* I have decided to go back and try to fix most of the mistakes I made with past and present tense stuff. Because really the story is the narrator telling the tale of something that happened in her life. I was writing like she was talking about what was happening right now. So I had to go back and fix it. Thanks to some of my wonderful reviewers. There are probably still mistakes with spelling and stuff. But I hope this makes the chapter better for my new readers. Luv ya all*
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Chapter One
For three weeks now I have been attending St. Brutus's Finishing School for Young Women and my mind has already begun to relapse. I would lock myself in my study scribbling furiously in my diary of ways to escape the insufferable cruelty that was this school. My mother had always told me that I was a frighteningly stubborn child who wouldn't know decency had it smacked me upon the head. But I say she is a dull twit who could be satisfied just by merely having an existence as the stepping stone for my fathers business. For she is the epitome of what a women should be.
I have always felt a twinge of sympathy for my mother really, having been raised as she had. For her parents where not nearly as lenient on her as she has been with me. In a way I could not blame her for what she has no control over. It was not her fault that in the eyes of men, women are to do no more than to just sit and look pretty.
Well they had to excuse me if they thought that I would allow myself to be tied down like some wild bore. My life was not a game for them to play. I wanted something more than to just sit at home and take care of the children. I mean don't get me wrong, I would love to one day have a family, but I do not wish to be consumed by it. Of course that was the whole purpose of a finishing school and I know it.
Every day my shirt must to be cleaned, ironed and pressed. My hair must to be brushed at least twenty times and placed significantly up into a ponytail. I will then make my way down to breakfast where multiple girls just like myself where sitting awaiting there meals. While we begin eating carefully, a short lanky women with gray hair will walk in between the tables and correct our posture. Her name is Mrs. Jenkins and she is the etiquette coordinator at the school.
"Ms. Hathway, have I not told you to first place the napkin onto your lap. Once the napkin is off the table it does not go back onto the table until you are completely finished with your meal." A young girl with wheat blonde hair nervously picked the napkin back up off the table and place it with shacking hands onto her lap. She must have been no older than myself or perhaps a year younger. But the older women did not move from her position as she lingered over the girls shoulder intently, as if waiting for a reply. "Well are you finished?" the women asked prudently after a moment of uneasy silence.
"No," the young girl spoke meekly. I could see that she was nervous, as she begun wringing the napkin in her hands.
"I think you are," Mrs. Jenkins snapped her fingers and a waitress named Krista came by. She looked down rather sympathetically at the child before hesitantly picked up her plate and carrying it away to the kitchen. The young girl whom I had found out to be named Julia, was forced to remain seated and watch as the others ate there meals. In the correct fashion, of course, that we had been taught.
I wanted to stand up and scream out the injustice in what had just occurred. But there was no use. For they did not tolerate misbehavior at St. Brutus's nor was a lady aloud to raise her voice in the halls. I wanted nothing more than to have given Julia my food if I had been permitted, for I had rather lost my appetite. But that surely would not be morally fit in the eyes of Ms. Jenkins. I placed my napkin onto my plate and the waitress came to remove it.
After breakfast we had an hour of leisure time to ourselves were we where aloud to wonder about, but never leave the boundaries of the school. I looked around and located Julia who was sitting alone on a bench beside the dance hall. She was reading a book quietly.
Most of the girls in this school came from proper families, as I myself had done. Yet not all of them were so lucky as I, to have been given a heart that wasn't made entirely out of stone. Every once in awhile you would be careful to stumble upon a decent person but most girls loved being rich and all the power that came along with it. So when one girl was reprimanded for there actions, that somehow exiled her from the rest of the students.
I found this to be rather ruthless and unfair so I made my way over to where Julia was sitting. Many of the ladies in the park stopped to stare at me as I passed. Shaking there heads in disapproval. I ignored there incoherent messages and pretended as if they did not exist. Once I reached the bench Julia looked up startled.
"Hello, my name is Hanna Grimmuald," I said and gave her my best smile. She took me in with regard and gently smiled in return. I could tell by the dark circles under her eyes and the blotchy redness of her cheeks, that she had be crying.
"My name is Julia Hathway." She responded quickly as if ashamed. I knew her name of course, her father was a judge also, yet not nearly as well respectable as my own.
A group of older girls walked by and stuck up there nose's as they whispered improper comments in our direction. I could tell that Julia was about to fall apart again so I took her hand in mine. "Let's take a walk."
She stood with me and we began strolling in the opposite direction of the ladies. Soon we reached the black iron gates that signified the end of the school property. We stood at the entrance and looked through the bars out into the streets of the city. All day I had been unable to shake the uneasy feeling that had been uprising in my stomach. For the school was so very large yet somehow I still felt as if I remained trapped in a prison. I would give anything to be back home in my house. Sitting at the window in my room watching the birds who had built there nest on the ledge outside.
