Chapter 2
Emilia was in detention.
Quite an achievement, seeing as lessons had not even begun yet.
‘This has got to be some kind of record’ Emilia huffed, resting her chin on her palm, glaring at the wall opposite her. Are you proud of me mother?
Upon the table beside her, rested the prosthetic leg. It had been brought back to her, but Emilia had not fixed it back into place yet.
She stayed in this empty classroom alone for only a short time before a person arrived.
Emilia glanced up as she heard the door open, the figure that stepped in was perhaps a teacher, a young woman smartly dressed.
I guess this really is an all-girls school. I bet there aren’t even any male teachers here at all. Awesome!
The young woman sat down opposite Emilia at the table, pulling out a small folder, inside which were some papers, though there were very few. Emilia glanced to the folder briefly, seeing her initials on the front.
Great.
‘So, this is your first day here at this school’ the woman said. ‘I’m sorry I should really introduce myself first and not be rude. My name is Anna. I am the headmistress of this wonderful school.’
Shit.
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you’ Emilia smiled sweetly, trying to look innocent, though doing an unconvincing job of it. ‘My name is-’
‘Emilia Beatrice Watts’ the headmistress Anna interrupted, glancing down at one of the papers in the folder. ‘Your mother is Natasha Watts; you are an only child and have no other family that is known to you. You were born in Sweden and spent the majority of your early life traveling the world. You spent many years living in Alabama before coming here.’ She looked up at Emilia then. ‘You’re quite a way from home.’
‘You could say that’ Emilia shrugged.
‘So, about what happened earlier’ Anna began.
Shiiiiiiit.
‘This will be going on your permanent record. Not a good start seeing as it’s your first day.’ Anna leant back in her seat, looking at Emilia from across the table with scrutiny. ‘Would you like to tell me what happened?’
‘Well, it all began with the part that none of this was my fault’ Emilia said without pause.
Anna shook her head tiredly at this. She changed the subject again for a moment.
‘It says your mother died recently’ Anna went on, eye flitting back down to the papers before her. ‘I am very sorry to hear that. Is there anyone else you can stay with? Friends?’
‘No’ Emilia shook her head. ‘Any friends I do have right now are overseas. That’s why I was sent here.’
‘Who sent you here?’
‘I don’t know’ Emilia shrugged. ‘It was some official person or something. Apparently, mother planned to send me here anyway, so the plans were brought forward. Mother already had everything paid for I was told. She hadn’t told me anything about it at the time though. She died unexpectedly from an overdose.’
‘I’m very sorry to hear that. And your leg?’
‘I was in a car accident’ Emilia replied. ‘My…. mother was driving.’
‘Ok.’
Anna glanced down at the paper again.
‘You like to kickbox and do gymnastics.’
‘Yes’ Emilia smiled enthusiastically. ‘Sadly, I um…. can’t really do kickboxing anymore.’ She lightly tapped the prosthetic leg that lay on the table between them. ‘I used to be really good…. before my leg was mangled beyond saving.’
‘Are you any good at gymnastics?’
‘I think so, only a little though. Kickboxing was more my thing.’
‘Well, I think we should help you focus on your hobbies, so your behaviour doesn’t come out in negative ways. We have many different sports and hobbies including stables for horse-riding. I don’t want to hear again that you’ve hurt another student. You knocked out her tooth by the way.’
‘That wasn’t my fault, I was only defending myself! And about the horse-riding’ Emilia added in a quieter tone, ‘I’m not really keen on horses. They’re too unpredictable for me.’
‘Do you have any other interests?’ Anna asked her.
‘I love history, and reading…’
‘Then maybe you’re worth keeping after all.’
‘Hm?’
‘We take violence and rule breaking very seriously in this school. This is not only my school, but my home, and I want to maintain its excellent reputation.’
‘Understandable.’
Anna closed the thin folder with its papers inside, rising to her feet then.
Wait, that’s it? We’re done here?
‘I will give you a second chance’ Anna told her, ‘because….’
Yes?
‘…. I think you have potential to be a good student.’
Oh, that’s great.
‘Perhaps today was just a bad day’ Anna finished.
‘Yes’ Emilia agreed, ‘perhaps it was. Thank you. And…I’m sorry.’
Sorry I got caught.
‘Just please try to behave in a more civilized manner in the future. Violence is never the answer.’
I disagree. And so would the Roman General Vegetius, who once said, ‘if you want peace, prepare for war’. And I will fight tooth and nail.
