Heroes

Chapter 5

Elva inhaled deeply as she stepped off the carriage. She had finally arrived at the school and it was marvelous.

A tall wrought iron fence surrounded a large cobblestone courtyard. A fountain in the middle splashed cold, clear water into a 4-way stream that trickled in the four cardinal directions. A stone building with towers, balconies and rooms the size of houses loomed over the courtyard, casting everything in shadow. Girls her age and older walked briskly in all directions to their classes. A large bronze bell opinion the tallest tower rang 12 times, signaling for all students to head inside.

"We've arrived," the headmaster, Mrs. White told them. "I'll lead you to your dorm and then escort you to lunch. You'll receive your schedules before the end of the day. In the meantime, make yourselves comfortable." She turned and strolled inside, leaving them behind. Elva and Raven jogged to keep up, lugging their heavy baggage behind them in a weird hop-run. Some of the other girl's glanced at them strangely, confusion plastered plainly on their face.

After many twists and turns down various hallways and corridors, the group reached their destination.

"Here is your dorm," Mrs. White announced. Elva and Raven stood panting behind her as she unlocked the door and allowed them inside. "You'll be sharing this room with two other students. I'm sure you'll all get along." She looked pointedly at Raven, who smiled and shrugged. "You may set your things on one of the beds. Then follow me." Two of the bunks were clearly occupied- clothes scattered haphazardly across one, numerous papers spilled across the other.

"I call top," Raven declared. Not in the mood to argue, and trying to make a good impression, Elva nodded and placed her suitcase on the bottom bed. Mrs. White handed both of them a key, then led them to the dining hall.

Long, oak floorboards and red curtains adorned the spacious room. Lengthy tables piled with food lined the room, in the middle was an iron brazer. At the head of the room stood a podium where a tall, blonde girl was speaking.

"-We can improve the school by adding vending machines, vegan food, and longer intermissions between classes. I'm confident in my team's ability to get this done and get it done fast. You'll notice improvements within a week! Vote Anita Bradshaw for President!" She gathered her notes and skipped off the stage as people clapped, two of her companions following close behind.

"You can sit wherever you want," Mrs. White was saying. "Just be sure not to anger any if the students. Some of them are... Unstable." Elva nodded, and looked around for a seat. Mrs. White had left her to manage on her own, so manage she must. Elva glanced around the room, trying to get a feel for the students and who she would fit in with. Anita was a possibility, but she wanted to explore all her options. She immediately steered clear of the cheerleader table, full of skinny Barbies gossiping about one thing or another. Raven was drawn to a crowd of girls who embellished the school uniform with studs, spikes and leather. If Raven liked them, they couldn't be good. The table to her left was completely silent, heads bent earnestly over thick textbooks. Elva wanted desperately to go and talk to them, but she knew that interrupting someone's studying was not the way to impress them. Anita looked like her only option.

Elva got her food from the lunch ladies. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then went over to introduce herself.

"Hi," she smiled. "I'm Elva."

"Hi," Anita smiled back, putting out her hand. "Anita."

They shook hands and looked each other up and down.

"New here?" Anita asked.

"Yup."

"Well you can hang out with my crew. As long as your not bothered my politics and such."

"I'm not. But how are you able to run for president if we're ruled by a king? Wouldn't he ban stuff like that?"

Anita laughed. "He doesn't think anyone knows about the past. I found an old book. A history book, actually. The king is really trying to pull the wool over our eyes, eh?"

"Yeah," Elva fell silent. She thought of her parents back home, living blindly under the king's rule.

"So where're you from?"

"Small town. It's not well known."

"Maybe not, but the tuition here is not cheap. Your parents must be rich. Who are they?"

"I'm, uh, not supposed to say." Elva looked awkwardly down at her feet.

Anita raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. "Sit down," she finally said. "Lunch is almost over."

Elva sat and picked at the food in front of her. She heard loud laughing, and turned to see Raven telling a crazy story to her new-found friends. Elva couldn't hear the details, but from their expressions she was sure it was greatly exaggerated. Raven had been in a few scrapes in her life, but nothing serious. She have to talk to her later.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Hundreds of students rose from their tables and discarded of their extra food. As they filed out, Elva searched for Raven in the crowded room. When she couldn't find her, she too left the room, and headed back to her dorm. She didn't know her classes, so she could start completing any assignments. The long day finally caught up with her. Collapsing on the bed, she was asleep before she even hit the pillow.

I just want to say THANK YOU for 32 reads! I know that's nothing compared to other authors but that's so exciting!! Thank you!! And ily!

LH