"You'll have so much fun," Brian slurred from the front seat, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel. His red-rimmed eyes were glued to the road and, despite the beer bottle sitting in the cup holder, the truck didn't migrate much from the center of the road.

Sophie sat in the back seat, ignoring her father. Deep down, a small part of her secretly wished that he would make a mistake and send them racing down the rocky side of the mountain. As dark as the idea was, it was a much better alternative compared to the mysterious school that waited for them at the top. Her hands clenched into tight fists and her gaze flickered down to the seat beside her.

The letter sat atop the beige-colored leather, taunting her.

Her father continued to babble a mixture of incoherent words, avoiding the actual conflict at hand. "You'll totally have fun," he said. "Make a lot of new friends. Learn to do something with your life. Maybe even make something of yourself. You saw that online video. You might even get famous and make millions."

Her temple pressed against the cool glass of the window. She watched the trees as they raced by, trying not to throw up her breakfast. She didn't want to have fun, or make something of herself, or make new friends.

Instead, she wanted to go home and hide under the covers. Maybe watch a marathon of Naruto and shovel popcorn down her throat. Even choking on popcorn seemed a better alternative.

Everyone knew the stories. Everyone heard the gossip that circulated the lunch rooms. It made every student dread the possibility of finding that very letter in their mailbox.

It all started with a scholarship—an amount of money that even the most terrified and suspicious parent could not refuse. It paid for all of the academy's tuition, which included housing, supplies, food, clothing, and anything else one could want. Then, once the prospective student did their time, any college of their choice was fully paid for.

Even if the parents tried to refuse, or the kid ran away, the academy always managed to get their way. There were even rumors that several kids simply went missing. They never showed up to school the next day, nor did their parents ever hear from them. Naturally, the police became involved at one point. But there was never enough evidence to prove the school had done anything wrong.

So the letters kept coming.

"Sophie, are you even listening to me?" Brian suddenly erupted and the truck swerved a bit.

She grabbed the side of the door, glaring at her father's reflection in the rear-view mirror. "Yes, I'm listening to you! Just keep your eyes on the road!"

He grumbled at her incoherently and slouched down a bit in his seat.

Sophie's jaw clenched and her head shook with disgust. Of course, on the one day she needed him the most, her father would drink. Granted, he didn't drink as much as he usually did—then she would have definitely been dead by now. But still. She needed him to be strong and hold her hand while she had an emotional breakdown in front of the school.

The alcohol started when her mother left—she had had an affair with a younger man and decided to leave Sophie and Brian. It left both of them pretty torn up, but Brian suffered the brunt of the blow. Sophie had been too young to really remember her mother.

As the truck turned onto a cobblestone drive, the trees surrounding them thickened until she couldn't see the edge of the mountain. Brian grumbled something and then shifted around in his seat. The truck rocked, swaying slightly. Sophie sucked in a sharp breath.

"You're all packed, right?" he asked around a watery belch.

"Yes, I am. I had to pack before we left the house, remember?"

Of course he didn't remember, but she knew it would make him fall silent as he pondered that foreign little word. Sophie had had to pack everything this morning, from all of her favorite books, to all the clothes and shoes in her closet, and finally, the plushie she'd treasured all her life. It sounded like way more than it actually was though, as she'd managed to cram it all into one huge suitcase and a matching duffle bag.

"Good," Brian finally grunted, as the trees thinned suddenly and a castle of dark stone appeared, protruding from the jagged mountain. He turned onto the roundabout driveway and the truck screeched to a stop in front of two heavy wooden doors. He turned around in his seat, the stench of alcohol and aftershave clouding the space between them, and added, "Cause we're here."

"I didn't notice," Sophie responded as she opened the door and climbed out. She snatched the invitation off the seat, just in case she might need it later. It burned in her hands. She let a sigh escape, looking up over the top of the truck to peer at the castle looming above them.

Brian kicked his door open and gravel crunched beneath his cowboy boots. Sophie grimaced, shoving the letter into her front pocket before moving around to the bed of the truck where all of her stuff was stored. She unlocked the back and lowered it.

"You be good now, y'here?" Brian slammed it shut the moment her suitcase was on the ground and the duffle bag hung on her shoulder. He gave her a look—a small, almost sober look. Then ruffled her hair like he used to when she was younger.

Immediately, Sophie's hands flew to her ginger tresses, lips twisted into a scowl.

His lips twitched back into a smile and then he turned away from her. He climbed back into the truck and the engine revved. Her smile faded as the truck sped away from her, quickly vanishing within the trees.

"Well," an unfamiliar voice chirped behind her, making Sophie jump. "That doesn't usually happen. Normally, parents want a fancy tour of the estate."

Sophie whirled around, eyes wide as she stared at the slender girl beside her. For one long moment, she was too stunned to speak. The girl was strikingly beautiful, the kind of beautiful seen in expensive fashion magazines or on the television. Her hair, an iridescent blonde, fell down to her stomach in gentle waves and framed her structured face. Sunlight reflected off the shimmery lip-gloss that coated her pouty lips like a beacon. The girl even dressed like a model, sporting a sleeveless mint-colored blouse, bleached white jeans, and matching jewelry and pumps.

Sophie's lips pressed into a sour line and she said, "Well, I'm sorry that my family issues are abnormal."

The girl glanced down at her, startled. "Oh! I didn't mean it like that."

The more Sophie looked, however, the more she could see from the look in the girl's pretty blue eyes that she clearly did mean it like that. A flair of dislike surged through her. The girl flashed her a huge smile and said, "My name is Aubrey Jane and I'm here to welcome you to Redstone Academy. It's nice to meet you, Sophie Brooks."