The Transfer

Chapter - 11

I climbed into the helicopter on our roof and started the ignition. Once it was flying smoothly I put in the location and switched on the autopilot. I would reach there in approximately 3-5 hrs. It takes more than 12 hours by road. As my ride soared through the clouds I couldn't help but think about my first couple years at Lakewood.

***Flashback***

I was stupid back then. I was eight years old and I had joined in fourth grade, the youngest class at Lakewood. I was crying on my first day. You can't really blame me. It was my first time at a boarding school without my parents. I just wanted to run back to my mom. I thought that if I could distract myself then I won't feel homesick. I looked around to see what the other kids were doing. Almost everyone was still with their mother unpacking and settling in. I saw four people from my class sitting on a spare bed in our dorm playing a card game. It was a good opportunity. I lifted myself up from my bed and carried my body to the spare bed. They were sitting in a circle. From where I could see, one had pecan coloured hair. A smirk adorned her lips. She was shuffling the cards that means she was the winner in the last round. Beside her sat a redhead with a grumpy frown. She probably lost bad. Next wad a blonde who looked like a typical bitch. I saw her snatch the cards from the girl who won and she started dealing. Typical jealous move. The forth girl had her back toward me. She had beautiful long black hair. I couldn't really see her face but I could make out from her body language that she was relaxed. Not worried about the outcome of the game, just the fun of playing. I saw the blonde whisper something in her ear just as I was about to reach.

At my previous school my name came between two boys in the alphabetical order. I was a shy girl, so I obviously did not befriend any of them. So all year in all the functions and meetings I had to sit like a loner between them. They would pass chits to each other and what not. It made me feel very unwanted. So this year I had made a pact to befriend the role number before and after mine. But since those two people who were also my bed side partners had not arrived yet, I thought I should make do with these four.

While walking I kept repeating to myself in my head. Don't be shy. First impressions last. Keep calm. When I reached the bed, my palms were sweaty. I wiped them on my jeans and started. "Hi friends. What are you all playing?" They all gave me bewildered looks and I realised I had acted way to formal. I mentally slapped myself. Way to go Kelsey. My brother taught me specifically to use guys instead of friends. According to him, it was the slang that was 'in' these days.

After trying hard to control her laughter, the one with the pecan hair spoke. "Who said we are your friends? And by the way we are playing Uno."

I thought for a moment and replied. "Well it's just the first day. You could always make a new friend. And the best solution for that would be to let me play with you. So can you please scoot a little so I can join you?"

They didn't make any attempt to shift and actually started laughing. The girl with her back toward me was quiet. Not really taking part in the whole ordeal.

"Well?" I asked. Now the blonde spoke up. "We're not really interested in making any new friends right now and as for the game, it is Dani's so you can ask her."

"Well?" I repeated. "Can I play?"

The girl with the black hair who was probably Dani turned towards me and gave me an apologetic smile. Tears threatened to roll down my cheeks but I stopped them.

"I'm sorry," Dani started "but we are already four people and I don't think we have room for anymore." She gave me a look which tried to convey that she didn't have another choice, but there is always a choice.

"Oh, ok." I said, turning and letting the tears spill. I was totally embarrassed and felt like shit and it wasn't even noon yet. I didn't know how I would get through the day let alone the whole year. I slipped under my covers and lay there crying until I finally fell asleep.

I woke up to someone shaking me vigorously. I rubbed and blink my eyes to adjust my vision. A sweet smile came in my sight which I instantly recognized as Dani's. She had been rude to me but she looked so sweet right now. I sat up straight and asked her what she wanted in an almost rude manner.

"I didn't want anything," she said and her cheerful expression dropped. "I just came to wake you up because it is dinner time and everyone else has already left and also..." she trailed of and I looked up at her expectantly but she was just staring at the floor. "And also I wanted to apologise for earlier. I really wanted to let you play but those other girls old me to say no." She looked up now, her expression totally innocent. I wanted to believe her and tell her that it was okay but instead what came out of my mouth was, "You didn't have to listen to them. You had a choice." I was almost sorry I said that after watching her expression. She looked regretful and guilty and sad.

"I'm sorry," she started. "I told them that it would be okay with five people but they did not agree. They told me that they are royals and said that if I let you play then they would tell all their elder sisters to bully me. I'm sorry, I was just scared."

"It's alright." I started. "I would've done that too had I been in your position. No one wants to be bullied."

She smiled and with that we walked over to the mess together. After dinner I noticed that my bed side partners- Naomi and Sarah, had arrived and were settled. I went straight to them and asked them to be my friends and they agreed almost instantly. But I think my decision of befriending them wasn't the best decision of my life. We never had to sit in order or next to a particular person. We could sit to our own accord. Sarah was nice, helpful and sweet but Naomi was controlling. She would always tell me what to do, who to talk to and who befriend. I didn't really talk to Dani or stay friends with her after that. Dani was smart and intelligent. She was probably the most intelligent in the class. Her best friend was Sam then too. I really wanted to be intelligent like her but seeing as I didn't talk to her and couldn't ask her to teach me and tell me how she studies, I decided to do the next best thing. I decided to follow her. I did what she did when she did, woke up when she did, studied when she did, enjoyed when she did and slept when she did. I don't do it now of course. It was just a stupid phase. No one really liked Naomi because she was bossy. So, my friends were limited to our own small circle. I didn't like it but I dealt with it until she harassed one of our friends. It was a rumour and I don't exactly know the truth behind it but something had happened.

In fifth grade we were divided into two dorm rooms and two sections. Thankfully I was not in the same ones as Naomi. But she was not yet as ready to leave me alone as I was. She convinced the matron to shift me in her dorm. I had to leave my nice centre bed and shift to a new dorm where I had a corner bed and the mattress was hard. Luckily my bed side partner was Dani. We talked almost every night and became close. I had a huge fight with Naomi in the middle of the term and our friendship severed. Dani and I became close as time passed. She introduced me to Sam and Maddy who were her best friends. I mean I knew them but we were just acquaintances. It was because of Dan I became friends with them in the first place. We were in the same sport and extra-curriculars. We studied together. I told Dan about my crazy phase and she teases me about it sometimes till today. Well not till today. We all became best friends. And then the DS was formed. And our group slowly got bigger. But then Sam drifted apart because of some stupid fight. And Dani was affected by it the most. She was right. She had Sam. But I had to sever our ties for some stupid reason. And now my friendship with Dani just broke and I am hoping I can mend it. She was my first real best friend at Lakewood and I can't afford to lose her. As that thought comes to my mind, as if on cue, the control panel of the helicopter beeps, telling me I have only five more kilometres to my destination. It is 8pm.