There's this path in the woods that takes you down to the beach, it's a long walk but you'd rather go to a party than sit in an economics class. Down by the beach past the river you'll see arrogant arseholes and their designer bikinis and swim shorts and their loud music. Their wealth and privilege playing out, momentarily drowning out the whispers and issues they need to tend too.

"Athalia please pay attention." She says pointing at the board displaying the homework task.
"Sorry." I murmur under my breath. The boy in front of me turns to glare at me. "What Kyran?" I whisper. He scoffs and turns back around. Kyran Hugh is one of the reasons I hate this place. His blonde hair and blue eyes made him look cold and stuck up, which he was. Ever since he was appointed captain of the swim team he gained everyone's attention and his head grew in size. He wasn't always like that, I knew him a bit when I first started school and then he just switched up. He was a typical rich boy. I heard from multiple sources that he voluntarily sat the entry exam (and somehow passed it) to get away from his younger brother who he was apparently jealous of because his parents favoured him.

He leans towards the girl in the seat next to him, she also happens to have blonde hair just below her shoulder. Suki Belova. The Russian girl has mastered every extra curricular out there, is a straight A student and could possibly run for president and be a model at the same time. Her mother sent her to Southview once she learnt that her daughter had stolen her credit cards and then blackmailed her into giving her more money. Her mothers real estate went slightly downhill that year. Suki was nothing like Kyran, she was nice. We had talked a couple of times and I also might have just stood in the music room listening as she played the piano. She's absolutely great at it.

"That's it guys, homework is due a week from today, please hand it in on time." She glances up at the clock and wipes the chalkboard down. "Zayd, pick your sheet up and take it." She tuts as he goes to grab it off the desk and leave. I quickly pack up my books and shoves them into my satchel and follow him right out the class.

Zayd Amoka was lean, not buff like every guy here. I mean he had some muscle but like only his arms were toned from tennis. His blazer wasn't on his body, but in his hand as he walked down the hall, a guy walked up to him and they did a weird bro shake thing. It lasted a second and then the other guy carried on walking as he stuffed something into his pant pocket. Fucking drugs. The reason Zayd is here is because of that, his father caught on to what he was doing and sent him here. Always will surprise that there was never a good enough school in Dubai for him.

"Zayd." I said pretty loud, getting a few heads turning my way, his too.

"Athalia." He tuts, moving back towards a wall. "What's up?" 

"What are you selling?" I say in a hushed voice.

"Nothing to you." He shrugs walking away slowly "Stay clean Santiago. Stay clean!" Stay clean. The words I repeat in my head over and over when my urge to drink crosses my mind. I shake the thought from my mind and continue to walk towards my dorm room. I grip the strap of my satchel, pushing it up on my shoulder.

"Athalia." I hear my name being called out just as I reach the girl dormitory wing. I pause in my track and turn. Oh. I turn to see him looking down at me. His arms folded over his chest, his hair slightly dishevelled looking and his tie looser than usual around his neck. His blazer is folded over his arms as he looks at me. Kai Valdez, everyone's favourite boy. The few girls that pass us look at me and him and giggle, whisper even. These girls would bow down and pray to him like a God if they could, I mean he looks like one. That dark brown hair looks so soft and those eyes. His perfect jaw and bone structure. He could model for Tom Ford any day. God, his eyes behind those glasses when he reads history books in the library or even doing his french work, all to impress his Governor of a father. "Athalia." He says again but I get lost in his accent. An oxford boy, a stuck up one too. 

"Yeh?" I look at him then avert my eyes over to the boy next to him. William Jane. Both boys stood staring at me. I wrap my arms around my stomach.

"There's a party down by the lake, tell Parker too." William says.

"Be there. Okay?" Kai says. I nod since it's the only thing I can do. My lips feel glued together. His presence was jarring and abrupt. He hasn't talked to me in a while which shocked me. After everything that happened we just stopped. After all the sneaking around together and touching each other, we just stopped communicating. William whispered something to Kai and they turn and walk away.

"Tell Parker!" William says not turning around. I smile to myself. William had this light brown mess of hair and a smile I could genuinely stare at for a while. I recently had seen him down by the stable talking to the horses like a mad man. I quickly walk to my room trying not to get stopped again by someone. The moment I open the door and close it behind me I can't feel my heart beating faster than I'd like. 

"There's a party down by the lake." I throw my bag on my bed, my school blazer following. I make my way to the mirror and look at myself. I look down at my uniform. My white shirt, the plaid navy blue skirt and my gold and navy blue tie. I kick off my loafers and sit on my bed. 

"Who told you that?" Parker looks up from her laptop. Parker Jane, William's twin sister, also has light brown hair and probably is the best roommate ever. My first day here was her first day. I always thought of her being an innocent girl but when I heard what she did it shocked me. Her father had this girlfriend in which Parker gained a little crush. Little is an understatement as she ended up having this secret relationship with her and Parker's father caught on and that ladies and gents is how she ended up on the tabloids.

"Kai talked to me." I say to her.

"We know what happened when he talked to you last time." She smirks.