The Inventor from Velothain

The Twins

“Woah Florence, aren’t you going to slow down?” Edgar moved his chair a few paces to the right.
“I’m hungry!” Florence retorted. “And if we’re not careful, It’ll go cold!”
“Florence does have a point.” Jasper stepped into the room. His hair wasn’t its usual combed style. They were messy and unkept in a ginger mess. His glasses were held halfway down his nose.
“Oh, good morning Uncle Jasper.” Florence looked up from her breakfast bowl.
“Good morning Florence, my dear. And you too Edgar.”
“Morning.”
“I trust, you slept well?”
Florence and Edgar nodded in unison.
“Good.” Jasper poured himself a cup of coffee. “You’re in uniform I see.”
“Yes, well we didn’t want to be late. Right Florence?”
She nodded, taking a spoonful of porridge.
“Speaking of which. Uncle Jasper, what are our travel arrangements?” Florence asked.
“I’m taking you.” Jasper replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Silence fell across the room. The twins looked at each other in a mixture of confusion and disappointment.
“What?” He asked, taking a sip.
“You might want to look at the time.” Florence murmured, just loud enough for the three of them to hear.
Jasper looked to the clock on the wall. The second everything connected, he spat his coffee out in sheer terror.
“Shit!” He cried. Then he looked at the twins, “I mean crap! I mean... Um... Fudge-buckets! Yeah that’s right!”
“Honestly, don’t worry. Florence is a lot worse.” Edgar rolled his eyes.
“I’m not!”
“Oh yes you are!”
“I said like one thing when I stubbed my toe and I was twelve!” Florence protested.
“Yes and you’ve been a potty mouth ever since.”
“I’ll get dressed, you guys wait here.”
Uncle Jasper slammed his mug on the counter and dashed out.

*****

The car journey was awkward to say the least. The twins sat in the back, as far away from their uncle as possible.
“Hey Edgar, I’ve got something to show you later.” Florence wiggled her eyebrows. “I found it in the attic, last night.”
“Is that why you wanted to sit away from ginger nuts over there?” Edgar nodded to uncle Jasper.
“Yes, of course. I don’t want to blow our cover, he’d be furious.”
“What you two talking about?” Jasper asked, looking I to the rear view mirror.
“Um- how excited we are about our new school! Man, we haven’t been to a school for years.” Florence laughed awkwardly.
“That’s great, I’m excited  for the both of you.” Jasper cried, seeming more ecstatic than both Edgar and Florence combined.

******

The car pulled up behind a set of trees, looming over them. Tall towering oaks and gorgeous silver birches lined the road beautifully.
“This is where I’ll leave you.” Began uncle Jasper. “I’ll pick you up after school.” He waved at the twins before driving off.
Florence slung her backpack over her right shoulder and began to walk past the trees, with Edgar at her heels.
They arrived at a set of stairs, as they ascended, they could see the beginning of a building. Once they stood at the top, they saw a huge skyscraper with almost wall to wall windows. There was a train station to the left and a small supermarket to the right. The buildings didn’t look too out of place, yet it seemed like such a contrast from the small community College they had become so accustomed to,  so many years ago.
“This is a school?” Edgar gasped.
“I think so.” Florence replied.
“Hi there!” Came a perky voice, snapping Edgar and Florence out of their trance.
“Huh what? Oh hey!” Florence stumbled.
“You must be the new guys. I’m Cassidy and this is Jordan.” The two shook hands with them. “We are the head boy and girl of Hazelwood.”
“You aren’t like the type of head girl who’s a backstabbing bitch?” Asked Florence, flatly.
Cassidy blinked. “Um, no but we’d like you to come and join our group.”
“Yeah, no thanks.” Florence shuffled inside.
“Sorry about her.” Edgar rubbed the back of his head. “She doesn’t take too well with people in power.”
Cassidy and Jordan exchanged glances.
“It’s not a problem, but could you at least give her this map, from me. I’d hate to see her to get lost on her first day.” Cassidy handed Edgar the slip of paper, her fingers gently brushed his.
"Right, well. I'll go and find her then." Edgar nodded to Cassidy, running into the building.
"Florence!" Edgar called, jogging lightly down the foyer. "Florence, where are you?"
"I'm here!" She turned from the reception window. "I found our timetables."
"Doesen't it feel weird?" Edgar retreived the piece of paper.
"What does?"
"You know, coming back to school after all this time?"
"Sort of. Though, its not like our other school experience was the most memorable."
Edgar chuckled. "Oh come on. It wasn’t that bad. surely you remember something. what about when Tyrone Waterdew got his hand stuck in the vacuum cleaner?"
Florence grinned.
"See? That was funny, right?"
"I suppose." Florence leaned against the table.
"Ah, you two must be the Swan twins." An older woman in a business suit strolled up to them.
"How did you know?" Florence asked, sceptically.
"Well, she's hardly a spy." Edgar murmured in her ear.
"I am Ms. Hilton, I'm your head of house. I'm here to take you to your forms."
"She looks like she's got a stick up her arse." Florence whispered.
"What was that?" Ms. Hilton asked smugly.
"I was just saying how lovely this place is." Florence lied.
Clearly, she wasn’t convinced. “Well if you’d like to follow me.” Ms. Hilton said, glaring down at Florence.