Nightingale

Chapter 1

Fable Jones was one of the prettiest and most accomplished students at Bainscliffe Priory School. Everyone knew it - both the teachers and students alike. She was only seventeen years old but was fluent in several languages, and was also proficient in the arts - she could sing, dance and paint. In particular, she loved reading and poems. She wished that she could be a famous author one day, but knew that was probably unlikely. In the mornings, she would meet up with her two school friends, Lucia and Christie, and they would discuss boys, the latest school dramas, and their virtual lives on social media. However, it seemed in recent times, Fable had gone quiet on these morning walks, as if she was deep in thought and somewhere else altogether. Her friends were getting worried and starting to talk behind her back.

"Do you think something is going on with her at home?" asked Lucia in the few private moments before class.

"Possibly," replied Christie, who knew Fable better. "I know that after her parents split up, her mum got kinda lax. She just lets her do whatever now because she's too busy drinking with her aunt."

"Hm. I see," pondered Lucia.

"Well, I'm not sure if I should even tell you this because it's pretty weird - but, basically, after midnight, Fable's mum and aunt hold these gatherings in the woods where they sing and dance and light fires. I only know this because one of my neighbours saw them"

"Wow!" said Lucia, stunned by this new knowledge of her friend.

"Yeah...they think they're pretty Bohemian or something. But I'd just call it pretentious."

"Good thing Fable isn't like that though, isn't it?"

"Guess we will never really know. She wouldn't tell us anyway because it would ruin her 'perfect' reputation", sighed Christie, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but we shouldn't judge her for that. It actually sounds interesting. Maybe if she stays up late often, that's why she seems so tired and unresponsive."

"Mmhm" responded Christie with a dismissive shrug of the shoulders. "Time for class anyway." And without any further discussion, the two girls separated and went on to their morning studies.

Fable had her usual biology class that Tuesday morning, but wasn't anywhere near as focussed as she should have been. Her mind was taken over by something else. It was extremely embarrassing, and as she already knew, completely naïve, but she had fallen in love with her young literature teacher, Mr Hudson. He would never be interested in a teenager, because that would be wrong for so many reasons, but she dreamed that somehow it would work anyway. She couldn't speak to her friends about her infatuation either, as they would just tell her what she already knew. And probably judge her for it too. She wished she could be interested in the same boys as Lucia and Christie, but those boys seemed so immature and pathetic. Mr Hudson was nothing like that. He walked the corridors with pride and dignity. She loved the way he carried stacks of novels and paperwork, as if he was the embodiment of knowledge itself. He knew exactly how to dress -always appearing so sophisticated in his crisp, white shirts and polished shoes. His fiery locks and deep, red beard reminded her of autumn itself and she couldn't help but imagine strolling through the woods with him, their arms interlocked, and kicking up the auburn leaves in romantic playfulness. But right now, she was sat in the cold of the laboratory, her bare forearms prickling at the icy surface of the workbench, and remembering the microscopic piece of skin she needed to dissect from the body of an onion. It was hopeless for sure.

Later that day, Fable met up with her friends again to have lunch. They seemed to be probing her to tell them something, and she could feel their eyes on her all the time as she picked apart her cheese and ham sandwich. As usual, Christie was the first to speak.

"Soo...Fable, why have you been acting so off lately? Me and Lucia have been worrying about you. Everything alright?"

Fable widened her eyes in surprise for a split second, as if caught off guard. "Yeah, sorry, I've just been so tired from all the homework we've been given recently. Too much reading, am I right?"

The two friends both laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah true, gal" smiled Christie, as she took a bite out of a jam doughnut. "Speaking of which...have you girls read the poem Mr Hudson asked us to look at? Cos I haven't... Can I see your notes?"

"Do your own work for once, Chris" groaned Lucia.

"Yeah, yeah - but I had a successful date with Richie last night! I'm sure you wanna know all about it, so you better share your notes first - if you wanna hear" teased Christie with gleaming eyes.

At the mention of his name, Fable had already zoned out again, just nodding and giggling vacantly at what she hoped was the right times, and immediately started imagining discussing poetry with Mr Hudson. The excitement and anticipation for her literature class was silently stirring inside her, as she desperately tried to conceal it.

"It's a beautiful poem, isn't it? In fact, I heard it's Mr Hudson's favourite poem - trust him to be so depressing. He is pretty cute though" grinned Lucia.

"Look at her going all quiet again!" exclaimed Christie signalling towards Fable.