"RRING!" A bell rang out, the source unknown. I shrieked.

"Relax, Emma. It's just the dinner bell. We ought to go and get a table. I can introduce you to some of my friends!" Jane exclaimed. "You'll love them."

"I'll come," I said, "As long as that awful noise won't frighten me."

"Not until tomorrow," She said, suppressing laughter.

We filed down the hallway that led to our room, through a common room of sorts, and into the cafeteria. Girls and boys of all shapes and sizes sat talking at a collection of 4-person tables. One of them was half occupied; two anxious looking girls sat waving.

"Jane! Jane! We're over here!" They called. She grabbed my hand and we fought through the throngs of my classmates.

Jane sat me down at a chair next to hers. "Emma, this is Emalia, and-"

"I'm Gabrielle. Hi!" A rather tall girl with waist length blond hair acquainted herself with me.

"I'm Emma." I said. "And I'm hungry. Where can we get some food?"

"Over here," the girl said.

"Let's go." We walked over to a line, full of people talking and holding red trays. "What are these for?" I asked.

"You ask for a type of food, and the cooks put it on your tray for you. That way you get what you want." She replied.

"That's nice. But, what kind of food is this?" I asked, pointing to a circular piece of bread with red stuff and what appeared to be cheese on it.

"That's pizza. You should try it, it's really good." She suggested.

"Okay. Oh, and who is the other girl sitting with us? I didn't catch her name."

"That's Emalia. She's awful quiet but very smart. I've got to go to my room now; we always eat in there on the first day back." She said, leaving me with Jane and a bunch of other people I didn't know.

The next morning I woke with a start. I'm used to getting up with the sun back at home, so I was careful not to wake Jane as I got up. At the end of my bed sat a crisp, dark blue skirt matched with a white blouse, both stitched with theacronym BCS, which stood for Bastin City School. I dressed quickly, slipped on some sandals that I had brought with, and shook Jane awake. "Orientation is in one half-hour." I whispered.

"All right. Have you gone to get breakfast yet?" She asked.

"No," I replied. "Was I supposed to?"

"Not necessarily, but why don't you go down to the commons and get two granola bars. They are right at the beginning of the foodlines." She said. "I'll dress while you're at it."

"Granola bars. Front of Foodlines. Got it." I relayed the message and ran to grab some.

Approximately thirty minutes later, the entire Tenth Grade sat in the commons at the same tables that we had met at last night. A tall, broad man whose hair seemed to cling to his head for dear life said "Welcome back, girls and boys, and welcome to our newcomers. I am Headmaster Rothins" His voice was rather monotonous, and after what had seemed like the longest quarter of an hour of my life, he stopped. "And finally, though I know the prescience of our classmates may vary, I know that you will all succeed. No pugnacious behavior will be permitted. Thank you." He stepped down from the podium as Mrs. Anton stepped up.

"Please come up when your name is called and retrieve your schoolbooks. Your assignments for tomorrow are enclosed. Pacia Andorson, Kyle Berkeley, and Darou Achin come forward." The less favored housemother's incisive voice shattered my ears.

When we got back to our dormitory, Jane opened a door in the corner that I had just noticed. Through it came Gabrielle and Emalia. "Hello." I greeted them. "Are you here to study?"

"Precisely." Gabrielle said rather blatantly. "Now for the first assignment. History. It says that we should read the postwar analysis on page 409. Emma, are you familiar with the history of Andros?"

"Yes."

"Then let's begin."

409

Post-War Analysis-Published 4,738(Y)

Following the Nurovia-Atweena war, lasting from years 4,703(Y) to 4,708(Y), a Peace Conference was held in Nurovia's Capital. The attending nations were Nurovia, Galbion, Bizmania, and Andros. After a 3 day meeting, the sides came to an agreement. Andros acquired Atweena, Galbion acquired Bontus, and Bizmania got Egrama. Nurovia was left with no spoils. The Fair Empress Colleen of Andros appointed her Duchess Andrea of Andros to the position of Duchess Governess of Atweena Territory. Atweena remained a territory until 4,721, when its territory status was revoked.It expanded the territory the Metrans know as the Provinces. To this day, the land formerly belonging to Atweena remains in a state of poverty.

"I don't get it." I interjected.

"Get what?" Emalia, Gabrielle, and Jane said at once.

"You don't think I'm trash, do you?" I asked.

"No!" Gabrielle said.

"Of course not." Jane shouted.

"Definitely a no." Emalia replied calmly.

"Why?" Gabrielle asked.

"I'm not poor, either." I almost shouted. How could they not realize? Their book is wrong. We aren't poor. We're just don't live luxuriously in the spoils of my great-grandmother's country. And I had to advocate for my people. "Do you know who Queen Claire is? Or was?" I was really getting angry.

"Uh…." Jane trailed off.
"Was she an empress?" Gabrielle remarked.

"No, Duh, she said Queen, airbrain." Jane replied sarcastically

"She was Queen of Atweena at the time of the Nurovia-Atweena war. After the war, the capital town of Atweena was practically demolished. Queen Claire couldn't bear to see her city in ruins, and moved into the countryside. She was never heard of out of her private life again." Emalia corrected.

At lease Emalia knew! "You are right. She believed the loss of the war to be a failure on her account and was embarrassed to let her people down, and that she couldn't even intercede with the alliance that defeated her. She moved away, like you said. That book says that we are in poverty. We aren't poor. The Atweenians are well off, in fact. We hold to our beliefs. Tangible items aren't important. We're different than you think." Now I was yelling.

Silence ensued. For once, Gabrielle was tongue tied. I thought of my Great Grandmother sitting on the front porch in the fall, her eyes looking out to the horizon, telling me, "No matter what, Emma, you are my great-granddaughter. Do not forget me, I am here as long as you have my book. Read it well." She died a week later.

"Oh, Emma, I didn't know. I've been taught all my life a different story." Jane consoled. Then she mumbled.

"What did you say?" I demanded, still angry.

"I was just thinking….. We have a project. I remember my brother talking about it. It's on the affects of the Nurovia-Atweena war, I think. Emma, It's perfect. You can write about Atweena's side of history, not ours. Don't you know people, who were little when the war happened? Oh, wait until our pedagogue hears!" Jane was right! It was perfect.

I jumped up and got my Great- Grandmother's diary out of my satchel.