The next morning I was started awake by a loud bell ringing outside. I looked around the room and saw the others beginning to stir.
"Come on. Time for breakfast." Kate said as she threw back her covers and pulled a checkered skirt out of her suitcase. "Matron delivered a uniform for you, Charlie." She added and pointed to the end of my bed where a neat pile sat on top of my suitcase. I rolled out of bed and put on my new school uniform, which consisted of a white shirt, black cardigan or jumper, a blue, green and grey checkered skirt and matching tie, black, knee-high socks and a grey blazer with the school's crest on the breast pocket. As I followed the others down to breakfast I hurriedly pulled my hair back into a high ponytail and tied a white ribbon around the elastic.
We walked into a large hall, which had long wooden tables and benches down one side and opposite them was an especially large table where Mrs Kingsley and the other teachers were waiting. I stood beside Drippy at the end of one of the tables, facing the doorway we'd just come through, as the rest of the school filed in.
As I was looking around the long hall, a tall blonde girl came and stood in front of me. She had bright, blue eyes and her curly hair was pulled back into a braid. Her uniform was impeccable and she was flanked by two other girls who stood behind her.
"Harriet. Head girl." The blonde girl said and stuck her hand out towards me.
"Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Charlie." I said, shaking her hand.
"Mm, pleasure." She said a little too sweetly, as she looked down her nose at me. I didn't say anything and just smiled at her, ignoring the attitude.
"Hm. Australian?" she asked.
"Yes." I replied.
"I thought so. I've been to Australia before. We stayed in Circular Quay." She said pronouncing 'Quay' like an A.
"Ah, it is lovely there. But it's actually pronounced 'Quay' as in 'Key'." I said, trying to be helpful.
"I know. I was just testing you to see if you knew what I was talking about. You know...you don't seem like the scholarly type." She said and I was surprised at how openly rude she was.
"Well, perhaps I'll surprise you." I said with a smile.
"Just make sure you know the rules of respect around here. Teachers, prefects, scholars, students, vermin, bogans." She said, putting extra emphasis on the last word. "As you were." She smiled, before turning and walking majestically away.
"Ugh. Stay away from her if you can. She may seem sweet and caring, but she'll only be that way to those she knows she can walk on." Kiki said.
"Thanks for the advice." I smiled nervously.
"Well hello, Freddy." Drippy said beside me. I looked in confusion to where she was looking and at that moment I wished I was anywhere but here, I wished I could turn invisible or sink through the floor, but unfortunately none of those wishes came true. Walking through the doors and making his way over to the head table was the same curly haired boy I'd met in the change rooms.
Okay. As long as he doesn't see me…as long as he doesn't see me. He's seen me. As he walked past our table and joined the heads, he happened to glance our way and while the others smiled at him I became very interested in my shoelaces.
"Find the change rooms okay?" he asked. I looked up quickly while I dug my nails into the palms of my hands.
"Yes, thank you." I said between slightly clenched teeth and he grinned before turning around and joining the head table.
"What was that about?" Josie asked me.
"I'll explain later." I promised as Kate looked down at her watch.
"And cue Harriet in three, two, one. Contact." She counted down and I watched as Harriet walked over to Freddy and began speaking with him. Up at the head table, Mrs Kingsley rang a small bell and everyone began to sit down, so I followed suit as plates of toast started to be handed round.
"I love that Freddy's always here." Drippy said happily.
"Um, who is Freddy?" I asked.
"Mrs Kingsley's son. Devastating heartthrob. He goes to school at our brother school further up the road, but he lives here with his Mum." She replied. The Headmistress' son. Of all people.
"And are he and Harriet a, thing?" I asked.
"Oh, she wishes. Poor guy." Kate laughed.
"So, what's this about change rooms?" Kiki asked me.
"Yeah. Plus, when he came in you went bright red." Josie added.
"Okay, yesterday, I lied. Someone did see me." I admitted.
"Oh no. It wasn't…it was." Drippy gasped, realising what I was saying and I brought my hand up to my forehead. "Were you…were you, decent?" she asked.
"Just." I replied. "But it was still totally embarrassing."
"Well at least you weren't naked." Josie said.
"And an added bonus. You didn't see Harriet's face when he came to talk to you, but it looked like steam was about to pour out of her ears." Kate giggled and I couldn't help but laugh too.
An hour later I sat between Josie and Drippy in our first class of the term. Geography. My favourite and best subject at my school back home.
"Good morning, class. For those of you who don't know me, my name's Mrs Erhope." The teacher said writing her name onto the whiteboard. "Today we'll look at an introduction to the four spheres." She said. Something I'd been worried about coming here was whether I'd be able to keep up with the work because I knew they had a different curriculum to what I was used to, but thankfully I'd studied the Earth's spheres the year before.
