The day was a big one. The school took in no more than fifty new students a year, and all came in a large bus that traveled for a whole day to reach the place. Students arrived in the early morning to an extravagant welcoming party, hosted by prominent students, including club leaders, hand-picked one the teachers chose, and even those chosen by important students to help out. It was a privilege to help set up for the welcomings, and many relished in the idea that they might someday be one of the lucky ones who got to help out.
Bo knew he couldn't help directly - it was too risky - but he often enjoyed putting things people had forgotten on tables set out among the springy grasses outside the school. He sat on the roof and watched as students rolled by in groups, pulling out tables and putting everything one could need on them - food, uniforms, leaflets, anything. He stretched, letting his bare feet kiss a slight wind, and lay back. He didn't much care that he was lying on a rooftop over what others would consider a very uncomfortable material; he was used to sleeping on floors, so it wasn't much different.
He glanced down and saw principal Alvaro giving him a slight signal to move out of sight, and Bo's heart skipped a beat. Finally! New students! He made a prodigious bound to the bell, and he quickly grabbed a large bronze pole, lying in wait.
This was a legend of the school that he upheld. Every time new students arrived, the bell would ring, whether it was time or not.
He heard the revving of engines in the distance, and moved to a comfortable position, readying his strike. The moment the school bus went over the school's boundaries, marked by a clearly defined forest, he let loose upon the bell in timed, measured strikes, letting the vibrations shake his very bones. He repeated the strikes a number of times until all the new students had piled out of the bus.
A number of students all began to murmur at once, and with the number of them it became louder than if someone had shouted. Bo chuckled to himself and decided to watch as students were introduced to important folk around the school and led to different stalls by their self-appointed partners. He noticed one group, however, that seemed not to really know what was going on.
Well, the Principal didn't say anything about talking to people, did he?
Bo leaped down the tower and took the rarely-used chute into the back gardens, spinning down and landing in a heap on the ground. He rushed away, glad no-one was there yet, and dashed for the front of the school, jumping a fence and running past a few stalls where new students had already begun to congregate. He slowed down to catch his breath as he approached the bus, trying to remain calm. He may have had the Principal to talk to, but this would be a breath of fresh air.
He blinked as he realised that the only person left was a young girl, who was standing there looking confused as the bus wheeled off for wherever it went. She stood there holding a small plant and looking briefly sad.
"Hello," Bo said, trying to be calm. "Are you lost?"
"Not really," She said, in far more confident a voice than her appearance claimed her possible of. "It's just... I only just got here, it's so confusing."
"I understand," Bo replied, smiling. "Want me to give you a tour?"
She seemed startled for a moment, and after a brief flicker of emotion her face set into a smile. "Sure."
Bo motioned for her to follow, and he headed for the doors. As he pulled a ring of keys from his pocket, he glanced at the Principal, who nodded approval. The girl seemed a bit confused again, but refrained from asking questions until they were inside the main hall.
"Who was that you were looking at?" She inquired seriously. "And do all the students have a set of keys like that?"
"The principal, and no, only me." Bo shot her a smile. "We're not supposed to go inside the school yet, but I have a few... duties that mean I'm allowed." She looked briefly confused, but she shook it off quickly and followed as fast as she could while not dropping her plant.
"What's up with the plant, by the way?" Bo asked, raising a curious eyebrow as they walked inside.
"His name is Creston, and he's staying by my side until I find an appropriate club room to put him in," She insisted. Bo discarded the idea that she was sane and accepted that as reality. "What's that over there?"
She was pointing towards a large pillar seemingly in the center of the school. "Oh," Bo replied, "That's the Clock Tower. The stairs around it lead up to the other two floors of the school."
"So that's the clock tower?" She repeated. "I was kind of expecting something more showy."
"It's the outside appearance from inside the school," Bo corrected. "The bell you heard is run by the clock tower once every half-hour, and it also runs every clock in the entire school. The inner circuitry is a nightmare." She considered for a moment before deciding that that was indeed impressive.
"Over there are the main classrooms," Bo continued, "and up on the next floor are some audience halls and the club rooms." She immediately began walking up the steps.
"There're a lot of clubs to choose from," Bo commented, running to catch up with her. "There's video club, music club, drama club... a few social justice ones focused on different things, they split like that after they decided that there were enough classrooms... a few others too, but other than the Newspaper, those are the ones new people generally choose."
"No gardening club? Or adventuring club?" she asked, disappointed.
"No," Bo admitted, walking ahead. "But there's no grade limit on creating a club, and there just happens to be one room with a patio. Follow me." He went up the stairs again, and she followed dubiously.
"Up here," he said after turning down another hallway. At the end of the hall was a lonely door that had a unique look, like something brand-new that had never been touched and instead was left to rot.
"This went untouched, the mirrored one over at the other end is used as a hospital space. Generally students don't come up here, but if someone puts a word in for you, you can be allowed." Bo stepped out of the way and pointed to the door.
"Go ahead."
She opened it.
"Wow."
The room itself was quite large, larger than the average classroom, and on one end a blackboard had been hung up on the wall. a long table was in the center, and comfortable chairs had been lined along each side. From the glass doors, light filtered in, the glow of the mid-morning sun illuminating the room. A large desk, presumably intended for whoever was in charge of the room, had a single old computer and a few nicknacks spread across it.
The girl was interested in something else. Running past the table and desk, she grabbed the doors and swung them open onto a very fancy patio. All around empty pots of all shapes and sizes were scattered around the edges, along with a few stray bags of gardening materials and a watering can, and a lone wooden rocking chair rocked gently in the wind in sync with the hanging pots.
"Alright!" She exclaimed, punching the air exuberantly. "From this day forward, this is the new site of the joint Gardening-Adventuring Club Of Awesome! Name in beta, of course. What do you think?" She turned around.
There was no-one there.
"Hello?"
A/N: I'm back from the dead guys!
I hope you enjoy this new chapter. I'm sorry for the wait. I currently have two other projects that have this one crowded out, but I'll try to update it more often!
Sorry this one is a bit short, but... that ending was too good.
Don't forget to review, all and any opinions are appreciated!