Packing and moving. That is all I have done for the last three years, until now. My mother has sent me to several different boarding schools because I am not like other girls. She finally decided to send me to very strict school. One where all the crazy people go. Welcome to Ocean View Academy.
My heart was pounding. It was my first actual day at Ocean View and I just knew that every move I made was being watched. It made my skin crawl. I never thought that my mother would send me here. I could hear the teachers talking about me. I could see the way they looked at me in fear and distaste. I wonder what rumors I will hear at this school. I can still remember the ones from the other schools. My favorite had to be the vampire rumor. I pulled that one off pretty well. My platinum blonde hair was cut in a way that it framed my pale face. I kind of looked like a boy, but a very feminine boy. My exaggerated eye makeup and dark red lips gave away that I was a girl. Plus a few other girly things, but let’s leave those to the imagination. I was the exact opposite of everyone. I stood out like a ballerina at a rock concert. The dress code here was all black and or grey. That was it. I’m kinda glad about that too. It was easy enough. Today I wore a pair of ripped, black skinny jeans and a grey, cropped sweater. I also wore a pair of black heels that clicked and clacked all the way down the busy halls. People moved out of my way as I started to go towards my first class. Dance studies. I’ve never been happier.
“Class, this is Annalise Grey. She is a new student and I hope all of you will be civilized towards the poor girl,” said the teacher, Miss Jackie, in her French accent. The class stared at me in bewilderment. All except for one boy.
I took my seat next to the boy. He had long, dirty blonde hair and a smile to die for. I wonder what he did to get trapped here. He raised his hand and looked at me to Miss Jackie.
“Miss Jackie, since Annalise is the new girl I’ll be her dance partner,” he stated. I blushed and looked away from him. My heart nearly stopped at the thought of him dancing with me. Miss Jackie nodded simply and one of the other girls scoffed. I had to contain the laughter that was about to escape my lips.
“I am Xavier. It's nice to meet you, Annalise,” the blonde said. He smiled and held his hand out to me. I gladly took his hand and shook it.
“It’s nice to meet you too. You already know my name so there really is no point in introducing myself again,” I said in my awkwardly calm voice. He chuckled.
“What class do you have next?” he asked.
“French,” I said.
“Me too. Are you any good?”
I suck at French. I’m Swedish born. I shook my head and he laughed.
“Miss Grey and Mr. Hale. Since you two seem so chatty how about you demonstrate for the class what contemporary looks like,” Miss Jackie said with a stern voice. Xavier stood up and offered me his hand, I took it.
“You may pick the song,” she stated. The smile on my face grew as I pulled my phone out. I clicked “Crazy In Love’ and took my heels off.
Xavier circled and wrapped his arms around me. I smiled and pulled away from him. He grabbed my arm and twirled me towards him. He lifted me and I wrapped a leg around his waist. I then slowly went to the ground. I could sense the passion he was putting into this.
I grabbed his hand and pulled him down to me. His chest was pressed to mine. Our hearts were in sync.
He ran a hand through my hair and I caressed his face before I wrapped my legs around him and flipped our positions. I ran my hands up his chest and he grabbed my wrists. He sat up slowly and snaked a hand around my waist to keep me from falling. I ran both my hands through my hair and leaned closer to him. He stood up with me in his arms. I leaned back from him, but he pulled me closer. We pressed our foreheads together and he made a slow circle. I pressed one hand to his chest and pushed him away. He let me go and I fell onto my feet. I pressed my hand to my one heart and made a ripping motion. He ran his hands through his hair and circled me once again. I could feel the attention on us. I finally collapsed, but he caught me. Our breathing was unsteady. Everyone was staring at us and clapping.
“Magnifique! I am impressed. You two have set high bars, my children,” Miss Jackie said with excitement. The bell rang and Xavier and I were still getting our things together.
“I didn’t expect you to be so good at dancing. I did enjoy that though,” Xavier said calmly. I nodded nervously and grabbed my bag. I was a bit dizzy and I needed to lay down, but there was no chance of that.
“I’ll walk you to class,” he offered.
“Thank you.”
“It really is no problem. I would like to show you around more. If that is okay with you,” he stated. I smiled softly.
“Sure, that would be great. What’s the teacher like?” I asked. His happy face soon turned into one of distaste.
“She is snide and treats us like prisoners,” he said with a matter-of-fact tone. I tried to contain the giggle but failed.
“Okay, so explain to me what the point of Ocean View is,” I said and ran my left hand through my hair.
“Oh, well it’s a school for the criminally insane. The minors who need to finish high school at least. I don’t know what goes on after this though. Maybe we go to jail or maybe they send us to an asylum,” he explained. He was being really cute though. Like he used his hands a lot when he talked and his smile was bright. I was drawn in by his words and how he said them. He talked about his family and how he has three little brothers who want to be just like him while we were in class. Madame Allaire wasn’t that happy about us talking in class though.