‘…you can defend yourself if the need calls for it, but under no circumstances are you allowed to hit another student.’
Awesome!
‘Or kick’ Anna clarified.
Are you kidding me?
‘Do you understand Emilia?’
‘Absolutely loud and clear!’
‘Now, do you have any questions you would like to ask me?’ Anna asked.
‘Why is the carpark so big?’
‘What?’ the headmistress seemed thrown off by this odd question Emilia had asked so suddenly.
‘Why is the carpark so big?’ Emilia repeated. ‘A school this size wouldn’t need a carpark that large. It’s like…twice the size I would have thought it should be.’
The headmistress raised an eyebrow, still feeling perplexed at the unusual question.
‘It’s pretty empty right now’ Emilia muttered as an afterthought. ‘The carpark I mean. That’s a lot of wasted space.’
‘It fills at the end of the year during the party’ Anna explained.
‘Party?’
I love parties!
‘We have an end of year party every year’ Anna said.
‘Is it at the end of the year?’
Emilia asked this before she could stop herself.
‘There is a boy’s school a few miles from here’ Anna continued, ignoring Emilia’s previous question. ‘This school and that school are both very old. We have a ball at the end of the year, so we don’t stay strangers to our neighbours.’
‘Oh’ Emilia said. ‘That’s cool.’
Ugh.
‘Any other questions?’ Anna asked.
‘Nope.’
‘Hm’ Anna frowned, gazing down at Emilia who remained seated. ‘Alright’ she said at last, turning to leave.
At that moment there came a knock at the door. Perfect timing.
‘Come in’ Anna said.
Emilia glanced past the headmistress as the door opened, seeing the figure that entered was another student, wearing the dress-uniform.
‘Gloria, thank you for coming.’
‘It’s my pleasure’ the girl whose name was apparently Gloria replied sweetly, closing the door behind her and turning to face Emilia with interest.
‘This is Emilia Watts’ Anna introduced. ‘She is the new student.’
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you’ Gloria smiled to Emilia. ‘My name is Gloria Hayden.’
Emilia took in the student’s appearance.
She had pretty bright-blue eyes, and white-blonde hair set in an old-fashioned style. And an aura of joy and excitement.
She’s cute.
‘Hello, it’s nice to meet you’ Emilia beamed back.
‘Gloria will be your roommate’ Anna continued, ‘she will help you adjust to this school and help you settle in.’
‘Oh great’ Emilia said.
‘My previous roommate left some time ago’ Gloria told her. ‘I’ve been by myself for quite a while, it’s been kinda lonely. I was very happy when I heard I was finally getting a new roommate. I thought I would have to spend the rest of this year by myself’ she laughed awkwardly.
Oh, I love her laugh…
‘Well, you don’t have to be alone anymore’ Emilia said. ‘I hope we become good friends.’
‘I hope so too.’
‘I’m sure you two will get along fine’ Anna said now, her tone dismissive as she moved towards the door. ‘I have things to do, if there is anything you need from me’ she said to Gloria, ‘don’t hesitate to let me know.’
‘Of course,’ Gloria grinned.
Anna marched out of the room, allowing the door to swing gently shut behind her, leaving Gloria and Emilia alone together.
‘So, I hear you got yourself in trouble’ Gloria mumbled, covering her mouth and glancing away then.
‘Oh no, you know about that?’
‘Word gets around fast’ Gloria replied, straightening up then and continuing to smile.
Her eyes were bright with energy, and she had the most beautiful smile.
‘Maybe this is wrong of me to say…’ Gloria began.
Emilia instantly perked up in interest at that.
‘…but um…...oh….’ Gloria shook her head. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t say.’
‘No’ Emilia tensed, suddenly gripped with anticipation. ‘Please tell me! I hate it when people do that.’
Gloria held her hands together before her, straightening her shoulders.
‘Don’t tell anyone I said this but…. Sarah probably deserved whatever you did to her.’
‘Sarah?’
‘The girl you attacked.’
Emilia blinked. ‘I didn’t attack her! It was self-defence.’
‘Did you really fight her?’ Gloria asked, leaning forwards eagerly with her hands behind her back now. ‘You must be really brave.’
‘No’ Emilia replied indignantly. ‘The word fight implies both parties involving themselves in a confrontation or struggle of some kind. This girl you say is called ‘Sarah’…. just got her ass handed to her. It was like pushing a kitten over.’ Emilia dusted her hands off. ‘Easy.’
