Out of My League

The Scars She Hid From The World

REGINA MCBRIDE

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener’s shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose—the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Modern Revenge Scheming Kickass Heroine Comeback Revenge

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My elementary school teacher said that life is like sailing, a perilous one. It was relaxing to hear the waves crashing when the weather was beautiful. But sometimes, the storm comes, and the huge waves crash. It will capsize your boat.

And that storm is what I felt.

During December, the students had different reactions. First, they are happy because Christmas vacation is finally starting. Second, others were worrying about whether they can pass. They also get anxious if there were incomplete projects.

If you would ask me, I am quite happy. There were no projects to finish, and I surely passed this semester. Here I am staring at a poster where I am third in ...

“You are a genius! Could you please donate some intelligence?” one of my classmates joked.

I just laughed and said he was also smart. He nodded, tore off a page of his notebook, twisted the paper, and glued the two ends together to make a paper crown.

He walked like a drunk cat staggering in the hallway.

Although I was laughing, I stopped because it scared me. He was brave enough to make the hallway of the 3rd floor his catwalk where the offices of deans from various colleges/departments were located!

The two of us became as cold as an ice cap in Antarctica when the door of one office suddenly opened. We turned away so that no one would recognize us. I whispered to Beks that we would slowly walk away.

“Miss Santiago, the Dean wants to talk to you,” called one of our professors.

“Go! I will wait for you,” Beks even pushed me to the door.

We greeted our professor, then I went inside the office. As I slowly closed the door, I heard Beks was flattering our teacher. I let out a sigh after I closed the door.

We just avoided another catastrophe.

I adjusted my uniform first to make sure it was not too tangled. I centered my necktie and parted my hair.

We will deal with a Dean so, I should look good. Do not worry because I am still in the lobby / receiving area of the office. I will open another door before I reach the primary office.

“Good Afternoon Miss Diaz,” I greeted.

When I sat down, she immediately handed me a white envelope containing money. I thanked Ms. Dean and said that money was a big help to our family today.

“You deserve it. Again, Congratulations on being one of the top students.”

She asked me if I was interested in participating in an upcoming contest in Japan next year.

That was a great opportunity. I want to experience my first winter ever and see snow. I wanted to taste authentic ramen at Ichiran buy anime merch., etc. Unfortunately, I had to refuse it.

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