Rihanna woke up in the heart of dawn at the sound of crackling and shuffling around her. She straightened up and scanned the moon lit room.
She had fallen asleep on the piano room's floor, and refused by all means to leave to her dorm. Instead, she found Anthony useful to do a few things for her, and that way, she could easily go to the forbidden F.A.I.T.H. room without crossing paths with anyone.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Anthony said.
He had placed plates of breakfast on the floor and was now bringing two cups and pouring something hot inside them.
"What time is it?" Rihanna said, her eyes half closed.
He walked to the light and flicked it on. "Its six thirty in the morning. School is in an hour and you'll have to wash and get dressed. So I made you breakfast to hurry things up."
She nodded, touched by the kind gesture. She crawled to where Anthony sat and grabbed the cup he put out for her.
"I did like you said. I put the uniform in the washer then the dryer."
"And?"
He shook his head, his expression crushed. "Sorry. It became worse. The color is worn out and the thread is pretty messed up." He looked up at Rihanna, blushing. "I didn't read that it was supposed to be dry cleaned only until it was out of the dryer. I was mad at how it looked, so I checked out the tag and it said definitely only dry cleaning allowed."
Rihanna sighed and shrugged. "Its fine."
"Can't I just buy you a new one?"
She shook her head and began digging into her toast. "Don't ask me again. I'm tired of answering that question."
He slumped his shoulders and sighed. "Fine."
"Where is the uniform?"
He pointed behind him, where the uniform was put on a hanger that hung on the piano's edge. Anthony was right. The uniform looked worse. The blotches of glue were still there, decreased in size but still very evident, and now it also looked like it was picked out of a twenty-years-old hand me down era.
"Oh no." She whined.
"I'm sorry."
She shook her head. "At least we tried."
He pulled out a small orange medication bottle. "Here's the headache medicine that you asked for." He put it in the palm of her hand. "Is that why you fainted yesterday? Did you have a headache and didn't take your medicine for it?"
She had given Anthony her dorm pin and asked him to sneak in and bring her candy to her. At the feeling of the bottle in her hand, her body instantly relaxed. "Yeah."
He pushed her a pink bag. "I couldn't find your green makeup bag, but I was able to get you this. I know you'll get mad, but I'll return it to the owner as soon as you're done with it." He said.
Rihanna put the toast down and grabbed the little bag. She opened the zipper and checked out the inside of it. Thankfully, it contained an eyeliner.
"You stole it?"
He sucked in a breath and acted like he was hurt. "Borrowed. I borrowed it. I have to return it soon though, before she knows its gone."
Rihanna sighed. It was still better than nothing.
After she was done with her breakfast, she sneaked to the seventh floor restroom and quickly freshened up. The uniform, however, only had her heart pounding with discomfort. She had no idea how she was going to do around it.
She smiled, and breathed to calm herself as she looked into the mirror. "Just be confident. And smile. Its the only thing they don't have."
"Rihanna?" Anthony said from outside the door. "Hurry."
She quickly grabbed her things and walked out to where he stood nervously looking around. A weird glint in his eyes.
"Take this back to her." Rihanna said, taking some of the things she had him hold and giving him back the pink bag. "Whoever she was."
He nodded. "But first let me take you to the F.A.I.T.H. wing."
Rihanna shook her head. "I know where it is. You go and focus on your own school work. And get some sleep too."
His shoulders slumped. "Okay." He turned and began walking away, but before getting too far, Rihanna reached over and pulled him into a quick hug.
"Thanks."
She turned around and walked off toward her new beginning. Behind her, Anthony stood frozen, a goofy lopsided dazed smile on his face.
"I like you too!" He yelled after her.
***
There were sounds behind the door. And they were terrifying. A funny feeling was inside Rihanna's chest–a warm almost suffocating feeling. It devoured her mind and pampered her up for the worst.
What's the worst that could happen?
They'll kill her.
What's the least worst thing that could happen?
They would keep asking her questions until she walks herself barefoot out of the Academy.
What's the best thing they could possibly do?
Ignore her.
All three were possible, but all three were just guesses. She could see the small notepad hidden in the darkness of her backpack. She had stayed up most of the night yesterday memorizing everything Anthony had told her, and putting together a plan to help her survive throughout this day.
But already she was too confused and worried about her very next step. What should she say? Does she even have an assigned seat yet? What will Jessie say when he sees her in there? What will Lexis do when he finds out that the girl he wanted to vanish from the business class is now going to share a room with him throughout the entire day?
She sucked in a deep breath. Remember, you took four candies today. You'll be fine. You'll be fine...
She entered the pin number she had effortlessly remembered yesterday when Anthony punched it in, then slowly slid the door open.
YOU ARE READING
F.A.I.T.H.
Romance"I was broken. Nothing, no one could fix me. Until you came into my life again. I wish I had gone with you that day instead of him. Because, now I can't imagine how I spent the previous years of my life without you by my side. You are my savior. You...
