Chapter Seventeen: First Day at St. George's
"Have you got everything? Have you got your lunch? Books?" A frazzled Molly asks.
"Molly, calm down. I have everything." I hold her arms in reassurance. "I will be fine." I say.
"You better behave." Sherlock uttered. Both Molly and Sherlock had come to the school with me, to see me off on my first day of school. Molly had ironed my uniform, making sure that there as no creases and folds in the shirt and skirt. My blazer had been pressed at the dry cleaners, the buttons all shiny. I carried with me a designated school bag, which held all my books, lunch, water and personal needs. Sherlock and Molly agreed to buy me a phone, so that I could contact them when I need to. They also had keys made for each flat.
"Okay, I will see you here at 3:00pm." Sherlock adds. "Have a good day and please don't insult anyone." He said. Such a surprise coming from him.
"I will try my best." I say. I notice that people are giving me funny looks, staring at me up and down.
"Just ignore them Clara." Sherlock says, "They won't cause any trouble." He adds, placing an arm around me. "See you at this spot at three okay?" I nod in reassurance. He gives me a gentle kiss on the forehead, handing me over to Molly.
"You can call or text me whenever you need to okay?" Molly says, straighten out my blazer for me.
"I will." I pull her into my embrace. "See you tonight Molly." I part ways with Molly and Sherlock, turning to catch a glimpse of them smiling at each other, walking arm in arm down the street. I smile to myself, I knew it. I wander down the halls and try and find my homeroom. I follow the map the school had given me at the interview. After what felt like hours, I found it. I walk into the crowed room. Children were sitting on chair and desks. Paper was being thrown from one side of the classroom to the other. I sit down at nearest vacant desk. No long after, a teacher waltzes in, placing his briefcase on the desk.
"Alright class settle down!" He bellows. Everyone hurries to their seats, sitting down and looking straight back at him. "Thank you, now we have a new student joining us today." He says. My whole body tenses and I feel a sicken feeling brewing in my gut. "Would you like to stand up" He glances down at his page. "Clara Holmes." Everyone begins looking around, trying to find me. I force my legs to straighten out and I stand up. I shuffle up and stand next to the teacher.
"Oi I recognise you! You're that girl from the papers!" One kid yells from the back of the classroom.
"Yeah! She was the chick spotted with that detective!" Another joins in.
"Even has the same last name as him!" A girl at the front bellows.
"Alright that's enough!" The teacher says. "Yes, she is from the papers, I recognised her once she stood up as well. There is no need for you to carry on like that." He adds. "Now Clara, tell us a bit about yourself." He said. I look up to see about 25 sets of eyes staring straight at me. I see a familiar face sitting in the middle of the classroom, but I don't connect the dots.
"Well, I don't think there is much to tell." I say. "You lot seem to know a little about me."
"Is that detective bloke your dad? I saw him with another lady and you were with them this morning?" A boy asked from the back, the same kid from before.
"Michael that's enough." The teacher says. "Well if you really don't want to say anything, just go and take a seat Clara. Please make Clara feel welcome everyone." He says. "Alright, say if you're here. Michael Abbott?"
"Here."
"Emma Buckley?"
"Here." The roll went on for what seemed like forever. Until one name caught my attention
"James Wilson?" I turn to see the familiar face, it was the boy from the fish and chips shop, the one Sherlock gave a look to.
"Here." He said, he looked towards me and smiled.
"Hi." He mouthed to me.
"Hey." I replied. "What do you have next?" I asked, still mouthing the words to him.
"English, you?" I shuffle through the pages I had gotten, finding my timetable. I smiled to myself
"English." I say. "Same class?" I ask again.
"Possibly." He says, flashing me a smile. "Pass me your time table." He asks, holding out his hand for it. I gently place it in his hand and he studies it intently, comparing it to his time table. "We have the same classes." He says, smiling a little. He hands it back to me and I smile back. The shrilling of the bell startled me, James laughed. I quickly pack up all my gear and place it inside my school bag. "Clara! Wait up!" James yells from the classroom. I stop in my tracks and step to the side of the corridor.
"Hi James, long time no see." I say. He chuckles a little.
"Yeah, well I figured you would need someone to show you where everything is, and since we have the same classes and all. Do you have your PE uniform?" He asks.
"Yeah, it's packed in my bag." I add, patting my bag.
"Okay, got a locker yet?" He queried. I think back to the interview, the principal said I would have to find my own locker.
"No, I don't." I say.
"There is a spare one next to mine, do you want it?"
"Sure, I would gladly take it, anything to get some of this shit out of my bag." I say, James burst into a laugh.
