The Rainbow Society

Chapter 23

Jade

Jade spooned the soup into her mouth, it was strangely flavoured as usual. Their classes today had been extremely boring and like most days, she had a detention afterwards. The only thing still keeping her going was the thought of going to sleep after supper.

Ruby nudged her. "Jade, are you listening."

Jade started. "Yes?"

"We were discussing doing it tonight, when everyone is asleep."

Her stomach churned. "This soon?"

Miss Bella turned to her. "It is better now than waiting and just getting further unfair detentions."

"I suppose so, have you decided what we are to write?"

Ruby smiled. "I have an idea"

❀

"Jade, are you ready?"

She started, seeing Ruby looming over her with a wide grin. "I am."

Clambering out of her bed, she pulled on a jumper, following Ruby and Miss Bella out of their dormitory. The candle in her hand shook as they walked down the stairs to the classrooms, thinking of the trouble that was to come in the morning.

"Which classroom should we go to first?" Ruby said.

"Latin, she always gives Jade detention," Miss Bella replied.

Ruby opened the door and Jade followed in, taking the chalk from the basket and scrawling their message across the board. She turned to see Ruby with a packet of coloured chalk drawing flames. Miss Bella was standing still, watching them.

"Are you not going to write something Miss Bella?"

"I am not sure what I should write, maybe I shall just draw something."

Jade handed Miss Bella a chalk, her fingers burning when they brushed hers. She watched as Miss Bella drew a flower with the precise hand of someone who had been taught to draw from a young age.

Ruby snapped her out of her observation. "Should we move onto the next classroom."

They crept across the wooden floorboards, Jade's ears straining to hear the sound of footsteps coming to find them out. Within an hour, every board save Sister Morten's had been embellished with words, flowers and flames.

❀

Jade woke up to the sound of Violet's obnoxious alarm clock. As she changed into her pinafore, ants crawled in her stomach threatening to spill. The thought of going into the classroom seeing what they had written chilled her.

"Are you okay Jade?" Sunny asked.

"I think so, I just feel a little sick."

A hand slipped into hers and she looked up to see Miss Bella smiling warmly at her. "It will be alright, let's go to breakfast."

She nodded, allowing Miss Bella to lead her downstairs to the main hall. Spooning the lumpy porridge into her mouth, she thought of Mother finding out by the next post. It would be Armageddon for her, but somehow, she did not care.

Together they walked into Latin and there it was scrawled across the chalkboard.

'CONFORMITY IS A SIN!'

Jade could not help the blush of pride mixed with embarrassment spreading across her as she heard the whispers of those around them.

The teacher walked into the classroom, carrying all their books as usual. "Girls, be quiet. You are unusually loud today."