Enchantment ch 2
It took her a few minutes for her to get up her courage to even step aboard the thing called a bus. She took a deep breath and at Connors urging joined the line of humans getting on the bus. She eyed the huge vehicle with apprehension, such a small word for something so massive. She almost turned back and rejoined Connor, then she saw the woman with the small girl child in tow. The child climbed aboard the bus eagerly, and xandria felt ashamed of her fear. When it came her time she handed the ticket to the guy at the door and he waved her aboard. Then took the next persons ticket. She stepped aboard and quickly found a seat across from a woman holding a baby. She jumped a little when the engine started and was slightly white knuckled when the bus began to move. By the time it was leaving the edges of Boston she was relaxed and talking to the mother.
About four hours later the driver announced her stop and Xandria gratefully got off the transport. Connor had told her someone would meet her at the station. She walked inside the small station and looked around. She wasn't sure what the person looked like but soon she was being hailed. "Miss Danaan?" said an older balding man. "Yes" she answered, "Provost Higgins sent me to pick you up" he said she gave him a blank look "I'm A residential Advisor for one of the dorms, my name is Roberts, Mike Roberts" he said extending his hand. She looked at it funny and then took it remembering from the woman on the bus that it was a form of greeting. "Xandria, I'm Xandria Danaan" she answered. "Good glad I have the right person, is that all you brought?" he asked. She looked at her bag for a second. Then rembering the roadside advertisements she saw on the way. Made a plausible excuse for her lack of luggage. "Ah, the plane lost it on the way to Boston" she said. "Oh dear that's horrible, well in that case we might as well get going," he said.
He led her to a small car that said toy something or other on the back. She climbed in and put her seatbelt on like Connor had shown her. The ride to the school was relatively quiet except for Mr. Roberts chatter about the school. He obviously liked his job. "Don't worry about your uniform, the first days going to be placement testing and orientation anyways" he was saying "uniform?" she asked "never been to a boarding school before?" he asked "no" she said. They were pulling through some huge wrought iron gates and Xandria instinctly drew back from. Roberts didn't seem to notice. "Well this is it," he said and Xandria looked out the window. Her eyes went wide before her was an impressive set of buildings. They closely resembled a castle there were several more buildings to both side.
"Since its your first time here, I'll walk you to the office and we can get you all settled in" said Roberts. Then he got out of the car. Xandria followed more slowly. In slight awe of the buildings they were approaching there were kids lounging on the steps as they approached. They watched her pass with interest and a couple snickers. She frowned she wasn't exactly dressed to the height of fashion. Having to raid Connors closest for more acceptable clothes but the jeans fit well. Even if they had a hole in one knee and the tank top was close fitting.
She ignored the snickers and followed Roberts to some sort of office. Upon entering he spoke to some lady with wire rimmed glass on her face. Who said "this way dearie". After filling in her name on a few cards she was ushered off to something called orientation.
Which turned out to be a tour and introduction to all things Spencer. Which lasted for a good few hours. They had just finished showing them the pool area and were now moving on. Xandria lingered for a few seconds and walked back into the pool room. She heard a soft noise above her and saw a girl sitting in the rafters. She was tying something to one of the crossbeams. Xandria grabbed a hold of one of the lower beams and shimmied up the beam. Even though it made her arms ache. She reached the rafters just as the girl put one end of the rope around her neck. Xandrias' eyes widened in horror. She wasn't, she's so young the thoughts tumbled through her head. "Hi" said Xandria interrupting the girls' actions. "Who?" What?" said the girl "I said hi" said Xandria. Glad she had distracted the girl from her morbid plans. "Ah hi, how did you get up here?" said the girl.
"Same way you did, I'm Xandria by the way," she said "ah I'm Annie" she answered sounding confused. "Nice to meet you Annie" said Xandria. Seemingly nonplussed by the fact they were way up in the air on a thin beam of metal. Having a conversation with someone who was obviously about to commit suicide. "So Annie nice view up here" said Xandria "yeah it gets even better when the male swim team gets here" said Annie wistfully.
Xandria smiled "I'll bet, it does" she answered the girl seemed to be thinking about something depressing. "Well it's been nice talking to you," said Annie as though she had made a decision. "Well I was hoping to continue it," said Xandria moving closer to the girl. Annie glanced up at her "would you do something for me?" asked Annie "sure" said Xandria
Untie you I'd love to, Xandria was thinking. "Can you give this to Reid?" said Annie handing her a piece of paper "Reid who?" stalled Xandria. She was slowly working the knot loose as she talked to Annie. "Reid Garwin, he used to be my boyfriend," she said. "Of course" said Xandria. Then the girl jumped. Xandria panicked and released the rest of the knot. Then she lunged for the falling Annie.