On the busy street it seemed like an entirely different world. Normal ordinary people bustled around heading for work or to finish a bit of shopping. They were free to do as they wished. They had the opportunity to leave and go wherever they desired. It filled my heart with envy to see how most of the people had only a penny in there pocket and yet somehow looked at life as if it were glorious. But here I was, practically at the top of the ladder and yet all I wanted was to be just like everyone else. To walk on the ground with the rest of the world beside me.
"This may sound foolish. But have you ever wished you were somewhere else?" I asked still starring out the bars. People walked by as if we did not exist.
"It is not a foolish question at all, Hanna. Yes, I myself have dreamed of being elsewhere." She sighed. "Everyday we do the same thing over and over, it becomes a rather dull task after awhile." I turned to Julia and smiled. She smiled in return and I knew just then, that I had made a friend in a cruel world where friends were hard to come by.
"It is as if our lives our out of our hands. Everyday the decisions that comes upon us are made by someone else. I feel like I'm a puppet on a string, performing for others amusement." Julia just nodded in response.
"Just once I wish I could make a decision of my own. Be spontaneous and have fun." Julia looked longingly out onto the sidewalk where three girls were jumping rope. I looked farther out and across the street to where there stood a little restaurant called Tibby's. My stomach began to make a rumbling sound and I realized just how hungry I was.
"Then why don't we?" I asked and Julia looked up confused. "Lets sneak out and go across to that little restaurant over there. I heard of a break in the fence out back, were the older girls sneak out some nights."
"Are you insane?" Julia asked shocked that I would even suggest such a thing.
"Oh don't be so modest. Are you not hungry?" She thought for a few moments and then nodded her head. "Come on then, it will only be for one day. We will be back before anyone even realizes we have gone." I took her hand and pulled her along the fence. Once we reached the back I easily slid through a tiny gap between the fence and the wall, Julia followed.
I held my skirt up high as we crossed the street. Julia was looking behind her as we went, making sure that no one saw us. Most of the girls at the school were on the opposite side of the lawn, so I figured we would be ok. Not paying attention to where I was walking I almost ran into a little boy as he came out of the front door of the restaurant. He tipped his hat to me and I smiled down at him. Julia who was a nervous wreck, quickly opened the door and I followed her inside. To my surprise we were greeted by the curious eyes of about thirty young men. All of whom stood up as we entered and tipped there hats in the same fashion as the young boy had done.
I just smiled sweetly and ushered Julia over to a bar where we sat down on two empty stools, ignoring the rather improper comments from the boys behind us. The owner, an older man of about sixty, came over and took our orders. Once he had gone I turned to Julia and we began to talk quietly about school. It took about ten min's before our food arrived and I began to eat furiously. Not caring about manors or etiquette. Yet it took me no longer that two minutes into my meal to notice the young man sitting beside me, who had been starring at me none stop the entire time.
I turned to him and smirked innocently. "Well, are you going to tell me your name Sir. or just sit there and stare at me." He looked rather shocked that I was addressing him. Most likely because girl's in my position didn't normally even acknowledge lowly street boys such as himself.
He put his hands up to his chest and looked around, half expecting some person of higher class to be standing behind him. "Well…are you?" I asked. By then we had gained the attention of most of the boys in the room. They too were surprised that I was speaking to there friend.
Another boy with dark blonde hair walked over and patted the kid on the shoulders, then turned to me. "This here ma'am is Racetrack. He'd tell you so himself, although I think you scared the voice outta um'." I suppressed a laugh as the dark haired boy in front of me turned a shade of red.
I remember thinking about how strange a name Racetrack was, but I would soon find out that they were just nicknames. For Tibby's Restaurant was the local hangout for Newsies, or the news boys. Of course they didn't always eat meals there, considering that most of them were homeless kids who made a living off of selling papers. They just hung around having meetings and discussing the daily events.
"Well its nice to meet you." I said sweetly. Julia who looked somewhat nervous beside me, began fidgeting with the menu. I knew that she didn't like to be the center of attention.
I turned and became deep in conversation with the boy named Racetrack. He was a sweet kid and once he got more comfortable, was actually rather entertaining. Soon we were joined by three others, Mush, Crutchy and a kid they called Cowboy. His real name was Jack and I could tell by the way they followed his commands, that he was the leader of there group.
Julia had begun to enjoy herself and even though she would never admit it became rather taken with Mush. But soon a loud bell ringing brought us back to the present. I looked up startled at the time and grabbed Julia's arm.
"Well we have to get back to school, it was nice talking to you gentlemen." I said and we walked to the door. I could hear someone in the background saying, "did you hear that boys, she called us gentlemen."
I turned back around to face the group of kids, who were no older than myself. "Maybe we will stop by tomorrow. See ya around Race." I smiled sweetly at my new friend and laughed as he blushed again. Even as I listened to Julia's weak protests as we made our way back to the school I knew that I would return the next day, if I had the chance.