Chapter 2

I rested my head lazily against the window, watching the English countryside pass by in a blur a blur. Quiet classical music played serenely in the background as I felt the car jolt up and down. I let my breath gradually fog up the old window and drew a little fairy.
I wished she was real.
I sighed and turned my head away from the cold window, blinking my eyes drowsily. My mother had long since fallen into a deep slumber, and my father was behind the wheel, attentive and keen per usual. They really were such a perfect match, I had always thought of them to be soulmates.
My mother, Lilly, was a messy woman who loved to help other people and be active. She was always doing something, weather it be helping out in a local fundraiser or working out in the garden with me. My father, George, was a quiet, neat man who kept more to himself and his work, however he always had time for family I wondered if I'd ever find someone like that. Some nice woman who would take good care of our children and I, and always be looking out for us. Someone kind, benevolent and an honest good person. I had always thought that there was too many liars, too many people so focused on themselves that they forget te feelings of other people.
I could only wish.

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, I heard my father's baritone voice rumble in the background.
"We're here." I widened my eyes and looked out the window. What lay before me was a beautiful courtyard laden with fresh flowers and all sorts of greenery. A huge, warm-colored tan brick mansion stood in the background, a enormous clock gleaming at its front.
I jumped out of the car happily and inhaled the fresh, clean, unpolluted air. The school was in the middle of the Wales countryside. To me this really was a home away from home; the staff all remembered me quite fondly, and always looking out for me. I was so happy to be back, I practically sang! Looking over to my favorite tree, a huge oak that must have been at least a thousand years old, I noticed something different.

A white rosebush was planted under the tree, blocking the spot that I had always loved to rest, read, and work under. I wandered over to it, leaving my parents behind to pull out my suitcase.

I huffed, agitated at whoever had planted the bush there. I was a bit sad that my favorite reading spot had been taken, but I did love those pretty white flowers. They were my favorite kind. I sighed, disappointed - but I practically skipped back to my parents.

"Let's go in!"

I sat politely on the plush chair within the office, waiting for my parents to finish up talking things over with the principal. Humming to myself happily, I took in my surroundings.

The room was painted a pale mint green, with an elegant white border tracing around the bottom of the wall. The floors were a nice, polished amber wood that complimented the walls perfectly. Bright sunlight shone into the room through the open window and lit up a table covered in a variety of colorful flowers. A pleasant smell of old books and ink wafted around the room. A few desks were here and there, with busy office woman sitting around and ruffling and shuffling papers in time like clockwork- each part equally as important to make the whole system run smoothly.

My parents stepped out of the office and hugged me, saying their final goodbyes. I wouldn't be seeing them for about another 3 months, so it was pretty hard to say goodbye. I knew they had business to attend to back at home though, so I didn't draw out the goodbye too long. They told me to be good and responsible, which was really a pointless thing to say as I always was, then checked that I was all ready and set to begin classes, and finally gave me one last hug and kiss before leaving the room. I stood there, watching the door slowly swing shut when I heard someone from behind me. Someone with a very, very distinct Italian accent.

"Ah, Arthur!" The Headmaster, Mr. "Rome", a handsome brunette man with a loud, bellowing voice (to match his personality) called, and pulled me into a big fatherly hug. I stood awkwardly as the man laughed and then held me at arm's length.

"Um…hello." I muttered, face tinged pink at the invasion of personal space. He laughed, his big, bright white teeth flashing, then rustled my hair and let me go.

"So, Arthur, you're the first yet again!" He grinned, casually leaning up against a green wall, his dark, button-up blue shirt standing out strongly against the light wall. I nodded awkwardly as he ducked his head in return before turning to the door.

Principal Rome knew my family very well, apparently having been old friends with my father when the Italian went for an exchange program to an English school. He always pampered me because of that, and also, I assumed, since his children had long since grown up, moved out, and had children of their own (of which one went and the other one taught at this very school). He was a little too fatherly to me, however I appreciated the perks of that.

"Well, I guess I'll show you to your room!" he bellowed, grabbing my arm and dragging me out with him. He began to chat with me as we walked down the big, empty halls, heading for the dormitories. "We haven't really changed much about the place, as you can see. Though hopefully next year we can change it to a warmer, more tannish or reddish color, no?" I rolled my eyes at this. He said it every year, and every year it stayed the same cool mint color. When Mr. Rome became principal, he wanted to change the common english style of cooler colors and patterns to the common Italian style, which is on the warmer side of the color spectrum. However the "second in command"(whose name has left me, as he mostly keeps to himself shut up in his office somewhere within the labyrinth- like school) refused to let Mr. Rome do such a thing. We soon came to a halt outside of a white door with the number 312 painted on it.

I stepped into my room, and the Head thunked down my heavy luggage and bid a quick farewell before he whisked out the door, slamming it behind him. I dragged the heavy beast of a suitcase up onto my bed and opened it up, examining its contents. Slowly pulled out books and placing them upon the nice cherry bookshelf in the room, I reveled in the feel of my old home. The walls were a clean white that reflected the light streaming through the open window beautifully, giving the room a light sunflower-like color. It was a magnificent room.

You usually have to share a room with one other person at the school, but somehow (probably due to my parents' overprotective and influential ways) I always ended up alone, without anyone in my room. No one would ever show up to take the second bed, and I honestly had no problems with that. Each room started out with two beds in case there was some emergency switch or odd new student that had not been assigned a room yet. If not taken on the first day, it would be taken out of the room and put into storage. So it was no loss of space to me, and I didn't mind it's being there - as long as it was gotten rid of eventually.

I quickly finished unpacking and propped myself on the window ledge, peering out at the grounds. I had a nice view over the boarding school's front gardens, where we had arrived and where the rest of the students would soon be arriving from. There was a curved path that was neatly paved that ran in a circle around the front of a large iron gate that was now open, inviting students and parents and siblings alike into the warm, cheery old school. I could see cars and limousines pulling up now, along with luxurious busses that picked up the kids who lived nearby here. I saw kids of every ethnicity, color, and style imaginable. Tall, short, skinny, fat, fashionable or geeky, they were all there.

One of them will be my friend this year. I'm sure of it. I thought before slipping off the edge and turning to my bed. I plopped myself down unceremoniously on it and aligned my stuffed animals carefully up against the wall bordering my bed. Then I reached for a book and soon got immersed into its wonderful fantasy tale about elves and faeries and all sorts of incredible things. Though I didn't mind other subjects, fantasy would always hold a special place in my heart.

Soon, the sun began to set and the last stragglers were now entering the building. I knew that now those new to the school would all be gathered outside the front office, getting a special tour of the school from the Head himself. The rest of the kids who had been here before and knew the school quite well would be socializing with their roommates and waiting for dinner.

Noticing it would be a while until it was time to eat, I set down my book on the bedside table, took off my clothes and pulled on a huge white t-shirt (I would be all alone, I didn't have to look respectable or anything) and curled up in my blanket, letting my heavy eyelids droop and eventually close, sending me into a deep, peaceful sleep.

A/N: Wow, there were a LOT of edits on this chappy. But I actually deleted and rewrote the entire next one, so...