Get Up and Go
August was upon the McQuillen household and Irlynn was growing anxious and nervous with every passing day. She hadn't told her friends yet that she wouldn't be going to school with them anymore. She and her parents hadn't gotten her school supplies yet either. She didn't want to pester them but she was growing worried that maybe they weren't going to let her go after all.
"Mum," she said one morning at breakfast.
"Yes?" Victoria answered.
"I was thinking…could I have my friends over for the night…so I can tell I'm going to a different school?" Irlynn asked. Victoria set down her teacup and looked at her daughter.
"I think we could do that. But you have to be very careful what you say to them," she said.
"Mum, they're my best friends in the whole world," Irlynn said back and stood. She brought her dishes to the sink and rinsed them. Victoria watched her daughter race out the front door and sighed again. This was still a lot to take in. She was glad Irlynn had handled it so well. But she wasn't so sure she could handle her daughter being away at a school that she had never heard of before.
"What's on your mind, Vic?" William asked, looking up from the paper.
"I think I'm having second thoughts, Will. We don't even know where this school is. And she won't know anyone. She doesn't know the first thing about magic," Victoria rattled off.
"Darling, she will be fine. She is young, she adapts well. And I'm sure she'll write to us," William said, trying to allay his wife's misgivings.
"Am I being too selfish? Not wanting her to go away so soon? We've been putting off getting her school things and I know she wants to get them," she sighed.
"Let her have her friends for the night first. Take it one step at a time," he said. She nodded in agreement and went back to her tea.
Outside, Irlynn was running as fast as she could up the street. She stopped in front of beige colored house and walked up the front steps. She caught her breath before knocking. The door was pulled open moments later by a girl about Irlynn's age with light blond hair.
"Hi Irlynn," Jamie said.
"Hi…Mum's letting me have some people over the night. Do you want to come?" Irlynn said.
"I better ask Dad first," Jamie said. She led her friend into the front hall and went in search of her father.
"Dad!" Jamie called.
"What?" a voice replied far above them.
"Can I spend the night at Irlynn's house?" she asked. There was a prolonged silence before her father gave a reply.
"Be home by ten tomorrow morning. Don't be late," he bellowed.
"What time do you want to come over?" Irlynn asked as she exchanged an excited smile with her friend.
"Is your Mum going to cook dinner for us?" Jamie asked.
"I don't know. Maybe," Irlynn answered.
"Four then?" Jamie said and Irlynn nodded. She assumed her Mum wouldn't mind making dinner for a few of her friends.
"Bye," Irlynn called as she headed across the street to invite Hannah. She knocked on the door and James, Hannah's older brother, answered.
"Hi," Irlynn greeted.
"Hannah's sick," he said.
"Oh…" she murmured.
"How sick?" the eleven-year-old pressed.
"She's been vomiting all night. Mum thinks she ate something bad," he explained.
"Tell her to feel better," Irlynn said and walked away. She managed to secure invites from four other friends. Satisfied that the rest would get the message from one of the five in attendance, Irlynn headed home.
"Mum, I'm home," she called.
"In the kitchen, dear," Victoria called back.
"Everyone is coming at four," Irlynn informed her mother.
"I suppose we can eat dinner on the lawn then," her mother said and Irlynn nodded. She liked having picnics.
Irlynn spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon getting her room set up for five guests. She pushed her bed further to the wall and moved her desk and chair as far back as they would go. She spread out a rug just so the girls would have something soft to sleep on. She opened her windows too, to get some air into the room. It tended to get hot at night. She was so busy readying her room that she didn't hear the doorbell the first time it rang.
"Irlynn you have a friend here," William called up the stairs when it rang a third time. Irlynn scrambled to her feet and took the stairs two at a time. She pulled the door open to see Jamie.
"Come in. We can put your things in my room," Irlynn said, leading her friend upstairs.
"Who else is coming?" Jamie asked.
"Kirsty, Anne, Elizabeth and Margaret," Irlynn answered.
"I saw you go over to Hannah's house," Jamie commented.
"She's sick," Irlynn answered. Jamie had time to nod in understanding before more footsteps sounded on thee stairs. Soon the rest of her friends had arrived and they were preparing for dinner. William pulled his daughter away for a minute while her friends helped Victoria spread some blankets on the grass.
"When you talk to you friends, you should tell them you've been accepted to a gifted school alright," he said. He fixed her with a look that said she had better do as he said.
"Ok," she mumbled and they went to rejoin the group.
"This is really good, Mrs. McQuillen," Anne said as she bit into a fresh apple tart.
"Thank you dear," Victoria said. The girls headed back inside and up to Irlynn's room. They talked for a while about their summer activities and the boys in the neighborhood.
"Michael Carter, Ew," Irlynn scoffed as her friend's teased her.
"He fancies you," Margaret said.
"He does not," Irlynn argued back. The small argument sent all six girls into hysterical laughter.
When they had managed to all catch their breath, Irlynn looked at them and decided now was the time to tell them what she needed to tell them.
"Can we talk about something serious?" she asked. All attention was now on her.
"I…I found out a few weeks ago that I'm not going to school with everyone else," she began.
"Why not?" Elizabeth asked.
"Shush and let her finish," Jamie chided.
"Where are you going?" Anne asked, ignoring Jamie's comment.
"I got accepted to this school in London. It's a school for gifted children. Mum and Dad got the letter and they let me decide," Irlynn explained carefully.
"So why did you say you'd go?" Kirsty murmured, looking hurt.
"Because it's a new thing to do…and they really wanted me to go…the school did. It's not like I won't see you. I have Christmas holiday and summer holiday," Irlynn explained.
"So…you live there?" Jamie asked.
"Yes…it's like a boarding school," Irlynn answered.
"I'd never go to a boarding school," Kirsty muttered.
"It sounds like it will be fun. We should all be supportive," Anne said. Jamie nodded her head in agreement. Irlynn scooted over next to Kirsty and wrapped her friend in a hug.
"Don't be mad at me. I will visit I promise. And you can tell me all about classes, ok?" she said. Kirsty nodded her head.
"Ok…I'll miss sitting next to you in maths," Kirsty sighed.
"I'll miss you too. You have to promise to tell Hannah and everyone when I leave," she said.
"We promise," the other girls said in unison. Irlynn beamed. It had gone well. She knew she could count on her friends. She hoped she could still write to them somehow. Perhaps she could send them home and her parents could send them. They spent the rest of the evening making plans to sleep over at Anne's house before Irlynn left. They ended the night with a game of truth or dare. Irlynn was about to ask Anne a truth question when Victoria stuck her head in.
"It's getting late girls. Time for bed," she said.
"Please Mum, just a little longer?" Irlynn begged.
"Ten minutes and then it's lights out," her mother said. Irlynn nodded.
The girls finished their game and went to bed promptly. All the excitement from seeing each other again and getting to have a sleepover had tired them out. The following morning, the girls got up and attempted to make pancakes themselves. Luckily William was up early and was able to salvage most of their efforts.
"Bye!" Irlynn called as she waved goodbye to her friends. She shut the front door and flopped on the couch in the sitting room. Her parents soon joined her.
"How did it go last night?" Victoria asked.
"Good. Kirsty was upset but she cheered up. Do you think if I write to them, you can give the letters to them?" Irlynn asked.
"I think we can manage that," William said.
"So…when can we go and get my school things?" she pressed, hoping for an answer that was soon.
"We'll go mid month," her mother answered.
