Chapter 2
The bell rang to signify the end of break, and the kids filed back into the hall. The chairs had been cleared away and Mr Rothborne stood waiting for them with a list.
"Right kids, it's time to find your dorms," He grinned, "Now, we don't get to chose what dorm we are in, nor do we get to chose which bed we sleep in, as this causes too many fights,"
Ash giggled, "I'd fight to sleep in his bed," he whispered to Mara,
"Shut up," she said, holding her breath, trying not to laugh,
"So I'll read out the dorm lists," Mr Rothborne continued oblivious, "and your trunks will be on your bed when you get there, you will then unpack, and change into your uniform. Right, in the girls dorm, J, Raven, Mara and Nienna, you will also be joined later tonight by Antoinette, One of the prefects" he gestured to an older girl standing in the corner, "Will take you to the boarding house and show you you're dorm, off you go."
The prefect led the 4 girls out and across the courtyard to the boarding house.
Mr Rothborne turned to the boys, "You are split into two dorms, they both have space for 8 people, but one dorm has 6 people in and the other has 5, so if you miss behave then we can still split you up from your friends. We have taken into account people you know previously, and have tried to keep you with your friends. In one dorm is," He looked down at the list in his hand, "Fergal, Torin, Seiji, Matthew and Alexander Madoc, you are also going to be joined by one of the Upper Sixth, as they don't have enough room in their dorms. And in the other dorm is Satu, Ashley, Alex Richards, oh sorry, you like Ally don't you," he looked to Ally for confirmation,
"Yeah," Ally nodded,
"Mikey and Charlie," Mr Rothborne continued. "Right, now if you come with me, I'll take you to the boarding house." He led them out of the hall and across the courtyard, past the car park for the students cars and across the mock zebra crossing in the drivway, and into the boarding house. "This is the common room," he gestured to the room they had arrived in, it was filled with sofa's and had bookcases and a TV, a pool table was in the corner and a box filled with board games in another. Mr Rothborne gestured to a door at the back of the common room, "That's the door to the Prefect's study, next year, some of you might be allowed in there." He led them up the spiral staircase to the first floor and along to two of the rooms. "In the middle there is the boys bathroom, which is also accessable from either of your dorms, Fergal and Torin's dorm is that way, and Ally's dorm is that way, but before you go and start getting unpacked, remember that my room is upstairs, so if you ever need me in the middle of the night, if someone is ill or something, you can come and find me." He paused for breath, "I've got to go and take an Upper Sixth lesson now, so I'll be off, but someone will come and collect you at 12:30 ready for assembly, so you all need to be in uniform by then."
The boys traipsed into their respective dorms, and looked around for their trunks. Tor looked at Fergie, "Shotgun top bunk" he said, when he saw both of their trunks on the same bunk.
Fergie sighed, and then leant towards his brother, "You know you'll just end up in my bed anyway," he whispered.
Tor laughed and started to open his trunk.
Matt looked at the two trunks infront of him, "I guess I'm on the top bunk, seeing as our mystery Upper sixth doesn't get a choice."
Alex grinned, "He can't be too pleased, being stuck with us lot, I bet he'll spend all his time in his friend's dorm, and then only come here like two minutes before lights out."
"Is that a problem?" Asked Seiji, from where he lay on his bunk.
Matt looked at Alex and Seiji, "No fair!" he said, "You guys get a bunkbed each!"
"No," Seiji stared at him, "One's for me, one's for katana,"
Alex laguhed, "Is Katana your imaginary friend,"
"No," Seiji reached into his trunk and pulled out his katana, "katana is my sword."
Alex swallowed, "Right, um, well, I'm getting unpacked now."
In the other boys dorm, havoc was breaking out,
"I just think that seeing as we have an extra chest of drawers, we should share it out between all of us," reasoned Charlie logically,
"No!" squealed Ash, "I have the most clothes, and therefore, I should get the extra chest of drawers,"
"Just let him have it," Satu sighed as he got out the all important laptop and started to plug it in.
"Fine, fine, fine," Mikey said, "It's not like any of the rest of us would use it, right?"
"Well..." Charlie started,
"Who needs clothes anyway?" Laughed Ally,
"Right, yeah, of course," Charlie hurried to agree with Ally, "I mean, we don't need the extra space."
The girl's dorm was much calmer. They all had single beds, and chests of drawers beside their beds, and bedside tables, it was luxury in the girls dorm. They unpacked whilst chatting happily, well, atleast Nienna and Mara did, J sulked, and Raven got out her sketchbook.
"Anyone mind if I put my ballet barre here?" asked Mara, walking over to a spare corner of the room,
"Nope," Nienna spoke for them all,
"Thanks," Mara started to set up her barre, ostentatiously tying her pointe shoes to it.
