A Student, Interrupted

Devin boarded the train back to Rexford, where her parents reside. She had just passed her fourth form in Braunmere School, and hoped she could attend the school up until sixth form. Maybe she could even attend university! She put her school bag on her lap and looked at her examination certificate for probably the umpteenth time.

A distinction. Maybe her mother would pay attention to her again, and maybe father would be proud of her for once.

The train slowed down to a halt as it approached the Rexford station. She got off the train, took her luggage from the luggage cart, and went outside the station, where the family chauffeur was waiting for her. He drove her to the main house of the family estate. She walked through the front door and into the drawing room to see that both of her parents were drinking and lounging around. She set down her luggage on the ground.

'Mummy! Daddy! I have some good news!' she exclaimed, hand on her schoolbag.
'Yes, Devin, what is it?' her mother asked, barely feigning interest.
She took her examination certificate out of the bag, pointed at it, and announced, 'I've passed my fourth form exams with a distinction!'
Her mother is a lot more interested now, while her father seems to seethe from envy. 'It's about time you made Mummy proud. You know, I also received a distinction at your age,' she said.
'So?' her father said coldly. 'Don't be so full of yourself. You're not going to use that knowledge anymore, anyway.'
'W-what? What do you mean, Daddy?' Devin asked. She didn't like the implications of her father's statement.
'You're not going back to school. Your mother and I have decided that you're going to be living in Paris with your aunt and godfather,' her father stated.

Devin couldn't believe her ears. She was only a few months shy of turning 16, and her parents are sending her away to a country she's only been to once or twice.

Despite everything she went through in school, despite her fellow students picking on her, despite the feeling of isolation she felt for the first few years, she wanted to stay. Her life at school was a lot better than her life at home - at least the teachers paid attention to her. At least she didn't have to listen to her father slander her as if she wasn't in the room, or watch him destroy her prized possessions. If she leaves school now, what was she expected to do? She can't show off her aptitude for maths anymore, and she'll be separated from her classmate and close friend, Marion Farren, whom she was deeply in love with.

'But- but I scored top marks in English and Mathematics,' she said, showing her examination certificate in a desperate attempt to convince her parents to let her stay in school.
'Enough of that! You will be staying to Paris, and that's final,' her father barked.
She looked at her mother, her brown eyes pleading. Unfortunately for her, her mother shrugged, and said, 'Well, you heard your father.'

She meandered into her room and sulked, dejected by her mother's apathy and her father's bitterness.