Chapter 8 - Departure
It had been five days ever since I rejected the application, but I knew I was bluffing, after I had said no, my mother had once again reminded me of the reason why I needed to be there, and I had fucked every instinct in me and signed the form, the next day, I had walked into the principal's office and given him the form.
Naomi, my mother, had made sure to pack everything I needed.
"Are you sure you don't need more clothes and maybe some new undies?"
"Fuck mom, I'm eighteen; stop treating me like a kid."
I said, folding the last piece of clothes into my bag.
"Alright, then, we need to leave; we shouldn't keep the Apex Academy's bus waiting. Instruction says they arrive before the sun breaks."
She said, and I nodded, watching as she looked at me and then at the single bag in my hands. I didn't know what was running through her mind, but I do prefer that she didn't attempt to do anything crazy.
"I have one last thing for you."
She said, now she was smiling, and for some reason, I felt this won't be nice.
She brought out some pieces of stuff from her purse, small square packets that looked way too familiar, and my eyes widened in horror.
"What the actual fuck mother?"
I screamed, staring at the pack of condoms she was holding out to me like they were some sort of graduation gift.
"Language, Meredith," she said, but she was still smiling that annoying-ass smile. "These are necessities."
"Necessities? NECESSITIES?" I could feel my voice getting higher, but I didn't give a damn. "Mother, what the hell is wrong with you?"
She shrugged like she was talking about the weather. "There are hot males there, Meredith. And from what I've heard, werewolves are... something beyond what we humans can handle. Their stamina, their size, their…"
"STOP!" I covered my ears with my hands. "I do not want to hear this from you, oh my god, this is so fucking embarrassing."
"You think I'm playing games?" Her voice turned serious suddenly, and that motherly look disappeared for a second. "Listen to me carefully, these men aren't like the boys you know here. They're powerful and dangerous, and they take what they want. If something happens, I want you protected. Not getting pregnant…you can't risk that… you are so young, and I don't want you ending up…like me?"
I stared at her, my mouth hanging open. "You think I'm going there to... to sleep around? And yes, thank you for rubbing it in my face again how much I ruined your life."
"No, I don't mean it that way, and, how many times do I have to apologize to you for everything… Plus I think you're going there to survive," she replied, stuffing the condoms into my bag before I could stop her. "And sometimes survival means knowing how to handle men who think they own you."
For a moment, just a moment, I saw something in her eyes that looked like... concern? Fear? I couldn't tell, but it made my stomach twist in ways I didn't like.
"Whatever," I muttered, bringing out the condom, horror filling my face as I hid it deep inside my bag, zipping up my bag roughly. "Can we just go now?"
The walk to the bus station was quiet, our footsteps echoing through the empty slum streets. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, casting their shadows between the containers and rusted buildings.
When we reached the station, there was already a small crowd of people waiting. Most of them looked tired, like they'd been working night shifts or traveling all night.
"That's your bus," mom pointed to a fancy-looking bus that definitely didn't belong in our neighborhood. It was sleek and black and had some sort of crest on the side that I couldn't make out from this distance.
My heart started beating faster. This was really happening.
"Meredith," mom's voice was softer now, and when I turned to look at her, her eyes were getting watery.
"Don't you dare start crying," I warned her, but my own voice was shaking a little.
"I'm not crying," she lied, wiping at her eyes. "I'm just... proud of you."
That hit me like a punch to the gut. When was the last time she'd said she was proud of me? Never, that's when.
Before I could process what was happening, she pulled me into a hug. It was awkward and stiff because we never hugged, but her arms around me felt... warm. Safe. Like maybe she actually gave a damn about me.
"Listen to me," she whispered in my ear, her voice fierce. "Those men in there, they're going to try to break you. They're going to look at you and see some poor slum girl who should be grateful for their attention; that's how the elites are."
I tried to pull back, but she held me tighter.
"Don't let them," she continued. "Make them kneel for you, Meredith. Make them beg. Don't ever let anyone make you feel small again, you hear me?"
I nodded against her shoulder, not trusting my voice.
"And don't be weak," she pulled back to look at me, her hands gripping my shoulders. "I know I wasn't the best mother; I know I hurt you, but you're stronger than me. You're stronger than all of us. Show them what a slum girl can do."
"Mom..." I started, but she shook her head.
"Go. Before I change my mind and drag you back home."
The bus door opened with a hiss, and a man in a crisp uniform stepped out.
"Transport to Apex Academy?" he called out, his voice carrying that polished accent that screamed money.
This was it.
I grabbed my bag and walked toward the bus, my legs feeling like jelly. At the door, I turned back one more time.
Mom was standing there, tears streaming down her face now, but she was smiling. She raised her hand in a small wave.
"Make them cum hard," she said loudly, not giving a damn who was watching; that was my mother.
I grimaced with disgust as I watched her smiling so badly, not caring about the people who were staring at us nor the crisp uniformed man who was looking between us strangely and quickly. I climbed onto the bus before she said something more horrifying, and immediately, I felt out of place. The seats were leather, the windows were tinted, and everything smelled like expensive cologne and money. I was the only one onboard and for some reason, I felt out of place. I have never been in this kind of luxurious vehicle; in fact, I had never entered a car before, owning a tricycle. In the slums, it was the highest form of luxury one could afford, and the only one with a car around was Mr. Mathew, and it was an old, creaky car that made sounds from miles away.
I found a seat near the back and pressed my face to the window as the bus started moving. I watched my neighborhood disappear, watched the containers and broken streets give way to cleaner areas, then to suburbs, then to highways.
Hours passed.
I felt so bored so I grabbed a magazine sitting in the back pocket of the chair facing me, and I was stunned by the luxury. Boldly written was the Apex Academy. It showed the luxury classrooms and high-tech walls that screamed money but the students weren't shown. then I came across a page which read, 'The Apex Alpha(s).' The three most abominable alphas in history.
I rolled my eyes.
"Big fat lies, why make people sound like gods themselves? All of these are pointless."
I muttered, hoping to see if I could find who these Apex Alphas were but I couldn't, not even a single image of them.
Then I saw it.
Rising out of the mountains like something from a fairy tale, but darker. Much darker.
Apex Academy.
Black towers that seemed to reach the sky, surrounded by walls that looked like they could keep out maybe an army... Even from miles away, I could feel the power radiating from that place. For the first time, I felt intimidated and stunned, like I was in a fairy tale.
My stomach dropped.
What the hell had I gotten myself into?