The Princess's Sister

Chapter 5 - Fireworks

Lottie decided to bring Ellie with her to meet Binah to watch the Fireworks. They started walking through the garden and across a bridge to the Miracle Marquee. Lottie couldn't stop thinking about how Ellie had taken her Teddy Bear, Mr Truffles and spilled coke all over it. To make things worse, she had assumed she had a maid to clean it up and just didn't want to get her "Pretty Little Dress," dirty. Lottie had confronted her about her not being able to not care if it got dirty for she had saved up for ages for that dress.
It amazed Lottie how Rosewood Hall looked better in the dark.
"Hi! So you two are new? I'm Raphael. I'm in Conch," He was referring to Lottie and Ellie.
Every house had a different colour uniform. If you were in Ivy, you wore a purple uniform, if you were in Conch you wore a red uniform and if you were in Stratus, you wore a yellow uniform.
"I'm Lola Tompkins! I'm in Stratus."
"Tompkins as in the confectionery company?" Lottie wondered.
"Yep! I'm Lola's twin, Micky! Also in Stratus."
"I'm Anastacia. I'm in Conch."
"I'm Anastacia's Partizan, Saskia. I'm also in Conch - In fact, I'm the Year 11 Head of Conch."
"What's a Partizan?" Lottie asked.
"You don't know?!" Everyone was surprised.

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Hannah and Aimee were walking down the stairs to go to watch the Fireworks. Hannah had a map of the school grounds that they were offered at registration. Hannah had little to no experience in map-reading but she still insisted she were to read the map get to the Miracle Marquee. They had been walking around for 30 minutes when they realised that they didn't know where they were going.
"Do you think that it actually takes 30 minutes to get to the Miracle Marquee by walking Hannah? The school can't be that big unless you got us LOST. I knew I shouldn't have let you read the map."
"Atleast we left early in case this would happen, Aimee. Sorry, I didn't mean to get us lost. Do you want the map?" Aimee took the map.
"UGH! Hannah! We're on the WRONG side of the school."
"Sorry.. I can bake you a cupcake if it makes you feel better," They started walking the right way and got there eventually.
"Just on time!" Hannah exclaimed, "Where are you from?"
"Japan."
"Really? I've always wanted to go there. I'm from Cornwall."
"I went surfing there once. It was easy and boring. I personally like to stick to skiing. Do you remember if the welcoming speech was first or was the fireworks first?"
"The speech was first. I think it's starting soon."
"Welcome everyone to another year at Rosewood Hall!" A melodic voice rang out across the field. Everyone that had been talking stopped and now the only thing heard were crickets.
Lottie and Hannah guessed that this was Professor Adina Devine. She looked Indonesian, possibly in her forties, wearing a white suit with a purple rose brooch indicating she was Head of Ivy. She seemed like there was genuine warmth and kindness behind ther eyes but she could be strict when needed.
Lottie spotted her sister with someone around her age. She felt better knowing that her sister had made a friend.
Lottie now knew that a Partizan was a bodyguard that was trained from birth in many areas such as languages and martial arts. Then they get assigned a master (when their 13) to talk to for 3 years before officially being their Partizan (at 16). If the Partizan didn't fit, you could swap them.
She planned on going to see Hannah after the fireworks then remembered that she still hadn't made things clear about her and Hannah living in England, the same country as Rosewood - NOT international.
To Professor Adina Devine's left and right were the other House Mothers.
"Before we continue with the festivities, I need to mention that the outdoor swimming pool by Conch House is undergoing refurbishment and is strictly out of bounds until after Christmas."
She went on with her speech for a while before the fireworks started. First there was a burst of purple, then red, then yellow, sizzling in the sky then softly soaring back in warm embers to the ground.
Lottie forgot to talk to Hannah and they both went back to their dorms. Both sisters got a small, white gift bag, that was left outside their door. They both read the labels, "For the Pumpkin Princess," they both prepared for some cruel teasing but they got a book each - The Company of Wolves. On the inside of the book, written was, "I know you and your sister's secret."