Hmm, i think this is going to turn into a habit, me posting, and then remembering to write an authors note. So i do not nor will i ever have enough luck or money to become the soul owner of the Twilight series, and or any part of the Twilight world (though i may one day become obsessed enough to move to Forks where i would then own some property in the Twilight world, i've visited before it's actually quite nice). One more thing there is a cameo in this chapter that makes me laugh every time i read it, but since i'm the only person who would get it there was really no point in me telling you. So on with the first section of...
FINDING
September 30, 1917
Bella POV
CHAPTER 3
St. Joan of Arks Secondary Academy located at the intersection of 9th and Cornwall St in a large brick and stone building was one of the most prestigious schools in all of Chicago. I though that it looked somewhat like a firehouse mashed together with a castle.
It was a weird combination of traditional red brick walls with spiraling turrets jutting out at the strangest places. It had been founded with money from a famous architect and sculptor who along with designing the building had donated the sculpture that stood in front of it.
The sculpture was of a young woman with one foot stepping forward a billowing peasants dress surrounding her, she held a sword pointed toward the sky in one hand, her other held the tattered remains of a flag or banner, her face was lifted up and she had this fierce look of determination in her eyes, it was supposed to symbolize the life story of St. Joan. Personally I thought the school only put it up because of the wads of cash the sculptor had given them.
But it was nice in a way, Chicago was proving itself to be not nearly as bad as I had expected, and the wackiness of my future school was in a way appealing, of course I could be wrong and have it turn out that all of the students are horrid, and dull.
Not that it mattered this day was already going to be excruciatingly embarrassing. I knew that the moment I stepped into the dinning room for breakfast this morning and found my mother and grandmother dressed to the nines in fashion, they looked utterly ridiculous just sitting there buttering toast, and this was what they were going to wear when they both went and enrolled me at St. Joans!
"But I don't see why you both must enroll me" I pleaded in a last ditch effort to get them to stay home "I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself even, in fact I think that's an excellent idea why don't I enroll myself and you two can…" go calling? No they were sure to talk about me "err go…" think, get them to stay silent long enough so I can successfully and invisibly slip through the new kid stage, and get them out of the house, where I was pretty sure they would only come up with wackier ideas…or outfits "go shopping!" yes genius brilliant inspired if I do say so myself.
"You know that is appealing mother I have wanted to go shopping, I have missed departments stores, after all those years out in Arizona." Dagger through the heart once again.
"Well it is an exhalent suggestion" thank you, I am saved "we'll go as soon as we enroll Bella"
Drat.
"But grandmother think about it what good would it be if you both were there I mean it's just filling out some paper work."
"It is much more then that my dear Bella, while you will formally be introduced to the adults of society next weekend I feel simply compelled to introduce you to your peers, which I can do right after we enroll you if I go, you know ask them to go a little easy on you point you in the right direction, show you where the ladies room is, that sort of thing."
Oh dear god no, that would be the worst possible thing ever. I mean here I am trying to avoid attention, if she comes I might as well where a sign on my head and dance down the halls in that outfit she's wearing, and I still wouldn't draw as much attention to myself as she would. I looked at my mother imploring her as best I could while staying silent to spare me from this fate. She caught on.
"You know mother, this is Bellas first big step since coming to Chicago, and it seems she is set against both our goings, but I really would like to be there for her so maybe it would be best if just I go."
"Nonsense Renee you don't know any of the children in that school how will you introduce her?"
"Oh I don't think Bella needs any introduction, she is perfectly capable of forging her own acquaintances." Oh dear sweet kind Renee what would I do without her.
"Hmm well I suppose we can wait to formally introduce her."
"Exhalent well then Bella I see that you are ready so I'll just go get my things and such."
"Err mother." I said once we were safely in the hall "I don't suppose you would consider changing would you?" I put on my best pleading puppy dog eyes look.
"Well what's wrong with what I have on now?" oh drat she sounded offended.
"Nothing…if we were going to a fashion show, but mother please I just want to get through this with as little attention as possible, and if you wear that well it will just, you know call me out."
"Now Bella that goes against the whole point of this move." It didn't, but I didn't bother to correct her on that "Sigh, but I suppose I don't want to upstage you on your first day, I'll go change"
As she was walking up the stares I swear I heard her say "and your far to stubborn for you own good, one of these days it'll get to her."
St. Joans
8:30 am
"Excuse me."
"Oh yes, may I help you"
"Good day, I'd like to fill out the final enrollment forms for my daughter."
"Oh yes, what is her name."
"Isabella Swan."
Her eyes lit up with interest, as she eyed me
"Oh I see, and you must be Renee Swan." Oh great we were expected. Chicago was a big city, but we were now part of a very closely-knit social circle, it was the equivalent of moving to some small town in the middle of nowhere. And apparently since the population of St. Joans student body was made up mostly of those society people, the happy abyss of new girl invisibility that I had been counting on had now turn into a hell hole of being looked at and talked about.
"Well we weren't expecting you until next week so if you'll just give me a moment to find those forms."
Ahh the party that we were attending next week, what did they think I wouldn't leave the house until I came into society first (well that had been my grandmothers plan but there was no way I was going to sit around doing nothing for a whole week).
