Free The Rise of the Fourteen by Catherine Carter Page B

and
Luna’s constant venomous glares aren’t helping. As Arden empties out the
dishwasher, Luna lazily flips through an ancient edition of Cosmopolitan. Apparently vintage is back “in.” Arden chuckles, in spite of himself. His back
is already turned when she looks up from perusing ridiculously thin models in
equally ridiculous outfits. She rolls her eyes but doesn't say anything.
    Their relative peace ends with a jangling of keys and the
front door swinging open. Luna winces before the impact. She knows her mother
and anticipates the loud thud that follows as the pine door and the coat stand
collide. Arden, on the other hand, is not so prepared and practically leaps out
of his pants — and breaks
another glass.
    “I'm back! And I've got the evening post!” Why Ms. Hughes
sounds so disgustingly cheerful, Arden cannot fathom. Neither can Luna,
apparently, as she chokes off a snort of derision. She continues to flip
aimlessly through the glossy pages as Arden carefully places crystalline shards
into the rubbish bin.
    “Why the long faces?”
    Gee, I wonder, Arden thinks snidely .
    “Arden, your welcome packet has arrived!”
    Welcome packet? Arden cautiously walks over to his
mother. She is holding a large beige envelope. In the center of the cover,
there are words in a flowing script.
    Hurtwood House: Academy of Excellence
     Arden turns the envelope over in his hands then rips it
open. Ignoring the paper cut on his thumb, he slowly removes the sheaf of
papers. Boarding school? Arden has a look of mingled shock and horror on
his face. Luna glares at her mother; her jaw dropped open in disgust. Ms.
Hughes's smile starts to fade as she sees the faces of her two, dear children.
    “… located just thirty miles from the heart of London in the
outstandingly beautiful Surrey Hills … 344 pupils … best art and drama school
in the UK ….”
    The bile rises in Arden’s throat as he reads further about
the wide variety of sports, the stunning dorms, and the stellar teachers, every
word handwritten. How is this good news?
    “Why does he have to go to school with me?” Luna’s rage
coats her words.
    A shudder rakes Arden’s entire body. Whenever I’ve ever
watched a TV show, when a brother and sister go to school together, they fight and
there are tears but, by the end of season three, they’ve created an unbreakable
bond that they will carry through their lives. But going to boarding school
with my estranged sister? Something tells me that even Hollywood
wouldn’t want to make this film.
    Ms. Hughes starts to yak on about the great location and how
splendid it is that he was accepted. But, Arden isn't listening. He’s watching
Luna and her celestial eyes and the bitter look on her face. Arden's nausea is
overwhelming, but he braves it out, focusing on the precise plum ink,
foretelling his future.
    Luna can no longer tell if Arden’s eyes are red from crying
or from lack of sleep. She’s never seen his sobbing, but she can certainly hear
it every night, just from down the hall, day after day, week after week. She
doesn’t try to talk to him. Not anymore. When she does go to his room, he’s
usually lying on his bed, just staring up at the ceiling. When it pours with
rain, he doesn’t even get up for meals.
    ***
    The weeks after the package arrived were the hardest. Arden
was so utterly silent, clutching at his stomach at meals. His jaw was set in a
firm line, only speaking when spoken to. He still doesn’t talk much. But his
tight-lipped grimace, has slowly morphed into a withered smile .
    I don’t know anything about the boy he used to be. I see
this comatose figure, lumbering through the halls, frightened and shocked, with
nowhere to run, Luna thinks.
    Luna lets out a deep exhale of frustration. Motheris
humming again. This time it’s The King and I . Every day there’s another
musical. Is she so oblivious to the fact that her golden castle is crumbling
around her? A false smile is permanently glued to her