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Chapter Twenty-Four
"Help me I am dying miss!" a ginger haired girl mocked as she walked past Esmerelda and Lily. Lily glared at her.
"Shut up Brianna" Lily said sticking up for her friend.
Some of the girls had being making fun of Esmerelda for thinking she was dying when she was actually just starting her period. Now Esmerelda looked back on it she knew why they were being so nasty, she had really overreacted but she just had not known what was going on.
"What will you do if I don't Lily?" Brianna asked getting close to Esmie's young friend.
Esmerelda pushed Brianna so she stood away from Lily before going inches from her face and talking.
"Brianna, I am the smartest girl in our year and I read a lot of books and I know curses that could make your blood run cold, that is what I will do" Esmerelda replied. She was fed up of sitting back and letting people laugh at her, she was not going to just take it and be a victim anymore.
"You wouldn't you are to chicken" Brianna said not believing her even if she looked worried.
"Oh yeah? Just try me" Esmerelda replied. Brianna looked at Esmerelda and flinched, she remembered the prank she had pulled on the bullies before they were expelled, she didn't want to be in the same situation.
"That's it walk away" Esmerelda said and Lily looked at her friend and smiled.
"That was...wow...I thought you were...to afraid to say anything" Lily admitted. She liked her friend but didn't mean she didn't have to be truthful with her. She knew Esmerelda hated conflict and had a timid side.
"Not anymore, I am not scared of them, I am a Hallow, it is in my blood to make things right" Esmerelda said. Lily smiled and walked with Esmerelda to their next lesson, impressed. She thought it was a good thing that she was learning to defend herself.
Students must of heard about Esmerelda's little word with Brianna because after that incident no-one said anything to her about what had happened in PE. Esmerelda knew her heritage and she had always tried to refrain from going to far like her family name told her to do and like her ancestors had before her, but the fact of the matter was Hallow blood ran through the girl's veins, she had Hallow inside of her and all Hallows no matter how nice they are have a side no-one will ever want to see, and Esmerelda's was starting to come out.
After what happened to Esmerelda in PE, the girls were given classes in their individual years about puberty, it was highly embarrassing to be sat with her whole year, many of who were girls she didn't like, and for a teacher like Miss Drill to be talking about periods and shaving. The most awkward part for the blonde though was yet to come.
After a morning of these lessons, Esmerelda and Lily had some lunch before they had to go to another lesson that afternoon. This time they learned about sex, where babies come from and the love between a man and woman. Esmerelda tried to hide her disgust as she looked around. She saw most of the girls in her year were wearing the same horrified, disgusted looks that most people wore when they found out about reproduction. Esmerelda smiled, this time she wasn't behind because most of the girls seemed to be learning about this for the first time like she was. She saw a couple of the girls laughing and giggling and she suspected they already knew about it but Esmerelda was glad to be in the majority for once. She was glad it was only the first years though or things would have been embarrassing with the older students.
Esmerelda did feel sorry for Miss Drill though. She had done a lot to help her, with the bullying, and when she started her period and yet the poor woman was left alone to talk to the girls about the most sensitive topics. It made sense. Miss Cackle would be to embarrassed to do it and probably wouldn't explain it right to try and save their fragile minds, HB would never talk about such a disgusting, taboo subject, Miss Bat would end up falling asleep and Miss Gullet would somehow make the experience much more terrifying than necessary, so she really was the only option and from what she heard from the older years it was always Miss Drill who do the lessons on puberty and sex. The woman didn't seem to mind but it must still be difficult for her.
"Poor Miss Drill, she always gets lumbered with this stuff" Esmerelda said to Lily as they worked on the worksheet in front of them.
"I know" Lily sighed "But hey anyone is better than HB, can you imagine?" Lily commented and Esmerelda nodded in agreement knowing she was right, Miss Drill was an adult and would have to sort it herself if she didn't like it. Esmerelda knew she couldn't sort it for her.
After the lessons Esmerelda came to a horrifying conclusion. She was starting to grow up. She was nearly twelve and that was the most awkward age there was, she wasn't a child or a grown up she was just in between. Esmerelda didn't want to lose her childhood and have to grow up already, she felt like she wasn't ready for that, she still liked to play with her sisters and wanted to just read and have fun with them, not worry about things adults had to worry about.
Of course the girl did not know at the time that everyone in some point of their lives starts to feel like this, that their childhood is disappearing before their very eyes. It was one of the hardest moments in everyone's lives.
Esmerelda though did not have much time to dwell on this because she had an essay to do and she sat down with a sigh after a long day.
Time seemed to fly after that, a month went by and then another and another and before Esmie knew it, it was her birthday which was in May. Cackles did not do much for students birthdays, as they would have to cater to hundreds of girls and have to have parties everyday and Esmerelda expected her day to be normal and did not mention anything at breakfast but Lily smiled and handed Esmerelda a small wrapped parcel, Esmerelda opened it and saw she had brought Esmerelda a travelling mirror. Esmerelda was lost for words, having never had a friend which remembered her birthday.
"It is a portable one, so you can mirror home whenever you want, obviously be careful not to get caught with it or HB will vanish it, I know you like talking to your sisters so I thought it was the perfect present" Lily explained, smiling at her friend.
Esmerelda didn't know what happened but when she opened her mouth to utter her thanks no sound came out, she had suddenly gone mute. Instead, Esmerelda stood up and went to hug Lily, which was odd for the girl as she didn't tend to hug people. Lily smiled and hugged back and Esmerelda finally remembered how to talk.
"Thank you Lily, it is one of the nicest gifts someone has ever given to me" Esmerelda told her feeling overwhemlemed and like she wanted to start crying.
"I had to get you something, I wanted something a little more special than a book, and I thought it was perfect for you" Lily explained and Esmerelda beamed.
"You are right it is perfect" Esmerelda said as she sat back and smiled, looking at her new present.
Esmerelda knew Lily was right though, she had to be careful so she told Lily she would meet her in chanting as she needed to go put her present in her room and ran to her bedroom, excited. She hid the mirror in her pillowcase, knowing no-one would think to look there.
She was on edge the rest of the day. She wanted to go up to her bedroom and mirror her sisters, today was not a mirror day so she wouldn't be mirroring them if she didn't have her new present. She couldn't wait to surprise them,
"Esmerelda, concentrate" Miss Bat said as Esmie had being daydreaming again.
"Sorry Miss" she said with a small smile embarrassed.
Finally school was over, she said goodbye to Lily and rushed to her bedroom and grabbed the mirror, she held up the card of who she wanted to call and saw her sisters appear.
"Ethie, Sybie" she said. Both girls gasped and rushed over to her. She put a finger to her lips as she knew they couldn't be to loud.
"How are you mirroring us, it is not a mirror day" Sybil commented and Sybil smiled and explained about what Lily had got her for her birthday.
"Oh that is amazing, we sent you a card did you get it?" Ethel asked her sister happily
Esmerelda turned to look ar the handmade card, lovingly displayed on her bedside table and nodded.
"Yes, it is amazing thank you" Esmerelda said as they chatted for a while longer. Both girls wished her happy birthday.
"Happy Birthday again Esmie" Ethel said and Esmie smiled, touched.
"Thank you" she said before she stopped to look at her watch" I have to go, lights out is soon, I will call you again tomorrow, don't call me unless it is an emergency or someone might hear you" Esmerelda told them and they nodded at her and smiled. She didn't want her mirror to be found.
"We won't, bye Esmie" Sybil said with a smile
"Bye" Esmie said, hanging up, smiling. Today was honestly such a great day and she knew she would have to get something just as awesome for Lily.