"Come along Clara, we have 10 minutes." I followed James to my new locker. He opened it, rotten food and wrappers filled the locker. He ran to the bathroom and grabbed some paper towel and cleaned it out for me. I then I remember I had some baby wipes in my bag. I quickly wiped the locker of it's germs and filth. I pulled out my uniform and hung it on the coat hanger on the hook on the side. I neatly placed my unneeded books on the shelf. I scramble through my bag to find the tote bag Molly got me, soon finding it and placing my English and Biology books in the bag. I add to the collection of books my pencil case, my school diary and my notebook for mine and Sherlock's cases.
"James?" I ask.
"Yeah?" He says, peeking from behind his locker door.
"You ready?" I pull my tote onto my shoulder, the weight of it making me wobble from side to side.
"Yep. Let's go, English is down this corridor." We walk together side by side. Many of the other students are giving me looks. I shrug them off, just wanting ot escape to class.
Finally came the last period of the day. PE. I am clawing at my uniform, changing into my PE uniform. Other girls from my class were giving me looks. I know remembered that there were still many bruises on my back and down my legs.
"How did you get those?" One blonde girl asks, Sophie. She was staring at me in English class. I quickly think of a story to tell her, I could never tell her what really happened to me.
"I fell down the stairs at my house." I quickly say. She gives me a nod and wonders back to her bag. I quickly tie my shoelaces and head out with the rest of the class.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, today we will be doing a fitness test all lesson." The teacher announced, his voice echoing throughout the gym. Groans and stamping of feet followed shortly after. "Alright first up is the beep test." He adds.
"Why do we have to do the beep test, we did it last term!" A student yells from the back of the group.
"Because I say so. Now all of you line up on the line, you are running to the cone and stopping until the next beep starts." We all hurried to the line, squashing and pushing each other to get the prime spot. James and I were at the end of the line, avoiding everyone as much as possible. "Alright. I am pressing play now. Listen to the voice please." A mellow voice made itself known with the group.
"Three…two…one." The first beep rang out.
It was just me and one other boy left in the test.
"Start level 10.9" The mellow voice spoke. I was getting tired, but not as tired as the boy. I had picked up his name, Thomas, since as everyone but James was cheering for him.
"Come on Tom! You aren't gonna let the new girl bet you!" All the voices said. James was cheering for me, ignoring the obnoxious looks he was getting from the rest of the class.
"Start level 11.1" The voice said. I looked to my side to see that Thomas had dropped out, throwing up his lunch on the side of the gym. The girl from the change room, Sophie, was standing with him. I kept going, not bothering with Thomas. I finally stopped, at level 11.5.
"Christ, that is a new record for the girls! You did fantastic young lady! Where on earth did you come from?!"
"I'm from Australia." I say in between breaths. James, being the sweetheart he is, had gotten my drink bottle for me. I thanked him and took a giant swig.
"Australia, they have some insane athletes. But I have seen you somewhere before… Don't tell me! Let me guess."
"She was with that detective bloke! Sherlock Holmes or something" Sophie yells out.
"Oh yeah, now I know." The bell began to ring. Thank the Lord. "Alright class dismissed. Good job Clara. We will continue the fitness test tomorrow!" The teacher yells. I jog into the change room and quickly change, not bothering to have a shower. I wait outside the boys change room for James.
"Where did you learn to run like that huh?" A voice bellows from above me. I look up to see Thomas, flames in his eyes.
"I don't know, I must just be fit." I say. He comes closer to me.
"Yeah, or you cheated." He spat. His breath filling my nose.
"How can you cheat on that?" I ask.
"I dunno but I will fi-" He began. James strolled out the change room.
"Everything okay here?" He said, placing an arm in between us.
"Yeah yeah, just congratulating Clara on an excellent beep test score." Thomas said. He picked up his bag and walked out the gym, James and I followed shortly after.
"Class dismissed." My home group teacher announced, who I had learnt his name was Mr. Hill.
"See you James! I yelled. I jumped out of my seat, eager to get home and work on a case with Sherlock. I stuffed what I didn't need in my locker and dashed out the front gate. Low and behold, Sherlock was standing there.
"Afternoon Clara." He said.
"Afternoon Sherlock." He took my gym bag of my hands and hailed a cab.
"It's going to rain soon so we may as well catch a cab home, any lucky with the anagram?" He asks. I slide into the cab and Sherlock follows after.
"No, I have a few words down, I will show you when I get home. Have the boys at Scotland Yard cracked it yet? I give the cabbie our address and he pulls into the busy street.
"No, they have no clue." Sherlock says.
"Yes! I still have a chance."
"Well I will show you what I have come up with when we get home, I have a feeling we will have a case tonight, so you better have all your homework done or no case."
"Yes Dad."