Dancing In Your Footsteps

1: Riley

"Now, Roo, you remember what I told you, okay?" Brady says as he leant against the side of his car while I stood in front of him with a playful smile. Emily stood to the side, helping me with some of my luggage. 

"If a guy ever gives me looks I should scare them off by warning them that I have an overly protective older brother?" I respond sarcastically. 

He shakes his head as he nudges me in the arm. "Yes, but no. I want you to be yourself. Have fun. Don't be all secluded in your dorm room, okay?" he says, causing me to roll my eyes but nod in agreement nonetheless. 

Brady puts his arms out, signalling for me to give him a hug so I do. I lean into him no rest my head on his chest as he places his hand on the back of my head. 

"Be careful out there, kiddo. And make sure to call if anything."

"We're still on for our end-of-month day out though, right?" I ask, looking between both him and our sister to which they chuckle. 

"It's already on the calendar," Em teases. 

We take a look around at all the other girls who were leaving their cars with bags of luggage, their parents waving them off. One brunette looks at me weirdly when she passes us but thankfully, she doesn't say anything, and I was glad about that. She looked posh and proper, nothing like what I did. 

They had uniforms here but we couldn't afford to buy a new set so I had to wear Em's old one from when she went here before. I wasn't wearing it this minute though, it was packed in the bags. 

"Right, let's get you inside, Riles. I'll help you with your things," Emily tells me, rolling her eyes at the brunette who had given us a weird look. 

I bite my lip but nod, stepping away from Brady so he could get back into his car and I take hold of one bit of luggage with my bag while Emily held the other two. 

The building was massive, a lot bigger than how it looked on the brochure. 

When we enter, I hesitate and look around the place at all the photographs and portraits framed on the walls and on top of cabinets. Everyone and everything here looked so fancy. 

Emily heads over to the registration desk and I stand slightly behind her, taking in the multitude of this place. 

There were girls walking in and out of the building, probably to go and sort out their dorms, but most were looking at me like I had a spotlight above my head. They had all been here for at least three years now, and I was only just starting. 

I keep looking around me until my eyes land on one guy stood just outside, as if he was waiting for someone. 

I knew there was a sister school just across the hill for the boys. But I had no idea what he was doing over on this side. He wore a leather jacket with black jeans and his dark hair was slightly curled. He looks up from his phone for a moment and his eyes land on mine. He seems to offer me a smile, but I quickly look away at the sound of Emily's voice. 

"Riles," she calls out. I snap my head up and look in her direction when she motions me over towards her. "So this is your key, make sure you don't lose it. If you do, you've got a spare one which I suggest you keep inside your pillow case or something," she rambles on as she walked alongside me when we enter the lifts. "Your dorm is on the third floor, room 206-" 

"206?" I respond, stunned. "If there's 206 dorms then how many people go to this school?" 

"Riley," she whispers, laughing subtly as she lays a hand on my shoulder. "The school is for girls aged eleven all the way to eighteen. And there's about a hundred per year group. There's only around 300 dorms so it's really not that much. You'll be sharing with two other girls, remember?" she reminds me, causing me to silently groan, slightly overwhelmed with all the information.

I'd completely forgotten about that fact. 

She guides me down the hallway once the lift doors open and we turn a sharp left before making it to the dorm room. She unlocks the door and opens it up, then both of us end up smiling when we find no one else in here. One girl had clearly already passed by, however, since her bed was already made and bags had been thrown on the side against the wall. 

"You've got two more beds to pick from. What's your pick?" she asks, motioning to the bunk bed. 

The other girl who had been here had already called dibs on the large queen bed, but I waste no time in choosing the top bunk. Em chuckles when I throw my bag down above the mattress. 

"Good choice," she chuckles. "Do you want me to stay and help you unpack or-" 

"Em," I groan as I cross my arms over my chest again. "You're doing that overbearing mother thing again." 

She sighs and drops her arms by her sides the moment she places my luggage on the floor. "It's only because I care, Riles. This place isn't like back home where you could do whatever. You have to do things a certain way here. So if any of these girls ever give you any kind of trouble, make sure you let me know and I'll sort them out. I'm sort of like-" 

"-high school royalty here, I know," I finish her sentence, making her scrunch her lips up as she shakes her head at me. 

"You just make sure to behave yourself. No falling into the wrong crowds, alright?"

I nod and allow her to head over to engulf me in a warm hug, similar to how Brady had done so before. 

"And forget what our knucklehead of a brother was saying earlier. If you find a guy then good for you! There's no shame in having a boyfriend so long as you know about the birds and the-" 

"Okay, that's enough, I think this is where we say goodbye!" I warn, wriggling my way out of her hug. 

She was being annoying, just like always, but I couldn't help but love her for it. She and Brady were the only sense of normality I had left. Everything else had changed so quickly and it was hard to handle it all. 

"I'll see you at the end of the month, okay?" she says, to which I smile and nod. "Bye, weirdo." 

"See you later, meanie," I tease back until she makes her way out.

I was on my own now...