The Nutcracker Princess

The Nutcracker Princess: Chapter 1

Chapter One

Bah Humbug!

Once upon a time...or to be exact, the eleventh of December...

"I hate Christmas." He did not just say that. "It's just a pathetic excuse to overindulge and spend far too much money on useless crap."

Oh my days, had I been magically transported into A Christmas Carol or something?

"Thank you, Mr Pringle, for that rather...individual introduction. You can take the free seat at the back."Stammered my form teacher, Miss Bell, appearing slightly unnerved following his spontaneous rant against the festive period.

Josie Ward, whose empty desk lay to my left, was still in bed with the flu.

Great. I had to sit next to Scrooge.

He strode down the aisle to his seat, the entire female population of my class hungrily watching his every move. Stopping in front of the vacant desk, he looked right at me. His eyes quickly sought out my Christmas pudding-shaped earrings and a scowl spread across his face.

"Jeez, trust me to get seated next to an elf." He muttered under his breath, thumping his bag on the ground.

"Excuse me?" I hissed, spinning around to glare at him.

"You heard me, Rudolph." Scrooge smirked, turning his mossy gaze to face forward. I stared after him open mouthed, my cheeks flushed with anger.

"Miss Palmer, if you could kindly tear your eyes away from our newest arrival and pay attention, I'd be much obliged." I swiftly faced the front, hearing the class erupt into laughter.

I can't believe Miss Bell thought I was scamming on that twerp.

"Now class, turn your textbooks to page ninety-three." I absent-mindedly flipped through the pages and sighed, I'd had such high hopes for the new boy.

I had first encountered him that morning.

I'd slept in as usual, and still dressed in my pyjamas I headed directly for the breakfast buffet, only to find nothing remaining but a rather suspect bowl of porridge. This was a typical breakfast scenario at Sharpes Academy, a historic boarding school on the outskirts of the Lake District- basically a place where nothing interesting ever happened. My Grandfather had insisted I was sent there as it was a Palmer family tradition-one I was keen to break.

Unusually hungry that morning I stared sadly at the empty platters and patted my stomach.

Poor belly, it was going to be a long wait till lunch.

"Nice PJ's," I heard a voice say behind me. "I think I got the last of the edible stuff, if you want any of mine?"

I turned around to see an unfamiliar boy holding a sizeable plate of fried eggs and bacon.

"Oh, cheers." I smiled, looking down sheepishly at my Eiffel Tower print pyjamas, "If you really don't mind?" Please don't let him mind. Last time I missed breakfast I got kicked out of French due to my rumbling stomach disrupting the weekly oral test.

"No worries." He replied with a grin, tipping half of his breakfast onto one of the few clean plates left stacked beside the empty trays. "Enjoy." He said with a wink, before turning to walk into the main dining room. I stared after him feeling bemused.

Who was this guy? He certainly didn't behave like the typical arrogant Sharpes boys I was used too.

"Any idea who that is?" Pointing my fork in the direction of my breakfast saviour, I flopped into a chair at the table where my classmates and best friends, Claire, Kate and Charlie were already eating and exchanging gossip.

"And good morning to you too, Palmer- please tell me you're not wearing your pyjamas in public again?"Charlie said, shaking his head disapprovingly.

Claire and Kate however weren't even remotely interested in my breakfast attire.

"Ooh, is that the new boy?" Kate cooed, twirling her ponytail. "He's pretty buff."

"I know! I wouldn't mind having him for breakfast." Claire chimed in, making a claw like a panther.

Charlie rolled his eyes wearily, "Girls."

I laughed and shook my head; I had to admit we made a strange group of friends; a self-confessed swot, a man-eater, the school heart-throb and me, Holly Palmer-The Nutcracker Princess.

I'd earned this nickname my first year at Sharpes, as when December came around I was at the forefront of spreading Christmas cheer.

"Well, he seems like a nice guy." I remarked thoughtfully, shovelling a forkful of eggs into my mouth.

Oh how wrong I was.