‘Wow.’ Gloria’s eyes shimmered in awe, clutching her hands over her heart. ‘You’re really amazing to be able to do something like that.’
‘Nah. I’ve just had a good teacher, and the discipline.’
‘Teacher?’
‘My kickboxing teacher’ Emilia clarified. ‘Not to mention I’m very flexible.’
‘Kick…?’ Gloria blinked in confusion. ‘What…did you do to Sarah?’
‘I kicked out her tooth’ Emilia grinned smugly, showing not the slightest bit of remorse.
She shouldn’t have messed with me.
‘Oh….’ Gloria breathed.
‘Yeah…. I’m kinda good at what I do…’ Emilia’s expression soured then. ‘At least I used to be….’
Emilia patted the prosthetic leg which lay on the table.
‘I had to give up my passion because uh…. Well, it’s a bit hard to kickbox when you only have one leg. And a false one just isn’t the same.’
‘Oh, I'm so sorry.’
‘Why?’
‘Hm?’
‘Why are you sorry?’ Emilia asked.
A long silence passed between them.
Gloria shifted uncomfortably. ‘I… d-don’t know’ she chuckled awkwardly. ‘I guess…. it’s expected for someone to say something like that.’
‘You don’t need to be sad or feel bad. There’s nothing to feel bad about, I am thriving.’
Emilia grinned widely then, from ear to ear. She shivered excitedly.
‘It’s so much fun surprising people. I’ve stabbed my fake leg before, and you should see people’s faces! It’s hilarious!’
‘Oh gosh…. you don’t go around stabbing things very often I hope.’
‘Of course not,’ Emilia crossed her arms indignantly. ‘I’m actually not a violent person. I don’t start a fight, but by God I am happy to end it.’
‘Wow, you’re quite a character.’
‘You think so?’ Emilia asked dryly.
‘So, would you like to come with me then? I can show you around this wonderful school.’
‘Cool. I’d love to. That would be awesome.’
Emilia stood up a little too fast then, forgetting that she had yet to fix her prosthetic leg back in place.
She swiftly lost balance and fell over, painfully landing into the chairs beside her.
‘Oh my gosh are you ok!?’ Gloria started forwards.
‘Ow ow ow…’ Emilia pushed herself up gingerly, shoving the chairs away from her, doing so angrily as if they were personally responsible. ‘This is uh…. embarrassing…’ Emilia’s cheeks flushed a little as she reached for her prosthetic leg, which rested innocently upon the table above her. ‘I uh…sometimes forget I still only have one leg.’
Emilia grabbed the plastic leg.
She rolled onto her back, lifting her knee up and awkwardly fixing the prosthetic leg in place.
Emilia leapt up enthusiastically then, acting as if nothing had happened.
‘Great!’ Emilia beamed, hands upon her hips. ‘Shall we go?’
Gloria began to chuckle then, covering her mouth and hunching her shoulders.
Oh my god her laugh is so cute!
‘What’s so funny’ Emilia huffed.
‘You’re just a very stranger person.’
‘I am not!’
‘I don’t think I’ve met anyone quite like you’ Gloria giggled.
‘Is that a good thing or…?’ Emilia raised an eyebrow.
Gloria straightened up, composing herself.
‘Come on, let’s go and I’ll show you around. Are you ok to walk?’
‘Yeah, I'm ok to walk. My leg only fell off when I kicked Sarah.’
Gloria giggled again.
Aaahhhh! Her laugh is so adorable!
Emilia stared at Gloria blankly, hiding her thoughts and feelings.
‘I’m sorry I'm sorry’ Gloria gasped. ‘It’s just good to hear that someone finally stood up to Sarah. She can be such a bully sometimes.’
‘Oh good’ Emilia said perking up. ‘I’m glad what I did made someone happy at least. I thought for a minute I was going to be expelled. I don’t think Anna was very pleased with me.’
‘Our headmistress is a very kind and sweet, caring person. If you every have any problems, you can speak to her. You can trust her to keep whatever you tell her a secret if you ask her to. She’s had a difficult life in the past, and has helped a lot of people, like Terry, so she has a different perspective. She’s very understanding.’
‘Ahhh cool’ Emilia replied, distracted now as she gazed out the window.
That’s a pretty yellow butterfly. They must love the flowers that grow here.
‘Alright then’ Gloria sighed, wiping her eye. ‘Let’s go.’
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