Chapter 5
The grounds of the school were beautiful and pristine. Gloria and Emilia walked for the most part in silence. But it was a comfortable silence, and as they went Emilia, glanced all about her, eyes roving over the fields and flowers and buildings around them.
‘I can’t believe what a polar opposite this place is to my old school’ Emilia mumbled.
‘I’m sorry, what was that? I didn’t hear you.’
‘It’s nothing.’
They continuing to walk in a random direction.
‘So where are the others?’ Emilia asked. ‘I mean…the other students.’
‘They’re in their classes now.’
‘How come you’re not in class.’
‘Because I’m showing you around, silly’ Gloria beamed at her.
‘Oh no, are you saying you were pulled out of class for me?’
‘It ok’ Gloria waved at her. ‘I don’t mind at all. Truth be told, it was kinda a boring lesson, and it’s a nice day to be out anyway. And besides….’
Gloria brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
‘…I was excited about meeting my new roommate.’
Oh my god I love her so much!!!!
‘Oh! You know I totally forgot that we were room-mates now. Will we be going to the dormitories soon?’ Emilia asked.
‘Soon, but not yet.’ Gloria stopped, turning on the spot to face Emilia. ‘I don’t want to go inside just yet.’
As she was speaking, Emilia’s attention began to drift over her shoulder, slowly focusing on something behind her.
‘Who’s that?’
‘Hm?’ Gloria looked around. ‘Oh, that’s Maddy.’
‘Maddy? Why isn’t she in class?’
Gloria looked back at Emilia with a smile. ‘Well, why don’t we go over and ask her?’
Emilia felt a sudden twinge of nervousness at that.
Why am I nervous? It’s just a girl. I can do this.
‘Sure’ Emilia replied. ‘Let’s go see her. I want to try to make new friends.’
‘I hope you’re not shy at all’ Gloria said.
‘Wait, are you teasing me?’
‘Of course not!’ Gloria hesitated. ‘Well…maybe a little. Sorry. But I promise Maddy is lovely. She’s a little shy herself so…’
‘Why is she by herself?’
‘She spends a lot of her time alone. I don’t know if it’s just by choice or…she’s just different.’
‘Oh.’
‘You’ll see. Come on, let’s go speak to her.’
Gloria walked away.
Emilia hung back for a few seconds, lingering for a time, before following after Gloria.
They approached Maddy. She was kneeling before a flower bed, leaning forwards, tending to the flowers.
When she noticed the approaching shadows, she leant back, sitting on her heels. Maddy glanced around.
‘Hey Maddy.’
‘Hey Gloria. Who is that?’
Gloria touched Emilia’s arm lightly as she introduced her.
‘This is Emilia. She’s the new student.’
‘Oh.’ Maddy answered flatly. She put her tools down, rising to her feet and dusting herself off. ‘It’s nice to meet you, my name is Madison. But I prefer if people just call me Maddy.’
‘Ok then’ Emilia replied, ‘Maddy.’
Maddy nodded.
‘So, um….’ Emilia smiled awkwardly, holding her hands together tightly to stop them from shaking. Her body all over was trembling slightly with nerves and excitement both. This was all so new and strange to her. ‘I’m sorry’ Emilia laughed. ‘I’m nervous.’
‘That’s ok’ Maddy said. ‘I understand.’
‘Oh cool.’
‘So, what do you think of this school so far?’ Maddy asked in a flat voice.
‘It’s really nice’ Emilia nodded. ‘It’s really a big school, the gardens are huge.’
‘Yeah, they are.’
An awkward silence passed between the small group, until Gloria spoke up.
Oh, thank God.
‘Emilia was wondering why you weren’t in class like the rest of the students’ Gloria said.
‘Oh’ Maddy said. ‘That’s because I'm a genius.’
‘I’m sorry?’ Emilia said, wondering if she had heard that right.
Maddy averted her eyes, swaying on the spot.
Emilia looked her up and down briefly. Her body language seemed strained.
I guess she’s not really comfortable with strangers. Maybe she likes to be alone.
‘I don’t know how best to explain it’ Maddy said, ‘my mind is like a computer. I excel academically. My mind is like a sponge.’
‘That must be nice.’
‘I suppose’ Maddy answered, ‘of a sort. But it gets kinda lonely. I find it hard to uh…’ Maddy hummed to herself then, swaying on the spot again.
‘Maddy can be a little socially awkward at times’ Gloria stepped in.
It seemed as if she was going to say more, but then Maddy interrupted.
‘On nice days, I like to do some gardening. But only if it’s not too hot or too cold. On days I don’t like it outside, I go inside. I like to study and learn new things. Sometimes I like to dance.’
