Chapter 6

Rollan passed along with Arthur Hemming by the cathedral of Notre dame stopping by the crossroad as a few pedestrians were waiting at the crosswalk to be able to cross it.

„This cathedral over there is the Notre Dame. I assume you know about its existence, right?" Questioned the light-blonde man making the Spaniard nod.

„Yeah," Replied Rollan, then looked to the front of the road as their SUV drove further at a bridge and Arthur lifted his hand to point at a large building, where a few teens were walking out carrying barrel bags on their shoulder.

„This is the school you will be joining soon," Commented Arthur. „It's the Françoise Dupont. It's the secondary and according to the social worker, you're repeating the last school year, so at least you're able to get a diploma and have a better chance in finding a better job,"

„The other options seemed a little unfair," Rollan commented earning a nod from the adult.

„You know, there have been quite a lot of immigrants lately and the one good side about that is, that most of them are willing to do those jobs, which people living here in France can't or don't want to do it. Younglings like you or Gerda, that receive the chance to go through school can figure out other ways to follow and obtain a job,"

„Are there many jobs I can take after I finish school?" Questioned Rollan, then watched Arthur take a turn into a small parking place, where a few cars were parked and put the SUV in the last corner.

„We're home and this is just a suggestion. You better take time for all this. You've got a whole year to find something that suits you. It doesn't even have to be right now. You can as well pick another course, that also fits you and during that time you may find interest in another job, that you really want,"

„You're probably right, Mr. Hemming," Commented Rollan making the adult nod, then both took off their seat belts to leave the car and Rollan passed in front of the car and grabbed his pants, then pulled them up with a growl. „You've got per coincidence a belt I could use for my pants?"

„Yes, but I have a better idea," Arthur commented. „I will borrow you a few of my old articles of clothing I used to wear at the school if they fit you," Suggested Arthur. „The only issue may be your arms. You look on your arms quite more built than I ever was,"

„I practiced a lot of sword fighting when I was 12," Commented Rollan. „I was striving to become a hero like my idols,"

„Hmm becoming a hero here isn't what it was in your time so far I know. At least we've got no use here for sword fights unless you're interested in joining a fencing academy to have it as a hobby,"

„Oh okay," Responded Rollan then followed the blonde into the entrance of a 5-leveled residence, then went upstairs to the fourth floor and entered into the apartment, where both encountered a middle-sized corridor with five doors leading to different rooms making Rollan look surprised at the looks of it. „That's a lot of rooms,"

„If you want you can look through them," Said Arthur. „I will look for the clothing,"

Rollan nodded and looked into the first room, which had a desk with a computer on it, and beside it was a couch and across it hung a minor-sized flat screen on the wall making Rollan curious and walk into the room to look at it.

„What an odd mirror," Commented Rollan from seeing his reflection on the screen, then Arthur returned from the other side of the floor to spot Rollan check his face on the TV screen, making the adult chuckle.

„That's not a mirror," Commented Arthur walking into the room with a few items of clothing on his hands, then picked up from a small table, that stood next to the couch the controller and turned the TV on to show an airlines advertisement. „This we call television. You can see there TV shows, movies, cartoons, news and much more, mostly for entertainment," Explained Mr. Hemming changing through a few channels slowly to look at Rollan, which paid attention to the people on it.

„Are these people there real or do they really have triangle-shaped breasts?" Questioned Rollan making Arthur snort.

„I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you. This is what we call a cartoon or animation. Movies and TV shows are usually portrayed by people like us, whose job is to be an actor or actress. As well movies exist in cartoon as well or the more modern variants we've got is called CGI – Computer generated Image,"

„Okay," Responded Rollan then watched Arthur place down on the couch a few different shirts and two different pants.

„With the time you'll get used to it all. As well at the school the teachers and a few students will as well help you. Mostly our schools have gotten modernized a year ago or two, mostly secondary schools and professional schools,"

„I believe so," Agreed Rollan, then looked down at the clothing and picked up a red shirt, which had the symbol of the dragon on it and a text under it. „Protective, Heroic and prosper like a dragon…...sounds cool," Rollan commented, then he removed his vest, followed by his pullover, and put on the shirt Arthur gave him.

„And?" Questioned Arthur watching Rollan take a look at himself.

„It's not that bad," Commented Rollan. „Maybe it's just a little tight on my arms, but it's fine,"
„At least it's something. Now there are the pants, but from looking at you I believe they wouldn't pass by your thigh,"

„I think they will or one of them at least" Mentioned Rollan picking up ones, that were black and removed his boots and pants, so he could try to put the new ones on. Rollan tried to pull them over his thigh, then tried to tie up the button in front of his waist, noticing it wasn't working out because it wasn't his size.

„I think they don't fit you," Commented Arthur, then heard Rollan rip the pants by accident, causing him to turn red in embarrassment.

