That was the end of the road for her mother, who Kendall shared a not-so-tearful goodbye with before Mrs Moore led her away. The headmistress had gone in to the talk to the girls inside her room whilst Kendall talked to her mother, so the door was half-open waiting for Kendall to go in. She didn't hesitate.

The room was about as nice as you would expect a bedroom to be, at least for four girls at a boarding school who should really be at juvie. There were bunk beds, which would be alright if you were on the top one, but judging by the clean linen set on the bottom left one Kendall hadn't gotten that privilege. There were two wardrobes, not overly big, especially for kids who probably had unlimited budgets when it came to clothes shopping, but Kendall hadn't brought much with her anyway and she reckoned her stuff would fit just fine. Four small cupboards boasted the odds and ends in the room, one of course standing empty, and a bright ceiling light made Kendall wish she'd packed sunglasses. There were a few other bits and pieces scattered around the room, but really Kendall's interest waned once she discovered there was no TV.

She barely had time to compute all this when a girl popped up in front of her with a grin. "Hi, I'm Rhea." She put her hand out. "I'm your new best friend."

Kendall didn't have much expectations for the school. She assumed she was prepared to handle just about anything, and that nothing would take her by surprise. However, this announcement rocked her so much her only response was a dry, "Oh, but the old one will be so disappointed." She very pointedly did not shake her hand. She was sixteen, not thirty-five.

Rhea's hand dropped awkwardly to her side, and she twisted it behind her back as if to hide the shame. The girl's cheeks flushed an impressive shade of pink, matching the ends of her dip-dyed hair. "Oh, um..." She faltered, glancing behind her for help. "I didn't mean to..."

"What she means to say," a girl lounging on one of the bunk beds behind seamlessly picked up, "is welcome to dorm-room 3-12. Your new roommates for the academic year are Rhea, Indy and Knife. We hope you enjoy your stay at Hamilton Heights, and please keep your hands and feet inside your own personal space at all times, otherwise they will be cut off." Apparently done, the girl picked her magazine back up, flipping idly to the next page.

Although Kendall appreciated the other girl's wit, one thing stood out. "Knife?" She repeated incredulously. "One of you is called Knife?"

Rhea and the dark haired girl instantly glanced up at one of the top bunks, where a dark mound betrayed someone hiding beneath the covers. The aforementioned Knife, Kendall assumed, making the girl with the magazine Indy.

"Yes." Rhea lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Knife arrived here a few weeks ago. She refuses to speak - we wonder if she's even able to. On her first day, Layla, who thinks she's the tough one around here because she killed her pets, tried to bully her in the hallway. Knife didn't engage, but when it turned physical, she whipped out a knife from her shoe and pinned Layla's ear to the wall. Hence, Knife."

Kendall stared at her. "That sounds like a story from a really, really bad prison movie."

"Hamilton Heights is a fancy prison." Indy added, still engrossed in her magazine. "They lock our doors, they put us in solitary for bad behaviour, and snitches get stitches."

Kendall wasn't sure whether Indy actually meant this - her blank, bored expression revealed absolutely nothing, but in her eyes was a glimmer of a challenge. Slowly, Kendall stepped back and tried the door handle. Locked, just like Indy had said.

"Automatic timers." Rhea added helpfully. "She's right, you know. There's some really crazy people in here, so as your roommates, were obliged to help you. We have to stick together."

"And how do I know you're not crazy?" Kendall pointed out, which in her mind was a reasonable assumption considering the origins of Knife. Whose bed, she noted, was right above hers. If she decided to bring out that knife again, Kendall would be defenceless.

"We are crazy," Indy answered, which did noting to ease her mind. "But so are you. And would you rather have Knife on your side or someone else's?"

There was a grudging truth to that question, Kendall had to acknowledge. Rhea looked delighted at her nod. "I knew you'd be a great roommate!" She exclaimed happily. "Now you just need a nickname. Knife is obviously Knife, I'm Rhea, short for Andrea, and Indy-"

"Godsohelp you, I will murder you in your sleep," Indy threatened.

"-is called Indonesia, as her parents conceived her there." Rhea finished blithely, ignoring Indy's loud 'hmmph'. "So what's your nickname? Nelly?"

Images of a dancing pink elephant named Nelly sprung to mind, even though Kendall wasn't quite sure what the source of them was. "I like Kendall." She said hurriedly. "I don't need a nickname. Honestly. I'd rather braid my hair and make friendship bracelets."

"Obviously we'll do that too." Rhea rolled her eyes, leaving Kendall undecided as to whether she was being serious or not. "But you need a nickname. Maybe not Nelly, but I'll think of one. Leave it to me!"

Kendall didn't particularly trust the girl, despite her innocent eyes and her mega-watt smile, but decided it would be best not to argue with her. Instead, she began to unpack her suitcases, shoving her things haphazardly into drawers. Rhea visibly winced at her lack of organisation, and hovered threateningly behind her as if she wanted to intervene, but a sharp look from Indy prevented her from taking any action. She did, however, insist on making Kendall's bed after witnessing her attempting to shove a duvet into its cover instead of using the turning-it-inside-out method. Kendall was only too happy to let her; a comfy bed was perhaps the one thing in life that mattered to her.

All of this took very little time, and it wasn't long before Kendall was able to flop down her bed, letting out a sigh of relief. The chicken nuggets her mum had bought her for dinner on their way up were beginning to churn uncomfortably in her stomach, and Kendall tried to distract herself by looking at her phone, which told her it was only seven o'clock, and that she still had a few more hours left in this dismal room to endure - Mrs Moore had mentioned the strict ten o'clock lights out on Sunday nights so students could attack Monday morning 'with vigour'. The only thing Kendall attacked with vigour was other people.