Nienna was making her bed, "I really like this room," she said, "I mean, it's nice and bright, and I think it's really good the school let us bring duvets and stuff from home."
"Yeah," giggled Mara, "except my bed at home is a double bed, and the only single duvet cover I could find was my really really old Princess Ballerina one," She laughed as she got it out of the case, it was pink and had a random Ballerina on the front, "It's a good job the boys are banned from our dorm, otherwise they'd think I was a right idiot."
"You are a right idiot," growled J from the corner of the room, "No way is it a good thing the boys aren't allowed in our room, I mean, did you see that Ally guy!"
Mara shrugged, "He seemed like a bit of a prick really, and I reckon most of them are gay anyway,"
Nienna laughed, "You're forgetting, most of them have spent most of their lives at all boys boarding schools," she laughed, "in the middle of winter it gets pretty cold and boring in those dorms,"
Mara collapsed laughing, "and most guys can only find one way to keep themselves occupied,"
Raven looked up, "Just asking, do you have a problem with guys being gay?"
"No!" said Nienna and Mara, at the exact time J said "Yes,"
"Why?" asked Nienna
"Oh, my brother is, and I always wondered, because loads of guys seem to have a problem with it, but I didn't know if all the girls did to," she said, and went back to her sketchbook.
Mara got out her school uniform and looked at it, "It's ghastly really isn't it,"
Nienna grinned, "I'll show you how to improve it tonight, I adjusted mine,"
"Adjusted?"
"Oh, you know, put a dart or two in the blazer, to make it a little more fitted, shortened the skirt a little, it's not brilliant, but it's much better than it was,"
"Will you really help me?" Mara looked up,
"Sure thing, infact," Nienna looked at the clock, "We've got a few minutes before we have to be in uniform, toss it here." Out of nowhere she produced a needle and cotton and took up the ghastly black skirt, and put a couple of dart into the pale blue blazer carrying the school emblem. "I'm afraid there's not much I can do about the tie, sorry," she apologised, "Here, try this on."
Mara pulled on the skirt and blazer, and twirled around, "That's brilliant, thanks!" She reached into the her chest of drawers and pulled out a hairbrush, "It doesn't say anything in the rules about our hair being tied back does it?"
Nienna nodded "I'm afraid it does, if it's longer than shoulder length it has to be tied up in a blue hairtie."
"Bugger" Mara scraped her long blonde hair into a ponytail and then fumbled around in the drawer for a blue scrunchie, "I know I've got one here somewhere, I'll have to get some more at the weekend. Ah, here it is." She tied up her hair and looked at the others, "come on guys, we've only got about 5 minutes. I'm just greatful we don't have to wear ties like the boys do,
In the boys dorms uniforms were being hurriedly put on, black trousers, navy blue blazers and pale blue ties over white shirts. Ash was customising his, "Hmm, I've got a really nice blue necklace that will go brilliantly, or do you think pink, just to add some more colour to the outfit?" he turned to Satu, "Pink or Blue?"
"Blue," muttered Satu, without even looking up,
"Right, I think I'll go with pink then," Ash hunted around for his special lucky rainbow bracelet and pulled it on,
"You do know they said no jewellery, don't you?" asked Ally,
Ash grinned, "actually they said girls weren't allowed to wear jewellery, I think I've gotten away with it there."
"You don't mean to say you're a guy!" Mikey laughed.
In the other dorm, Fergie and Tor were laughing as they swapped over necklaces and identity bracelts, "Don't tell anyone," Laughed Tor, "It's just we never keep these the same,"
"So, how are we meant to tell you apart?" asked Matt,
"I've got a bigger cock," grinned Fergie
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Tor pushed him over, "That's what you'd like to think," He thought for a second, "I don't know, we just tell each other apart, uh" he looked at his twin, "what can we do so they can tell us apart?"
Fergie looked around the room, "Not sure, uh," he spied his and Tor's trainers, one pair were blue, one pair were red, he took the laces out, and put them in his and Tor's school shoes, "I'm wearing red laces, kay?"
Seiji half looked up, "and you are?"
"Fergie, I think," Fergie laughed,
"And how do we know you wont change?" asked Seiji, the ever suspicious,
"We'll tell you every morning what colour we are," Tor smiled, "You're a genious Fergal Nolan,"
Fergie snorted, "You only say that because it makes you one too."
Just before half past twelve a prefect came to each of the dorms and took them down to the hall for assembly. They filed into the hall, which had about 20 more students in it, obviously the upper sixth, and sat down on the chairs placed out for them. At the front of the hall was a small alter table, with a bible on it, and a chair and a desk. There was a piano slightly to one side, at which a fat grey haired man, Mr Chewney, sat. The teachers sat along the back of the hall, by the door, then the upper sixth, then the lower sixth, from the back of the hall came the voice of a senior prefect calling, "Stand please everybody," everyone got to their feet. In walked the head, and assembly commenced.
