September
(This story is occurring as if season three was only junior year, and TOR never happened.)
EDDIE'S POV
I leap out of the car like a kangaroo, suitcases in hand. My body feels stiff and rigid from excitement - and a two hour car ride from the airport. I can't believe I'm back, in England, about to begin my final year of high school. This is all happening too fast; no one believed I'd be going to boarding school in England, much less make it to high school.
After the past two years' hectic adventures, I can't imagine what senior year will have in store. Two years ago, when I first began to attend Frobisher Boarding School, I'd discovered the phenomenal secret that I was the Osirian, a direct descendant of the god Osiris, and protector of the Paragon. Since then, my life has spiraled out of control. I've battled possessed 100-year-old dudes, blasted an ancient spirit into the afterlife, and gotten an amazing girlfriend - though I'm pretty sure that wasn't because of the super powers.
When I see her a few yards away, my heart leaps like a ballerina. There she is; a vision of beauty, perfection, wonder. An enormously cheesy smile forms on the corner of my lips at the sight of her, and I try to push it away before someone sees. I'm feeling giddy, and I pick up the pace to get to her. She's turned in the opposite direction, so I take the opportunity to surprise her.
I stand behind her and grab her around the waist.
"AHH!" she screams. "Get off me!" She flails her arms and legs. I laugh, then let her go. She turns to face me, fists clenched. When she realizes it was me, her fists relax, and elation is painted across her face.
"Eddie!" she screams.
"Patricia," I say breathily, taking in every syllable. I haven't seen her in months, and saying her name to her face just seems too good to be true.
"Oh my God. I missed you so much," she exclaims breathlessly.
I pull her close and kiss her soft lips. My hands gently caress the luscious silk that is her hair. I whisper:
"I'm not sure how I survived the summer without you, Yacker."
She smiles. "Come on, let's head to the house." She slips her hand in mine and we stroll together down the stone pathways of Frobisher Boarding School.
An enormous house comes into view. Symmetrical towers on either side of the building have bulging windows looming over us, casting dark shadows across the entirety of the lawn. My heart is pounding from excitement. I'm back home.
"Eddie! Patricia!" I hear a girl's voice screech from behind. I whisk my head around to see Joy dashing towards us, followed by Jerome. She's clutching three suitcases and sweat is rolling down her forehead.
I laugh. "Did you run the entire way from the cab?"
Joy taps her foot and avoids my eyes. "Maybe…" The two of us chuckle, joined in by Patricia and Jerome. We huddle in for a big group hug and make our way into the gloomy house.
We're greeted by a cheerful Trudy who squeezes the life out of us with hugs. She offers to take our luggage so we can go and consume the scrumptious treats she has set out.
"Guys!" a few voices scream. A delighted Fabian greets us with hugs, followed by KT and Alfie. We devour the food while Alfie entertains us with his impressions of every Star Wars character.
"Hungry I am, young Skywalker!" Alfie exclaims, dashing to the buffet. I laugh too haughtily, gaining awkward stares from everyone in the room.
After everyone has arrived, we head to our rooms to unpack. The room I share with Fabian seems unsettlingly barren. After the two eventful years I spent here, it feels weird not having all the memories stored in the exact position they had been. I unpack quicker than I had imagined I would've.
Just as Fabian and I are discussing the upcoming winter dance, a crash sounds from the kitchen. Fabian and I glance nervously at each other, then bolt down the hallway, leaving unorganized items strewn across the room. We are surprised to see an unfamiliar face hovering over a pile of broken dishes.
The face belonged to a boy about Fabian's height. He had chestnut hair and hazel-green eyes. His skin was light and pale, as if he'd rarely been out in the sun. His lip was quivering from embarrassment.
"Um, I'm, I didn't mean to, um," he stuttered.
"Hey, it's ok," I reassured, then bent down to assist him in picking up the chipped pieces. "What happened, exactly?"
The boy shook. "Um, well," he barely lifted his eyes when he spoke. "I knew I was supposed to find the house I'd be staying in this term, so I walked inside, but no one was in the foyer, so I made my way to the kitchen and accidentally, um, tripped."
"It's cool, man, you've still made a better first impression than I did," I said, hearing Fabian laugh from behind me. I shot him a look that said "cool it, or you're losing a tooth."
He immediately cut the laughter.
"I'm Eddie," I said, extending my arm.
The boy took my hand, still not meeting my eyes. He whispers shyly, "I'm Liam."