Memento Mori

Chapter Fifteen

As the author and narrator of this story, I would like to say that this chapter and the previous chapter may be read in any order. For example, you may like to begin with Isadora's horrible experience measuring objects and then read Duncan's miserable time listening to insignificant stories, or vice versa. However, as the author and narrator of this story, I would also like to heavily encourage not doing either.

Isadora let out a sad sigh and walked out of the cafeteria with her brother. Duncan gave her an encouraging smile that Isadora returned. Then, they parted ways, Isadora walking down the right corridor and Duncan walking down the left.

She was only about half way down the corridor when she bumped right into Carmelita Spats.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, not realising who it was. "I'm so sorry..." she looked down. "Carmelita..."

Carmelita let out a shriek. "You should be! You nearly went right into my face!"

"I am sorry." Isadora muttered untruthfully.

"I was just trying to get to my beautiful, expensive dorm, and then a little cakesniffing orphan ran into me!" she said the first part in a falsely sympathetic voice and ended with something similar to a scream.

"I need to get to class!" shouted Isadora. "I'm already two minutes late!"

"Get later then!" shouted Carmelita. The two girls were already beginning to draw attention to themselves. "It's your fault!"

"How is it my fault?" asked Isadora, glaring slightly at the people who had crowded round them.

"Because..." Carmelita paused and gazed around at her little group, breaking off in a peal of laughter.

"What is it, Carmelita?" asked a black-haired girl with a deep voice. "What's so funny?"

"This girl - this cakesniffing orphan," she began, her high-pitched squeal contrasting her 'friend's' deep voice. "is in Mrs. Bass' class."

The group started laughing heartily, chanting, 'cakesniffer, cakesniffer, cakesniffer!'

"Just tell me what is funny!" said Isadora, and then under her breath, "I hope Duncan is having a better time."

"Mrs. Bass' classroom is the other way!" squealed Carmelita shrilly.

"Well, why didn't you tell me?" asked Isadora, irritated. "I'm three minutes late now!"

Isadora stormed off down the corridor, passing Duncan on the way. She smiled and nodded at him and he did the same back.

"Oh, and one more thing!" said the voice of Carmelita, skipping annoyingly down the corridor.

"What?" asked Isadora, spinning around to face her.

Carmelita jumped up with her hand up.

"What?" asked Isadora, bewildered.

Carmelita screamed. "I hate being short!"

Isadora whipped around again and began to walk down to her classroom. She smiled as she realised what Carmelita had been trying to do - she had tried to pull the orphan's short hair, but she was too short.

She arrived at Mrs. Bass' classroom six minutes late.

"You are six minutes late!" the teacher shrieked, brandishing a ruler at her.

Isadora stepped back, startled. "Sorry. I-it won't happen again."

Mrs. Bass put the ruler on her desk. "Good." she said crisply. "Hopefully, if I were to measure your disappointment at being late, it would be infinitely long. Go and take a seat next to Felicity."

A blonde girl, who must have been Felicity, put her hand up. Isadora smiled and took the empty seat next to her.

"Ignore what she said about measuring the disappointment." Felicity whispered. "She uses lots of strange metaphors like that."

Isadora giggled. "Thanks."

Felicity leaned in Isadora's direction. "Would you like to be friends?"

Isadora's heart leapt. A friend! She hoped that Duncan was doing as well in his class.

"Everybody, please say hello to the new student." Mrs. Bass said, and everybody but Felicity turned to face her. "This is is Isadora, Isadora Quagmire. She is an orphan. Isadora, I cannot even begin to measure how sad..."

Isadora zoned out, watching the disgusted looks on the other students' faces. Even Felicity was looking at her strangely. Why did Mrs. Bass have to announce that to the whole class?

Eventually, when Mrs. Bass stopped talking, Felicity turned to Isadora and said, "Forget what I said about being friends."

Isadora's heart sank. Her first friend has turned her down within two minutes of knowing her. She had once had a friend at her old school that she fell out with and they never spoke since. However, they were friends for two and a half years before that. Felicity had stopped wanting to be her friend after about a minute and a half.

Then, Mrs. Bass began to hand out rulers, books, and stones. The rulers were to measure the stones and the books were to record the measurements. Isadora simply slumped in her seat and frowned. She had never felt more unhappy in her life.