Flower Bud Village Institute of Higher Education

Autumn 3rd

Claire straddled the bench at the one picnic table settled outside a drab, boxy brick building off the main path, next to the post office. She decided now that this was a disappointment, and all the excitement she had felt over the past few weeks began to dissipate. Tossing her medium-length blond hair behind her shoulders, she slumped and picked up a random stray twig sitting lifelessly on the table.

In the pocket of her blue-and-red plaid dress, she was fingering a thick piece of paper that had been creased so many times, it was on the verge of tearing. This was her class schedule.

And this, she thought, is supposed to be an 'institute'.

She remembered that at least the village was trying. Flower Bud had been experiencing a huge boom lately, with an influx of people from the surrounding rural areas coming to seek jobs. Too many new structures had been built for her to pause and count. Before, the youth's education was taking place in the chapel, as a "parochial school", and now all the new commuters' children flooded and overpopulated the tiny church. Good thing she had graduated and escaped it just in the nick of time. This was the town's problem to solve, and now she was seated outside the humble beginnings of the closest that Flower Bud could actually hope to refer to as a "college".

Within the past two years or so a large clock tower had randomly sprung up in the center of the town while she wasn't watching. It rang softly every hour, on the hour, but it was so muffled with the bustling noises about town that one had to listen for it. It was two minutes after 10:00.

A few nondescript boys, give or take three or so years from her age of sixteen, took turns clearing their throats, looking stiff as they opened the double doors. Most likely they were equally as surprised that this was it. She had never recognized them; Claire had lived here all her life, and decided that they, too, must be outsiders. Newcomers. Whatever you wanted to call them. And still no sign of anyone appearing to be an instructor.

However, there were more people taking this course than she imagined there would be. And Claire herself wasn't entirely sure why she had registered for it; she just told herself she was doing it to become closer to her roots, the simple beginnings of Flower Bud before it turned into all of this. She was, in her mind and for her family's pride, preserving a life that she had witnessed but never played an active part in herself.

On a more pleasant note, it was nearly 10:10, and of course this class wasn't going to start on time, but suddenly, with her head pointed down, she heard the sounds of more distinct footsteps. Funny how she could tell someone of character was approaching the school, just by the sounds of a person's tread, just walking on the grass.

It was a girl that appeared to be only a little taller than she, just as lean but noticeably muscular. She was reading the new, shining plastic navy-blue letters that contrasted against the brick of the building, adjusting her ponytail and smacking on chewing gum. She, too, must have thought this was an eyesore. For a moment, her eyebrows lifted and her dark green eyes widened in surprise, but she still stood casually and erect with her hands in the pockets of her trousers.

"Looks like I have the right place," she stated. Claire could see the pink wad moving in her mouth as she chewed.

"Yeah," Claire said shyly, swinging her leg back over the bench so that she was sitting properly. She smoothened the ends of her dress and placed her hands flat and elegantly on her lap. "I don't suppose you're here for…?"

"Ag Science," the other girl said with a nod.

This girl had a face that showed she was a decent person, and thankfully she might be willing to converse a little, but Claire could tell that her personality was far more direct and outward than her own. Her hair was the same brown that reminded Claire of the walnut wooden furniture she had at home, and her ponytail was up high, but she still had lots of stray hair at her ears and the sides of her face. Tomboyish? Perhaps it was too early to tell. Maybe she was at heart a very feminine girl, but lacked consciousness or confidence when it came to her appearance. She was wearing an athletic-style white shirt with red short sleeves, and chocolate corduroy trousers.

"Right," Claire muttered quickly, feeling less embarrassed that she should be an ordinary girl with an ordinary background, for some mysterious reason taking Agricultural Science. Well, it wasn't like this "college" had too much else to offer right now, anyway. She wondered if it was true that she was among the very first batch of students to attend here.

"Fancy that, another girl," the girl mentioned, setting down her knapsack on the bench opposite Claire. With an eager grin, she leaned over and offered Claire her open hand.

"Jill," she introduced herself.

Claire took Jill's hand and shook it, amazed by its warmth. "Claire."

"What brings you here to take Ag Science?" Jill inquired, unzipping something underneath the table.

Is she wearing a fanny pack?!

"It's complicated," Claire replied, resting her chin in the palm of her hand and staring at the treetop that shaded them. "Mostly because this is the best thing they offer right now. I mean, more Religion? I kind of had enough of that at the parochial school here. Heheh…"

"Well, I wouldn't know about that," Jill said, also looking at the tree, obviously looking for something interesting about it, since Claire was staring at it for so long. "I'm actually not from here. Hey, where's the lunchroom, or cafeteria, or whatever you've got?"

"I don't think there is one."

"Well then. We'll go to the convenience store later, how's that?" Jill gave Claire an extremely light punch on the arm. "I went there the other day and I'm addicted to the ham and cheese sandwiches. I don't know anyone here either."

Claire grinned. Too bad Jill had never known the quality sandwiches and gourmet-style food they used to have in their local bakery, before everything branched out and they got that pesky convenience store.

"Sure. I think it's mostly an introduction today, so we're probably getting out early."

"Good! I'm starving right now, 'cause I normally don't eat breakfast."

Claire quieted her suspicions that Jill didn't come from the type of family she did. Claire had been pampered by her parents and given more food than she needed. She imagined that Jill's parents were probably the busy working type. Or maybe Jill was living on her own now; that seemed to be fashionable with young people here these days.

A light tapping noise came from inside the schoolhouse, and the two girls jumped a little.

"You don't suppose class has started?" Claire said, startled as she picked up her notebook.

"Really, that's it? Just tapping a ruler on a desk?"

"We're late! And I didn't even see the instructor come in yet!"

"Maybe they have a back door. Come on, we've got to go!" Jill seized Claire's hand and began trotting toward the door, dragging Claire along. Now Claire didn't mind the familiarity so much; this meant that now she had a buddy to get into similar pinches and scrapes with. Which definitely beat the heck out of being bored and lonely all semester.