Secrets of the Wandervall Mansion

CHAPTER FIVE: EXPECTATIONS, LIMITATIONS

June 1st. Jackson was silently crying on his bed, complaining about not having friends.

Frank was mourning the loss of his shoulder length hair — but was thankful he didn't have to dye it back to black.

I laid out my uniform on my bed, admiring it.

Unlike Cammittsou Integrated School for Gifted Children's dull green and brown uniform, Wicker Academy's was a bright blue and silver. Its color and design really caught my eyes. It even has a hat to go with the clothes, which I really liked.

2nd week of June. Jackson was getting more and more frustrated. He complained about the uniform, saying the one in Cammittsou State University was better. I had to admit, CSU's uniform really was beautiful — the gold and maroon complimented each other in a way I haven't seen before.

Frank, on the other hand, fitted his as soon as the he got it from the tailor, and even has all his things packed in his new bag. He turned in front of the wide mirror in the ballroom, admiring himself in every angle, saying 'ooh' at every turn and did a couple of ridiculous poses as he did so.

Mom and Dad lectured us about the do's and don'ts that night. There were more don'ts than do's, though it wasn't surprising.

8th day of June. The next day, Tuesday is going to be the first day of classes and I could hardly sleep. The piano music and dreams kept coming back like a cycle but now they became something natural that I slept freely through them. It was the same, the wheat fields, the shack and the mansion.

I told my parents about the music but they didn't hear any, they even slept with me in my room — much to my irritation — but they heard nothing. Mom dismissed it as something that was fueled by the dreams but Dad insisted on moving me to their room, which of course, I refused to.

I slept in Frank's room the week before but I can still hear the music. I moved to Jackson's but it was still the same. In the end I ended up back in my room, the window looking directly out the fields, the shack positioned directly in the middle, full of mysteries, full of secrets.

Frank and Jackson were like two emotions. After accepting the fact that he can't have his hair long, Frank cheered up.

"At least they're okay with body modifications and make-up for men," he had said one afternoon while we were watering the freshly planted roses on the garden.

The roses, were Mom's favorite flowers and Dad decided it would be a good idea to surprise her with a flower garden filled with different colored roses when she came home from work — a traffic enforcer.

Sure enough, Mom was beyond delighted and wouldn't stop crying and hugging the four of us.

Jackson, on the other hand wasn't that excited at all. Fifth grade won't be his most wonderful year he said. He still mentioned the fact that the mansion doesn't have Internet connection even after Dad hired a construction crew to remodel the entire living room, with us suggesting what we want it to look like.

"A huge TV on this side, a fireplace on this side. Oh! Gaming consoles on this side! And, and," Jackson had ranted. He went on about the changes.

Frank and I also said our suggestions. Water fountains on the sides for me. A large aquarium filled with tropical fishes as the flooring of one side for Frank and bookshelves on all corners for the two of us.

The night before the first day of classes, Mom and Dad called us in the living room.

"Are they going to tell us about what to expect in school again? I swear I had memorized it already," Frank said as we made our way down the stairs.