Chapter Text
We all have secrets that are ours and ours alone.
It was a rainy Thursday when a black Rolls-Royce parked outside the old gate. It had been pouring for days and the ground was covered in puddles and it was freezing cold.
Ava opened her eyes after what felt like an eternity and looked around slightly confused. She must’ve fallen asleep at some point, once she got bored of looking at the road through the window. She yawned lazily and rubbed her eyes as she finally realized that they had reached their destination.
The door opened and someone waited for her on the outside. Ava took a deep breath and left the car feeling a punch of cold air hit her as she stepped out.
“How are you feeling?” The man waiting for her asked with a certain warmth in his tone.
Ava shrugged her shoulders and put her hands inside of her pockets. “As if I just arrived in prison.” she replied.
And it was no lie, for the building that stood right in front of her looked like a prison. She had been told multiple times that it was an ancient building with centuries of history, and it also was one of the best private schools in the country. However, to Ava it was just an old building that looked like a pile of very weathered bricks put together.
“Well, you could say that, yeah. But, a very expensive one.” said the man smiling.
Ava rolled her eyes at him and rushed to get an umbrella from inside the car as she felt the rain get heavy once again. The man got her suitcase from the trunk and they both stood there awkwardly for a second until the sound of thunder startled them both, and they started walking towards the entrance.
“Where is everyone?” Asked Ava as she checked her surroundings. Apart from the storm sounds, everything was quiet, and there wasn’t a single soul to be seen.
“It’s almost dinner time, probably everyone is getting ready.” said the man.
Ava looked at him as they kept walking along the wet gravel path that led to the big doors. He was a nice person, even if Ava hated to admit it. A bit too nice at times, yes – because he was trying too hard – but nice, nonetheless, which was something kind of new to her.
Having grown up with several foster families, and that horrible orphanage, had taught her to never trust easily. She had had all sorts of people trying to get her into the “right path”, so many different families, and none of them seemed to fit. So, now, it all just felt like a joke.
Vincent wasn’t like the other people she had met before. He was a priest – which was pretty weird actually, because she’d never imagined a priest would end up having her custody, but it happened. He showed up at the orphanage one day, and Ava was pretty sure she was headed to a correctional facility or worse. But, he appeared out of nowhere, and she moved in with him.
Then, a couple of months later – and after a lot of community service – Vincent told her to pack her stuff and now she was walking straight into that ridiculously fancy school where she was supposed to finish studying, graduate, and end up being a better person.
They entered the building, and the hall was empty as well, also very dark. She tried to look around, but Vincent kept walking towards the huge staircase that was at their right.
“I am going to show you your room” he said, and then checked the time on his watch “And, in about ten minutes, you can go to the dining room."
“I’m not hungry.” Ava said lazily. She kept looking around as Vincent walked ahead – following quietly. That place didn’t look like the website's pictures. There wasn’t much light on the corridors: they were long, and it was pretty cold. Through the windows, the intense shine of lightning occasionally flashed, which was scary somehow. There were doors at the sides, a very long beige rug following the entire corridor, and a lot of stairs.
“Then, you can sleep if you wish to. You’re starting the new routine tomorrow, and I’m sure you’re tired.”
Ava hummed back in response. She was indeed tired, but she wasn’t sure that sleeping in that horrible place would be the solution. She just wanted to leave, find a normal job, get some money, and then travel around the world. Actually enjoy life.
They finally stopped at the third floor, in front of a door with the number 108 on it. Vincent searched in his pockets for a moment, and then got a key which he used to open the door.
The first thing she noticed was the strong smell of old wooden furniture, and that musty essence all closed spaces had. Ava stepped inside hesitantly and looked around quickly – scanning everything.
The room was not big. In the wall right in front of the door, there was a window covered in curtains, next to it, there was the bed, which was also against the wall. There was a huge wooden wardrobe on the left wall, and next to it, a small desk with a chair. On the floor, was a thick carpet that looked a bit dusty.
Ava walked around. She sat on the bed carefully. It seemed comfy, despite its old appearance. The bed covers were a very ugly dark green color, and it had some pillows for decoration. Ava grabbed one of them, and squeezed it. It was cold, but soft.
Then, she stood up and opened the curtains. The glass was covered in rain drops, and – since it was almost night time – there was not much light coming in, but she still could see a pretty decent view. Apparently, her room was oriented towards the school’s backyard, and she could also see tall trees standing in the background of what appeared to be a nearby forest.
It wasn’t a bad view at all.