„Ops…."
„It's alright, I think it's better to keep on your previous pants and I will just look, if I find anything, you can use it as a belt," Mentioned Arthur leaving Rollan back, which sat down on the couch to take out the pants.

Rollan heard a short ringing, then looked at his pants he had lied on the bed, then furrowed his eyebrows and put his hands inside his pockets to take out his envelope along with the smartphone then noticed the display had lightened up and showed Rollan, he had a message from Gerda. „You've got a new message. Image, Gerda, What do you think of the pieces I chose? It looks nice, right?" Rollan read, then touched on the icon, which moved aside showing him the options to open or delete it. Rollan picked to open it, then on his smartphone appeared a picture Gerda make of herself in front of the mirror glancing oddly at the smartphone and her new outfit consisted of a pair of black ballerinas, a white skirt, that reached to her knees and in the same color of the footwear, she had a top, which showed her bare shoulders and covered her neck and the rest of her body.

„Ella es bonita," Commented Rollan from the image then noticed on the bar the note to add a text and Rollan pressed on it and the keyboard showed up with all the letters, then Rollan pondered about the usage of it and tapped with one finger only seeing he was able to write words. „Ah funciona" Rollan wrote down a message and looked at what he wrote. „Hola Gerda. You look beautiful with it" Rollan pressed the send button to see the message appear listed under Gerda's image on the other side, then Rollan smiled believing he managed to send the message.

„Genial" Commented Rollan glad about it.

Gerda had left the second-hand shop and was being brought to the home she was going to live on for the next two years.

„Along with this I also bought myself a pajama with a cute, little sheep on it," Mentioned Gerda, which held a paper bag on her lap.

„Next week you can pass by here again and look for a few more clothing. Or if you save up money for two weeks or more, you can go to another clothing store and buy newer clothing," Suggested the social worker. „At least enough pieces so you can make it through the week, when you need to change,"

„I will do that," Commented Gerda, then during the ride the man noticed a few people walking together in a group with their smartphones in their hands and he glanced at Gerda again.

„Has your friend commented anything about your new outfit?" Questioned the man, then Gerda took out her smartphone, which she had inside the paper bag, and touched on the home button to see a message from him.

„Hola Gerda. You look beautiful with it" Gerda read, then smiled. „He liked it too,"

„Now you need to know what the others think of you, but I have no doubt. They will find you just as enchanting as your friend there did,"

„Even if they don't, it would only matter my own opinion about myself, right?"

„Sure. You know some kids around your age lack confidence and their way to push it under the rug would be attacking people with lower confidence and make fun of them about anything,"

„You mean like bullying?"

„Yes,"

„Ah I know that I learned at a very young age how to deal with bullies,"

„Okay as long as it doesn't have anything to do with punching or slapping, it's fine,"

„Violence wasn't tolerated in our orphanage,"

„Neither here, but that's good to know," Responded the social worker, then he smiled and waved, then Gerda looked over the windshield of the car to see a middle-aged woman stand there along with a redheaded teenage girl, which stood next to the woman.

„There they are," Said the social worked stopping the car in front of them and the woman opened up the car door, waiting for Gerda to get out.

„You're not coming in?" Questioned Gerda making the man shake his head.

„I actually have an appointment in an half an hour, which would be nice if I wouldn't miss," Mentioned the man making Gerda nod and open her seatbelt. „But I'm passing by next week and next month to see how you're doing. In case you need help or anything you've got my phone number,"

„Alright, thanks for everything," Gerda thanked holding her hand out at the man, which smiled and accepted the girl's handshake.

„Good luck, little girl," Wished the man watching the girl get out of the car, then she looked at the woman, which held out her hand.

„Welcome to Madame Livre's home for children and teenagers. I'm Bianca Livre, step-daughter of Madeleine Livre, head leader of this home,

„I'm Gerda," Introduced Gerda, then the woman looked at the teenager, that stood beside her.

„And this girl here is Fabienne. She's the oldest from our home and you're going to be her roommate and she will as well show you everything in you need to know when you're staying here with us,"

„Hey," Greeted the girl. „I'm Fabienne, shall I show you our rooms?" Asked the redhead making Gerda nod. „Then follow me," Asked the girl entering into the building in a small hall, which had stairs, that led to the first floor," Our rooms are up there, we're about 20 teens and students here….well, mostly kids and preteens. We're like 6 teens only,"

„And now 7 with me?"

„Uh no I already counted you, don't worry," Commented Fabienne walking along with Gerda to the top of the stairs and showed her another corridor, which led to the dorms. „You will be sharing with me a bedroom and we're in room 10, the last one on the right side. Want to take look at it?"

„Sure," Replied Gerda and followed the redhead to the end of the corridor. „How old are you, if I may ask?"