‘Oh’ Emilia replied.
She sounds kinda robotic.
‘That’s nice for you’ Emilia said.
‘You should go now’ Maddy told them then. ‘I’m busy.’
Then without another word she turned away. Kneeling back where she had been before and leaning forwards over the flowerbed.
She continued with whatever she had been doing. It wasn’t clear to Emilia exactly what that was, but it seemed as if she was moving the flowers around. Slightly to the left, slightly to the right or further away or closer.
Emilia’s attention lingered on this strange girl for a few seconds, before her attention flickered up, back towards Gloria, who was giving her a peculiar expression.
Gloria shrugged apologetically.
‘Come on’ she said to Emilia. ‘Let’s go.’
They walked away together, as they did, Emilia glanced back towards Maddy briefly.
Once the two girls were a distance away, Gloria spoke again.
‘Sorry’ she said, ‘maybe I should have explained it a little better. Maddy’s um…. different.’
‘No, I think I understand’ Emilia said, looking away. ‘I… hmm.’
‘She really is a genius you know’ Gloria went on. ‘She’s just difficult to interact with sometimes. She doesn’t understand social cues and things like that. But she is a nice girl, she means well but sometimes she says things that she um, well she doesn’t mean to upset anyone, but sometimes the things that she says and how she says it can be hurtful to other people. She can be quite blunt and abrasive without meaning to be.’
‘I understand’ Emilia said. ‘She seems nice.’
‘I’m glad you think so.’
They continued walking.
‘There’s still so much to see’ Gloria told her. ‘Where would you like to go next?’
‘What about that building over there?’ Emilia asked pointing.
‘Oh! That’s the gymnasium. Let’s check it out. It’ll probably take a long time to see the whole school.’
‘Sure.’
As they headed slowly towards this large building, Emilia paused briefly.
‘Look at these flowers’ she sighed, leaning forwards to smell them. ‘I love lilies, they’re so pretty.’
Oh mother, I remember how you used to love these flowers. They smell so good. Too bad you’re dead now.
‘Sorry’ Emilia fumbled, straightening up again as she saw Gloria a short distance away waiting for her. ‘I’m coming.’
‘It’s ok’ Gloria smiled. ‘I love the flowers too.’
Emilia hurried up to her, reaching her side once more.
They continued walking together, heading towards the gymnasium.
*
*
The double doors of the entrance to the gymnasium were tall and made of glass, allowing those outside to see in.
As they approached, Emilia was able to get a preview of the building’s interior, before they actually entered. Just beyond the entrance doors was a large room, filled with lockers. A large empty space in the centre and a desk by the back wall, behind this desk it was vacant.
‘Thank you’ Emilia said, as Gloria opened the door for her.
They entered the large building.
‘There are three large halls in this building’ Gloria told her, ‘…and a fourth smaller one. That one is used mostly as just a storage room.’
‘Right.’
On either side of the entrance-locker room, was an open doorway, through one of these doors could be heard sounds coming from beyond.
‘There must be a lesson going on right now’ Gloria said excitedly, leaning forwards eagerly. ‘Let’s go take a look.’
Emilia followed her new roommate towards one of the open doors, heading towards the sounds.
A few seconds later, after moving through a short stretch of hallway, with doors leading off to several bathrooms and more locker rooms, and smaller storage rooms, they reached one of the halls.
Emilia blinked in awe as she stepped out of the hallway, coming to stand at the edge of the gymnastics hall. It was a vast hall, with a high ceiling, and was currently a buzz of activity.
Emilia briefly looked over at the figures, they were all girls.
Oh yeah, I forgot for a second this was an all-girls school….
The gymnastics hall had everything a gymnast could possibly need, there were beams and bars and horses and boxes and bucks and springboards and trampolines, as well as large empty areas of floor and mats about the place.
‘This place is incredible.’
‘Well, this is the best school’ Gloria said, ‘the funding I hear is very good, and the students that graduate all excel in whichever field they chose.’ Gloria averted her eyes momentarily, seemingly doing so shyly. ‘Anna cares for this school very much.’
‘Anna?’
‘The headmistress.’
‘Oh yeah.’
The one I got in trouble with.
‘I guess I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to come to this school’ Emilia mumbled.
‘Well…I’m glad you’re here anyway.’
Emilia’s attention flickered towards Gloria suddenly.
Is she gay?
‘I think we’ll be very good friends’ Gloria said.
‘I hope so…I mean…I'm sure we will’ Emilia replied.
Gloria smiled.
‘I mean…’ Emilia went on, ‘I won’t kick you in the face and break your tooth.’
