John pulled his hood even farther over his head in an attempt to keep the never-ending drizzle out. John couldn't help but sigh loudly as the students in front of him walked at the pace of a snail. Everyone was talking more than usual which was saying something. John finally reached the entrance to Wood Gormley Prep and squeezed his way through the crowded halls in search of one of his friends. He spotted his mate Alfie chatting up some girl by the lockers and trudged over.
"Hey Alfie what's everyone getting on about?" He asked as Alfie turned away from the girl with an annoyed look.
"Some new girls just started." He answered with a shrug. A new girl? But there were only around two weeks left until school let out.
"Why would anyone start going to a school at the end of the year?" Alfie's eyes sparked with interest and he leaned in, say what you will about girls being gossipers but John had never met anyone who gossiped quiet as much as Alfie.
"Well I heard she's mad. A freak she was homeschooled before this." He whispered. John couldn't help but roll his eyes. That's what everyone had said about him before he came. "I heard he's a military brat." "An orphan? Really? Poor thing." "Wonder how he got that limp?" "What a odd kid."
He snorted and started shifting through his locker. People came up with the damnedest things. Well then again they weren't necessarily wrong about everything. And what kind of a person signs up for school two weeks before summer? Before he could ask Alfie any more questions the crowded hallway quieted and parted like the red sea.
John turned and watched with the rest of the school as a small figure trudged down the hallway. The persons hood was pulled low and their head was down John could just barely make out the tip of their nose. One of the female brutes of the school, Katherine, decided to have some fun with this mystery person. She loved messing with the new kids, and since the year was coming to a close she hadn't seen fresh meat in weeks.
She walked smack into the figure that was much smaller then she making all of the person's books tumble out of their hands and onto the floor. The figure itself stumbled back onto their bum their hood falling back in the process. It was the girl! John's eyes grew wider as he took in the sight of her. The fallen hood revealed a pretty, pale face and high cheek bones all of it framed by curly, black hair. The girl looked up at Katherine with an uninterested gaze. Certainly is strange looking John thought as he watched the girl stand up, not even bothering to pick up her books.
The crowd pushed in closer around the two girls hoping for some excitement before a dull day of exams and school. But the girl just starred at the person who had pushed her down with an almost bored expression.
"Watch where you're going freak.'' Katherine taunted the girl either didn't want to answer or didn't care. Her gaze shifted to the people around her, her eyes darting around to each students face. "Why would you come to a school now, huh?" Katherine asked, the girl ignored. John could see the building in Katherine like pressure in a bottle. Katherine surged forward getting in the new girls face. She yelled "Didn't you hear me freak?" John winced he couldn't just stand there watching. She'd bullied almost every girl in the school, even a few guys. Besides what did the girl do to deserve any of this, and on her first day?
"Come on Katherine just leave her alone!" I shouted the two girls turned on me. Katherine sneered while the new girl starred me down with icy blue eyes. Then she finally spoke.
"I'd rather be anywhere else to be honest. Wasting my time on some meager bully wasn't exactly on my to-do list." She said in an intelligent voice.
"So you do talk." The girl rolled her eyes in response,
"Well most people do." She snapped. Katherine's sneer grew larger. John could only guess that her small brain had managed to understand the insult. Katherine tried to shove the girl but she simply dodged to the side causing Katherine to stumble.
"What's your problem freak?" Katherine hissed her face an angry tomato red. She turned and reared back towards the girl like a bull getting ready to charge.
"You should try and figure out your own problems before you start asking about mine." The girl drawled, sidestepping another shove.
"Oh? And I suppose you know my problems?" Katherine huffed angrily. That must have caught the girl's attention because her eyes sparked with interest. She clasped her hands behind her and started pacing slowly in front of everyone.
"Actually, I do." John could almost hear the tension buzzing in the air as everyone watching held their breath in anticipation.
" Okay let's see, Katherine, Elizabeth Groven. Daughter of congressman Groven. Oh! You're a rich little girl aren't you; yes you have a good life. Then why do you terrorize everyone else?" The girl said in a rush her eyes burrowing into Katherine.
"Um?" Katherine said in confusion as she watched the girl pause in front of her. The girl's eyes drifted and looked Katherine up and down. The girl's lips were moving at an alarming rate as if she were whispering to herself. Finally she stopped and gave Katherine a smirk.
"Oh this is just too easy. Your father being the well-known politician he is isn't home very often. Judging by you're very extravagant lunch, what is that?'' She sniffed the air before continuing. "Fish? You must have a cook. Well what's a cook without the whole nine yards, a butler, a maid, and a nanny! You don't see your father very often, causing trouble and attention seeking behavior. You bully the other kids and are in the office often, why you were there this morning." The girl let out a humorless chuckle shaking her head from side to side. "All that just to get your daddy's attention? Oh yes! You whine and bug him for the newest clothes and games." She smiled devilishly at Katherine. "You aren't some giant brute, you're just a spoiled little brat that wants Daddy's attention!" The girl finished as Katherine let out a strangled gasp. The crowd of students erupted into laughter and started shouting taunts at Katherine.
"Spoiled brat!"
"Rich little attention seeker!"
"All for daddy's attention? Oh god!"
Katherine gave the girl one last glare before running off. Right then the bell rang signaling first class. The other kids rushed away whispering excitedly and pointing at the new girl. Soon the girl and John were the only ones left in the hallways as the last of the laughing students darted into their classrooms. She bent down to pick up one of her books ignoring John entirely. He stumbled forward almost in a daze and leaned down scooping up two of the other fallen books.
