Grace

Chapter 5

I unpacked slowly so that I wasn't left with nothing to do between arriving and dinner. I unpacked my clothes first and ordered them carefully in the wardrobe and drawers. The shelves were the first things to be half filled, then my desk began to look like a work station and finally the notice board was brightened up. Mostly it was pictures of a few places I wanted to travel to, a few small paintings I'd done and one photo of me with Mum and Dad taken last year. I took photos, but didn't send them yet. The bed wasn't ready and I only wanted to have to send one large email from my phone.

Even though I took my time I had a lot of spare time between unpacking and dinner. As luck had it, someone knocked on my door before I got too bored. I opened it to a Japanese girl who had a perfect English accent. "The dame said that she wants to talk to us all in the girls' common room in five minutes."

"Ok," I said and shut my door behind me.

"I'm Chiyoko Mori," she said and tucked some hair behind a pale ear. "But everyone usually calls me Chi."

"Grace Bennett," I said a little awkwardly.

Fortunately she started walking down the corridor. It was just like me to stand there like a lemming. She pulled a hair tie from her jeans pocket and quickly put her hair in a high pony tail. She was a few inches shorter than me even with heels on, and I was in love with the beading on her t-shirt even though it was only a simple pattern on the sleeves. I didn't mention it though.

"So, how do you like this place so far?" she asked me. "You know Prince Ben is in our house."

I nodded. "He was my guide person when we did the interviews."

"Ugh. Lucky you. I had some really boring guy from Hawtrey House Bekynton. Kept pushing his glasses up his nose every five seconds. Hey, do you know where we're going?"

"I'm following you."

Chi sighed. "I think the other girl, Gabrielle I think, said it was down the stairs we came up, down the corridor and on the left? Well, we'll only find out one way."

She skipped down the wooden stairs, along the wooden floor and went left straight under the stairs. I was glad to find that she was right, but also not so glad. The room was filled with girls, forty eight of them, as well as Mr and Mrs Clarke and the deputy head of house Mr. Wagnerite – a short, stocky chap of sixty something and a perpetual frown formed by a lip that sagged under its fullness.

"I think that's all of us," Mrs. Clarke said.

Chi and I stayed stood by the door. All the better for bolting out of as soon as this, whatever this was, was finished. I looked around the group getting confused by the sea of faces in such a small space. They all began to blend into one. Before I could hyperventilate I looked at the floor.

I was officially an octopus out of water.

"Welcome all to Walpole House and Eton College," Mr. Clarke said.

I clasped onto the voice, familiar and in this situation already soothing. After a few more words I looked up.

"Girls in Eton is something that has quietly been discussed for about ten years and finally agreed upon two years ago. We've had to expand our staff across the board, build new residential buildings as well as school buildings, design a uniform which I look forward to seeing you all in at dinner." He paused a moment. "Eton is a school of excellence, tradition and world revere. We expect only the very best of you all in both your schooling and day to day life. The school is set in many different campuses in the area and as you walk from one building to the next you are on the streets. A representative of our school. Do not let us down. Do not let yourselves down. You are a part of an age old community, but just because you are new that does not mean we expect any less of you as we do our boys. You especially have a lot or prove this year. Our first year of girls.