Vincent placed her suitcase next to the door and observed her as she checked it. “The bathroom is at the other end of the corridor. There should be a schedule for its use there. There’s more blankets in the wardrobe if you need them, and you’ll find your uniform there as well. I placed your new schedule in the pocket of your suitcase before. I hope you have everything you need, but you can always call me if you need anything”
“Sure” mumbled Ava without looking at him.
There was an awkward silence. Vincent seemed like he wanted to say something else, but he just looked around a bit nervous. Ava just sat on the bed again and caressed the covers softly. The fabric was a bit rough to the touch but it looked warm.
“I’m going to go get ready for dinner” Vincent said finally as he rubbed his hands gently. “I hope you can make yourself at home” he offered a kind smile that Ava returned and then he left, closing the door.
Ava found herself alone in her new room and let out a breath as she laid back on the bed.
“This will never be my home” she whispered to the cold air of the room, and closed her eyes – trying to pretend that she was not there at all. The sound of the rain was somehow soothing and, as she listened to it, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Some time later, she woke up confused – and shivering, for she had slept without any covers. She sat on the bed slowly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She was in the same room, so it hadn’t been a dream, unfortunately. It was all true; she was actually stuck there.
She hated it.
The alternative wasn’t much better though. Despite everything, she was fully aware that her mistakes had led her to that place, but that didn’t give her any comfort.
Ava got up finally and stretched her body slowly. She left the curtains open, and some light was entering through the window. It was still raining though, making everything that much more depressing.
She hadn’t undone her suitcase yet, but it’s not like she was in a rush for it. Ava opened it quickly and searched for her essentials to get ready. Then, she opened the wardrobe to get the uniform.
“You’ve got to be kidding me” she mumbled as she checked the ugly plaid skirt and the terrible blazer. Not only was she stuck in that boring ass school, but she also had to wear a boring ass uniform to match it every day.
She was still frowning in disgust when someone knocked on her door.
“Hello, Ava.” Vincent said with a polite tone and a gentle smile as she opened the door. “Were you able to rest?”
Ava shrugged her shoulders and then nodded. “You could say so, yeah.”
“Good, I’m glad you did. You’ll need all the energy possible for today. It’s your first day.” Vincent sounded excited for some reason, irritating Ava instantly.
“Yay, I’m so happy. I can’t wait.” said Ava mockingly, making Vincent laugh.
“Well, whether you like it or not, this is your new life, Ava. You better make your best effort to get used to it."
“Yeah, yeah. I get it.”
There was an uncomfortable silence, and before Ava could try to come up with some excuse to close the door and go back to sleep, she heard someone clearing their throat. It was then that she noticed the short girl standing behind Vincent.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” he apologized to the girl, then looked at Ava “This is Camila.”
“Hi.” said the girl, waving at her with a wide smile.
“Camila is one of the best students here and she kindly offered herself to help you out today, and to show you around.” said Vincent “You may need some help.”
Ava cleared her throat uncomfortably and nodded – accepting her defeat in silence. “Yeah, sure. I guess I could use the help.”
“I was a bit lost when I arrived here, as well. This place, as scary as it may look, is actually very nice. You’ll love it.” said Camila.
Ava scanned the girl quickly and took a deep breath. She could tell that Camila probably was one of those people who looked painfully cheerful all the time. The girl was wearing that ridiculous uniform, matching with a white lace that was wrapping around a head full of tiny curls. Ava didn’t like the idea of having her around, but – thinking of it – she’d rather have that than have Vincent trying to play the father role for another minute.
“Sure.” she replied, and tried to smile politely.
Another uncomfortable silence followed.
“Okay, then. We’ll leave you to get ready and hopefully everything goes smoothly on your first day.” said Vincent.
Ava nodded and Camila smiled once again.
“I will be waiting for you by the stairs in a few minutes, so we can go grab breakfast together.” said Camila.
They both left and Ava closed the door – leaning her back against it with a long sigh, trying to wrap her mind around the idea that this was her life now.
The uniform didn’t look that bad on her after all, even though it was ugly as hell. The color choice maybe wasn’t the best one; the dark blue blazer made her look extremely pale, and the black plain skirt was too long for her liking. Plus, she had to wear long black socks that were pretty uncomfortable, and the buttoned up shirt’s fabric was a bit rough. And, on top of that, she had to wear a stupid tie that made her feel like she was choking.
The size of the uniform was perfect and she really did look like one of the rich girls that attended the school, but she definitely hated it.
