Fair Enough

Chapter 35

The morning of my paper was as hectic as I'd known it would be. I had woken up at two o'clock and even though I had tried, I could not get back to sleep again. Not fully anyway. I covered myself and dived deeper into my covers continuously tormented in a state where I was half awake and half asleep.

Eventually Mrs Milka our matron came in to wake us up. During the exam period she didn't have to do much just to get us out of ours beds, not when we all had that restlessness that comes with unpreparedness for the paper ahead.

The bathrooms were so packed that a few girls decided to take their baths outside. Their consolation being that it was still dark outside. If there were some people judging them for it, it was short lasted and soon more girls joined them but only while looking out for the matron because if she found anyone there, they would be punished until end of term.

Ven had gone into the bathrooms before the rest of us so she booked us a stall. Ella followed her soon after and I got prepared to go in next. Before she could finish though, the water was cut off and we had to fetch water from the tank next to the gate, that was a whole other line to be made.

I stayed in front of the bathroom stall Ella was in hoping that maybe the water would come back and I wouldn't have to join the commotion outside.

"Brie? Are you still out there?" Ella asked.

"Yeah I'm here," I said.

"Can I give you my bucket so you can go fetch me some water?" she asked.

I sighed and asked her to pass it to me. She must have heard my sigh because soon after she said, "don't worry I'm going to stay here and you'll keep your place after me."

"Nah its cool," I said.

I went to where the water tank was and found a line going as far as the matron's quarters.

We're going to be here forever.

"Brie?" Candy called out to me.

I could hear her voice but I couldn't see where she was, I looked around and still couldn't find her.

"I'm at the tap," she said and I turned immediately to find her waving and smiling.

Oh thank god I don't have to make the line anymore.

"Come and bring your bucket before I finish," she waved me over.

I did as I was told and brought mine and Ella's buckets to her. A girl beside me grumbled and turned away when I tried to look at her.

Candy smiled and told me to ignore her, she was just upset that it was not yet her turn to fetch.

"You guys are being unfair. We were here before your friend and we also want to get water and shower," the girl that had grumbled earlier told Candy.

I decided to keep silent, if I was in her shoes I would have been just as unhappy.

"I'm fetching within my turn, no one said that you only have to fill one thing within your turn and anyway she is my friend, I had booked for her so she is still ahead of you all," Candy said rather forcefully.

She looked like she was ready to fight with anyone who challenged her and while the girls waiting for us to get done complained some more about how unfair we were, none of them dared to provoke her into hitting them. They were terrified.

Our buckets filled up fast and we left the line along with the angry glares from the girls that felt we had been unfair to them.

Getting ready for the exam never took long, the nervousness consumed you and made you efficient especially if you wanted to have a few extra minutes to read through your book before the paper.