Surf, sun, sand and scales?

Chapter 1

"BRIIIIING"
Sitting on a small wooden shelf, next to mountainous piles of scruffy, worn schoolbook, the charming red battered alarm clock trilled it's lovely morning wake up call.
Thought no one ever.
"Ugh! "Is it necessary to wake up every morning with a heart attack?" A slow, half asleep voice sounded throughout the dorm. Miss Brianna's Acadamy for Orphaned Girls, or "MBAOP" as it was commonly known, was located on the outskirts of Jayton, near Deliah beach.
It was a large school which took in orphans and boarders alike, as it was decided, as one of the best schools, it should be open to all. This caused a flood of new students that meant the orphans were squished into small, dark dorms. Also, to run a large school cost a huge amount of money, especially to feed everyone so strictness and rules, with the threat of expulsion kept all in line as the orphans were simply burdens if they did not make the most of the opportunities offered. Anyway, in this dingy, off white dorm there were 4 sets of bunk beds, all occupied, 2 sets of 4 drawers and one small wall shelf per girl. The girls were given beds in order of rank, the longest residents and best behaved were given bottom bunks, which were cooler on the cold nights, top drawers and the dorm leader, the pleasure of the alarm clock.
The current dorm leader was a girl known as Aqua, Aqua Brinn. Aqua was found on Deliah beach at the age of 3 years old, in a Rockpool, humming to herself. Miss Brianna took her under her wing, giving her the name of the her found place, the ocean and gifting her with a variation on her own name as a surname. All girls with unknown heritage were given the last name Brinn, supposedly to create a "family", but most people thought it was as the new office lady, Ms Josephine (or horse face, as the girls called her) was simply to dull and lazy to think of new names. After all, over the last 10 new orphans 3 had the name Olivia, two Olive, 4 Liv and the last Livvy. This caused much confusion as one Olivia wanted to be known as Livvy only, and the youngest, at an age of 6 kept forgetting her name and saying she was Molly. So, Aqua, head of her dorm reached over and gently tapped the top of the alarm clock, until it's harsh tones ceased.

She climbed out of her bottom bunk, opened the dirty shutters and began to rouse the other children. Her best friend, a newer girl known as Bella (from a group of Bell's, Isabel's and Isabella's) clambered out and began to shake the younger ones gently, in order to alert them to the new day. Once all the girls were up, Aqua had them make their beds and set out their uniforms before asking for them to form a line, as she inspected the bleary eyed girls bunks. "Montana, your sheet is crumpled and Jessica your doona (covers) is tangled up." Once the beds were satisfactory, Aqua read out the mornings shower roster, before sending the kids off to get ready.

Even though she may seem strict, all the kids loved her. She called them by their preferred names, comforted them if they cried and tutored all in need. She was the mother they never had. At 13 Aqua had captured the hearts of over 50 girls ranging from 3-16 and posed as their role model. She had good grades and was always neat.

As Aqua and Bella headed for the showers, she reflected on last nights dream. Another one of her swimming. As she had approached her 13th birthday, Aqua had been plagued by these dreams night after night, despite her fear of water and anything to do with it. Now as she stood under the steaming water, she smiled at the thought of it. Her ever getting closer than this to water was not going to happen. At least that's what she thought.