Leaving the room was a true challenge. Ava felt uncomfortable and ridiculous. She made a bun on her hair to keep it away from her face, and – after going to the bathroom to finish getting ready – she walked the staircase to meet Camila.
The school seemed to be a much brighter place than seen earlier. The weather outside was still pretty gray, but this time, there were people around; girls running through corridors to get to the bathroom, other girls going from one room to the other. Ava could hear laughter and whispers all around. Overall, it didn’t seem as bad as she had imagined. Although, she still hated it.
“Breakfast is always at eight o'clock.” Camila explained as they walked downstairs. “It’s important to not be late, because we don’t have much time for it.”
Ava nodded and they both finally reached the end of the stairs. Camila pointed to a corridor that was on the left and they walked towards it quickly. “After breakfast, we have a short break to get ready, and then we start classes. I think we have the same first class today, so we can walk together if you want to.”
“Sure.” said Ava.
“You’re not much of a talker, huh?” Asked Camila, once again smiling brightly.
“I’m just not a morning person.”
“That’s okay, I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to adapt to the routine fast enough. Trust me, it was hard for me at the beginning as well, but with some time, I actually ended up loving it.”
“Are you always like this?” Asked Ava a bit confused.
“Like this how?”
“You know, all smiley and positive and… happy.”
Camila laughed and got closer to Ava as they walked as if she was about to share a big secret. “Not every day, I think, but I believe you could say so.”
Ava hated it. She couldn’t stand that much brightness, especially not that early in the morning. However, even if she probably made an obvious facial expression showing her dislike, Camila didn’t seem bothered by it at all. In fact, the girl linked her arm to Ava’s in a very quick movement which caught Ava by surprise, but before she could complain, Camila sped up and dragged her along the rest of the corridor.
“Girls, no running around.” a teacher said as they arrived at the dining room.
“Sorry, we got excited.” Said Camila.
“I didn’t.” Ava added in a whisper which Camila heard.
“That’s okay, my excitement is enough for both of us!”
The dining room was huge. It had giant window panels on the walls, which made it a very bright space. There were long lamps hanging from the roof, and there was a green rug covering the center of the room. At the sides, there were wooden tables. It smelled really good, like freshly baked bread and pastries. Ava could use some food, indeed.
She followed Camila to an empty table, and then, they both went to pick their food.
It was a very expensive school, and Ava could see that in the way that the food was way better than anything she’d seen before. For instance, there were so many options to choose from that she ended up just getting a toast, for she couldn’t make up her mind fast enough. And then, despite the several options, she chose a simple black coffee.
Camila sat in front of her and started to eat a bowl of cereal she had gotten for her super healthy breakfast that also included an apple, orange juice and some eggs. Ava sipped her coffee a few times, grabbing the mug between her hands to get some warmth. Fortunately, Camila was entertained enough with her food, so she didn’t speak much for a while.
However, the peace she was starting to get as she drank her coffee disappeared when someone walked towards them and sat next to Camila.
“Are you babysitting again Camila?” Asked the girl as she placed her tray on the table.
Camila laughed and looked at Ava.
“You know me, I love showing the place around. This is Ava by the way, our new student”.
The girl looked at her for a moment as if she was carefully studying every single one of her features. “Nice to meet you Ava, I’m Lilith”
“Pleasure.” mumbled Ava.
“I didn’t know the school accepted new students this far into the year.” Lilith pointed out without breaking eye contact with Ava.
“Neither did I, but apparently they do now.” said Ava.
“We didn’t have many new students at the beginning of the year. The waiting list for the school is huge, not many people make it. At least, not easily.” explained Camila.
“So I’ve heard.” said Ava and then took another sip of coffee “This is like a really fancy ass school.”
Lilith and Camila looked at each other for a second.
“How did you get so lucky?” Asked Lilith “Are you some sort of prodigy? Or like a daughter to someone important?”
“Are you?”
Camila cleared her throat, for Lilith seemed a bit tense at the question. Ava wasn’t in the mood to make a story time, she was about to get up and go back to her room.
“I am.” said Lilith offering a mischievous smile.
“A prodigy or the daughter of someone important?”
“Both.” Lilith replied “Everyone here is. It’s strange that they let a nobody enter the school, so I guess there must be a good reason for you to be here.”
“She came with father Vincent.” explained Camila “I’m sorry to interrupt your interrogation Lilith, but we need to finish this and get going.”
Lilith looked at Ava some more, but luckily Camila noticed Ava was getting really uncomfortable and began distracting the girl for the rest of their time. It passed, fortunately, pretty quickly, and just when they had all finished their breakfast, a bell rang and they left the place.
