My pen aggressively tapped against the paper as I stared at the question in front of me.
"What was this?"
I muttered. I could vividly remember reading this topic, but now everything had vanished from my head.
But I knew why. Today was the year I turned eighteen, and waking up on my birthday with a slap against my cheeks from my mother wasn't how I expected my birthday to be.
Not that my birthdays were actually worth celebrating. My birthdays were rather the most awful days of my life… days my mother constantly reminded me of the bad luck I gave her, how I ruined her life and destroyed her life, and she made sure to make my life a living hell by proving how much she hated me.
"Meredith."
A sharp voice called out, breaking me out of my daydream as I looked up, staring at my teacher, who was giving me a concerned look.
"It's time for you to submit your work."
She pointed at my paper, and quickly, I stared down at it, looking at the empty space where I was meant to write down my final answer. I gave a light sigh as I submitted it to the teacher.
"You have been off this past week, and today seems worse than the previous days. Are you sure you are fine?"
My teacher asked, the same concerned look still plastered on her face.
"Yes, I am fine. You don't need to worry too much about me."
I replied. Not waiting for another response from the teacher, I quickly grabbed my bag, ready to leave the class, but a voice stopped me.
"The principal wants to see you in his office."
I froze in my step.
'Why would the principal want to see me?'
I thought as I walked out of the class, ignoring everyone who walked past me.
'I know I'm a bright student, but failing one subject shouldn't make the whole school run after my academics.'
I thought again as I approached his office. The words "PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE" rooted at the top of the door glared back at me, and I rolled my eyes, giving a calm knock.
"Come in."
I heard the principal say, and I walked in, staring at the table piled high with papers and a computer, which I had seen for the first time in the principal's office.
"Hello, Meredith Gwen, please do sit down."
I stared at the principal, then at the chair. For some reason, I wasn't comfortable sitting with this principal. He was going to scold me, and that was the last thing I needed… my mother was already taking good care of that aspect.
Nevertheless, I sat down, and I saw the principal give me a light smile. Deep down, I wondered why the principal was being so smiley.
"I know you might be wondering why I called you here."
He said, clearing his throat, his two hands folded against each other, his glasses hanging a bit higher than usual, which I wanted so badly to fix. Maybe it was my OCD itching.
"Did I do something wrong?"
I questioned, my hands folded across my chest as I stared at Mr. Matthew.
"No, you didn't. I have something for you which I believe will change your life." He stated, and then his smile widened even more.
"I think I said it the wrong way," he said again, making me almost roll my eyes even more.
"I have something that will change your life, that is, if you get accepted."
He said, and I stared at him, his words confusing me even more.
"And what could that be, Mr. Principal?"
I asked. It was a common name that was always used to call our principal.
I saw him bring out a file, and then he removed a thick paper from the file. His hands almost looked like they trembled as he smiled at the paper in front of him.
"Here, take this."
He said, handing me the paper as I hesitated for a bare second before I grabbed the paper. It was a thick, rich, glassy paper that smelled like it was printed with some sort of expensive perfume sprayed on it. It had rich, patterned royal crowns aligned around it, and the color was something more like brownish yellow.
My breath hitched when I stared at the form in front of me. I couldn't believe what I had been handed.
It was an application form to one of the most famous and specifically most elite academies out there—The Apex Academy, one of its kind, only attended by the prestigious werewolves and elite humans who could afford the school fees. But this school was mainly for the werewolves, though it still served humans who had almost the same powers as the elites.
My heart twisted as I remembered most of the stories I had heard about the elites… how powerful they were, how they controlled the world, how the werewolves only dealt with the powerful humans and never bothered to check the effects of their ruins, the crumbles that came with the war that had been fought many years ago.
But then I wondered why the principal was giving me this form.
"What am I going to do with this?"
I asked. Mr. Matthew stared at me like I had grown two heads, and then he chuckled—a poor baritone sound.
"We were only given two of these forms for our district, and I want you to apply for The Apex Academy."
He said delightfully. I could see the pride coming out of his voice, how ecstatic he sounded. For some reason, I didn't know why the principal wanted to give me this form. There were more than hundreds of students in this public ghetto school I attended who would want to rip their heads apart to get this form, but I wasn't as excited as the principal looked.
"Why do you want to give me this? Why not other students?"
I asked. Suddenly, I felt the principal's face turn pale, and his eyes now looked sympathetic.
"Well, I know your story. We all know your story, and I just want you to have a better life, and maybe you can stay out of your mother's way."
He said, his words almost making me want to vomit and run out of the room before I broke apart.
It had come to the school's notice. That my mother was an abusive asshole, and she never failed to tell anyone how much of a disgrace I was.
I looked up at the principal, slowly stretching my hands in a firm manner. I didn't want any pity from him, not even from my mother.
"I'm sorry, I can't take this form. You can give it to someone else. I hope this doesn't crush the high hopes you have of me."
I said, dropping the form on the table. Without giving him a chance to speak, I stood up, grabbed my bag, and left his office, leaving him stunned.