Tower of Cards

The New Term

Chapter 1

The Station bustled with activity, loud chatter, suitcases and bag trollies dragged over the platform. The air was still hot from the summer months and steam billowed from the oncoming train creating a loud rush of air as it started to break into the station almost temporarily halting the noise.  Arabella Reid was standing not too far from the edge of the platform her suitcase tucked next to her legs while she held her blazer in her arms. Looking around she could see parents saying their final goodbyes to their children before sending them off to school for the new year, teary eyed mothers hugging their babies and hard-headed fathers patting their little heads while they handed the child an oversized bag and sent them towards the now stopping carriages. Her own parents had waved her goodbye when they pulled away from the station in their 1949 Ford Vedette she didn't mind though it wasn't like it was her first year, it was her sixth for the matter and with her new route came a curtain amount of acceptance that her parents were busy people. After all it would be her brother and sister she missed most, despite their adult hood she could at least visit them when in town. The raucous, metallic screech heralds the arrival of the decrepit carriage, standing in defiance of its condition - all corroded iron and tacky upholstery. The doors reluctantly ease open with the force of a stocky station guard, as if gripped by age, the handles stiff with arthritis. The Red paint had faded with age and the windows had faint starches on them from pervious use. The smell of the coal being burnt was thick in the air and the loud chatter on the platform had started to pick up with shouts of farewell. Arabella huffed as she begun to drag dragged her suitcase across to the slowly crowding train both hands gripping the smooth mahogany coloured handle that now suffered with light ware marks from 6 years of use, her blazer was wrapped up in between her arms and she found herself kicking the case as she struggled to walk forward. Her height of 4ft 11 made it increasingly difficult to lug the bag towards the doors.

After heaving the heavy case a little higher to get on to the steam train she moved down the aisle occasionally bumping into a few people walking the other direction, mostly older students seeking out their friends.  Arabella had been looking in each compartment until she found who she was looking for. Juggling her things around she managed to use spare hand to pull the compartment door open with a click, a grind then a thud. It was slightly musky from age; the seats were a worn brown leather and were made with a subtle striped pattern in the seat. The carpet was a dulled blue which matched the curtains that draped at the side of a large window. The walls were made of wood paneling and had overhead storage made of a simple net and poll. Standing onto her toes Arabella attempted to heave her luggage up into the overhead compartment but only succeed when a brown set of hands helped her lift them up. After setting her bag away above her she felt the train shudder while pulling away taking a plunge, inching forward at an excruciating pace. It rocks back and forth, its relentless whining and groaning comparable to a resident of any nursing home. Arabella threw herself down onto the worn seats and faced the Indian girl opposite her, Lydia Williams glanced at her white watch face and brown leather straps. She smiled with her white teeth through full lips. "your 3 minutes and 24 seconds later than usual Bella you didn't over pack did you?" Lydia was a pretty girl she had dark hair that flowed down her back, her eyes resembling that of a deep chocolate, her white shirt and navy pleated skirt sat nicely on her pear figure, she wore black knee-high socks and glossy oxfords on her feet she had her navy blazer with its yellow pipped lapels folded over a small side bag that she carried her purse in. Smiling at the punctual girl opposite to her she responded, "not all of us like to conform to deadlines and clocks Lydia and it's called being prepared not overpacking" Laughing in response Lydia turned to look out the window at the passing country side the town a few minutes behind them now. The trees had started turning orange and the fields were heavy with crops waiting to be harvested while the sun was set high in the sky, dusting the yellow and orange foliaged in heavenly gold light the same light danced off the birds wings as the flew from the trees startled by the noise of the steam engine. Looking down at her own watch Arabella sighed only an hour until they would arrive at The Goldsworth Academy for Young Ladies, the boarding school sat out in the English countryside where it was believed students could be free of distraction and optimize learning. A rustling of a bag dragged Arabella's from the view beyond the window, Lydia had unwrapped a bag of sweets offering some to Arabella who took a hand full gratefully, the sherbet coated Bella's pale hands as she ate, "I'm not doing p.e. in this weather we are still getting highs of 27 degrees, Indian inheritance or not I hate hot weather" Lydia scowled slightly at the sun her pretty features twisting into a scowl as if she had seen Ms Roberts the p.e. teacher standing outside the train compartment door. "Lydia the sun won't kill you, even a little bit" Lydia raised an eyebrow while Arabella chuckled. Lydia threw her hand arm out hitting Bella across the front of her knee then started laughing to "you wait until they have us doing laps then we will see who's complaining" Lydia said while taking out her copy of Lord of the Flies to get a head start on. Arabella turned to her own bag, pulling her curled blonde hair out of her face into a high ponytail with the hair tie on her wrist, she kicked off her borages and laid across the seat basking in the sun that came threw the window the took out her biology textbook and complete her summer reading before they arrived and had to get on the buses hoping they would get a good seat.