Victorie plus N

Chapter 3 & 4: Meet for Two

(A/N: Edited this into one chapter, used to be three and four now it's only three)

I won't go through all the details about my meeting with Grandfather's personal lawyer, but let's just say I'm going to, and I quote, "the most famous private school in Northern England, where the rich and the wealthy send their children"- A.K.A., Mayberry Prestigious Preparatory, a state-of-the-art boarding school (which I won't be boarding at, thankfully, because it's here in Mayberry and 20 minutes away), after summer is over. My cousins, who are around my age, attend that school, too, and have since, like, Kindergarten. So I guess I won't be going through the "new girl gig" for long, which is great because even when my parents died I was still able to go to the same school I did before their deaths with my foster family. The school was a public one, for elementary, Kindergarten all the way up to 8th grade, so I knew everyone and was pretty tight with all my friends (though they weren't my best friends), and didn't have to go to a new school or anything like that and be "the new kid". At least my cousins will be able to introduce me to their friends unless they hate me of course, and then that idea will go up in flames.

Also, I get a $250 -As Mr. Lawyer-guy so "kindly" (he gave me a death glare and sighed really loudly, I'm pretty sure he doesn't like kids) converted for me from 183.99 pounds- allowance every month! That's like $60 a week! I'm rich! And I get maid service, and can eat in my bedroom every morning, and go to fabulous places for vacations during school breaks- it'll be like being a princess without the paparazzi! Honestly, I can't believe this even happened to me! Like, for real, this is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me after my parent's and Grandfather's deaths! Well, now I'll be saying to everyone if everyone I care about dies, becoming a millionaire will be the first on my list of coping with death.

I also have a new, top-notch therapist to help me with my...problems. I thought living a millionaire life would basically be therapy, but Grandfather's personal lawyer didn't think so. So yeah, that basically sums up our conversation which I was starving throughout, and barely listening to because of that, but was still able to piece out what he was saying. Now today I'll be meeting my cousins, which is why I am currently going through my endless supply (eye-roll) of outfits. Airlines are the worst.

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I finally pick out an outfit- black leggings and a plain, white, sweatshirt- like crop top, plus my black and white checkered Vans, and take them all to the bathroom where I change and shower. I still haven't finished unpacking, but that's because I don't really have anything much to unpack. I unpacked most of everything I have, though. I get out of the bathroom and stuff my pj's in a drawer inside the closet. Did I mention the closet? No? Well, it's about the size of my old bedroom at my late parents' house, has white closet sliding doors with hangers inside, multiple drawers on every wall, a big window (that currently has the shades drawn), with a window seat, and a low counter with a cushioned bench all around it. Under the bench are more drawers. It's a cool closet. Oh, what am I saying, it's the best closet on... earth. It's so cool!!! I've already taken a picture of it (and I've taken pictures of the suite and the scary third-floor hallway, also) and sent it to my friends back in California- they're so jealous!

Anyways, after I put away my pj's, I head down to the dining hall, finding it much quicker than I did last night. I arrive to see two kids- a boy and a girl sitting down at one end of the mile-long table farthest away from me and eating full English breakfasts. They don't seem to notice me standing in the doorway, hiding from them.

"Hey! Victorie! Over here! Join us!" the girl suddenly yells across the room, waving her hands, and acting like she's known me her whole entire life- which breaks me out of my thoughts. She's probably one of those hyper extrovert types.

Oh well. I give a little wave back and walk quickly to where they're eating. I sit down next to the boy, who gives me a small wave as he shoves a bagel into his mouth. The girl, meanwhile, has the look that she's about to burst. With excitement. Yes, definitely hyper.

"OMG, hiiii!!!" she cries as I carefully fill my plate from the multiple platters on the table consisting of toast, bacon, ham, eggs, biscuits (biscuits biscuits, not cookies biscuits, which is what they call their cookies here, apparently), bagels, hash browns, potatoes, and a number of other things. "I'm so excited to meet you! You don't know how hard it was for me to wait to meet you!"

"You don't know," the boy next to me says, rolling his eyes.

"Stop it brother, anyway, we're your cousins!" she says excitedly, "I'm Ann, he's Teddy" -she points to the boy- "and you are Victorie! Teddy's adopted, by the way, so don't mind him," she says like it's has something to do with what she's saying. "I love happy things, nice people, running -I'm on the track team at our school- and about every nice thing in general," she says all in one breath, "And I can't believe we're going to the same school! This is the best! We are going to be BFF's! And trust me, that's something, I don't say that often because I don't meet many new people!" she cries, "This is going to be the best!!!"

Oh wow, I don't know how I'm going to be able to handle her peppiness, but we'll see. At least Ann seems glad I'm here.

"It's great to meet you, too," I say, because she's looking up at me like I need to say something, "Umm, I like reading, and TikTok, and YouTube, and dancing, and surfing, and swimming, because I'm from California of course, and, I actually also like gardening."

Yes, big reveal, I like gardening. More of flower arranging actually, I can't stand getting dirt under my fingers. But I like learning about different flowers and arranging them so they look pretty, so I guess I like gardening. Parts of it.

"You like gardening? That's so cool!" Ann yells, bouncing in her chair, and her perfectly curled blonde hair flying everywhere. She has light skin and hazel-bluish eyes, and the widest smile I've ever seen. She has on jeans and a yellow t-shirt that has a rainbow on it.

"More of flower arranging," I say.

"Still so cool! Oh! Teddy, introduce yourself!"

"Oh, umm, hi," Teddy says as I turn to look at him beside me. "My real name is actually Theodore Carter, but everyone calls me Teddy. I guess I like reading, running -I'm also on the school track team-and playing polo, for fun of course. And, umm, that's about it."

Teddy has pale skin and really pale blonde hair that looks white, flopping over his head on one side, almost covering his bright blue eyes. He kind of reminds me of Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter but without the sneer, because Teddy has a nice, slight smile on his face. He's wearing an untucked oxford with long light brown pants. He's actually pretty cute.

"You don't like video games?" I ask because the first thing I usually hear when boys say what they like is video games.

"He's not a big fan of electronics," Ann says, who seems to have cooled down a bit.

Teddy shrugs. "Yeah, I don't know really, I have a phone but all I have is Spotify on it."

"Not even YouTube?" I ask.

"Nope, but Ann does."

"Yes, I do!" she buts in, "I don't have TikTok, though."

"Oh, okay, cool." I try not to think the question, why are we even talking abou this? But do anyway.

We finish eating, or I finish eating a bagel and they finish eating their breakfasts, then Ann stands up and says, "Let's go to the garden! Come on! Teddy, you come, too," she turns to me, "You can see all the shapes Mr. Brown, the head gardener, makes with the hedges! My favorite is the bear!"

"Oh, great, okay, let's go," I say, with a quarter of the enthusiasm Ann has. Sorry, but I can't do "ball of energy" 24/7 like she can.

"Sorry, but I'm going to pass for now," Teddy says, holding up a book which he got from somewhere. "I'll join you guys later," he smiles.

So Ann and I head out of the dining hall, arm in arm (she did it, not me), to the garden.

(A/N: So this chapter was also a bit boring, but please just hang in there! And thanks so much for reading so far!)