Chapter One
I sat at my wooden desk in the restless maths classroom on that first day. My uncontrollable, urban hair spindled away from my face like elegant, bundles of silk. I hadn't made many friends, so I had to amuse myself. I kept my jade, green eyes, transfixed on the clock, counting the endless seconds until when the school bell was set to ring.
I was a new student there at the prestigious school, situated in the countryside of Essex in England. It was named Hunts Equestrian Academy and was my dream boarding school, an elite college for those young, passionate riders, grasping their chance to get to the top. And that was what I was doing, but I was grasping the edge of my table, ready to leap to the top of the line, outta here! I had packed my pencil case and books into my turquoise, Toggi bag which was now stashed under the table on my knee.
"Now, can anybody tell me the answer to our last equation? Jamelia, as you seem so intent on keeping your eyes on that clock, please do so and provide me with an answer." Mr Beaton smirked at me and the rest of the class found it really, quite funny and sniggered. It didn't bother me. I sat there, my high cheek bones framing my relaxed eyes and not once taking my eyes off the second hand, which was very close to twelve, I answered, " 4a+d-10j, sir."
At that point, Mr Beaton in all his smugness lost his signature smile. The bell rang right on queue and I was first sprinting down the corridor. I raced up to my dorm and when I reached it I slowed to a walk. There were four houses, Chesnut, Grey, Bay and Roan which I was in. Each had two dorms, one for boys the other for girls.
Roan girl's dorm looked quite modern, with its kitchenette to the right of the door, and grand new steel fridge with ice dispenser. Opposite the door was a free standing, metal spiral staircase to the sleeping rooms, which held four people.
The rest of the room was taken up by a lounge space. Plush, crimson carpet spread out across the room. The black leather sofas were scattered about, usually pulled into rough circles of three. White, fluffy blankets and white, fluffy cushions were shared between each of the sofas. There was also a pile of Ipads, stacked up on the far table, all internet connected and were used for homework. A big plasma screen TV was hung on the wall and had a Wii, and a basket full of DVD%u2019s, mostly about horses.
The smell of vanilla and coffee, wafted up my nose, reminding me of home. My mum baked regularly and her favourite recipe was vanilla shortbread. I walked up the staircase to a corridor. Door, after door, after door lined the hall. I reached the top of the stairs and looked down the passage for the first time. I had been told at the start of the day that my bags would be taken up to my room before I got there.
A noticeboard hung from the wall and I stumbled towards it, bag still hanging from my arm. I didn't really know why I had bought it, the teachers kept all our books, so all it had in it was my Paperchase pencil case, sparkly folder and my homework planner, which was already etched on.
On the noticeboard was just on sheet of paper, pinned to the middle of it. It had the names of the people in each room, I gulped and read on. Finding my name under room thirteen, I read the three other names on the list. The three other people I'd be in the same room as for the rest of the seven years of my stay at Hunts Equestrian Academy.
