Meeting Old Faces
Amelia Cackle hurried down the street closely followed by her deputy head Constance Hardbroom. There two woman were currently in Cambridge as Amelia had forced her deputy to go away with her for an weekend as she worried the woman was isolated. Right now, Amelia was having an craving for cake and was hurrying to get food as Constance followed with her arms folded across her chest not really interested in cake or anything sweet.
Neither woman had ever being to Cambridge before and they did not know their way around or where the main attractions were but Amelia soon came across an pleasant looking cafe and stopped to look up at it.
"Misery's...well I like the name" Constance admitted.
"I hope they have good cake come on" Amelia replied as she hurried in and Constance followed rolling her eyes. The two woman found an table in an corner and Constance looked around at all the strange decoration.
"Mmm they have cheesecake, I like this place already" Amelia said as she read the menu.
"Let's hope their food is not made by the same person who picked their interior design" Constance replied as she pulled an disgusted face.
Amelia ignored Constance's sarcastic comment as she carried on reading her menu. Just then an young boy who looked about college age came over. He was holding an small notepad and pen and looked at the two woman at the table.
"Hello welcome to Misery's can I take your order?" he asked them with an smile.
"Hello there can I have an piece of lemon cheesecake and an tea with milk and two sugars please?" Amelia replied with an nice smile at the young boy. Constance however hated men, old and young so he would not find her as friendly.
"And yourself ma'am?" the young boy asked her.
"I want tea" Constance replied shortly. For an moment the boy looked at his notepad and then he asked.
"And how will you like that?" The young boy asked.
"Black" Constance replied. The boy gulped as if daring himself to ask his next question.
"And will you like sugar with that?" he asked embarrassed.
"She will like it black with an tiny bit of sugar" Amelia cut in seeing the boy was getting flustered.
He nodded and smiled awkwardly.
"Right I will get your order to you as soon as possible" he said as he hurried away. Amelia looked at Constance.
"CONSTANCE" Amelia said
"What?" Constance replied.
"He is just an young lad and you terrified him" she replied.
"Oh he is fine" Constance replied as Amelia rolled her eyes.
Mildred Hubble was halfway through her second year at Weirdsister college and happened to work in the cafe the two woman had entered. Ben Stemson, the son of Elaine Stemson, who owned the cafe and also took the customers orders walked up to her with an smile as he placed the two teas and the cheesecake onto an tray. Mildred worked as an waitress here so the next part was her job.
"That is for table five" Ben said as Mildred nodded and picked up the tray making her way to the table. Mildred did not think to much into it she was more than used to serving customers. It was only when she got closer to the table she slowed down.
She knew the two woman at that table. One had grey hair cut into an bob, she was an larger woman and had an pair of glasses sitting on her nose. The other woman had her hair pulled into an very tight bun with not an hair out of place, she was an skinny woman who was dressed from head to toe in black. Mildred would have recognised these two woman in the middle of an crowded concert. They were her old teachers from school, Miss Cackle and Miss Hardbroom. Realising she had been standing in the same spot for an few minutes staring she shook her head and with an smile walked over to their table.
"Miss Cackle, Miss Hardbroom!" Mildred said
Both woman moved their heads to look up at their waitress and both wore an look as if trying to figure out who they were looking at as after all Mildred had changed an lot in her time in college. Her long dark messy pigtails were long gone and her hair was now short and was much lighter, she was dressed in casual clothes, something else neither teacher was used to as the girl had always being in uniform in school and not only that but this teen was waitressing and had not yet done anything clumsy.
"Mildred Hubble" Constance said as she looked up at her ex-student in shock.
"Mildred!" Amelia said with an smile as she hugged her ex-pupil. "How are you dear?" she asked.
"I am fine Miss Cackle, what are you both doing in Cambridge?" Mildred asked as she sat down between the two woman.
"I dragged Miss Hardbroom here for an weekend away" Amelia told her as Mildred had to suppress an smirk.
"And what are you doing here Mildred?" Amelia asked.
"I work here part-time I need the money you see" Mildred admitted.
"Mildred Hubble I must say you look very different" Constance butted in.
"And as for you Miss Hardbroom you look exactly the same" Mildred replied.
"So tell me Mildred how are you enjoying Weirdsister?" Amelia asked.
"It's great, I still miss Cackles and you do get some …..odd people here but I really like it, though I have to share rooms with Ethel" Mildred replied.
"And yet somehow you are still alive?" Was it you that killed her first?" Constance asked remembering how the two girls in could not go two minutes at Cackle's without fighting ethier physically or verbally. Mildred laughed before replying as Amelia snorted just as she was about to eat her cake.
"No Miss Hardbroom, we are more civil now, I would not say we are friends or anything though" Mildred replied.
"Have you seen anyone from Cackle's Mildred?" Amelia asked.
"Only Enid, long story, but no sadly I have not seen anyone else since I started, we plan to meet up in the summer" Mildred replied.
"Ahh Miss Nightshade, I remember what she used to get up too" Constance replied as she drank her tea.
"Yes she never knew how to think before she acted, has anything changed in Cackles?" Mildred asked.
"Only one change, we are going to be teaching art from next year, Miss Crochet has left so we decided for an change in subject" Amelia replied.
"Oh well sometimes change is good" Mildred replied.
"Well I am just happy I am not going to hear that screeching in my ear all the time" Constance replied as Mildred laughed as she remembered her old teachers and their chants.
"You know Mildred, I always had faith in you, I knew you would go far" Amelia admitted.
"And I will admit I didn't have faith, I thought you would always be that clumsy girl who couldn't fly for more than an second" Constance told her.
"It shocks me sometimes too that I can be an waitress without being clumsy" Mildred said with an smile at her two teachers.
"Millie" Ben shouted. She had been sat with them for ages and the orders were piling up. Mildred realised how crowded the cafe was and stood up.
"Well it was lovely to see you both but I really have to go I have work" Mildred told them as Amelia and Constance nodded as they all got up, Mildred heading for the counter and the other two women for the exit.
"Oh by the way" Mildred said remembering something. Both the woman who were now near the door turned around to face their ex-pupil.
"I just wanted to say I hope my cousin doesn't give you as much trouble as I did" Mildred said.
"Your cousin?" Constance asked confused.
"Yes my cousin Henrietta Hubble she will be starting at Cackles next year didn't you know?" Mildred replied. Constance seemed to turn green in the face at this answer.
"Millie!" Ben said again.
"I really have to go, I hope we see each other again" Mildred said as she walked away.
"What are the chances her cousin is coming? I don't even look at the names of the new students when sending their welcome letters anymore it takes to long" Amelia said.
"Wait another Hubble at Cackles..." Constance said with an pale face.
"Yes but let's be fair, the child cannot be any worst than her cousin" Amelia reassured her friend.
"You are right Amelia" Constance replied.
If only both women had known how very wrong they would be.