“I have a little sister too. She is in the hospital though. I blame myself. I wasn’t there when she needed me and now she’s in a paper dress and her veins are filled with drugs. I feel so bad about it,” his voice was barely audible. I took his hand in mine and gave it a light squeeze.
“I lost my brother three years ago. It was my fault, but I guess everyone here knows that. I know I’m on the high security. They even put a chip under my skin,” I said. He handed me a bottle of water and I took a sip. All of the sudden a  wave of dizziness hit me and I started to fall. Xavier caught me. His eyes flashed a red color that looked like the reflection of a flame.
“Annalise, I know that you’re home! Come out or little Bryson gets it!” Jason yelled through the house. I held Bryson closer to me and tried to keep him quiet.
“Shh, it’s okay Bry. He won’t find us. You just have to be quiet.” I smoothed down his hair and held him tighter.
I practically leaped out of my bed. Doing so I hit my knee on the nightstand and let out a yelp. I heard the unforgettable chuckle of Xavier. He was sitting on the word chair I had to beg for them to let me keep.
“Good morning, did you have a bad dream?” he asked while stretching. His shirt went up as he stretched and I glimpsed a fraction of a tattoo. From what I could see it was intricate and small. I had a few tattoos but my favorite was the one on my wrist and it spread to the palm of my hand. Wait, why is he here?
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“Roomies. Duh. Miss Jackie talked to the Headmaster and she agreed that we were to be roommates. Don’t worry, boys and girls room together all the time here,” he explained.
“So you and I are roommates? That is strange. By the way. What are the rules here?” I asked.
“There's a set of the rules on the desk.” Xavier made a hand motion towards our desk. I let out a sigh and lifted my heavy legs from under the covers.
I made my way to the desk and looked at the sheet of paper. It read:
Ocean View Academy Rules:
Every student must follow these rules. Exceptions are made depending on what the student has done or if they have a record. The rules are the following:
The dress code is black and or grey apparel. As long as it fits the color guidelines the student is allowed to wear it.
Pets are allowed. They must be small, potty trained, and not loud.
Cell phones are allowed.
There is a 10:00 p.m. curfew during weekdays
Classes begin at 8;30 a.m.
Weekends are city days. Meaning if the student does not have any behavioral issues then they may freely go to the city and do as they wish. They must be in their dorms no later than midnight.
Detentions will be served at the stables.
On parent day students will express to the parents what they have learned during the month and they will have a free day to spend with their parents. Parent day is on the second of every month.
Boys and girls can be roomed together. Especially if they are required to practice for certain classes.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be eaten in the dining hall.
Students, I know that there doesn’t seem to be many rules, but if the rules are not followed there will be a major price to pay. I hope this is a great year for all of you.
Jessica Mansfield
Headmaster
I couldn’t help but smile. That means I can have my cat!
“Excited much?”
“Oh, I just get to have my cat. You’ll love him,” I said, my smile spreading from ear to ear. Xavier made a pouty face and started to make my bed.
“Mr. Jitter Tail is a beautiful cat and he is elegant and professional,” I explained.
“Oh great. I’m allergic to cats.” Xavier said with a grin.
Unknown’s Point of View:
She was sitting in her chair reading a book. Her green eyes searched the sheets of paper as if it were a new world. I watched as she delicately turned the page.
“Have you gotten any information about the girl yet?” Reydon asked. I ran a hand through my hair.
“Yeah, Annalise Grey. Seventeen years old. Has a cat named Mr. Jitter Tail? She watched her brother die and the man who…” I trailed off. Should I really explain all of this? It’s on her file.
“Continue.”
“She allegedly killed the man who killed her brother. The only problem is, there was no evidence that she actually did it.”
“Maybe she didn’t. You start school tomorrow. You will become her world. I don’t care how you do it, but you will. Is that clear?”
“Yes, brother. That is crystal clear.”

I watched as she stood up. Her black sweatshirt barely covered the tattoos on her thighs. She had a teddy bear tattoo. The date December 21st, 2013 was inked on the bear’s heart. That was the day her brother died. The day she became a victim and a killer.
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I held up my black dress to my thin body. It was simple, but today was my first city day and I didn’t want to seem too eager.
I have been here for four months  now. My mother is happy because I have a boyfriend. My dad, on the other hand, wants to meet him and is curious as to why I would want to date a guy from a school full of lunatics. Then again Alix is amazing.
“Hey beautiful, how are you this morning?” Alix asked. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed the top of my head.
“I am exhausted, but it is parent day and the weekend. Today will fun. My parents want to meet you. You’ll love my mom, but my dad is kinda tough.” I warned him and playfully bit his wrist.
