Something Else

Three: To Be or Not to Be Optimistic

Upon walking into the girl's dormitory I internally groan. The room is packed with bunk beds and little dressers lining the walls. At the very end of the long room is a door to what I am guessing is a bathroom. I knew to expect this sort of thing, but nonetheless it made me feel instantly homesick.

"Everyone's stuff was placed in a heap down there by the bathroom. But everyone else has already taken their stuff and claimed a bed so it's just your stuff down there and you get whatever bed is left." Rebecca explains to me, unable to hide her rather smug smile. This time I don't just groan internally but externally. I practically stomp down the length of the room to get my stuff on the floor by the bathroom. Who wants the bed that no one else wanted? After looking around a little I find that the only bed that doesn't appear to be preoccupied is a top bunk close to the door to the common rooms.

"What the heck?! Getting up into this bed is going to be such a pain." I grumble to myself as I temporarily shove my suitcase under the bottom bed. I'm so tired I don't bother putting my pj's on, let alone telling Rebecca 'goodnight' or even 'thank you', before crashing in my bed and falling asleep. I fall asleep easily, not because my mind was at ease, because it wasn't, but from the exhaustion of the day and how mentally drained I felt.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Everyone rise and shine!" An all too cheery voice barges into the room waking me and every other soul up.

"It's 6:30 darlings! Breakfast is at 7 and I have your uniforms here!" I lift my head from my pillow to see that the woman is probably a professor and she is pushing a cart brimming with brand new uniforms in clear plastic packaging.

The room is suddenly filled with excitement as all the girls get up and race to get their uniforms first to get a head start to the bathroom. I however lay back down and wait until everyone else has their uniforms before hauling my butt out and down from my bed. As I stumble toward the woman waiting on me rather impatiently, I conclude that one of these days I'm going to break my ankle on my way down from that bed. Maybe I should try to be less pessimistic?

"You're Elsie Sumner right?" The woman asks me, her voice dripping with annoyance.

"Yeah." I respond shortly. Great, I hope she isn't one of my professors this year because she probably already doesn't like me. She gives me a frown before handing me not two but four of the plastic packages.

"Here, I was told to also give you two of the Necromancer sets. Also..." She stops and fishes in her enormous cardigan pocket before pulling out an envelope and handing it to me.

"Headmaster Caverly told me to give this to you." I take it from her and walk back to my bed puzzled and a little afraid someone will notice she gave me so much.

"By the way ladies, your schedules are in the common room. Don't be late for breakfast!" With that, the woman turned her cart around and wheeled it out of the room. From on top of my bed I look back down at the envelope from Caverly and swallow the lump in my throat before tearing it open. Inside are a note and a couple of identical keys.

Miss Sumner,

I trust you have received your uniforms and schedule this morning. I have decided to place you in Cleric classes the first half of the day and Necromancer classes the second half after lunch. Here I have enclosed a couple keys to locker 348B in the Necromancer lockers for changing uniforms throughout the day if you wish to. I hope in doing so things can ultimately be a little easier. If you need anything else please drop by.

Sincerely,

Headmaster Gillian Caverly

I set down the keys and note on my bed with a sigh and turn my attention to the uniforms. The girls uniforms consist of a T-shirt, Blazer, Pleated Plaid skirt, black spandex shorts for under the short skirts, knee-length socks, and our choice in black or white shoes. All the uniforms colors consist of black, white, and one other color specific to the person's class. The Lancers color is red, Warriors blue, Mages purple, Archers green, Clerics yellow, and Necromancers grey. I stair at my Cleric and Necromancer sets and can't help but compare the Cleric ones to a bumblebee.