After lunch the kids filed across to the creative arts block, for their first art lesson with Mr Tevelin.
"Well this should be a laugh then," commented Fergie, his irish accent so thick only Tor could understand him, "I mean, Art, what kind of a doss is that th..." his voice trailed off as he saw the man on the desk.
A pale man, pale skinned, pale eyed, pale haired, sat on the desk. In his early twenties and easily topping six foot, he sat, one leg resting on the desk beside him, the other streched out across the room. "Well, sit down then." he growled,
The kids, stunned, remained standing.
"Unless of course," he sniggered, "You like it standing."
Everyone hurriedly found a seat.
The man continued, "On you're map of the school, it will probably tell you my name is Mr Tevelin, technically I guess it is, however, seeing as my name is Artur, and I mostly shorten it to Art, I think it's appropriate that you have Art, with Art," he sniggered, "So you may call me Art,"
Art started to hand out the sketch books on his desk, "Now when you get these sketch books, remember, they have been on my desk, so you never know what they've seen," he laughed.
Someone rushed in, head bowed, so his face was hidden,
"Oi!" Art called out, "What do you say if you're late for a lesson,"
"Sorry I'm late," came the reply, with a very distinct Australian twang.
Art walked over to the boy and put one hand under his chin, lifting his face so their eyes met, "Seiji?" he slid an arm around his waist, "baby?"
"Yes, what?" scowled Seiji,
"What are you doing here?"
"I go to this school, remember, I did tell you."
Art sniggered, "Oh yes, we were rather busy at the time though,"
"Oh fuck off will you," Seiji tried to push him away,
Art, much stronger, slammed him against the wall, and held him there by the collar, "That's Oh fuck off will you sir" he laughed, and kissed Seiji firmly on the lips, handed him a sketch book and said: "Find a seat Furu-Yama, you always have been to lazy to stand," he let him slide gently down the wall, and go and find a seat at the back of the class.
The shocked class looked on, stunned,
"Wha?" said a stunned Alex,
"Yes," Growled Seiji, "I'm screwing the Art teacher, big deal," he sat down with a thump,
Art laughed, "Well not right now, now you're in an art lesson, you're not screwing me NOW" he laughed and went back to the front of the class. "Now kids, this term we're going to be doing portraits."
Alex groaned, "We did this at my old school, you have to learn all about the distances between the eyes and crap."
"Nope!" Art laughed, "I will demonstrate," he picked up a peice of paper, and, pencil flying across the page, drew a very quick picture, he held it up for the class to see, "Who's that?" he asked,
"Uh, is it Mara?" Mikey ventured,
"Is that her?" Art pointed at Mara,
"Yep,"
"Then yes, it was meant to be Mara, doesn't look much like her though." He got a fresh peice of paper, "Now, see." Again the pencil flew across the paper, and in a second, "Who's this,"
Everyone laughed,
"It's Seiji," said Tor,
"Well, it would be, but he's smiling," said Fergie, making everyone laugh again, except Seiji, who scowled even more.
"You see," explained Art, "I can draw Seiji much better, because I know him much better," he sniggered, "a lot better. So I can manage to capture not only Seiji's looks, but what Seiji is like inside," he thought for a moment, and laughed, "I mean, what his personality is like,"
"So why's he smiling?" asked Fergie,
Art grinned, "Because I'm one of the few people in the world that can make Seiji smile, it's a talent you know."
Seiji scowled at him, "No it's not, I only smile when I want to,"
"Yeah, course you do." Art turned back to the class, "Now I'm gonna put you into pairs, and you will stick in those pairs for the rest of term, if you don't like it, tough. You will get to know that person, exactly what they look like, exactly who they are, and then, you will draw them." He looked around his desk, and spied his folder, he picked it up, "But first, I have to take the register. If you have a nickname that you prefer, then just yell out, also if I say you're name wrong, yell. Nienna Amandil?"
"Here,"
"Hmm, says here Charles Edwards is excused from Art, is he here, no? good. Furu-Yama's here, Mara Emma Gabriel?"
"Uh yeah, but it's just Mara,"
"I know, I just like saying people's middle names at the start of term to embarrass them," Art grinned evilly, "Matthew Lee Green?"
"Here, and can it be Matt."
"Okay" Art made a note in his register, "Satu Kaida?"
"Present,"
"Alexander Joshua Thomas Madoc," Art sniggered, "Nice name"
"It's Alex,"
"Right, Alex," Art sniggered again, "Antionette Vivaldi Maricello,"
"Doesn't arrive until tomorrow," supplied Nienna,
"Right, Ashley William May,"
"Uh, Ash please,"
"Okay, Ash, oh and Ash?"
"Uhuh,"
"I like the necklace, it's nice. Torin Rogan Nolan and Fergal Caley Nolan?"
