Paper Airplanes

Chapter 7

After some time, we finally went back to the dorm. I guess I was feeling kinda shaken up about everything. I mean the new school, the people, and the teachers. A wave of exhaustion washed over as I plundered on with some of the girls.  Nothing here seems to be normal, at all.

We went in the living room or the lounge as they prefer to call it. All of these different names! Infirmary, Lounge. Make up your mind! I was still taken away by the beauty of it all. It must have been really expensive. It certainly looked it. The other girls didn’t seem so distant with me this time, which was a surprise seeing as they totally ignored me before. We were watching My Super Sweet Sixteen when someone knocked on the door. Rosalinda grunted before getting up.

“If that’s Hannah saying she lost her card again, I swear…”

I could still hear her grumbling as she walked out of the room. She popped her head around the corner a minute later, her eyes slightly glazed as she smiled stupidly.

“Ashleigh! Come ‘ere!”

I got up, alarmed to find that she needed me. I followed her out and got to the door to see a boy with a box waiting for me. He must have been a student cause he was wearing the same black jumpsuit I’d seen everyone else wear, except his had a loose blue ribbon near his shoulder. A Second Year specifically. I wonder why he’s here… It doesn’t really make sense; I’ve done nothing wrong since coming here. Seeing him tower slightly above me made me feel slightly worried if anything.

“Are you Ashleigh Black?” he asked. He sounded polite enough. His height however still mae me feel nervous and I was looking up at him, as if I was dazed by him. Which, I wasn’t. But I think Rosalinda was; she was smiling uncontrollably and rocking side to side.

“Um, yes I am. Is there something wrong?” I asked worriedly, feeling myself start to twiddle my fingers together. He laughed at my response, his eyes crinkling around the corners. I must have sounded petrified.

“No, of course not. It’s just that Miss Clark wanted me to drop off your PDA, card and planner. That’s all” he said in an effort to try and comfort me.

He flipped his blonde hair out of his hazel eyes as he said this. Now that I think about it, he looked like one of those celebrities you see all those crazy girls go nuts over. His hair looked like that sort of Disney/Justin Bieber haircut, i.e. totally un-original and obvious. No offence. I’m glad Justin Bieber cut his hair to be honest. This guy should follow his example.

“Oh thanks. But Rosalinda could have just taken it.”

“I know, but it’s a strict policy that the only packages students receive are their own. It’s like a sacred rule” he replied, stressing the fact that it was oh so sacred.

“Huh, good to know” I said, gingerly moving my belt from side to side.

He handed me the package and walked off. The door slid shut behind him, slowly removing him from our view. I turned to Rosalinda. She was still smiling. So obvious, I think sceptically as I try to snap her out of her daze. After she finally realised that I hadn’t dropped down dead, we start to walk back to the lounge, Rosalinda still grinning like a flipping Cheshire cat. Well, we need to talk about this encounter.

 “So, who’s he?” I asked as we walked back to the lounge, shaking the box around eagerly. Rosalinda looked appalled by this question, as did some other girls we passed. They were obviously spying on me. It seems to fit the school well enough.

“’He’ is James Foster” Rosalinda whispered, looking shocked at my use of just ‘he’.  “He is like supposed to be destined to become a legendary agent. He’s been advanced to the Second Year classes. He’s actually supposed to be a First Year” she said wistfully.