White Thorn | On Hold

First Day

The beeping of her alarm didn't wake her.

She was already awake, after all, like she had been for the entire night. Arya's shoulders sunk, knowing that the day was only going to get worse. Her body begged her to stay in bed, but she knew that unless she wanted to be dragged to the school nurse by a persistent blonde then she'd have to get up and face her first day of lessons.

The uniform was simple. A black pleated skirt, a plain white shirt and a red tie. She even tucked her new red necklace under her shirt. Boots weren't allowed, but Arya didn't really pay attention to that rule as she laced up her knee-high black boots. She pulled on her usual set of fingerless gloves, throwing her jumper over her untucked shirt before she headed out, grabbing her rucksack off the hook by her door as she headed down for breakfast.

Breakfast was a silent affair, completely unlike what she was used to. There was no Brother Jeremiah to cheer her up while she ate her croissants, Velvet didn't even turn up but there was a good reason for that, as she soon found out when she glanced up at the clock.

She was running late. Very late.

Arya cursed. "Dammit..." She muttered, unfolding the map of the school and her timetable. "First period... Room B7..." She staggered out of her chair, hurrying out of the hall and into the corridors, almost falling flat on her face as the world spun. That didn't slow her down though. All Arya was focused on was getting to class.

She might've made it too, if it hadn't been for the foot that snaked out from behind the line of lockers. "And what do we have here...?" Green eyes narrowed on her. "A little First Year running late... How unfortunate..." A hand closed around her arm, hauling her to her feet. "Let's go and find you a little silver slip..."

"Shouldn't I just get to class?" She asked, staring between the black coat and the golden armband wrapped around his upper arm.

"Nope." The boy grinned devilishly. "The more class you miss, the more you have to catch up on later."

"It's my first day..." Arya sighed. "Can't you cut me some slack?"

"Afraid not." He said. "We have to make examples out of everyone. No crime goes unpunished."

"It's hardly a crime." She scowled. "I was just running a little late."

"Stop complaining, girl." He sighed. "Nothing you say or do is going to change the fact that there's a little silver slip with your name on it." He said, just as they rounded the corner and bumped into a familiar blonde. "Commander Flynn..." The guy holding her nodded, not noticing how her shoulders sunk even further.

Her day just kept getting better.

"Harley." Flynn said, his eyes flickering between the two of them. "Arya."

"Have you already met...?" Harley asked, blinking in surprise when the girl slipped out of his grasp.

Arya lunged for the bin, just in time for her breakfast to make a reappearance. "Harley." Flynn sighed, holding her hair behind her as she threw up. "I'm taking her to the school nurse, so you might as well get back to patrolling."

"OK." The other boy said, walking back the way he'd some without another word.

He knew better than to talk back to a Commander of the Disciplinary Committee, unlike a certain black-haired girl.

"I'm fine." Arya grumbled.

"The hell you are." Flynn said, wrapping an arm around her chest as he dragged her down the hallway. "You're going to see the nurse whether you like it or not."

She closed her eyes, wishing the world would stop spinning. "I don't like it."

"Tough luck."

"Just dump me back in my room like you did yesterday."

"Nu uh." He shook his head. "You're going to see the nurse, little lady."

"Little lady... Seriously?"

"Hush." He sighed, hefting her up into his arms when he realised she wasn't about to start walking anytime soon. "You're going to the nurse's office, and that's final."

"Do you seriously have to carry me the whole way...?" Arya scowled. "People are giving us weird looks..." She said, having spied the faces peering out at them through the windows. "They're gonna start talking if you're always seen carrying me around the school..."

Flynn looked down at her. "I wouldn't have to carry you if you'd agreed to go to the nurse, but it seems you're too stubborn to do that."

"You got that right." She yawned.

"Tired, are we?"

"That's none of your business."

One blonde brow rose. "Actually, it is." He smirked. "The Disciplinary Committee is supposed to check up on how our newest students are settling in..."

"I'm settling in just fine."

"You sure about that?"

Arya bit back her reply, scowling as Flynn carried her into the nurse's office.

"And what do we have here...?" A soft feminine voice echoed around the room.

"She was sick. Last night, and then again this morning." Flynn said, gently setting her down on the bed.

"I'm fine." Arya complained.

"No, you're not." Flynn folded his arms.

Green eyes met her matching ones as the woman, whom Arya presumed to be the nurse, started fussing over her like a concerned parent. "Her temperature's normal... and her stomach seems to be fine right now..." She mumbled, having finished prodding the girl's stomach. "Which means that this could just be a severe case of homesickness... or maybe something she ate yesterday..."

"Can I go to class, then?" Arya asked, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

"Ye-"

"No." Flynn cut the woman off. "You didn't get any sleep last night, and you don't want to overexert yourself." He glared down at her, daring her to challenge him.

"Know it all." Arya grumbled, sinking back into the soft white sheets. "But I suppose I can't complain..." She mumbled, closing her eyes slowly, and she would've drifted off to sleep, had it not been for the phone that started to ring.

"Claudia speaking." The nurse spoke, knotting her black eyebrows together as she listened to the guy on the other end of the line. "Got it." She nodded. "I'm on my way." With that, she hung up, turning to face the blonde. "Can you keep an eye on her for a little while, then?" She asked. "There's a situation at the hospital that they need my help with."

"I haven't got any lessons today, so I suppose I can."

Claudia snorted. "When do you ever have lessons, Flynn?" She called, pausing in the doorway. "You finished most of your classes in your fourth year..."

"I still have to go to Defence and PE." He mumbled, more to himself than anyone else.

"Defence...?" Arya stared sleepily up at him.

Flynn glanced down at her. "That's what you'll be missing this afternoon."

"It sounds fun..." She sighed. "Are you sure I can't go...?"

"It's basically just three hours' worth of beating your classmates up... So you really won't be missing much."

"What if I feel better after lunch?"

He shrugged. "If you're really feeling up to it, then I'll take you."

"Thanks."

"Don't go thanking me yet." Flynn said.

"Why not?"

His shoulders sunk. "Hush, child."

"You do realise you're only four years older than me, right?"

"Anyone below the age of eighteen is a child to me." He said. "Now close those eyes and get some sleep. You'll need it if you want to survive three hours of Defence."