Rats, Roses And Paper Bones

chapter 31:'Are we good?'

“Ring!”

The wake-up bell echoed through the hostel, signalling that it was time to get out of bed.

By now, I was so used to the bell that I barely needed it anymore. My sixth sense usually kicked in a minute or two before it rang.

These days, all I needed was the familiar slap-slap of the housemistress’s Dunlop slippers against the floor as she walked towards the bell.

Almost immediately, everyone scrambled out of bed and rushed towards the bathrooms, terrified that they would soon be packed and there would be nowhere left to bathe.

Over a hundred girls.

Two bathrooms.

You do the math.

Everyone joined the race.

Everyone except me.

Today was a special day, after all, and I had taken my bath long before everyone else woke up.

I had never been on a school trip before. Not once. So, naturally, I was ridiculously excited about this one.

I was going to the OFE seminar with the other members of my team, along with students from other classes. We would be representing Longford High among schools from different parts of the country.

It felt important.

And, if I was being honest, it felt good to be part of something important.

There was also a boarding-school tradition that came with special occasions like this: you folded your uniform neatly and tucked it under your pillow the night before.

Apparently, the pressure from the pillow helped keep it neat and wrinkle-free in the absence of the much-needed pressing iron.

I had done exactly that.

We had been instructed to dress as neatly as possible because there was a chance our school could be selected to receive sponsorship from OFE, which was apparently one of the organisation's major initiatives.

So, we had to look convincing.

Honestly, it was beginning to feel suspiciously like politics, but I couldn't care less.

For once, I felt accomplished.

For once, I had something to prove.

Maybe I could finally prove to myself that I wasn't the disappointment my father so often made me feel like.

But was I trying too hard to prove him wrong?

The thought dampened my excitement almost instantly.

I pushed it away.

Not today.

---

“Alright, let's go.” I adjusted my tie one last time and looked at Victoria.

She gave me an approving nod.

“Looking very sharp.”

“All in a day's work.” I grinned. “Thanks.”

“So, you're going to be gone the whole day?”

“I'm not sure. Probably.”

We walked into my sister's hostel and found her already dressed in her uniform.

Thankfully, she was wearing a sweater.

I had brought some of her medication along with an extra inhaler because I wouldn't be around for most of the day.