For one horrifying second the knot held and Annie started to jerk upward. Then it gave and Annie was falling. Xandria overcompensated as she lunged and followed Annie over the edge and down towards the pool of water below. Xandria must have screamed because when she came up people were running into the room. She didn't see Annie and dove for the bottom of the pool. The water irritated her eyes so she had trouble seeing at first. Then her hand brushed something and she closed her hand on it kicking for the surface.
She broke through the surface and swam towards the edge dragging Annie behind her. The girl wasn't moving. She reached the edge and a male in very little clothing pulled Annie out of the water. Xandria climbed out on her own. And watched as the boy breathed into Annie's mouth and pumped on her chest several times. "Miss Danaan what were you doing in the pool" said the orientation teacher. Xandria pointed to the now floating rope and said" trying to prevent her from doing that". That seemed to quell the teachers wrath."Oh dear" said the woman when Annie began to cough up water. "Thank you Mr. Danvers good save" said the teacher. Xandria glared at the woman's back. "Your welcome miss Benton but I only pulled her out of the water and did CPR, she's the one you should thank" said the boy. Xandria smiled at him. Then some guys carrying some sort of gurney walked into the room and strapped Annie to it.
Then wheeled it out of the room. "Would you follow me miss Danaan?" said another teacher. The orientation teacher frowned at the teacher. "Just have her back before lunch is over, she has placement testing" said the woman and left Xandria with the other teacher. "Mr. Danvers, would you follow me as well" said the man and led the way out of the room. Xandria followed the man and the boy fell into step beside her. "I'm Caleb by the way, " he said softly "Xandria" she said in the same tone back. They entered the office and the man poked his head into an office door." Send them in," said a deep voice inside. The teacher indicated for them to go first then followed closing the door behind them.
"Well miss Danaan you've had an interesting first day, don't you think" Xandria wasn't sure how to answer that, so she just blinked at him in confusion. "Why don't you tell us what happened, my dear?" said the provost Xandria hoped she wasn't in trouble on her first day. "Well I heard a noise when we passed the pool area and I snooped" she said cautiously. "And what did you find?" said Higgins leaning back in his chair. "Annie was in the rafters tying something to them" said Xandria "which turned out to be a noose," said the teacher Mr. Higgins chewed the end of the cigar in his mouth. "And so you did what?" he asked. "I climbed up to talk her out of it" said Xandria. "You climbed into the rafters, why didn't you go get someone?" asked Higgins "there wasn't time" she answered. "I see" He said, "Go on". "We talked and while we talked I undid the knot she was tying," said Xandria. The provost frowned at her and said, "Continue miss Danaan"
"Then she jumped and I attempted to catch her and went with her," said Xandria. "I see," said Higgins "and that is where you come in Mr., Danvers?" said Higgins "yes sir I heard the scream and came running and saw her pulling Annie from the water" said Caleb "and?" said the teacher behind us "I performed CPR on, Annie" said Caleb. Higgins leaned forward in his chair "very good Mr. Danvers that will be all" said Higgins. Caleb rose and whispered good luck to her as he left. Xandria nervously looked back at Mr. Higgins
The man sighed, "miss Danaan, let me be frank with you, what you did today saved that young woman's life. That is the only reason I am overlooking your misconduct," he said "misconduct?" she said confusedly "yes miss Danaan, climbing into the rafters counts as misconduct" said the provost "oh" she said "but I'm going to overlook that provided it doesn't happen again" he said pointedly. "Your dismissed Miss Danaan" he said Xandria got up slowly. "Ah Mr. Higgins what's going to happen to Annie?" she asked at last. He sighed again "she will most likely be held overnight at the hospital on suicide watch and then released to her parents." He said. "Oh" she said "you may get a note from miss Abloom at the front desk" he said then before she could fully leave he said"oh and miss Danaan pick up a uniform we have a dress code, I don't want to have to see you tomorrow" he said "ok" she said softly and walked out before the man changed his mind. She got the note and headed for class. She just realized it was supposed to be lunch when the bell rang indicating she missed it. She groaned and went towards the testing room instead.
The testing consisted of written and computerized tests. The writing ones were easy and by the time she was done with those her hair was the only thing still wet. Well that and her shoes. She stared at the computer until the teacher came over and said something to her. After sheepishly explaining that she had never used a computer the woman showed her how. She spent the rest of the day taking tests. Then went to her dorm building for more check in before finally collapsing on her bed.
The room was empty except her. Though someone obviously occupied the other space. She found that out when she looked in a closet. She was about to go to sleep when she remembered the damn uniforms. She growled and sat up ran a hand through her hair and left the dorm. She was going to try to catch the city bus but the wait would take too long to get there. So she decided to walk.