Chapter 1: The Envelope

“UGH! Why do my parents have to be such… Heck, I can’t even think of a word nasty enough to describe them!” Karlee Millifiori was fuming as she banged her way out the door to collect the mail. The biggest pool party ever held in Gunderson was tonight; the party that you had to attend to be somebody. But noooooo… Karlee’s stupid parents said she had to help out at the brats’ cutesy day care party. Even worse, she had to do it while wearing a ridiculous rabbit costume. Could life get any worse?

From day one Karlee had had strikes against her. Strike number one: her name. Karlee’s real name was Kareliana Millifiori, which didn’t fit her rebellious personality at all. There wasn’t a single good thing about those outlandish names; all they brought to Karlee was teasing. Well, until she bloodied up their sorry noses a few times; then they left her alone. Strike number two: her freaky family. If Karlee was pissed about her name, it was a hundred times worse when it came to her family. Her parents were complete wackos. They ran a daycare during the day and were clowns-for-hire during their free time. Then there were the brats; Karlee’s twin 6-year-old brothers. Shaving cream in Karlee’s shoes? Yep. Ipod down the toilet? You betcha. Hacking into Karlee’s Myspace and posting embarrassing pictures. Of course… whoah, wait a minute! Hacking?! Yup. The brats weren’t just annoying. They were annoying geniuses. And then there was Nonna, Karlee’s creepy grandmother. She was always creeping people with her mysterious “secrets” and her little game; pretending to read people’s minds. Worst of all was her constant whispers to Karlee that she was somehow special, but not special as in just plain unique. Special as in weird special. Don’t even get Karlee started on her extended family… Nellie, a seemingly normal name; but Karlee’s gothic cousin never used it. Nope. She called herself Persephone Death. Karlee’s other cousin was the complete opposite of Nellie; completely obsessive about anything Japanese. Jaime-chan was always peppering her conversation with words like “kawaii” and “neko.” And Karlee’s other relatives… I just won’t go there. Strike number three: Karlee really was weird special, but we’ll get to that later. Three strikes and YOU’RE OUT!

Back to Karlee stomping down the front steps to the mailbox… She had to let out her anger somehow, so she clenched her fists and made a running leap. With a resounding yell she kicked the mailbox facedown into the dirt, sending letters flying into the air. Most of the mail landed in the puddles left over from the previous day’s rainstorm, but one envelope apparently didn’t fancy the idea. It came to a rest on Karlee’s head.

She violently grabbed the letter and was about to fling it into the puddles with the rest of the mail, but something about it caught her eye. The envelope was a tannish white and the back was sealed with wax. Imprinted in this was a crest; a raven standing proudly on a rock inside the borders of a shield. Karlee turned the letter over. The writing on the front was handwritten in a curling script… but it was clear to see that it was addressed to her. The return address told her it had been sent by The Ravenrock Academy.

“Crap! My parents are finally trying to send me to boarding school!” Karlee stuffed the envelope into her pocket and ran inside, leaving her parents to go out and retrieve the soaking wet bills and too-good-to-be true offers. She clomped up the stairs, leaving behind a trail of muddy footprints. She rounded two corners and came to the room at the end of the hall. She flipped the skull-emblazoned poster on the door so it read “WARNING: DO NOT ENTER!”, stepped inside the room, and slammed the door behind her. The shock upon impact rattled the lock into place. Karlee was safe.

She grabbed the now-crumpled letter from her pocket and slit it open with the knife she kept handy in her right desk drawer. Knife? No, she doesn’t cut herself! She just had a bad experience a few years back… She doesn’t like to talk about it. Karlee lifted out the contents of the envelope thinking, “Oh heck, they did apply to a boarding school!” The first crumpled piece of paper that she had unfolded began, “Congratulations. Kareliana Millifiori has been accepted at The Ravenwood Academy for Exceptional Students.” Exceptional. Just another word for delinquents.

This could not be happening. Boarding school?! Even living with her freaky family was better than wearing uniforms, singing sappy school anthems, or getting lectured to by sugary just-tell-me-your-feelings counselors. Karlee ripped the papers to bits without reading another word and threw the scraps into her neon green wastepaper basket. Hopefully it would be the end of the matter… but it was not to be.