Mount Asteria

Chapter Four

The weak light filtered in through the gaps framing the heavy curtains, waking Alexandra. For a moment, she was not sure where she was, then remembered, with a slight squirm in her stomach. She'd slept well, but was nervous about her first day of actual classes. She glanced at the old fashioned alarm clock, compete with two bells perched securely on top, and saw it was nearly half past seven. Breakfast was served from seven until the first bell at a quarter to nine, or so Hestia had said.

She changed into the Mount Asteria uniform. She had not seen it yet – her measurements had been given and so it was sent straight to the school. She was a little apprehensive as she opened the wardrobe door, but smiled when she saw it – a white blouse and a navy skirt which fell just to her knees when she put it on, and a navy jumper emblazoned with the school crest. A blazer was also hanging up, and a small silk scarf in the same colours, but a note had been attached, "for special or formal occasions".  After glancing in the mirror quickly, she hurried out of her room, pausing awkwardly in the corridor.

She couldn't remember where the dining hall was. Hestia and some of the other girls had taken her down to dinner last night, but she had been too immersed in the conversation to pay attention to the route they were taking. And, Alexandra reflected, even if she had, she wasn't she sure she would ever be able to navigate her way through the endless maze of corridors.

The central area of the boarding house, the passageway onto which all the bedrooms opened, was deserted. Alexandra decided to linger there until one of her classmates appeared.

"Oh dear, lost already? Hardly a promising start." Ebony had materialised seemingly from nowhere, causing Alexandra to jump. Ebony looked at her with an I'm not sure you're going to last long expression. "Rule number one at Mount Asteria – Always take note of your surroundings."

"I-"

Ebony smiled. "Rule number two – Never allow someone to sneak up on you. And rule number three – you should always cover up your mistakes and, if possible, not be rendered speechless. Follow me this time, but remember the way. Observing is the simplest, yet most important thing we do here, and you've so far failed even at that." That last part she added under her breath.

Alexandra,though bewildered, followed Ebony out of the boarding house obediently. "What are you talking ab -"

"You'll find out soon enough." Ebony cut her off before she could finish the question. "With any luck, you'll turn out at least a little better than Hestia."

Alexandra would have stood up for the girl who was, so far, her only friend in the school,but Ebony seemed to have lost interest she had once had in her and had taken out her phone, tapping furiously on the screen.

"We're allowed to carry our phones around?"

Ebony rolled her eyes."I'll make sure you get a copy of the rule book. Until then, you have the perfect excuse."

"What?"

"If you don't know the rules, how could you possibly follow them?"

They had arrived in the dining hall. Alexandra cursed herself as she realised she had been too distracted by Ebony to pay attention to the route they had taken. She made to sit at the fourth years' table but Ebony steered her towards the top of the room.

"We always have a buffet breakfast. We can have a full Irish breakfast at the weekends too."

Ebony helped herself to some sort of avocado and boiled egg concoction, while Alexandra stuck to the toast.

"The food here is so much better than at my old school," she remarked as she followed Ebony down to their seats.

"I'm glad to hear it. I had always presumed Mount Asteria had a better culinary reputation than Levington, but now I am left in no doubt of the fact." Ebony's voice held no hint of sarcasm, yet it was not entirely earnest either. Alexandra wondered if Ebony was always so hard to decipher.

"Well, I – Hang on.How did you know I went to Levington?"

"Nevermind how I know."

They had arrived at the table where just one other girl was sitting, hiding behind a newspaper. She had a mane of curly red hair. Alexandra couldn't remember her name. Claire? Or Gráinne, maybe?

"Know what, Ebony?"the girl asked, setting down the paper.

She smiled at Alexandra, her freckled cheeks dimpling. She was very pretty, if not in a conventional way.

Ebony remained silent.

"Oh dear, in a mood,are we?" The red-haired girl said in a patronising tone.

"No."

"I see. I'm Bláithín,by the way, Alexandra."

"Oh." Seeing as Bláithín already knew her name, there was not much else Alexandra could say in response.

"So, what will we do today?" Bláithín yawned and reclined in her chair.

"Don't we have classes?" Alexandra asked. It was a Tuesday and the first of September. It only stood to reason. Then again, they seemed to do things differently here.

Ebony rolled her eyes.Alexandra was beginning to become immune to her constant frustration with her.

Bláithín nodded."Yep. But they're only until three. What will we do with the rest of our lives every day?"

"Oh. Right. Is there a certain schedule? Do we have to play games or do activities for a certain time and then prep?"

"Games. Prep. Where do you think we are? Eton? Malory Towers?" Ebony laughed and even Bláithín couldn't hide a smile.

"That's not fair, Ebony. A lot of private schools in Ireland call study prep," Bláithín corrected herself and her friend.

"I apologise. It was my obviously very poor attempt at a joke."

Now Bláithín rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Alexandra." Lowering her voice so only Alexandra would hear, she said, "Ebony takes a while to get used to. Just trust me on this one – she's actually a really nice person."

Alexandra nodded, not so certain.

"Alexandra! There you are! I was hoping you'd found your way down alright." Hestia's appearance came as a great relief to Alexandra. She had started to feel a bit lost. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you. I love having a four-poster bed."

"Senior privilege," Bláithín said. "First to third years have to make do with ordinary queen size."

Alexandra grinned.

"We'd better go,"Ebony announced. "Ms de Lacy wants to see you before assembly."

It took Alexandra a few seconds to figure out that Ebony was talking to her.

"Who?" she asked, suddenly anxious.

Ebony sighed. "Ms de Lacy. The principal, headmistress, whatever you wish to call her.Hurry up."

With a final,thoroughly bewildered look to Bláithín and Hestia, Alexandra allowed Ebony drag her out of the hall.