Always There • Enolive [discontinued]

1. Olive

It was almost dusk in the loop of 1940. Miss Peregrine stood in front the house with Olive, the new peculiar addition to the family.

"Welcome to the loop," Miss Peregrine said to the redhead girl in rubber gloves who was standing beside her.

Olive took a moment to stare at her new home. It was a simple Victorian home within a massive yard filled with lush plants and different toys like seesaws and swings.

"How do you like it?" Miss Peregrine asked with a smile. She was in her usual black dress and fancy hat.

"It's lovely, Miss Peregrine!" Olive said enthusiastically. She couldn't wait to meet the other peculiars like her. She wondered what kind of peculiarities they could possibly possess.

"Now, I'll take you to meet the children," Miss Peregrine walked across the yard towards the house, and Olive followed closely behind.

Miss Peregrine knocked on the door. Olive fiddled with the hem of her gloves. She was excited to meet the other children, yet she still felt nervous. Finally, the door opened to reveal a little girl with short brown hair in a white dress.

"Miss P! You're back!" The girl exclaimed.

"Indeed I am," Miss Peregrine said. The little girl's eyes landed on Olive, and the ymbryne took this moment to introduce them to each other. "Bronwyn, this is Olive. She will be staying with us from now on,"

Bronwyn gave a grin from ear to ear. "Hello! I'm Bronwyn!"

"It's nice to meet you, Bronwyn," Olive said with a small smile. She let out a hand, and Bronwyn shook it rather too tightly.

"C'mon, Miss P, Olive. Dinner's almost ready," she said, and she ran inside the home.

Olive looked at Miss P reluctantly. She wasn't sure what to do. Miss Peregrine gave her a nod, signaling her to come in. She set foot in the house and the smell of roast chicken filled her lungs.

"Come on, now. Before our dinner gets cold," Miss P said, and Olive followed her through the patterned halls of the house.

They arrived in the dining room. A long table with seats for fourteen people stood in the center. Pictures hung in the walls, and a chandelier gleamed from the ceiling.

There were around eleven children already seated, some talking to each other and some playing in their place. One end of the table was empty -- probably for Miss Peregrine, Olive thought. Another seat was vacant, and it was near the other end of the table.

"Children," Miss Peregrine called, and everyone looked at her and others called her name in greeting.

Olive's cheeks suddenly heated up. They were not looking at Miss P now, but at Olive. She caught the eye of someone from the other end of the table -- it was a dark-haired boy in a scowl. For a second, they just stared at each other. Then he quickly averted his eyes and Olive did so as well. She hoped she didn't have anything on her face.

"This is Olive Elephanta. She'll be living with us from now on," Miss P announced, and Olive received a couple of smiles and hellos.

"Sit here, Olive!" It was Bronwyn, the little girl from before. She was motioning Olive to come to a seat between her and a brown-haired boy.

Olive walked to the seat, aware that everyone's eyes were on her. She sat on the vacant seat and was glad that she didn't trip, hit a plate, or anything clumsy like that. Bronwyn gave her a smile, and Olive smiled back.

She looked at the other side of her seat. The boy beside her had brown hair and he looked similar to Bronwyn. Olive guessed that they were related. He raised his hand for her to shake.