"Great Homicides of the Twenty-first Century and A Guide to Medical drugs and their Uses?" John's eyebrows furrowed as he peered down at the books. What in the? He looked back towards the girl and handed them slowly over. "Interesting read I suppose." John mumbled, she stood rigidly and looked John straight in the eye meeting him with her blue glare.
"I didn't need your help." She said snappily, before turning on her heel and heading down the long hallway. John blinked in surprise and rushed after her.
"Wait, I was just trying to be nice!" He shouted catching up to her. "Oi! Hang on! What's you're name?" John asked nearly bumping into her as she spun around on her heels.
"Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes." She answered through gritted teeth. John jumped back and scratched his neck in embarrassment.
"H- how did you do that back there? That was brilliant!" I asked she turned and gave me an angry look.
"Why are you asking? So you can say you talked to the freak?" She growled icily.
"No! I was just wondering." John answered his face burning red. She stared at him quizzically for a second. John felt himself go even redder under her gaze; he couldn't help but feel like she was reading him like an open book. She sighed and finally answered.
"I noticed the small details, they're the most important.'' she hugged her books to her chest and started to slide away almost awkwardly.
"Wait! Can you um read me?" John asked. She looked at him curiously. The interested sparkle returned to her eyes and she smiled slightly. Without warning she flopped onto the floor and patted the seat beside her. John sat down rather awkwardly due to his limp and turned to face her. She rested her chin on her knuckles and eyed him, her eyes looking him up and down.
"Your names John Watson." John frowned.
"But how do you know that, explain." John asked Sherlock raised her eyebrows and chuckled.
"It says your name on your bag.'' She jumped up suddenly. Springy to her feet and headed down the hallway.
"Hold on we have class!" John called after her.
"Please I'm not going to go into a class to learn crap I wont even need when I only have two weeks of school left. Now would you like me to finish or not?" Sherlock said as she continued walking.
"But what about the security guards? They'll catch us." John warned she turned and looked at him an amused smile on her face
"This morning at precisely 6:32 am only one guard showed up no more. When that idiot Katherine confronted me we were in plan view of a security camera. The guard must have fallen asleep or else he would have come at the start of what looked like a fight." She answered keeping her voice level. John turned and looked back at his classroom, but his curiosity was spiked and he jogged down the hallway until he caught up. They made their way outside and no one came, she was right. As they walked she continued her deductions.
"You don't have a car because the keys in your pocket belong to a bike lock. But you walked to school, and since there is leftover rust from the old bike lock on the key chain were you usually have it when its not in use is empty its possible your bike was stolen."
John peered down at his keys hanging from his pocket. She got all that from some rust? " You know a lot about medical science. This morning you were taking an advanced medical textbook out of your locker, your dad taught you. He was a doctor in the army, you have his dog tags around your neck." She said as they continued their brisk pace leaving school property. "I'm guessing your mom was a nurse and met him while in the field. Your phone is old and has scratches around the power button it belonged to a sibling your brother I think he was a drunk." She took a deep breath before continuing, "You have a job but it doesn't pay much and both of your parents died. Hmmm did I miss anything?" She asked giving me a sideways glance. John huffed.
"Well she's my sister not my brother and she's also dead. I live at the orphanage." She gave me a look, it wasn't exactly sympathetic and John was thankful for it. He didn't need anyone's pity.
"Really? You seem the type to have a brother."
After a while of walking she finally said "My parents are dead too, I live in an apartment with my caretaker Mrs. Hudson." Was she trying to be nice? It didn't exactly seem like her strong point.
"Does it ever bug you? What the others say?" John asked before he could stop himself, she sighed again.
"No it doesn't. Why should it? I don't care what people think of me." Sherlock answered gruffly.
"Well that's good." John answered awkwardly she turned and gave him a genuine smile as they came to a stop at the steps of the orphanage. John winced at the thought of going inside. The owner was an awful old hag that would beat him silly if she found out he'd skipped school again. Sherlock must have noticed his hesitation.
"Why don't we stop at my house first?'' John nodded breathing a sigh of relief as he followed her to her apartment. It was only a little ways down the street from the orphanage. "This is it 221B." She said leading John through the gate and up the steps. She walked in and screamed " WE HAVE A GUEST!" An older woman came out and smiled "Oh hello dear! Sherlock! Did you put eyeballs in the fridge again!" The old woman barked rounding on Sherlock. She groaned loudly and rolled her eyes. "I hope you didn't touch them you might ruin the experiment!"
John had never had such a weird day. His day at 221B basically involved Sherlock's non-stop commenting on the TV shows they watched.
"She can't possibly be his mother her nose and eye shape are all wrong!" John couldn't help but laugh at each comment. Sherlock had curled up on the couch next to him and was close to John. To the point where John prayed to god he remembered to put deodorant on this morning. When it was finally time to leave Sherlock walked him to the orphanage. At the steps John was about to say goodbye when a police car with its sirens blaring rounded the corner and drove off. Her eyes widened and she smiled widely.
"Goodbye Watson!" She yelled before bolting after the car.
"Wait!" John said grumbling as he dropped his backpack and sprinted after her. "Hey where are you going?'' John called after her his eyes focused on her curly, raven black hair as she soared after the cop car.
"There's been a crime Watson and I'm curious!" She answered back. John couldn't help but smile, she was one hell of a girl.
"You know curiosity killed the cat!" John yelled after her. She let out a laugh and John felt his heart flutter at the sound.
"Yes but cats have nine lives!" John laughed along and for the first time in a while he completely forgot about his leg.