Chapter Text
"It's not my fault."
"I'm not the one who you needed to convince, Birdie." He sighs and Raven feels an inexplicable amount of guilt for putting her dad through all this stress. Again…and again.
It actually wasn't her fault, she came in wearing ripped jeans one day, accidentally breaking the dress code, and other pupils decided that was enough encouragement to start rioting against the insanely strict rules the school was enforcing.
It started with students also coming in wearing ripped jeans, then tank tops and then really short skirts. The headmaster was quick to trace the start of the protests to her, considering she was the first pupil to break the school dress code in about ten years, it wasn't hard to blame her for leading the movement.
So he expelled her, the fifth school to do so since she started high school. And her dad, left with no other viable option, is now sending her to Ever After's Institution for gifted children. The same school her mother attended in her youth.
It's not like the boarding school has bad reviews or anything, it's just that Raven's mother has a very bad reputation and said reputation extends to Raven's.
Ultimately, this means rumours follow her everywhere she goes. It's not uncommon for one student to try to do a background check on the "new kid" and find out more information than they needed to know and then warn the entire student body about Raven so everyone ends up avoiding her. It's fine though, she's used to it at this point but it's different this time because she can't leave a boarding school once the clock strikes three, no she's stuck suffocating in the walls surrounded by people who'll bully her or fear her. She will be completely and utterly alone.
"Are you sure I can't go to a different school?" It's more of a half-hearted joke than a question considering they're only fifteen minutes away from the school now.
Her dad starts laughing, "It's a bit late to try and get out of this now you know."
"It was worth a shot." Raven shrugs, she's chuckling too, it was nice to break the tense air in the car.
"I hope you don't think this was anything but a last resort, because believe me if you hadn't managed to go through every other school in our county you definitely wouldn't be going here."
"I know, Dad."
The car's now on the final road leading to Ever After's Institution. Raven reads over the email Headmaster M. Grimm sent her; 'Dormitory Location: 4th floor, Number 172. Dormmate: Apple White. Time-table: To be picked up at the registration office.'
The email leaves Raven with more questions than answers: 1) Shouldn't she be able to see the building from 5 minutes away if it has at least 4 floors and enough room for at least 172 dorm rooms, 2) Who is Apple White and why does she recognise that name 3) Where the hell is the office.
Looking up from her phone, Raven's able to answer one of them. The Institution is massive, it's as wide as it is tall and it looks to be around 6 floors tall. Well, if Raven was to pick a building to be trapped in it makes the top ten, her house being number one of course.
The gate outside of the school starts to open as the car slowly approaches. The front doors to the school are now in sight.
It's definitely too late to go home.