Tommy's Rose

Chapter 6: The Office

It had been a few days since I got lost in Birminghan. I had studdied a few maps of the city and managed to work out all the streets in Small Heath that would lead me to Polly's house, Daniel's house, to school and to my Dads office but since I got lost my Dad has decided to have me escorted to the office or he would pick me up...

The school bell rang to signal it was the end of the day and everyone could go home. I stood up from my desk and collected my books, I walked over to my bag and placed them inside.

"Primrose, wanna walk out of school with me?" Daniel asked as he appeared beside me.

I smiled. "I'd like that," I told him.

Daniel had become one of my greatest friends; We shared so many interests, he was so kind to me and his friends were very nice too, they all tried to include me in the things they did on the play ground which was very nice of them. I still didn't like the girls in my school, they weren't so nice to me and since my Dad had been picking me up they teased me about being a Shelby, they called say I'm a Gypsy pretending to be a Princess...

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked as we walked towards the play ground.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I hate girls," I stated thinking about the cooking class from this morning.

Elizabeth Harris was always the first girl to say something mean and today was the worst, she said I should leave the school and become a gyspy fortune teller, apparently I'm cursed and I'm going to end up in a wooden cart telling crazy stories for the rest of my life... I obviously don't believe her but why would she say things like that, is it just because I'm a Shelby?

"Do you think my Dad would be upset if I changed my name?" I asked quietly.

Daniel frowned. "What's wrong with Primrose?" He asked.

I huffed. "My last name," I told him. "No one likes me becasue I'm a Shelby, I'm not a gypsy."

"They're just jealous Prim," Daniel told me. "And I'm sure you're Dad wouldn't be happy if you changed your name."

"Hi Daniel, hi Primrose!" Our friend Henry greeted.

We both smiled. "Hi Henry, how's your hand?" I asked softly.

During break time Henry and an older boy got into a bit of an argument that then turned into the fight, the head master split them up and dragged the two of them to his office to punish them... You could hear the head masters shouts all over the school, we all knew he would wack the boys hands.

Henry showed up both his palms; They were bright red, sore and slightly cut from the cane.

"The pain has gone now," Henry told us quietly. "Do you two want to come play by the cannel?"

Daniel's eyes light up. "Yes, that'll be fun!" He cheered. "We can look for those abandond boats!"

Henry looked at me. "What about you Prim, will you come?" He asked as we walked onto the play ground.

I looked to the ground and sighed. "I can't today, I have to go to my Dad's office," I explained sadly. "I would've like to go."

"Just come with us," Henry told me. "Come on it will be fun."

I shook my head and pointed to the open gates that were at the front of the school; Stood just outside the gates was a suited man, in a long dusty black coat, wearing a cap with a blade sticking out of it... Tommy Shelby.

"You're Dad is terrifying," Henry stated.

Daniel punched Henry's arm. "Now that's not nice!" He stated.