“Ouch! Anna, you cannot do that. My brother and sister are coming to see me today and if I have bite marks on my wrists..” I stopped him.
“They already think you’re crazy. Why else would you be here?” I asked.
He frowned and crouched down in front of me. He took both my hands in his, “Anna, you are not crazy. I understand you and I know that you are not clinically insane. Don’t let this place drag you down.”
I nodded and he smiled.
“How about we take a nap? You seem tired,” Alix offered. I cuddled up with him and closed my eyes.
“There you are, Annalise. Ah, and little Bryson. Are you two ready to have a party?” Jason asked. Bryson was sobbing into my shoulder and I was in too much shock to move.
Jason grabbed my brother and pulled him by his brown locks. I screamed and tried to reach for him, but I was too late. Jason had my brother in a choke hold with a gun to his head. I couldn’t stop the tears that poured down my face.
“Call the police Anna. No one else.” Jason shoved the gun closer to my brother’s head. I stumbled to grab my phone and dialed nine-one-one. The woman on the other side pleaded with me to stay on the line, but I dropped my phone because once I had said the address Jason shot my brother. My baby brother was lying on the floor, motionless, dead. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t see.
“Thank you for helping me kill the person you loved most Annalise. I love you,” Jason said before I snapped. Next thing I knew he was laying on the floor. He wasn’t breathing. There was a trail of blood under his nose, but nothing else that emphasized his death.
“Anna! Wake up!” Alix exclaimed worriedly. He wrapped his thin arms around me and held my shaking body. I let the tears fall and the sobs escape my broken body.
Unknown’s Point of View:
I can’t kill her. I broke the rules. I fell in love with this girl and I just can’t. If my brother finds out then I am screwed. Then again we could always run away together. I could tell her the truth and she would have to want to stay with me.
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“Xavier!” I exclaimed and hugged my roommate. He laughed and spun me around. He had been gone for a week and I missed him.
“Why hello, my dearest Annalise. I have missed you,” he said. He smoothed down my hair and smiled.
“Annalise, I found out some terrible news. It's about that boyfriend of yours. He is trying to eliminate you. He is being paid to kill you, Anna. I am worried about your safety. Run away with me? I love you, Annalise.  I can protect you if you do. Please, I don’t want to watch you get hurt,” he warned. I shook my head. This can’t be happening.
“Annalise, please,” he pleaded. He wrapped his arms around me and held me very close. “He can’t kill you because that’s my job.” Next thing I knew there was a sharp pain in my side. I could feel the thick liquid drip down my waist.
I tried to let out a scream, but I was thrown into the desk. My body crashed to the ground and I was pulled by my hair. Xavier pushed me against the wall.
“What a waste of a pretty face. I’m kinda sad that I have to kill you, but it’s not like anyone will care. Well, I guess this is goodbye, Annalise Grey.”
I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the oblivion known as death. Only that didn’t happen. I was dropped onto the floor and I heard the fight. When I opened my eyes I saw Alix and he was pinning Xavier to the wall.
“Look here bud, I don’t care what you said to Anna. I don’t care who you think you are. I don’t even care if you have cancer. You hurt my girl and you are going to pay for that,” Alix pretty much growled that entire statement.
I stood up slowly and made my way towards the boys. I tripped and fell to the floor about halfway through. My body withered in pain as I screamed for them to stop. I didn’t want to watch anyone else get hurt. Not after my brother.
“Alix please don’t do this. Don’t become a murderer because of me,” I begged. I looked into his pale blue eyes. They pressed into me with such intensity.
“I already am. I tried to save Bryson, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t save him and I tried. I’m so sorry Anna. I killed that man and they replaced him with this guy. He was going to kill you, Anna. I have to do something,” Alix sobbed as he held a knife to Xavier’s throat. I stood up and walked over to them.
“Alix, you need to put the knife down. He wouldn’t have killed me. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t have. I know Xavier. He is my friend. Sure he threw me around a bit, but it wasn’t that bad. Now, Alix put down the knife. Please.”
“Alix, listen to her. Put down the knife. She’s right. I couldn’t kill her. I love her and I just had to make it look like I did,” Xavier said in a shaky voice. I wrapped my arms around Alix and he dropped the knife. He sobbed into my neck and I rocked him back and forth.
“You tell no one about this. Either of you.” I warned the boys. I’m not going through this again. I’m not losing the most precious people in my life again. Not now. I just can’t. Maybe I am crazy, but I am crazy about these boys. Ocean View Academy is my home and I belong here. With the boys.
“I’m so sorry Anna. I never meant to hurt you,” Alix cried. I smoothed his hair.
“I never meant to make you boys want to kill me, but I did that. It’s okay, I still love you, Alix.”
Xavier was still shaken up, but soon things went back to normal. We act like this whole thing never happened.