Protecting Astrid

Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

"Mum, please, why do I have to go to this school?"

"Astrid, we've been over this all holidays. You're going to this school and that's final." Tears were in my eyes now, I really really didn't want to go to this new school. It was called St. Luce, a co-educational boarding school located in the country. I couldn't believe my ears when Mum told me that I was going to a new school in the country. I had great friends back home and I liked school. Now I was going to have to try to fit in, I was going to be the new kid. I was going to have to make new friends, learn my way around and get used to sharing my room with other girls. I was an only child; it was just me and my mum. My father left my mum when I was five, so I don't remember much of him, and I don't really have the desire to find him and meet him.

I took a deep breath and looked up at the school again. I wiped my eyes and grabbed my bags from the ground. I knew there was no point in fighting with my mum; we'd been arguing all holidays and she hadn't budged one bit.

"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go," I said. I was worried and nervous. Worried I'd be a loner and make no friends and nervous I'd get lost with no friends to help show me around. I knew the office would give me a map to help, but I wasn't very good at reading maps.

"Astrid, you're going to be fine. You'll meet heaps of new people and make great friends."

"I know, but I liked my old school." I said. I heard Mum sigh as she grabbed my other bags to carry up to the school. We walked up to the iron gates that surrounded the school and opened them, stepping into the grounds of St. Luce. The school towered over us, casting a shadow over the grass and trees. I could see students through the windows on the top floor. I guessed the top floor must be dorms and the first and second floors was there classes were. I wondered which room would be mine.

We dragged my bags into the main hall and dumped them where other people's bags were stacked. We then went to find the main office and get my name checked off as a new student and collect my school books and a map.

"Um, hello?" Mum said to the receptionist. She was a weird looking lady with dark brown hair that was going grey, a big nose and a mole on the side of her face. She looked up at Mum and I and then looked down at her work again.

"Uh, hi. My name's Astrid, I'm new here." I said before Mum couldembarrassme. The receptionist looked up at me this time and handed me a bundle of papers and books.

"Your room is here." she said, pointing to my map. I had room number 58. The receptionist lady had a musky voice that made me think of witches. "Now please don't disturb be again, I'm busy." I had a growing dislike to this lady, and I didn't even know her name.

I took my books and map and went back into the main hall to get my bags and take them to my room.

"Are you going to say goodbye Astrid?" Mum asked.

"Of course I am." I dumped my books on top of my pile of bags and turned around to give my mum a hug and kiss.

"I'll come to parents day at the end of semester." Mum said. She had tears in her eyes now.

"Mum! You can't cry, I thought I was the one who was supposed to cry." I said, giving her a hug and kiss.

"I'm going to miss you, it's going to be lonely at home without you."

"You'll be fine Mum." I was the comforting Mum now, not the other way around. At that moment a bell went, and a voice started talking over the speakers.

"All students who haven't started making their way to their rooms and unpacking their bags should do so now. You have half an hour to settle in," the voice said. I think it was the receptionist lady who gave me my map.