Chapter 1 Breaking Moments

Freya

~

The alarm screeched at 5:45 AM, dragging me out of the only peace I'd know... sleep. Same routine... wake up, prepare for school, make breakfast, get bullied, then go to work.

Only one thing made today different; I was eighteen. Not that it changed anything, but I'd been looking forward to this age.

After making breakfast for everyone, I took the earliest bus to school. On the ride, I quickly checked my mailbox on my laptop to see if any college had accepted my application.

Please...any college...just one.

But, it was all blank and empty. I sighed, dropping the laptop back in my bag pack. I've been for five days now, but still nothing. I knew I couldn't give up so easily.

The bus stopped right in front of school. HARTLEY High, a school I only got to attend through a scholarship. The rich kids bullied me every day, but I couldn't revolt against elites. Could I?

Shoulders barged into mine as I walked through the hallway to the classroom. I kept my head down, trying to remain invisible.

***

"It sounds like your life is pretty tough right now."

That's what the school counselor said yesterday, as if I didn't already know.

Ms. Carter, the school counselor, tapped her pen against her chipped mug. "Freya, If you continue like this, you won't finish senior year. Even if you apply to any college, your slipping results won't let you in."

I used to be the brightest student-the one always getting A's, the one teachers trusted to tutor others. But life happened.

And now, I was almost barely average. I sat across from her, hands folded tightly in my lap, trying not to cry while she offered me lukewarm tea and a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"You've got a lot on your plate, Freya."

No kidding, I whispered.

Everyday, my alarm buzzed at 5:45 AM. I prepared breakfast for my foster family, went to school, and work part-time at a coffee shop.

Yes, I have no parents. They died long ago. How? Well, I couldn't really remember. All I remember was that Dad asked me to sleep over at my friend's place, and then the next morning, when he and Mom were supposed to pick me up, they suddenly vanished.

The police said it was a faulty bridge collapse.The car sank and they became fish food, never seen again.

I was taken to an orphanage and later adopted by a loving couple. Well, at least they used to be. Until they gave birth to a daughter, Cherry. Since then, I've been mistreated and treated like a maid.

And at school, I kept my head down. Hoping no one notices my existence. Because, If they did, it never ended well.

Today, I found rotten food in my locker–again. But this time, instead of swallowing my anger, I clenched my fists so hard my nails left crescents in my palms. Something inside me cracked. I couldn't keep living like this.

Though I didn't make a fuss about it. It's not like I could pick a fight with families who ruled this city.

"Eww, the scholarship student stinks." I could hear whispers behind me.

How I fell from grace– from the top student to an average one, working part-time, being bullied at home and school. The world wasn't fair to me.

"What a loser!" Someone whispered as he walked past my locker.

My only hope and light for a fresh start was college. As I filled out my last college application, Tiffany nudged my elbow.

"You really think you'll get out of here?" She whispered.

I forced a smile, but my trembling hands betrayed me. "I have to try. It's all I have."

I remember Tiffany was the one who added the last option, saying it was a good university too, so why not try my luck?

I didn't think much of it. I only added it because the application required four choices.

A sink full of dishes and an angry Cherry welcomed me home. I hated Cherry being angry because I knew she'd vent it all on me.

"And why are you here this late? My laundry isn't done yet and I still have plenty of homework for you to do. You'd better get to work!" She gave orders like a tyrant.

I frowned but couldn't complain. If I did, she'd report me to her mother, Loretta. I spent over an hour completing all the chores she assigned for me to do.

While preparing dinner, my mind wandered back to my application. If only one university could pick me, I'd be very happy. That would bring an end to my suffering here.

The aroma of the chicken I was frying filled my nostrils, but I couldn't taste it. Loretta, my foster mom, would kill me if she found out. "You don't need meat, you've already got so much in your brain," Loretta said to me one Christmas evening. She made me kneel in the snow while I watched them eat warm food inside. She didn't let me in till the neighbors begged.

I couldn't sit at the dining table with them during dinner. I wasn't part of their family, I was just an extension. A burden.

I watched them laugh and talk while I ate cold beans in the kitchen that night. After dinner, I was too tired to do anything. My back ached and my hands were sore.

Feeling parched, I went to the kitchen to get some water.

"What are you doing there?" It was Kelvin, my foster father.

"I... I needed water." I stammered.

"You better not be causing any trouble. I can't clean up after your mess," he said before walking away. I was sure if I ever got in trouble, he'd leave me for dead.

The next morning, after attending to Cherry's needs and listening to Loretta's whining, I went to school. The day passed really quickly. All my thoughts were on my application.

After all our classes were over, I checked my inbox again.

I swallowed hard as I opened my inbox. My heart pounded with anticipation, the weight of my entire future resting on what appeared on the screen.

One unread message.

I clicked on it, hands shaking.

I stared at the screen, my breath catching in my throat. The words blurred for a moment as I blinked away tears of relief.

"Congratulations, Freya Moore! We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Moonclaw University!"

Wait... Moonclaw?

I sat up straighter, scrolling through the email again, searching for any mistake. I had expected to see Evergreen, my dream school-the one me and Tiffany dreamed of going to. But instead, here was Moonclaw University, the last school on my list.

Where even was Moonclaw University?

I didn't remember much about it. In fact, I barely recalled why I added it to my applications in the first place. Did I research it properly? Was it even a good school? The name sounded unfamiliar, almost mysterious.

But still...

I was accepted.

For the first time in years, someone said yes to me. A way out. A new beginning.

I took a deep breath to focus on that thought alone. Maybe Moonclaw University wasn't my dream school, but it was a door, and I was ready to step through it.

A breath I didn't know I was holding rushed out of me in a shaky exhale. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I let them fall, uncaring if anyone saw. For the first time in years, hope didn't feel like an impossible dream.

This was my chance.

My escape.

My beginning.

Now, I just had to make it through the last few months here.