That Lilith girl didn’t seem like Camila at all. As they walked back to their floor to get ready for class, Camila talked happily about stuff whilst Lilith heard everything and spoke just a few times. She had a serious grin most of the time, wore her long black hair loose, and her eyes were sharp. She definitely looked like she could kill you, unlike Camila who just looked like a tiny puppy. Ava thought that it was a pretty funny contrast. But, they seemed to be pretty good friends, despite the big differences they had.
Ava walked a few steps behind them, she was still feeling really uncomfortable with that uniform and tried to subtly loosen her tie a little bit. Camila at some point started talking to her again, babbling about how cool the classrooms were and how great it was going to be to have classes together. Lilith only made occasional comments about how Ava needed to work her ass off if she wanted to stay in that school.
They reached their floor and went to their rooms. Camila told Ava to wait for her at the stairs as she grabbed her stuff, but Ava didn’t this time.She was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of information Camila was sharing, so once she got ready, she just left to find her class on her own.
The classrooms were in a separated building. The school was really big, Camila had explained before that it was divided in three different buildings. The one they were in was at the center – the residential building – where all of their rooms were. It had several floors and was built like a huge house. At the one on the left, was the school, where all classes and other facilities were. The third was destined to all kinds of sports and extra activities.
Ava exited the main building and immediately regretted not grabbing a jacket. It was freezing cold outside. The gravy path was wet and she almost submerged her foot inside a puddle by accident a couple of times.
She entered the school building and was shook at how big it was inside. Overall, she was surprised, for she'd never been somewhere near as fancy and as immense as that place.
There was a long corridor that split in two and led to different ways. In the middle, there was a marble staircase. She remembered reading on her schedule that her classroom was on the first floor, so she didn’t have trouble finding it.
As she got there, she realized that she was the first one to arrive, and sighed in frustration. The door was closed so Ava sat cross legged on the floor, resting her back against the wall as she waited for someone to arrive.
She closed her eyes for a moment. Ava had barely started the day and felt she already lived most of it. For a moment, she thought of her old home. The orphanage was an ugly place, but it had become her home after so many years. She had a family there. No matter how many foster families she'd been with, in the end, she always ended back in the orphanage.
Maybe this time would be the same. She wondered how long it would take until Vincent got sick of her and sent her back. He wouldn’t want to pay a fortune for her maintenance in that school just to take care of someone like her. So, probably it was just a matter of time until he got rid of her.
But, this time, she would not be able to go back to the orphanage. Ava was painfully aware that she was about to exceed the age admitted there, so they were going to get rid of her as well. She really was on her own now, and maybe staying for a while in that place until she had a better plan wasn’t such a bad idea.
The sound of steps approaching startled her and she opened her eyes to see who was coming. It was a girl, pale, with black hair done in a perfect low bun that looked painfully tight. She was dressed in the uniform as well but Ava thought that she looked so graceful in it. She stared at her for a few seconds but the girl seemed to completely ignore her, for she didn’t even look her way once.
The girl opened the classroom’s door quickly and entered without saying a word, which made Ava a bit confused. She thought it was strange, but since she was the new kid there maybe it was normal. Not so long after that strange interaction – or lack thereof – she spotted a group of students approaching. She entered the class right after them.
Even the classrooms looked fancy. Ava took a deep breath, trying to accept the fact that now she would have to be a good student or whatever. She had never been one, but since she was stuck in there, she could at least try.
“Damn, Vincent’s words really got into me.” she thought as she searched for a good place to sit.
“We should sit together!” Said Camila, happily startling Ava as she appeared out of nowhere.
“Geez! Where did you come from?” Asked Ava annoyed.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere! I thought you got lost, but I see you found your way.”
“Yeah, I did. I just wanted to check around I guess.”
“I understand, we can make a full tour if you want later.” offered Camila. She grabbed Ava’s hand and led her to the left side of the classroom.
“I think I’m gonna pass…” said Ava.
As usual, Camila didn't seem bothered by that, she just shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Then, they both sat right next to the window in the second row.
The classroom was flooded with a soft murmur that somehow got mixed with the sound of the rain coming from outside. Ava looked through the window, and saw the gray sky, the green fields that seemed to be endless, and then looked around the class.
Camila was entertained by getting her pencil case out of her bag and putting some of her pens and pencils perfectly aligned on the table. The rest of the girls were just chatting low as they all waited for the teacher to arrive.
