The Smell of Rebellion

Chapter Six

A/N: I love Lila and Holly + Another double update!

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Hortensia leaned against the jungle gym as she chatted with a few of her classmates. It was rather loud and chaotic around the courtyard, but the orange jungle-gym area had less students. She looked around for her classmates.

Olivia was off chatting with Lauren Compten, someone in a different class, her posture straight and her hands to her sides as she talked. She was quite tall, but Lauren was as well, so they could enjoy talking to each other at the same height. It was probably the first time Hortensia saw Olivia happy. She was still formal, but she was smiling and rocking back and forth on her feet.

Liam was running around and chasing Connor around the basketball court. Hannah was reading a book in a different corner of the school, while Chloe talked to a group of girls off to the side. Ollie was leaning against the basketball hoop pole and watching, his face even more unhappy than usual. 

The distance made it hard to see why, but his nose was covered with a few white... patches. Hortensia didn't have the time to think much of it before she studied her other classmates.

Anna and Henry talked excitedly to each other as they climbed the jungle gym.

"Hortensia," Lila said softly, "how did introducing the new kids go?"

"Excellent," She said with a broad grin, "It was excellent!" Hortensia subtly walked closer to them. They were sitting on the brick wall near the jungle gym anyways, and the two girls were next to some other kids she recognized– Bruce Bogtrotter and Amanda Thripp.

"--No.. They just... fit in,'' the girl with blue eyes said.

"Those two?" Holly asked, keeping her voice down to imitate Lila and Hortensia. When Hortensia nodded, she said "We should say hi!"

"Uh–" Hortensia blinked. "I think they're busy talking about something."

Lila nodded and signalled for us to shut up. It was technically kind of creepy eavesdropping on a six-year-old's conversation, but hey, Hortensia sure was curious.

Another young boy– Hortensia knew him as Eric– placed his orange pop can down and asked, "Can you do telekenipsis?"

When the girls looked confused, he stretched his hands out and said, "It's when you have loads of brains. They squish out through your eyes, and you can move things with your mind. Look, watch this." The little kid slid off the bench and knelt in front of the can, and grunted, struggling as he tried to perform telekinesis.

Hortensia had to admit it was kind of cute, and Holly giggled. "They're so funny!"

Lila frowned. "What is Miss Honey teaching them?"

She shrugged. "Dunno."

After a few more seconds of struggle from the young boy, Bruce shook his head. He shoved crisps into his mouth as he said, "It's not good to try to be clever. Not here."
Amanda was nervously playing with her pigtails as she looked at Bruce.

"The Trunchbull hates kids being smart. She hates it," He said fiercely.
Lila said, "Looks like one of them is smart."

Holly and Hortensia both nodded.

"Isn't learning what school's for?" The blue-eyed girl asked, frowning.

Hortensia looked at Lila, who said, "Looks like someone forgot to tell her what type of hell Crunchem Hall is."

Hortensia laughed, and Holly just frowned.

"This isn't a school. It's a prison." Bruce said, shaking his head and eating more crisps. "You don't want to get noticed. Not by Agatha."