„I'm 17," Responded Fabienne. „At the end of next year, I will be leaving this place, because I'm becoming an adult. After that, you'll be the next responsible one….okay actually it's Carmen, but we always need two of the oldest ones to instruct the newbies when they get here. But as long as I'm here or Carmen, you won't have any problem," Assured Fabienne, then opened the door to their bedroom to see two beds with a night table beside it with a lava lamp, and in front of their bed stood a drawer, where the girls could store their clothing. „All our rooms are simple. And right at the wall here is our desk, where we can sit to learn do homework or write anything. Right there in front of my bed is a window with a look to our avenue," Fabienne showed to the blonde girl, then she noticed the emergency exit under them and Gerda pointed at it. „This was added to our home a few months again. Above us is a canteen and a few offices, in case there is a fire we can get out this way,"

„Oh alright," Responded Gerda and walked at her new bed placing her bag on it, then took out the clothing pajama she bought and placed it on top of her pillow. „How did you land here?….You know, what happened to your parents, if I may ask?"

„Plane crash," Responded Fabienne. „It's a long time ago it happened and I don't really like to talk about,"

„Okay, I'm sorry if I bothered you,"

„No, no, it's alright. You know, most of us are here solely because…..we lost our parents,"

„Yeah, since I lost my parents I had my younger brother Kai, but…..I have no idea, what happened. I went out with a friend to find a relict, that would make our parents return and somehow we ended up being frozen and landed in this year,"

„Uh…..oh right your social worker told us you and your friend there had been frozen for 100 years, sorry I totally forgot about it,"

„It's alright. I can't believe it either," Gerda commented sitting down on the bed looking at the smartphone, which lightened up the display again warning the girl, that she didn't open Rollan's message. „The one good thing about this, that Rollan somehow landed here with me as well. At least we're together in this,"

„And what happened to that Rollan?" Asked Fabienne sitting down on the wooden end of the bed. „Did he land in another home?"

„No, I think he landed in a family. Something with Au-pair and he receives shelter if he does the family's household and all that,"

„Oh I have a classmate, that does that too," Mentioned Fabienne. „Her name is Mireille,"

„Okay, maybe I'll see her one day,"

„Have you already an idea, what school and class, you're going to?"

„I know it's the one next to the river, by the cathedral of Notre Dame and only that,"

„Okay, so if I'm right you're either going to end up in the class of Miss Bustier or Mrs. Mendeleiev. No matter which class you end up in, both are quite nice, mostly the one of Miss Bustier,"

„Okay, have you been there?"

„No, but in a students ranking they were ranked as the school's favorite," Explained Fabienne. „Oh I need to show you the canteen and the rest of our home, come with me. You need to at least know, where is which room,"

„Sure, I'm coming with you," Commented Gerda following the older teenage girl out of the bedroom to get to know the home better.

Adrien walked downstairs coming from his room and placed on the ground his barrel bag to make sure he had everything he needed, then watched Plagg appear over his head watching him look into the bag.

„Is your dad still out?" Questioned the kwami making the blonde nod.

„Like usual, Plagg," Answered the blonde. „He's either at the work or present during my photo shoot for avion airlines,"

„You know since he's gone….you could take a look at that box Nathalie was looking into along with your dad?" Mentioned Plagg. „Why would your father hide this from you?" The cat kwami asked making Adrien ponder about his words, then Adrien frowned and made his way to the office, then opened the door carefully glimpsing into the room to see no one was around. Adrien sneaked into the office getting close to the desk of Nathalie, afterward, he looked down under the desk to look for the box but saw it wasn't around. Adrien opened all the three drawers beside it and closed them again along with the last one, where he missed a wreath, which was stored inside it and Adrien glimpsed bewildered then opened the last drawer again to spot there various knick-knacks along with the wreath and a belt with a golden square with the R letter on it.

„I remember seeing something like this belt here with Nathalie and this wreath here is…...something unusual to see around, don't you think?" Asked Adrien showing them to Plagg.

„Wreaths are really old-fashioned. Some girls used to wear it around the 19th century or something. I've seen a lot of fashion throughout my entire life,"

„Okay and what about this belt here? Does the R mean something?" Questioned Adrien watching Plagg take a closer look at it.

„No clue, but I have the feeling this must be something really important and by important I mean it could be important to show it to Master Fu…...well if he still was the same,"

„What about Ladybug?" Questioned Adrien. „She's the new guardian now,"

„I'm not sure if she knows everything about the miraculouses or recognizes them from anywhere. Master Fu could,"
„You know what? I'm taking them with me. Then during one of my toilet breaks we leave and go meet Marianne Lenoir to see if she can say anything about it," The blonde boy commented putting the two objects into the bag, then looked around to make sure he was alone and closed his bag.

„Come on Plagg, let's get out of here before we get caught," Warned Adrien running out of the office, leaving the drawer of the desk open.