Chapter Sixteen: Jumpstart in Life
It has been hours since we arrived at the Australian High Commission. Sherlock has asked if people have filed any missing persons report matching my description, they search high and low and through many databases. Nothing. It was like I didn't exist. It was depressing to think about, that nobody was worried about me or even looking for me. Sherlock then gave them my new name and his and Molly's contact details and we left.
"Where are you taking me now?" I asked. I looked at his wrist to find the time was 1:19pm. Right on queue, my stomach growled. I suppressed it, taking out my drink bottle and taking a big sip from it. "Sherlock?"
"I am going to St. George's Catholic School to pick up enrolment forms." Sherlock says.
"Have you spoken to Molly about this?" I ask.
"Yes, last night and a few night prior." Sherlock answers. "It is a good school." Sherlock adds. Moments later Sherlock hails a cab and we both get in.
"St. George's Catholic School." He says.
"Please." I add, giving a scowl. The cabbie pulls out into traffic and we headed towards the school. We arrive only 25 minutes later. Sherlock told me to stay in the cab, he darted in and grabbed the enrolment forms he had already asked to be ready upon arrival. He was in and out within 2 minutes. Once he got back in the cab, he ordered the cabbie to go to 221B Baker St. We arrive no less than 15 minutes later. I got out and ran into the flat, desperate to fins something to eat. I ran into Mrs. Hudson's kitchen and grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl. I ate it as quickly as I could and ran back up stairs.
"Make sure you are packed so that when Molly gets here you will be free to go." Sherlock says as I walking into the flat. I give him a thumbs up and continued down the hallway to my room. I enter my room to find that Mrs. Hudson had ironed and folded my clothes and placed neatly on the bed. I quickly packed my bag and walked out, placing it near the door with my satchel.
"You packed?" I hear Sherlock ask.
"Yeah, what are you gonna do now?" I ask.
"Fill out your enrolment forms." He says, opening a manila folder and pulling out multiple sheets of paper. "Here, have a look at this please." He says, holding out a yellow piece of paper. I took it from is fingers and skimmed over the page. It had multiple subjects all over the page. At the top of the page, it states that I was to order them from 1-7 in the order in which I wanted each subject most. The subjects listed were Design and Technology, Art, PE, History, Music, French, Chemistry, Biology and Physics.
"What ones do you prefer me to take?" I ask.
"At least one science, either Chemistry or Biology. Then you can pick the rest yourself." He says, not looking up from his desk. I look back at the sheet, now sitting down across from him. I picked up a pen and order them in which I wanted most. I put Chemistry first, seeing as though Sherlock had all that science equipment on the kitchen table. I then placed History at number two PE at number three and biology at number four. I numbered the rest of the subject in a random order. In total I had seven subjects including Mathematics, English and Religion. They were compulsory. I gazed down at the sheet of paper, happy with my choices.
"Do you want me to take it home and show Molly?" I ask, looking back at Sherlock.
"I will text her the subjects you chose." Sherlock said, placing a hand out, I handed him the sheet. He turned it the right way up, he smiled as he glanced over my choices.
"Good choices Clara." He said, setting it down next to him along with all the other school forms. Sherlock picked up his pen again and finished filling out the enrolment forms. He scribbled his signature along the dotted line and placed it back in the manila folder. "Now we just wait for Molly to come and collect you and get her to sign the forms."
"Okay. What are we gonna do for the time being?" I ask, wandering over towards the couch and collapsing into the leather.
"We are going to plan out your identity." He says. He jumps up from his seat and begins pacing. "Let's narrow down what we already have. Name?"
"Clara Eloise Holmes" I say, filling in the gaps.
"Age?"
"15. I think?"
"Parents?"
"Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper."
"Date of Birth?" I stop and think. "Um, how about the day I was found?" I suggest.
"Okay, that would be the 16th of September." Sherlock says. "Addresses?"
"121 Gloucester Avenue, London and 221B Baker Street London." I say. "I think I know the basics now."
"Do you really? You need a cover story Clara, so that people aren't suspicious, it is already suspicious because I am legally your father. So lets not dig ourselves deeper." He says. He continues pacing, the thudding of his feet on floor becoming a beat. "How about this, Molly wanted to adopt since she can't have children, she went to an orphanage and selected you, since it would be easier for her due to work hours and you are old enough to look after yourself. However she needed a second party to sign the papers, so she asked me and I accepted."
