Transfer Student (Part 1)

Lilian’s parents knew how much she hated these stupid parties. Not that it mattered much, similar to everything else, she was still forced to attend them no matter how much she protested. On top of that, this one was placed on her first day of winter break. She hated everything about them, the itchy dresses she was forced to wear, the stuck-up dignitaries and politicians who gossiped and looked down their noses. It was to be expected though, her father was the governor. It didn’t mean she had to like it though. 

Her dad had been the one to host this one, so her father sat at the head of the table, flanked on either side by her, her mother, and her perfect older sister, Beatrice. 

Next to her, her father stood up, raising his wine, “I would like to propose a toast,” he paused briefly to let the room quiet down. He then cleared his throat, and proceeded, “I would like to thank you for coming tonight and thank you for assisting with collecting funds in order to create the student exchange program between Elizabeth Hamilton High and Thomas Jefferson High over in New York City.”

This last sentence caused Lilian to pause and glance up. She hadn’t heard about an exchange program between her school and one in New York City! But she continued to eat and avoid people’s gazes. But she wasn’t expecting what he said next.

“The exchange program will begin after school starts back up after Winter break. I have volunteered my daughter Lilian to be a part of the program-” Lilian choked on her chicken, meat flying from her mouth as she coughed loudly. Not until she looked up did she realize that the chunk of meat had landed on the face of the boy about her age sitting to the right of her, whose eyes she had been avoiding all night, which was now difficult as she attempted to apologize between gasps.

But the boy just stood up and walked away. Her mother turned to her and smacked her in the back repeatedly as if there was still something lodged into her windpipe. All Lilian could do was stare after the boy who she had never seen before.

When she finally pulled herself together, her father continued, “The four of them will be staying in the governor of New York’s Penthouse with him and his family in NYC and the others will stay at my summer home with me and my family. He was kind enough to join us tonight, Governor Johnson, anything to add?”

It took Lilian a second to register this, and she could hardly process what Governor Johnson was saying. Not only was she going to school in New York City for half a year, but she was also going to stay in the governor's penthouse with him, his family, and three other people she probably despised, some hundreds of miles from home!

Without finishing her food Lilian stood up, her chair-legs scraping against the floor. She stalked off to her room upstairs, despite the warning expression her mom shot her. She could still hear The Governor’s voice wafting up the stairs as she slammed her bedroom door behind her.

The flight had been relatively short considering the distance between New York City and Denver Colorado, so she wasn’t complaining about the 5 hours. She and the others were all in different grades, one for each grade. They sat together but hardly talked, none of them knowing each other. She had been lucky to get the window seat, so she only had to sit next to one person. The freshman boy sitting next to her kept stealing nervous glances at her. She could still hear The Governor’s voice wafting up the stairs as she slammed her bedroom door behind her. Us Juniors don’t bite. She thought to herself, chuckling as the Flight attendant gave instructions about exiting the plane. 

The four of them exited the plane and looked around. They were supposed to be looking for a sign that said “Elizabeth Hamilton High Transfer Students”. When they spotted it, they headed through the crowd to a man in a plain suit and a black tie. 

“You four must be the transfer students?” the man asked, raising an eyebrow devoid of humor. Lilian nodded along with the others, although they all seemed much more enthusiastic. They got their luggage and headed toward a shiny limousine. She hated limousines, the wealthy were always doing things so much, all it was was a symbol of power. Everyone expected her to wear expensive items from luxury stores, but it wasn’t really her thing. Unlike her perfect sister, Lilian preferred a more comfortable and more badass look. 

She tried to act nonchalant about the limo, but when she saw the buildings around her, she couldn’t help but gape. She had been to large cities before, but never anything like New York City. The skyscrapers gleamed above them and massive billboards with glowing advertisements. People bustled along the sidewalks around them, cars rushing past and endless sound accompanied it all.

They all chattered and stared out the windows the entire way to the penthouse at the top of a 12 story apartment building. A few times Lilian even joined the conversation. 

When they entered the penthouse, Lilian realized that it was even bigger than she had originally thought. There was marble everywhere, everything gleaming and expensive. 

The man in the suit turned around as they all stood, people, carrying their luggage behind them. He cleared his throat, his face remaining expressionless as he spoke, “There are two floors of the penthouse, you will reside in the lower level and never enter the upper level without distinct permission,” he raised his eyebrow warningly, “Clear?” We all nod. 

They were given a quick tour and shown to their rooms. She was unsurprised to find that her room was a bit larger than the one at home, but the view was much better with large elegant windows. Along with that, the shiny jet tub was a nice touch. 

They were supposed to get settled and be down for dinner at 6:30, in an hour. The Johnsons would be joining them for dinner as a sort of welcoming party. 

Lilian didn’t really want to stay cooped up in her room for an hour, so she hopped up and crept out of her room. She could hear drawers banging in the room she passed. She figured it must be Tracy, the sweet sophomore girl who had started to find her way under the crack in Lilian’s armor. 

She found her way down the hallway, in the opposite direction she had come from. Karl, the man from earlier, who was apparently one of Governor Johnson’s personal assistants, had not shown them this part of the house. As she turned another corner, she heard a vague sound. It sounded like some kind of music. She continued until she came upon a metal door, unlike the others that had a picture showing a stairwell above it. The music echoed around beyond the door and Lilian realized that it was a violin, releasing smooth solemn notes. Lilian slowly opened the door and peered in. The stairwell seemed to be flush with the building, showing views of the city through the large windows. At the first landing above her was the source of the melancholy music. A boy who looked about her age stood there, his eyes closed, smoothly dragging his boy back and forth across the strings. His black hair brushed over his eyes and Lilian had the feeling she had seen him before.

She stood there for what felt like hours, enveloped in the sound, her eyes fluttering closed. And then the door, which she had been propping open with her foot, slammed shut. The bow slid across the strings letting out a squealing sound. The boy's eyes flew open with surprise and he let the violin drop to his side. 

Lilian started to stutter an apology when she realized why she recognized him. Her eyes widened and she turned bright red. She knew where she had seen him before. He was the boy from her father’s party… whose face she had sprayed chewed meat into.