Ava’s gaze traveled all around the classroom. She tried to remember the faces of the girls there, she’d seen some of them at breakfast time before, but as she looked at the back of the class, her eyes landed on that strange girl from before.
She was seated by the window as well, and was looking through it with such intensity that she seemed to be lost somewhere. Ava smiled very softly at the sight. She was different. She was beautiful and had something that caught Ava’s eyes immediately.
Ava observed as the girl stopped looking through the window, rubbed her eyes very gently and then grabbed a small box from her backpack, from which she removed a pair of glasses – putting them on as she fixed her hair quickly.
Ava had been looking at her for a very long time, but luckily, the girl didn't notice. Or, if she did. she definitely didn’t give any signs of it. In her reverie, Ava didn't notice that the teacher entered the class and started talking. She only noticed when her name was called out, the teacher addressing her and asking her to introduce herself to the class.
Ava got up, straightened her skirt nervously, and suddenly everyone was looking at her – everything awfully quiet. “Hi-” Ava began, but her voice broke. She cleaned her throat quickly. “Hi.” she repeated “I’m Ava. I guess I’m the new kid now.”
As she scouted around once again, her eyes fell on the girl in the back. But, she was not looking at her, in fact, she was reading something. Ava wondered if she even heard her introduce herself, and then thought that she'd got to know her name.
The teacher dismissed her, luckily, and she could sit again which was a huge relief.
Classes were boring beyond measure. Ava studied every single rain drop at the window. She tried taking notes, but failed at it. Instead, she filled the paper sheets with silly drawings and tapped her pen against the table anxiously until – after what felt like an eternity – the bell rang.
However, before she could leave, the teacher asked her to stay for a moment. So, as excited as she was to leave, she had to take a deep breath in – putting on her best polite smile.
“I know you’re new." Said the teacher as she got closer. "And, since you arrived so far into the year, we're going to be benevolent with you, at first. But, you need to take this seriously, Ms. Silva. We expect you to catch up as soon as possible." Concluded the teacher with a soft tone, but a heavy grin.
Ava nodded, but deep inside, she wasn't so sure that she'd be able to – or even if she wanted to follow the teacher's request. After seeing their classes, she decided she just wanted to finish the year as soon as possible and get out of there. Good student be damned. But, she agreed with the teacher anyway, and left the building with Camila.
After a few moments, the rain stopped, and Ava realized that it was the first time that it wasn't raining since she got there. Although, it was still really cloudy and gray.
Camila, at some point, started explaining a few things about the buildings and the outside part of the school. She told Ava that Cat’s Cradle had a huge extension of land on its property, and that students were allowed in pretty much all of it depending on the time of the day. She mentioned that the forest nearby was also allowed, but with certain restrictions – at night, there were some rules about leaving the main building.
Ava didn’t really care too much about all of that, so – as Camila spoke – she just went on autopilot. Halfway to the main building, they ran into a group of girls. Ava noticed how Camila’s expression changed all of a sudden as she stopped talking, and then, the one who seemed to be the group leader approached Ava.
She was a tall girl with big arms, and she didn’t seem too happy about Ava because without saying a word, she pushed her. It wasn’t a hard push, but it took Ava by surprise, and her backpack fell on the wet ground.
“So, we have a new girl, huh?” said the girl to her friends.
“Crimson, stop it. She doesn’t want any trouble.” Camila said walking right in front of Ava.
“Me neither. I just wanted to say 'hi' to the new girl. I heard you entered here for free right?”
Ava looked at her but didn’t say anything, although she kind of wanted to punch her really hard.
“Seriously, stop it now or I’ll have to report this.” Said Camila, a bit annoyed.
The girl laughed. “It’s okay, Camila, we’re good, but you of all people should understand how things work here.” the girl said and winked an eye at her. Then, she looked at Ava offering the coldest and strangest smile she’d ever seen. “Welcome to the Cat’s Cradle, this’ll be your new personal hell and I’ll be your own personal demon.”
The group of girls left between giggles and whispering something that was obviously about Ava and Camila looked at her sadly and rubbed her arm in support. “I’m so sorry.” she said “They’re just assholes…”
“Yeah, you could say so.” said Ava, as she picked up her backpack and shook it a bit to get rid of some stones and mud that had gotten on it “I guess now I have a new friend.”
“Welcome to the Cat’s Cradle.” said Camila, mimicking the girl’s voice and they both laughed “You don’t have to worry. We’ll be here to make sure you don’t have to fight your new personal demon alone".