If I Died Young

I sat in the back seat of the limo, deleting my old text messages. The small town of Genesee Falls, New York rolled by smoothly. The sky was dark and clouded for a September morning and the rain pattered against the windows lightly. I exhaled, going through the messages on my iPhone. The last message that I had gotten was an invite to a keg party in some forest near Liberty. I sighed, throwing my phone into my bag as the taxi pulled into the long curved driveway of the gated school. There was no way that I was going to something like that. I did not belong there with all the snooty rich kids who thought a rum ball at Christmas was hard liquor.

“Welcome to St. Anne’s,” The balding limo driver said, tipping his hat as we slowly drove through the flamboyant rot iron gates.

“School for rich bitches,” I said under my breath as we made our way down the lone road to the front of the school. I rolled my eyes as I got out of the car with my suitcase. I had stashed the
uniform into the bottom of my suitcase with some vodka and my cigarette tin. There was no way I would wear something that soul-sucking.

“Welcome to St. Anne’s Ms. Lovesar,” A tall brunette smiled as she walked toward me. Her knee length pencil skirt clung to her thin thighs, perfectly cupping her ass. Her dark brown hair cascaded down her back in lose curls, classic black framed glasses sat on her small nose. Her shirt was strictly buttoned, only the top button at the base of her neck was left open.

“I take it you’re the prissy headmistress?” I asked, leaning on my suitcase. She chuckled.

“I’m Mrs. Darcy – the headmistress,” She smiled, motioning me forward as the limo drove away. I puffed my cheeks out as I followed her. The inside of the school was large and extravagant – perfectly arranged to resemble a typical rich boarding school.

“You’re more slutty than prissy,” I said plainly, sending my pot buddy a photo of the school.

“This is Mrs. Jonas,” Mrs. Darcy smiled, motioning to the plump, curly haired women beside her, “She’s in charge of your year, your dorm and she will also be your sign language teacher.” Mrs. Jonas stuck her hand out for me to shake it – I brushed it off, shoving my phone into my bra and picking up my bags. “You can leave your bags here, we’ll have someone bring them to your room later.”

“Why don’t you come with me, I’ll show you to your room so you can get settled in,” Mrs. Jonas smiled.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Mrs. Darcy smiled, her high black heels clicking down the stone hallway. Mrs. Jonas motioned me to follow in behind her as she went down the hallway on our right.

“You’re dorms on the east campus with all the other seniors. Freshmen are on the north end, sophomores on the west, and juniors are on the south side. Seniors have the same classes, so follow your roommates up to the third floor after breakfast – “

“Roommates?” I interrupted, “I have fucking roommates!?”

“We do not swear while on school grounds,” Mrs. Jonas said courtly, leading me outside of the school through a side door. A wide dirt path, lined with tall bushes, led to a small two story blue fringed white house. “You’ll have three other room mates.”

“Three,” I scoffed as we walked up the stone steps to the large ivory door, “Is this school on well fare or something?”

“St. Anne’s is a very old school. This was the servants quarters back in seventeen fifty three up until eighteen ninety eight.” Mrs. Jonas explained, opening the front door with her key. A long line of black dress shoes sat against the wall, a pair or two out of line. Mrs. Jonas knelt down and adjusted the few pairs. I rolled my eyes as I followed her up the stairs and down the right hall. The walls were a off-white, like the ones down stairs, the mouldings were a deep wood red and the fluffy carpet was the same deep red as the mouldings. On each cherry wood door, below the brass numbers were small white boards with the names of occupants. We stopped outside the second last door on our left. The three names on the white board were written in flamboyant script, Kate, Annie, Celia.

“Who the hell names their kid Celia in this day and age,” I scoffed under my breath.

Mrs. Jonas knocked on the door, “Girls, your new roommate is here!” Within seconds the door flew open, three smiling faces sitting on their beds.

“Wow,” The blonde one said from her bed, “You’re hot.” Her hair was curly and frizzed up into an afro, a pencil sticking out of the side.

“And you’re so not,” I smiled back.

“Harsh much,” The small Asian girl said, turning her gaze away from us as she walked through the door into what must have been the bathroom. I had to share a bathroom? I want out of this hell hole!

“I’m Kate,” The red head who opened the door smiled.

“Now you’re hot,” I smirked, leaning on the door frame.

“That’s Celia and Annie,” Kate smiled, motioned first to the Asian, then to the blonde.

“Your luggage’ll be up within the hour. The school uniform is mandatory for all classes and off campus expeditions.” Mrs. Jonas explained before she left us alone, her heels clacking down the stairs.

“What are you in here for,” Annie asked, popping her gum – continuing to chew like a cow.

I smirked, plopping myself down on the empty bed in the left corner of the room, “The usually. Sex, drugs, alcohol.” Her eyes widened, “Everything hardcore and dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

“Danger is sexy.”

“You’re an odd child,” Annie said, taking the gum out of her mouth and started playing with it in her hands. I cringed.

“So what’s the deal with Jonas. Got a ten foot pole up her ass?” I asked, kicking off my hellishly high heeled boots.

“She’s in charge of the seniors, sign class and she’s the dean of discipline.” Kate said, plopping down on the bed opposite mine.

“You do not want to get on her bad side – you’re as good as dead.” Celia said, running a thick brush through her dark ebony curls.

“She’ll learn to love me,” I smirked, licking my lips. This school was going to wish they had never enrolled Roseanne Lilith Lovesar.