Immediately bored due to the lack of internet connection, Kendall scanned around the room for something to do and came up short. Indy didn't look willing to share her precious magazine, and the lack of TV was really killing her. Rhea was clutching a book, probably a steamy romance judging by the shirtless tattooed male on the cover, although 'City Of Bones' was a more disturbing name. She didn't appear to be actually reading the book, instead she was using it as a prop to peer at Kendall over. When she noticed Kendall noticing her, she put the book down and smiled, eager to engage in conversation.

Instead of taking the opportunity to get to know her, Kendall held up her phone. "WiFi password?"

Rhea's smile deflated. "Oh. It's CEVUXDAC. But they switch it off at half seven, to encourage homework and roommate bonding for the rest of the night."

Kendall shrugged. "Seems stupid. I can just download a movie on Netflix and then watch it after. Could you repeat that, please?"

Rhea's smile was a real struggle now. "C. E. V. U. X. D. A. C. But don't you want to get to know us?"

"I'll be stuck here all year." Kendall said drily, already reaching for her headphones. "Plenty of time to get to know you. Let's not waste all the good stuff on the first night."

She didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt as she achieved a WiFi connection and blocked out the rest of the room. Why should she? It wasn't her responsibility to entertain an eager-to-please roommate with more energy than a Durecell bunny. It was hard to imagine what Rhea had been sent here for - perhaps annoying someone so much they saw no choice but to arrest her. She snorted at her own cruel joke, but humour quickly dissipated when she realised her Netflix account wasn't working. It was at this point a WhatsApp from her mother pinged through :

Mom: I've changed the Netflix password. Mrs Moore says u should talk to roomm8s instead. Have a gr8 time! :-)

For once, it wasn't just her mother's unusual combination of proper sentences and text-speak that made Kendall want to punch something (okay, someone). She had grown so dependent on things like Netflix to entertain her, she literally did not know what else to do. Reluctantly, she pulled out her headphones and set her phone to the side. It seemed like fate was pointing her in one particular direction, which was why Kendall said with all the boredom and resentment she could muster, "Let's get to know each other."

Rhea, who was still on the same page of her book, flung it mercilessly to the side as if to indicate her willingness to chat. What she failed to account for in her enthusiasm was that Knife lay directly opposite her on the other bunk, and the book hit the top of her mound where Kendall assumed her head was. Immediately the other two girls gasped, and Rhea theatrically clapped her hand over her mouth. Everyone seemed to know that hitting a girl called Knife with a hardback book was not a recipe for success. They all sat and waited a few minutes for any sign of retaliation, which was simultaneously scary and exciting, far more so than any Netflix show.

When the mound remained motionless, the girls let out visible breaths. Indy curled a corner of her magazine and set it very, very gently on the cupboard nearest to her bunk. "Why don't we just skip straight to the point?" Indy said in what was very definitively a hushed tone. "You don't want to get to know us; you just want to know what we're here for."

She probably thought she was being shrewd. Her air of quiet superiority, from her no-nonsense tone to her careful uninterest towards Kendall up to this point, annoyed her to the point where she was prepared to admit her Netflix situation just to prove her wrong. However, Kendall reasoned, it still did slightly make Indy right about her less-than-nice motives for talking to them, and she had to admit her curiosity. So instead she raised an eyebrow, inviting further details.

Indy snorted loudly with a glance at Rhea, which made Rhea wince, which made Kendall wonder how those two actions were connected, which made Indy smirk knowingly, which made Rhea blush again, which made Kendall say loudly, "Alright, who wants to tell me what's going on?"

The other two widened their eyes, frustrating Kendall further, until she saw the mound move and the book come whirling towards her. She barely had time to shriek before the full force of the book whacked her in the head. In fairness, Kendall was pretty used to being knocked on the head during fights, so the blow, whilst painful, was manageable. But the outrage at being assaulted before she'd even officially started school was enough to make her want to big it up. Within a few minutes, she was positive she could have Indy mildly concerned she had a concussion, Rhea in tears, and a teacher opening the door to investigate.

Before she had a chance to do any of his, the smarter part of her brain reminded her this was, as Indy had called it, a prison school, so she should act as tough as possible. So she merely tossed the book at Rhea, who flinched and abruptly dropped it. "I'm in here for fighting." Kendall said casually. "I was found participating in the under-18's section of an underground fighting ring where people bet on my matches - most of which I won. I've had worse injuries than books."

If Indy was at all impressed, she hid it well. "I'm an arsonist." She replied just as casually. "Last year I burnt down half my school, so I got sent here. Over summer, when I was free and apparently cured, I set my step-mum's house on fire. It was during her wedding to my dad, so it was pretty obvious I wasn't trying to kill her, but she thinks I'm a murderer and convinced my dad I needed another term here. Rhea joined at the same time as me, so this is our second year as roommates. Oh, and she's a drug addict." She shrugged. "Sorry, Rhea, but you were never going to admit it unless prompted."

If Kendall had WiFi, she would definitely send a picture of Rhea's cheeks to the Guinness World Book Of Records to get her a spot as 'Biggest Blusher Ever'. "Yes, I took cocaine once." Rhea defended. "And yes, I got addicted and took it many more times. But it's not really my fault. My dad was the one with the stash of it, and no-one ever gives him any stick for it because he's a famous rock star and that's what rock stars do. But I'm clean now, again. Like Indy, I relapsed over summer when I joined my dad on tour, and I spent my first few weeks here getting detoxed. But this time, I'm going to stay clean for good."

An arsonist, a drug addict and a girl named Knife. With roommates like those, Kendall was sure her time at Hamilton Heights would be just peachy.