11/25/2043
(Past)
"Miss Rose, your father is waiting for you to dine."
"Very good" I say while opening my eyes. I'm laying on my bed with my headphones.
I don't recognize the servant's voice… and, honestly, I'm not even trying to. Too many new people. Too often.
I left my bedroom to take the stairs, and I see Erza. My father's new conquest… Those girls, he swaps them every two weeks.
"Did you sleep well?" she asks me with a smile.
I roll my eyes and go on my way. As if I didn't know this smile was only a hit to please him…
When I enter the dining room, I see Dad, sitting with Quinn. He hasn't touched his plate yet but, as usual, Mr. Akira is already eating.
He has no manners but that's what I like about him : he doesn't seem like he wants to win me over.
He's my father's only employee who doesn't do exactly as he pleases… besides, he's the only one who was so long a part of the furniture.
He turns his usual provocative smile towards me.
"Leïla, you bring us a new guest!" he says while pointing at Erza.
"That's enough" my father retorts curtly.
I laugh while sitting at the table. My stepmother of the week, however, is clearly embarrassed : Akira keeps on making my parent and her cutting remarks.
I like it.
"I was saying to your father that I met a boy during my trip. The boss's son of a gang, over there. The boss and all his family were killed in a massacre… except him."
"Quinn, don't tell her those kinds of things, she's not old enough."
"I'm not a little girl anymore" I say, offended.
My father sighs and starts eating.
"What happened to him ?" I ask, also grabbing my fork.
"Can you imagine that this boy…"
"I thought I was being clear !" my father breaks him off with an impatient glance.
***
10.12.2048
(Past)
"Miss Karima, do you understand?"
"Yeah, yeah… He's here, that's it!"
"No, you should wait in the room…"
The secretary's voice is shut by the sharp noise of the closing door.
"How many times should I say it again? Be kind with my assistant! I won't always be able to protect you." sighs the dean.
"If you have time to speak about your assistant, then I'm better off" Jade says without glancing away from her magazine.
"No! I've been trying to see you both for more than five minutes here since a whole trimester! Just sign these documents already, so I can finally be free from your business", he says while taking a folder full of sheets out.
"Leïla, are you sure of what you're doing? When we end this, you won't be able to go back." Jade says, still immersed in reading.
"Honestly? That's already a trimester since I'm not first year's leader anymore. So, if I can help you become one by signing those, that's the least I can do."
"To be honest, I hope your attitude will change if all of this works", the dean goes further. "This magazine is a real problem for you, I think."
"I wouldn't say this. You're quite the problem, not interesting enough… so I have to always keep a magazine on me."
"Frankly, you're both as bad as each other." he sighs again.
"We're not saying anything, but you're truly not better. Look at you : your eyes can't stay on ours for more than two seconds. I thought this old habit was over…"
Hmm hmm. He coughs slightly then looks away, obviously feeling uncomfortable.
"Okay, then… I'm glad you got a friend."
"If I may, I'm only tolerating her. Since she broke many times into my room and didn't want to leave, I had to get used to it." Jade smirks.
"What ?!" The dean stares at me, his eyes wide.
"Hahaha, that's not my fault if you have two completely different identities!" I lugh. "You speak to everyone outside of your room but, as soon as you go in, you don't want to know anything about anyone anymore!"
"Mr. Akira, didn't you teach this girl about private life? Friends don't spend all of their life together!"
"Ah… Leïla, we already spoke about this: you can't impose your rules on everyone. You should also be at school", he says, apparently tired of my attitude.
"No, that's not the point…" Jade says with a glance over her magazine. She's surprised by his answer.
"She says all of this, but in reality she also wants to see me."
Jade shrugs with a barely visible smirk.
"We could say that, since you told me your identity and that the only way I can stay in this school is by keeping your secret… Yeah, of course, I don't have many choices besides taking an interest in you."
"Do you hear? I'm really listening."
The dean and Jade sigh at the same time.
"Leïla, I already told you this: if someone find out who your father is, I will have to send you back home."
"It's OK. Jade won't say anything."
"Yeah… Anyway, I understand now where this habit of you to assert yourself and manipulate people comes from", Jade says in a sharper tone.
Her words hit me harder than I would have thought. My jaw tightens and I clench my fists under the table.
"I'm not like him."
My voice is lower but she barely trembles.
"To him, everyone is nothing but a pawn in the game."
Silence falls on us.
"OK. Everything is signed, everything is sorted out. You owe me one… I hate paperwork", I joke to relax the atmosphere.
"Yeah, we know that…" they say at the same time again.
"Thank you very much for bringing her here, Jade. You can go now, I've got an appointment after you."
"Your appointment is here, Mr. Akira !"
When we leave, we see Mrs. Falken in the waiting room.
"Ah, hello girls !"
"Hello, Ma'am. What are you doing here?" I ask.
"We could say that I need an authorization for a personal project", she smiles.
She's plotting something again, of that I'm sure. Like, she probably shouldn't have given me the classroom that I use for my bedroom since several days already.
I never really understood why she came to me with keys to offer me to sleep at school. She didn't explain anything. She didn't impose anything either. She just said that it could be a good option for me.
Giving the keys of an empty classroom to a student who does nothing but sleep in class is a little special, but I needed it.
To tell the truth, it's difficult to know what's really authorized here.
The school works in a blurry area where rules aren't evident anymore.
Children disappear from daily life. Not in an official way : they simply go… somewhere else. Neither the parents nor the students know where. A private jet appears one day. You get into it and, for three years, no one is asking questions anymore.
Of course, I know where we are. Before coming here, I was trapped in a hou too big, too empty. The only company I had were the employees… and Mr. Akira.
I thought I already learnt what it meant to be locked up. But this prison was holding together my freedom… and what's locking it up.