Revolting | HORTENSIA'S POV

- CHAPTER 11: Desperate -

I blinked repeatedly.
There was no way.. but Gwyneth never lied.
She really was related to the Trunchbull.

Was that why she was kept a prefect? Was that why she always had to go up to her office?
Is that why she had to go up to her office on the first day with me?

I tried not think about it and looked back at the kids to find Matilda staring at me. Once she saw I noticed she looked down quickly. Ms Honey came back in and looked relieved.
"Ah, Hortensia. How were they?" She asked me.
"They were good." I nodded.
"That's brilliant! Your friend is up at the nurse's office, if you'd like to see her." She patted my head. "Oh, well um, yeah okay. Bye kiddos." I waved and both Bruce and Lavender started to scream. "BYE HORTENSIA!!"
I chuckled and left.

As soon as I shut the door of the classroom my thoughts came running back.
I should've known that her dad was a Trunchbull. I sighed and decided to pay her a visit.

I knocked on the door and the nurse, Mrs Stoneheart, opened the door.
"Ah, hello darling! Are you okay?" She asked me.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just wondering.. well.. uhm. Can I visit Gwyneth? Gwyneth Miller?" I replied and her eyebrows raised.
"Oh. Of course! Come in, darling." She had a soft british accent that made you really know she was a nurse.

"Oh Gwyneth, dear, your friend is here!" She pushed open a pink plaid curtain and Gwyneth sat on the bed while looking outside.
"Molly?" Gwyneth didn't turn around.
"Uhm.. sorry. What's your name again?" Mrs Stoneheart whispered to me. "Hortensia. Hortensia Buckets." I replied. She nodded and got back up.
"No, darling. It's Hortensia." She called again and Gwyneth froze. I saw her look over her shoulder.
"..Oh. Hi." She mumbled.
"Um. I'll leave you two to talk, okay?" Mrs Stoneheart paused before slipping away out the door.

"So.. um.." I stepped forward.
"Hey." She muttered under her breath. I sighed. "Look. I'm sorry about how I never cared for you as much as you did to me. It's been like this for years. You keep trying to hold me back from messing with Trunchbull but I don't let you. I never knew you were in so much pain." I apologised immediately and she turned around. "It's okay. I'm sorry too. I just hated how you cared about the Trunchbull more than me or any of your other friends. You have what you always wanted now; her being gone."

"I just missed my bestfriend. The old Hortensia."

I looked at her and she frowned at me.

"I hated her for when she put you in Chokey that day. I absolutely hated her. So after school that day I threatened to report her to the police and that was when she tried throw me down the stairs but then little Molly showed up. She wasn't a prefect back then." Gwyneth explained and I felt my heart shatter.
"Ever since you and Bruce got her out of the school, she's been offering to my parents to babysit me. I don't know what she's going to do, Hortensia. I don't want to go home."

I felt my heart just snap.
Gwyneth was in danger.
She couldn't even go home.
I had to tell my parents even though they won't believe me.
Or maybe someone else like..

"Does Miss Honey know?" I asked.
"What? About what?" She looked confused.
"Well. About Miss Trunchbull doing these things to you. I just figured since.. well. Ms Honey's related to you." I shrugged.
"Wait what? How did—"
"Matilda accidentally told me and Bruce one day over a bridge. I always knew that Trunchbull and Ms Honey were related ever since that day, but I had no idea that you were in that loophole." I replied.

"..No, she doesn't know." Gwyneth frowned.
"Can you please tell her?" I asked her. She had to tell Miss Honey. She couldn't not tell her.
"..I'll try. The first meeting is after school, so.." She huffed.
"Good. I promise that she can help you."
"Whatever."

We talked for a few minutes until breaktime. I sighed and looked outside the entrance.
The school was in a better place now. But Gwyneth wasn't.

I glanced around to find kids giggling and playing, doing stuff they could never do while Trunchbull ruled. When the intercom crackled, they wouldn't stand up straight like a soldier anymore. They could express their thoughts on things and not get put in Chokey. And they could actually be smart.
But when you looked at Gwyneth, she'd still stand up straight to the cameras. She still walked formally. It was like she was too used to being forced to be like that.

The other prefects weren't that way though. They all walked childishly, like they should.
But not Gwyn.

The other prefects played games with the kids.
But not Gwyn.

All of the prefects were free from the Trunchbull's hands.
But not Gwyn.