The rest of my classes didn't go too badly and I was just heading back to my room after the last one, where I rounded the corner and collided with someone coming the other way.
"Sorry." I said quickly, bending down to pick up my books that were now all over the floor.
"No worries." The person said as they bent down too and I couldn't believe my luck as I recognised the voice.
"This just keeps getting worse." I said, looking up at Freddy Kingsley.
"Yes, we really should stop meeting like this." He replied as we stood up and he handed my books back.
"Let's start over." I said and held out my hand. "Charlie Webster. Nice to meet you."
"Freddy Kingsley." He said, shaking it.
"Freddy, there you are." I heard Harriet's voice from behind me and if I wasn't mistaken I could've sworn Freddy rolled his eyes a little. "I was wondering if you could do me a favour. You…!" she began as she saw me and her eyes flashed in anger when she noticed our hands were still linked.
"Good luck." I said to Freddy before giving him a sympathetic smile and hurrying away, leaving him deal with the roth of Harriet.
"Man! What a day!" Drippy said as I opened the door to our dorm. She was lying face down on the floor with her books spread around her. "Two chapters of maths homework, a whole novel to read before next class and already an assignment for geography." She said, her voice muffled from the carpet as I picked my way between books.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself. We've still got lacrosse training tomorrow." Kate reminded her.
"That reminds me. Charlie every girl at the school tries out for the lacrosse team but since you're an exchange student you immediately make the team because you're only here for a term and every girl must partake in some sporting activity at the school." She rattled off. "So, since the tryouts were last year, you automatically qualify."
"Right." I said, taking it all in. "One problem. I've never played lacrosse before."
"That's okay. It's pretty easy to get the hand of." Kate added.
So, the next day I changed into the school sports uniform and followed the others down to the field in front of the school.
"Hello girls. It's good to see you all again." A tall woman in a tracksuit said to us. "And welcome to lacrosse Miss Webster. My name's Miss Rees-Withers." She said and I smiled at her. "Have you ever played lacross before?" she asked and I shook my head.
"Maybe she should be a reserve." Harriet suggested.
"Thank you for you suggestion Harriet." Miss Rees-Withers replied. "Do you play any sports back home?"
"I play softball." I said.
"Well I'm sure it will come in handy. It's all sticks and balls really." She said and began handing out lacrosse sticks.
"Um, don't you need horses to play lacrosse?" I said to Kate as we collected a stick and a ball between us.
"No, that's polo you daft idiot." She laughed.
Between Josie teaching me the rules of the game and Kate helping me with my stick work, I think I finally had the hang of lacrosse. We had a practice game between ourselves and it was Kate's team versus Harriet's, and the score was one all.
"Charlie! Catch!" One of the girls yelled to me and I put all my effort into concentrating on the round, yellow ball flying towards me. Even though it was only a practice round I didn't want to let the team down. Everything seemed to go into slow motion. I jumped to catch the ball and it was going to land right in the centre of the net, when someone barrelled into me, pushing me off course. As Harriet rammed into me and caught the ball I fell face first into a huge patch of muddy grass. I looked up just in time to see her shoot the ball past Kate and into the goal.
"So sorry about that. At least you're more at home in the dirt, bogan." Harriet said as she walked past me. I don't think she expected me to retaliate, but I stuck out my foot and tripped her up, so she fell into the mud too.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." I said sarcastically and I went to get up, but she grabbed my shirt and pulled me back into the mud.
"Hey! Hey! Break it up!" Miss Rees-Withers yelled at us in between blowing on her whistle, as I threw a handful of mud at Harriet. Harriet and I both looked up as there was the sound of a car's horn being beeped from the road. Of course, as usual the only person to see me in my most embarrassing situations was Freddy Kingsley, sitting in an old green car. Harriet leapt up and I went to get up too, but she leant on my shoulder to stand up and as a result pushed me back down.
Instead of trying to get up again and more than likely being pushed down once more, I stayed on the ground, crossing my legs and folded my arms in defiance.
"Shouldn't you guys be in bikinis for that?" Freddy asked.
"Hey Fredster. Diggin' car." Harriet said cooly.
"Hello, Miss Webster." He said to me.
"Hi." I replied, waving my hand vaguely as he grinned and then roared away. "What?" I asked Harriet as I stood up and saw her glaring at me.
"Girls. That is no way to behave or settle your disagreements." Miss Rees-Withers scolded. "In usual cases I'd send you both to see the Head Mistress but I'd like you both to act your age and work it out like the young ladies you are. Yes?"
"Yes, Miss." I said glumly.
"Of course, Miss Rees-Withers." Harriet said humbly and I restrained from rolling my eyes.