"Sounds good, let's just go with that for now." I say. I open my notebook to write down the little notes Sherlock and I had discussed. I flicked through the pages, coming across the anagram that Sherlock and I had discovered at the scene. I dog ear the page and come to a fresh page. I jot down the notes and revise them once more. This is so surreal, I am in London, a place I don't recall ever being in. I am from Australia, a distant island. I know all there is to know, but I don't know myself. I feel lost within myself. I shake off the feeling and flick back to the anagram. I scan the words. Seeing multiple different words flashing before my eyes. Words like soy, dyed, semi, mousy. I wrote all these down, but none of them seemed to pop out as important.
"Molly's here Clara." Sherlock says, interrupting my thoughts. I jump up and run down stairs. "Molly!" I say, jumping into her arms.
"Hello blossom, how are you feeling?" She asks, wrapping her arms around me and kissing my hair.
"Much better." I say. "Can't wait to go home. Sherlock struggled to make my bed." I say, giggling at the flashback to him breaking the shelves.
"Why was he making a bed, I would have expected him to make you sleep on the couch." She said.
"Bet's me." I say. "Sherlock is upstairs if you want to talk to him." I say.
"Oh yes, I need to talk to him actually." She says, beginning to climb the stairs. I follow her up towards the flat.
"Clara, sit down please." Sherlock asks. I give him a funny look, but do as I am told. I place myself where I sat before Molly arrived. Sherlock and Molly stood side by side on the other side of the coffee table.
"Clara sweetie, Sherlock and I just want to talk to you about this school thing." Moly began. "We just want to make sure that you're okay with it. And just ask a few things of you." She says.
"Clara, I ask that you don't speak of cases at school unless I ask you. I am in the media quite a bit, there have already been photos of us, we need to start being more careful." Sherlock says, looking down on me.
"I can do that." I say.
"I expect some strong grades as well Clara, I don't want you to slack off, if you need help, ask." He adds.
"Yes Sherlock."
"Now, Sherlock and I have spoken about the home arrangements. To get us more money, I have arranged for myself to work late every second week starting this week. During this week, you will be staying here with Sherlock. We will need to get you some clothes for you for when you are here." Molly says.
"Okay, what about school uniforms?" I ask.
"We will have a set here and I set at Molly's flat." Sherlock says.
"Okay fair enough." I say, yawning just after. "I'm knackered Molly can we go home?" I ask.
"Yes blossom, I just need to sign these forms. Pick up your bags and go on and say goodbye to Mrs. Hudson." She says, she walks over to Sherlock's desk were the forms are as I pick up my bags and coat. I hobble down stairs and say goodbye to Mrs. Hudson, saying that I will be moving in here with Sherlock.
"Oh how splendid! I'll make you your lunches how does that sound?" She says, smiling her brightest."
"That sounds wonderful Mrs. Hudson, thank you so much." I say, pulling her into a hug. I let her go back to making Sherlock and herself dinner. I stand at the door, wrapping my coat around myself. I hear Sherlock and Molly talking but can't quite make out what they are saying. Suddenly, Molly stops talking, like she was interrupted. I slowly walk to the base of the stairs but Molly is already on her way down stairs.
"Come along Clara, let's get you home." She says, a smile plastered upon her face. I follow her out the door and to the car. I place my bags in the backseat and then get in the passengers side. I look back up to the flat to see Sherlock standing in the window, violin in hand. Molly gets in and starts the old car. The roar of the engine mingled in with the sound of London. She pulled out of the curb and into the traffic, I lean my head against the window. The city looked so peaceful at night, the lights made it seem like I was at a circus or a show. It was beautiful.
We got home just before 6pm, I quickly grabbed my bags and dashed inside to escape the cold. I ran upstairs and placed them on my bed.
"Butter Chicken curry sound alright Clara?" She asks.
"Yeah, whatever's easiest." I say. I sit at the breakfast bar. "You are awfully happy this evening." I say. I could tell she was blushing. "Molly, what did Sherlock and you talk about?" I ask. I already knew. I am not that thick, but I just wanted to here her say it.
"Nothing that concerns you Miss Clara." She says, placing the already cut chicken into the fry pan.
"Oh I already know Molly, I just wanna here you say it." I say, smirking at myself. Man I was clever. I saw Molly's stance harden.
"Well what do you think happened?" She asks, facing me and leaning on the kitchen bench. I wait for the hesitation to set in.
"I think that you and Sherlock got a bit close." I say. "That's all I'm saying." Molly's face goes red. I knew it. She looks down at the floor.
"You are too clever for your own good you know that?" She says, returning to the chicken.
"Well I guess that's why I'm a Holmes."