Silverstone: Perfection is Not Enough

Chapter 6

We stand around uncertainly for a few seconds, until Bertie breaks the silence.

"Come on, Jess, I want to get unpacking over with." She grabs my wrist and pulls me up the stairs behind her. Once we head up, everyone else gradually follows. The stairs are carpeted in royal blue, and are soft to tread.

"Which corridor are you in?" Bertie asks when we reach the top, where the wide landing splits off into two corridors, one with the number '1' on the wall, and the other with '2'. 

"Um..." I check my sheet. "Two."

"Same," she grins. We go down corridor 2, and both stop outside the room with a shiny '3' on the door. I look at her, and we both burst out laughing. 

"Yes!" She exclaims between laughs. "Roomies!"

I push open the white-painted wooden door, and I grin at how typically boarding-schooley it looks.

Two bunk beds lie next to each wall either side of the door wall, their headboards against the far wall. A large window is set into the wall between the beds, and two desks with two slick computers rest just against the bottom of the glass. Two wardrobes stand against each wall at the end of the beds, one for each of the four students that will inhabit this room. The walls are painted a light blue, and the carpet is the same colour, but in the royal shade, matching the floor-length curtains, which are tied back from the window with large silver tassels. 

"I guess I know which colour Valegro is," I joke, and go over the bunk with my suitcase on, one of the top ones. Bertie heads to the bottom bed of the same bunk, so I guess we'll be sharing for the year. I wonder who else is going to be sleeping in here.

Almost as if my thoughts have been read, another two girls come in through the door. I look up to see them.

One has long, dark hair, held back in a ponytail, and green eyes surrounded by sooty lashes. She's tall, with pale skin and wearing a forest green dress that ends just above the knee, with pretty brown leather ankle boots. 

The other is strawberry blonde with hazel eyes, and wearing a checked pink shirt with purposely faded jeans, and expensive-looking trainers. She looks around the rooms and her eyes stop on me.

"Hello. You're the scholarship girl, right?"

"Yes," I reply, feeling nerves building up inside me.

She suddenly smiles. "Well done! That routine was awesome! I'm Rose, and this is Tabitha," she introduces, gesturing to herself and the black-haired girl.

"Hi Rose, hi Tabitha, I'm Jess, and this is Bertie."

"Hey," Bertie greets them, clothes draped over both arms. I laugh.

"I take it you're not the most organised packer," I grin.

Rose shakes her head. "Trust me, I'm worse."

"Well, I'm organised, so this room should at least look presentable," Tabitha ruefully smiles. "So hi! Roomies!"

"Yep," Berite's voice drifts from the deep waters of her suitecase. "I should warn you though, I snore."

I attempt to stifle a laugh, but it turns into a kind of snort, and I open my wardrobe to put my clothes away, but stop.

"Woah," I breathe, looking at the contents. Bertie and Tabitha come over, while Rose just opens her own wardrobe.

Inside, the wardrobe is separated into compartments. The rail is separated into two parts, while there are several little square alcoves at the bottom for folded clothes and the such like. But in one of the two rail sections, there are already some clothes. I take each item of clothing out one at a time to look at it. 

First is a navy school blazer, with a horse head surrounded by a stem of roses stitched onto the breast pocket. The words 'Perfection is not enough' are embroidered just below the pocket. The tie is striped navy and silver. A set of plain white shirts comes next, followed by a navy, pleated skirt that should finish just above the knee, if I'm not mistaken, and another similar skirt, but without the pleats.

"It's a miracle," Rose mutters. "I found a school uniform that will probably not make every female specimen in the school except the stupid, annoying popular ones look like total idiots."

I nod, and look at the next things; the riding clothes. There's a navy show jacket, with the same horse head, roses and motto embroidered on it, a couple of pairs of white jodhpurs and some white show shirts. Along with this, there's what must be the everyday uniform of a royal blue polo top with the school badge on, but also the word 'Valegro' just below the motto, and several pairs of beige jodhpurs.

Down in the bottom square compartments, I discover a pair of black school shoes, knee-high school socks, a pair of black leather long boots, black leather short boots and an amazing carbon riding helmet.

"Well," Bertie rubs her hands together. "Free clothes!"

Tabitha looks at my things. "I don't have the socks or shoes or helmet. It is because you're the scholarship winner?"

I shrug, trying not to let my wince at the word 'scholarship' show. "Yeah, I guess."

She seems to realise how I feel. "I'm sorry, Jess," she says quickly. "I didn't mean anything by it."

I shake off the nerves and smile. "I know, it's fine. Are we ever going to actually unpack, or just stand here staring at the school uniform?"

We break up the conversation and unpack everything. I can't help but ask about the floor-length dress that Bertie's hanging up. "Bertie, why the dress?"

She looks at me with a puzzled look on her face. "The end of year ball? Didn't you know?"

"No," I shake my head. "I just guess I'll have to get something just before."

"People, we've had thirty minutes," Tabitha informs us. "Shall we go downstairs?"

I nod, and follow her, Rose and Bertie out the bedroom door.

A/N: Yay, it's here! You have no idea how long this took to write. :( But never mind, it's here. Please, please comment so I know you exist. Please. Please. Please.

Okay, I'll shut up now. Bye! 

Maddie xox