"Here" the twins chorused,
"Twins?" Art grinned, "Interesting. Micheal James Reed?"
"Um Mikey?" Mikey asked hopefully,
"Right, Alexander Jake Richards, another Alexander, what will we do?"
"Um, I like Ally,"
"Thank gods for that, otherwise I really would have got confused," he looked up at the class, "You're not really expecting me to remember your names are you? Josephine Sian Taylor?"
"It's just J,"
Art took one look at J, and decided he didn't like her, "Okay then Josephine, and finally, Raven Louise Yue?"
"Here,"
"Right, now, partners, uh, um, okay, I want you twins to go together, because I think that would be interesting, and I'll put the rest of you together randomly. I'm going to try and avoid girl/boy pairings, because frankly girls and boys together make me feel sick. Right so Josephine, you can go with Antoinetta when she gets here, today you can just sit there and doodle, Mara, go with Nienna, Raven, oh damn, not enough girls, okay, Raven go with Alex, Ally go with Ash, Mikey with Satu, and that leaves Furu-Yama to go with Matt."
"Can't you ever say my first name?" grumbled Seiji,
Art shrugged, "I could, but I wont. Now everyone go and sit in your pairs."
A few people shuffeled around until they were sitting at a desk with their pairs.
"Now just talk to each other and get to know each other," Art sniggered, "While I sit here, and I'm gonna draw.
A few minutes later a knock on the door disturbed the classroom.
"Mr Tevelin?" ventured a voice,
Art looked up, "Eagle," he grinned, "You know it's always Art to you, come in." He stood up and walked towards Eagle, he grabbed him by the tie and looked at the gold emblam sewn into the end of it, "Hmmm, so you made prefect?"
Eagle grinned, "I kinda thought that was your doing,"
Art, still with a firm grip on Eagle's tie, pulled him closer, "I might have had some say in it, it suits you," he kissed him gently, "I always knew you'd make a good prefect."
Eagle pulled away, "Can I give something to my sister?"
"You have a sister?" Art thought for a second, "Oh yes, Raven Yue, sister of Eagle Yue, would make sense. Yes certainly,"
Eagle threw somthing across the room at Raven, "Catch!"
She caught it, "My Medicine bag!" she squealed, "Thank you!"
"Mum brought it in when she saw you forgot it,"
"Thanks," Raven beamed at her big brother.
"That all?" Asked Art,
"Nearly," Eagle walked over to Matt, "Matt, I need to ask something?"
"Yuhuh?"
"Will you go out with me?"
Matt turned and punched him lightly in the stomach, "I'm not gay!" he sighed, "and no, before you ask again, I won't go out with you anyway," he sighed and turned away.
Eagle shrugged, "Well I didn't lose anything by asking," he turned to Art, "Thanks, I'm off now," and walked out,
"Eagle!" Art called after him,
Eagle turned in the doorway, "Yeah?"
"You free at four o'clock?"
Eagle grinned, "I can be, why?"
"My room please."
"Four it is then," said Eagle as he walked off.
Seiji's scowl darkened,
Art looked at him, "Not jealous are you Furu-Yama, I thought you always said you hated me, besides, you need time to get settled in to your new school." He laughed, and went to wander around the classroom, seeing how much progress people were making,
Raven looked at Alex, "Well?" she asked, "Aren't we meant to be asking questions?"
Alex grinned, "Ok, well, tell me about yourself, I'm guessing that's your older brother, any other relations?"
"No" she shook her head, "But Matt over there, he's my brother's best friend, and he practically lives at our house. What about you?"
"No," he shook his head "I'm an only child,"
Art passed Seiji and Matt talking, he bent down to talk to Matt, "Try and get him to smile, I always reckoned you never know the real Seiji until you see him smile."
"I've tried," Matt complained, "He's just grumpy,"
Art laughed and knelt down behind Seiji's chair, he slid his arm's around his waist, and unashamedly into his lap.
Reluctantly at first, and then properly Seiji smiled, "Oh fuck off Art," he grinned,
Art kissed him gently on the side of the head and stood up. He looked at Matt, "He'll probably be in a good mood for the rest of the day now," he laughed, "If Seiji can be in a good mood."
"I said fuck off didn't I?" Seiji grinned.
Art wandered away.
Matt turned to Seiji, "Uh I take it you're gay then?"
Seiji thought for a moment, "Bi actually, but yes, I'm probably closer to gay these days,"
Matt shook his head, "If only Eagle didn't keep on trying to make me gay."
"What do you mean, make you gay, you ARE gay."
"No I'm not!"
Seiji laughed, "Don't deny it, you fancy him, admittedly, you do act very straight, but I can tell, takes one to know one and all that crap, I can tell. You might not admitt it now, but trust me, one day, you'll know."
