High Society

The slap came out of nowhere.

“Paaah!”

A resounding crack echoed through the hallway, making heads turn. Rose barely had time to react before her books were ripped from her hands, the force of the impact sending them tumbling to the polished floor. The sound of paper scattering was almost drowned out by the laughter that followed.

She froze, heart hammering in her chest, a stinging sensation spreading across her cheek.

“Watch where you’re going, Piggy,” Lily said, her voice sickly sweet as she exchanged a twisted smile with the people beside her. She flicked her bleached blonde hair over her shoulder as if merely touching Rose was something she needed to shake off.

“God, do you ever look where you’re going?” Bianca chipped in, sending the paperwork on the ground flying around.

Rose inhaled sharply, willing herself to stay calm. She bent down to pick up her things, her fingers trembling as she reached for her notebook.

Before she could grasp it, someone kicked it further down the hall.

“Aww, did you drop this?” Bianca asked, her voice dripping with fake concern. She placed her feet on the notebook, the latest edition of her Hermes slippers applying just enough pressure to crumple the pages beneath it.

“Oops.” She giggled coquettishly, covering her mouth with two fingers.

The hallway erupted in laughter again. Rose clenched her jaw, fighting back the burning sensation in her throat.

She refused to cry.

Not here. Not now. Not ever.

Dynasty was not her goal.

It’s just a shortcut to your goal Rose.

Imagine if the shortcut you passed has rivers and caves instead of being in traffic for a full day.

It’s only for a short time. Not forever.

I can make it work well for me.

Nodding her head at her thoughts, Rose reached for another paper, but someone beat her to it.

“Is this yours?” Maddie, another of Lily’s friends, held up one of Rose’s sketches—a half-finished charcoal drawing of a ballet dancer. Maddie turned it over, examining it with a bored expression before tearing it in half.

Rose’s stomach twisted.

No!

“Oops,” Maddie repeated with a smirk, dropping the torn halves onto the ground like trash. “Guess it wasn’t very good anyway.”

Rose’s breathing turned shallow, fingers curling into her palms.

“I think you should tell Maddie, thank you. After all, she was nice enough to help you throw away your trash.” Lily spoke chuckling.

“That was my assignment!.” Rose retorted.

“That? What do you take Dynasty for? A place that collects mediocrity?”

“They did accept her.” Bianca said eyeing Rose.

“True. Since they accepted her in her useless form, she must think that Dynasty would continue to accept her useless creations.” Maddie said.

“Be nice ladies. A useless person can only recreate what it, he or she has within.” Lily said laughing.

Rose bowed her head in shame.

She could feel the weight of the laughter and gossip of the watching public, the humiliation pressing down on her like a boulder.

“What’s going on here?”

A new voice cut through the laughter.

Sofia.

The only girl in this academy who had ever spoken to Rose like she was human.

Lily turned, her expression shifting into something more innocent.

“Nothing,” she said smoothly. “Just giving our new friend a proper welcome.”

Sofia’s sharp gaze flickered from Lily to Rose, then down to the mess on the floor. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

“Doesn’t look like a welcome to me.” Sofia replied Lily .

Rose held her breath.

This was bad.

Sofia wasn’t one of the bullies, but she wasn’t like her either. Sofia’s parents were wealthy enough to send her to DYNASTY but if she kept pushing Lily, the bullies would turn on her too, and Rose didn’t want that.

“Seriously, it’s fine,” Rose mumbled, voice barely above a whisper.

Lily’s smirk widened.

“See? No harm done,” she said. “Right, Rose?”

Rose swallowed, feeling the weight of threats thinly veiled with expectation. Lily’s expectant face showed more promise of a threat rather than nervousness. This was not hazing. If she fought back, it would only get worse.

“Yeah,” she whispered, her eyes counting imaginary lines on the floor, her eyes darting at her now useless papers scattered on the shining marble floors of the Dynasty academy.

Dynasty academy was an academy for the children of the elite and not just any kind of elite. It was for the one percent of the one percent.

Children of business moguls were groomed to be greater than their parents in business, Royal heirs were groomed on ‘perfect governance’.

Once in a session, Dynasty opens only one slot and gives a member of the general public the opportunity to learn these hidden secrets and build networking with the next generation of the one percent.

It was a great opportunity for anyone. For Rose.

But this was currently not cutting it.

Lily’s grin was victorious.

“See?” she grinned at Sofia, shrugging lightly before turning back to her friends. “Come on, ladies. We’ve wasted enough time.”

With that, they walked off, leaving Rose on her knees in the hallway, surrounded by torn pages and her broken dignity.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she shoved it down in annoyance. At least, her business book was hidden in her travel bag back in her dorms. Maybe it was good sense to hide it there.

Sofia hesitated before crouching down beside her.

“You okay?” She gave her a cautious smile.

Rose let out a bitter laugh.

No.

She wasn’t.

But what was the point in saying that?

Instead, she forced a small “Yes” and began gathering what was left of her sketches.

“You don’t have to do that.” Rose said, stretching her hand to Sofia who was helping her gather her papers.

“I know. I want to.” Sofia smiled at her brightly.

One day, she’d show them.

One day.

So that her smile can be as bright as Sofia’s .

She just had to survive until then.