‘Please don’t’ Gloria giggled behind her hand. ‘I won’t be mean to you, I’m sure I won’t do anything to make you want to kick me in the face.’
Awwwwww? She’s so cute!
‘Anyway’ Gloria continued, as Emilia turned her face away, scratching at her cheek nervously, having gone a little red. ‘I don’t think we’ll have time to see the whole school at this rate.’
‘That’s ok.’
‘Mealtime will be soon’ Gloria told her.
Oh yummy.
‘I am getting a little hungry.’ Emilia said.
Oh god I hope I won’t have to sit on my own and be the new and weird girl that everyone is so painfully aware of.
‘Um…. Gloria?’
‘Yes?’
‘Sorry, this is kinda embarrassing…’ Emilia murmured.
‘You don’t have to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable around me’ Gloria said.
Emilia groaned to herself, hunching her shoulders and hugging herself.
‘How do we eat?’
‘I'm sorry?’
‘I mean….’ Emilia fumbled.
I'm such a stupid….
‘I don’t want to eat on my own’ Emilia blurted out. ‘How does the school eat, I mean…. can we eat together? I don’t want to be the lonely one again.’
‘Awwww, of course Emilia’ Gloria replied sympathetically, appearing a little relieved.
Did she just ‘awwww’ me?
‘Of course we can eat together. I’m happy to spend the rest of this day with you. Lessons will be over soon so I have free time’ Gloria said. ‘And as for food, the canteen cooks food three times a day at the same times every day. If you’re hungry outside those times, there are vending machines. You can buy anything, sandwiches, snacks, fruit and so on. There are drinks too. Put it this way, you’ll never go hungry…or thirsty. Oh! And if you ever have any problems, you know…emotionally, or if you’re sick, if you have any issues of that sort you can go to see one of our nurses. They are all lovely. Oh wait, I haven’t shown you the nurse’s station yet.’
‘I won’t be taking you away from your friends, will I?’ Emilia mumbled, head dipped, looking at Gloria only reluctantly now.
‘Of course not. They’ll understand. We all knew you were coming.’
‘We?’
‘The whole school.’
What, everyone?
‘It’s not often we get a new student so late. Word kinda gets around here you know?’
Oh god…. this could be used to my disadvantage…...or advantage if I play it right…if I have to…dammit.
‘It’s a closed place this, but that’s not a bad thing’ Gloria went on, placing her hands together. ‘We have everything we need right here so people tend to stay, most of the girls live far away. Almost everyone stays here over the holidays and such. Only a few go home at the end of the day too. What I mean…gosh I'm not very good at explaining. Everyone kinda knows everyone here. If something happens…or rumours. You know… it kinda gets around.’
Oooohhh it’s like that.
‘No, I think I get it’ Emilia replied.
‘There is a small housing development near here’ Gloria explained. ‘A small number of students go home at the end of each day, but most of them live here until we’ve completed our education. Like us, we’ll be living here.’
‘Cool.’
They looked away again, towards the figures in the hall. Every piece of equipment was being used, and it was a busy scene.
‘Anyway’ Gloria spoke up, ‘um… the canteen will be open very soon. We can go together.’
‘That would be great.’
‘Then afterwards we can wander the school some more. Oh! I haven’t shown you the pool yet. We have a swimming stadium, that’s what we call it anyway…’
‘Is that the building I saw from the entrance?’
‘Yes. It’s a really big pool. I really love to swim but I'm so busy with my studies that I don’t get the chance to, you know? Not as often as I would like anyway.’
‘Yeah, I totally get that’ Emilia sighed. ‘I haven’t been swimming since…my gosh…. I can’t even remember. It’s been years. Gosh….’ Emilia said again. ‘I guess I must have been in Greece the last time I went swimming. The beaches are lovely there you know?’
‘No, I'm afraid I’ve never been to Greece.’
‘Yeah, but you must have been to the beach before.’
‘Of course,’ Gloria smiled. ‘Oh….’ Her eyes became distant then, ‘it’s been a while but I remember going to the beach with family. And I remember building sand castles with my little brother.’
‘Aww that’s cute’ Emilia said. ‘I’m an only child. I don’t know what it’s like to have a brother or sister. I kinda feel like I’ve missed out.’
‘It can be nice’ Gloria sighed. ‘I mean…I love my little brother very much, but I never get any peace, when I’m at home he constantly pesters me. I could be asleep and he’ll come and jump on my bed to wake me up wanting to play.’
‘Yeah, that does sound annoying.’
Gloria smiled at that.
They looked away again, back towards the figures dotted about the hall.
One of the girls in the hall caught Emilia’s attention. She stood out from the others because of her green dyed hair.
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