The Twelve Chimes of Maligna Manor

A Bad First Impression

Sara had been correct in assuming that her day would not get much better. PE was the least of her worries. As she had believed her lack of kit meant that she could not actually participate in the lesson, which was actually a little disappointing as Sara did love cross country, instead she was forced to hang around the Teacher ostensibly keeping time but really just lazily observing a squirrel in the nearby tree.

She was at least allowed to leave early since she was the only girl not having to change out of her kit.

Ben wasn't at the meeting point which worried Sara a little. She waited for ten minutes after the bell before deciding she should probably get somewhere to eat her lunch.

She had already thrown out the packed lunch she had been given in the morning. Breakfast had soured her enough on her aunt's cooking for a lifetime. Instead, she tried to haggle a cheese sandwich out of the lady at the canteen. The school used some weird card system, which Sara was not yet given access to. The Lady seemed the sort to be strict but apparently word had trickled down about the two orphans who had just started today, and Sara found her something of a soft touch.

Sara's usual anger at the prying of others was dampened by her need to eat and so she bit her tongue as a tray was filled with double portions to a chorus of tutting and motherly sympathies.

As she entered the Canteen, she actually saw Ben sitting at a table with another boy about his age. Sara smiled a little. Look at Ben already making friends. Ben noticed her and waved. She gave him a wave back before deciding to find another place to sit. She didn't want to cramp his style.

She placed herself on an unoccupied table and ate her lunch fairly quickly. She wasn't particularly hungry and ended up leaving a lot of the food. The dinner ladies might be upset about that but who cared? She hadn't asked for this food, had she? As she stared at the mass of uneaten food, Sara found an all too familiar anger well within her. She had to get outside. If not to calm herself down, then to at least be angry in private.

She spent the rest of Lunch stewing by herself out in the corner where they had been during break. Without Ben to distract her Sara found her anger growing as all that had happened in the day piled atop her, adding fuel to the fire. She just wanted to... well she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. It was like she was going to explode. She felt like the Incredible Hulk. She could see it now. Just letting everything take over and turning into a giant raging beast.

That didn't happen though. It just stayed there bubbling just at the cusp. It was like needing to be sick but being only able to wretch.

The Bell Rang and Sara didn't feel much better. Still, she knew that if she stayed here too long after the bell she would get in trouble, or worse someone would ask her what was wrong, so she decided she had better get off.

French was a pain but an easy one to deal with. The teacher was apparently in the practice of only speaking in French which made things difficult. Sara did know some French, but it was quite limited. She had only taken French because she didn't like her old German teacher. Her Dad had once spoken about teaching her Spanish. His was rusty from lack of use but there had been a time when he had been genuinely excited about bringing it out again.

Her mum had thought it was a stupid idea. It was never mentioned again.

It was in French that Sara had been introduced to Paula. She was part of a school program called the Hand of Friendship which made her the obvious choice to be Sara's friend and Mentor as she joined the school.

She seemed nice enough if a little over earnest. She was a bit of an awkward duckling with Curly hair she had tied back in a Ponytail and big bottle glasses that made her eyes seem strangely large. Sara might normally have found her annoying, but Paula was so enthusiastic that even she couldn't help but be charmed by it.