Out of Your League

Chapter 4

For most people, the beginning of a new school year meant new school shoes, a fresh haircut and waking up extra early to look good. But for me and my friends, it meant turning up to school early to have your maid clean your room. It meant having your parents fly your clothes to school in their private helicopter on a rail so they didn't have to be folded for even a moment and get creased. It meant buying an entire new closet complete with shoes for the occasion. And none did this more extravagantly than George. I mean, it didn't surprise me that he went all out, it was just another way for him to display his wealth.

At Barton, there were around 600 students about 40% girls and 60% boys – there were 4 girls houses and 6 boys houses. Originally it was an all-boys school but about 40 years ago they began accepting girls. Anyway, me and Belle were both in Brooke and Ed, Will and George were all in a house called Perkins. Brooke was widely accepted as the best girls house and although Perkins was not the best boys house as the housemaster, Mar Tillet, is unfairly strict, the people in it were generally the best.

Maja and Daniel helped me carry my numerous trunks into Brooke – my mother and father hadn't even come to see me off to school even though they wouldn't see me until half term in 6 weeks, I think this represented just how much they disliked me. I've always managed to deal with this, but when I saw everyone else's parents here ready to wish their child a good term and actually caring enough to take the time out of their day to see them off, it did make me feel a bit shunned. This feeling was only magnified when I saw Belle with her mother. Belle was really close with her mother, her father pissed off when Belle was little and although it shamed her mother for a long time as the proper thing to do in our world is marry for life, even if when you are old you hardly speak to each other and don't like each other anymore, but anyway, it made Belle and her mother really close and right now it was making me a little jealous.

'Colette! Nice to see you, are you ready for school?' She looked behind me at the abundance of trunks and laughed. 'Of course you are, it looks like you are rivaling Belle for the largest amount of clothing someone can take back to school.' She skillfully avoided mentioning that my parents were nowhere around and that the only people here  for me were here because they were paid to be, even if I would rather have Maja here than my mother. I headed back outside to get another trunk with her and Belle, not that Belle will carry any trunks upstairs, it might rumple her outfit or chip her manicured nails.

But George was there. He was standing directing his driver over where to take his trunks whilst leaning against the car in a suit with one leg crossed over the other and his hands in his pockets - he really did look the part of a careless, trust fund baby. Belle froze, as did her mother whom Belle had clearly told about the situation. I stopped as well until it became clear that Belle would not be able to move or indeed do anything until he had disappeared. It was up to me then, I stalked towards him, my arms crossed and my brow furrowed. He saw that I was heading for him and inclined his head, as much as a gesture of respect as he would show anyone.

'Colette. Nice to see you.' I was already pissed at him on Belle's behalf, but then he had to say that? Act like everything was okay and imply that he was surprised I actually turned up to school? I lost it and began yelling at him and cursing him to the burning flames of hell. He had the audacity to give me a small smirk and this set me off even further. I was halfway through my shouting bout when Mr. Tillet appeared in the street. I knew I should stop; I knew that this would mean detention on the first Saturday back, but I couldn't help it, I was mad.

'MISS HUNTINGDON! This is unacceptable, this is a fine, reputable establishment and you are being not only impolite, but downright rude. I know it's the first day of school and so I'm deeply disappointed to be doing this, but I shall have to give you detention for violent yelling and the extreme use of profanity towards another student.' What a lie, he liked punishing people, I bet he was delighted that he got the chance to give detention when school hadn't even been open for an hour. I sighed in defiance before crossing my arms and striding across the street back into Brooke, Maja and Daniel followed me as swiftly as they could whilst carrying trunks. Neither of them blinked an eye at this latest scene – they had seen me yell at people too many times now for it to even matter, they would probably have been more surprised if I didn't yell at George given the situation.