"Here they are now if you could just sign here and here, both of you if you please. Thank you" she turned and bustled off to file away my records.
"Now Bella I hope you have a marvelous first day, but I think I must leave now mother will get rather testy if I don't get to the stores soon" she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek as she gracefully strode out of the room. As much as I had protested to having my enrollment fussed over, I felt truly hurt that she would just leave me, I felt like crying. I felt abandoned
"She wouldn't have done that if we were in Arizona"
for some reason I felt like my mother was being taken away from me I was suddenly more scared then spiteful toward this move. Somehow in someway I felt as if it was going to take away everything from me. I was just about to find some hole to climb into, or some rock to climb under when the secretary returned.
"Hello Isabella let me formally introduce myself, I am Mrs. Cope."
"Pleased to meet you." I was really a shy person, which would only make this day even harder.
"Now these are the required books for your classes, and this is a map of the school. Now your homeroom is right here on the second story, I'll walk you to it, now you will take your lessons in that room and several others but don't worry about getting lost, your entire class will be going to the same rooms, and this week is inspection week so all students will be walking in orderly lines as a class" just like kindergarten
"This week your class will be eating lunch in your home room, in assigned seats may I add." She gave me this stern look as if expecting I would mess up the system by sitting somewhere else "but usually students take their lunch out side when the weather in pleasant. Any questions"
"No" I took the books she offered me and followed her to my new classroom. She did not even have to enter the classroom, (which I was very happy about, she seemed nice but rather overbearing) since my teacher -Ms. Marya Mays, as i was told- was just walking in, Mrs. Cope introduced us, whished me a fine first day and scurried back to her office.
"Now Isabella I hope you don't mind but, it is inspection week, and we are very busy so if you could just take that seat over there, and I am sorry but could we forgo the introductions, thank you." She didn't even give me time to answer before hurrying me off to my seat.
There were only a few other people in the room a boy my age with slick black hair, who looked to be half asleep, and a tall girl sitting next to me who had been scribbling on a sheet of paper, but stopped to look up as I came in.
"Hello" she said as I sat down by her
"Hi"
"Your new." Umm duh.
"Yes I am." I said sweetly
"Oh." not much of a talker I could appreciate that.
"Are you a scholarship student?" Ok so maybe she was a talker.
"Umm, I'm sorry?"
"Are you a scholarship student?" she said it in a rather patronizing way.
"Why do you ask?"
"Oh well usually when we get a new student there's a big to do about them, unless it's a scholarship student, and then the administration tries to hush everybody up," she gave me an almost sympathetic look but I saw the calculated look of disgust she had when she said the word 'Scholarship'
"they seem to think it messes with our demographic." She concluded in an airy voice.
I really didn't like talking to this girl at all.
"Oh I see, well since you asked no I am not a scholarship student." She looked a little taken aback but covered it by looking at my clothes, apparently something about them seemed to convince her that I was telling the truth as she immediately gave me a friendly smile before returning to her paper. Maybe it had something to do with what grandmother had been mumbling about designer fashions at the dinner table last night.
As the classroom slowly started to fill up I scanned the various books that I had been given, most of the material that we were going to be covering I had already learned back in Arizona with my governess, and I thought this was supposed to be Chicagos most prestigious school.
As the day progressed I kept getting funny looks, it seemed that girl (whose name I now knew was Christine) first assumption about me being a scholarship student was the popular rumor, none of my teachers had bothered to introduce me, and nobody was expecting me till next week so they all jumped to the conclusion that I was a genius from some destitute family, just because I answered a few questions correctly, once again for Chicagos most prestigious school it was proving to be filled with idiots.
An even worse realization hit me during lunch -when we were all sitting together and they kept giving me furtive glances like they were trying to decide if I would give them rabies if they talked to me- that these were the people that I was expected to spend the rest of my life with (at least according to my mother).
"Hi there." Ahh the first brave soul steps up to try their luck.
"Hello."
It was a girl that had been passing by in back of me, she was dressed in an outfit that was so obviously a designer creation that even I could recognize it, I was instantly glad she wasn't carrying anything because if she was I was sure it would have accidentally spilled on me by now .
"It's so nice to see that we have a new student, it can get so dreadfully dull, but I should inform you that as soon as Miss Swan gets here next week you will be vacating that seat."
"Excuse me?" while it was amusing how they didn't even bother to find out my name, before telling me I would be vacating that seat for myself the humor was short lived,
"This table is only for those who can afford to come here on their own money, scholarship students sit over there." She said with a sneer, indicating a corner where several more shabbily dressed students sat, in a clustered group. They to were looking at me but more with looks of sympathy, I expect this was the reception they got.
I was seething, but I tried to keep my voice and expression light.
"Well I'm sure if my presence is that much of a bother to you, you could always turn your head, seems it would save us all some trouble. But I must ask what is so special about this Miss Swan." This was the true test let's see how much gossip I could get out of her.
"Humph you must really be an idiot to not have heard of her, but then you are new and a… scholarship student" there was that lovely sneer again, my it was becoming on her face. Oh god if this kept up I would be eternally cursed to think in sarcasm for the rest of my life. "She's only the daughter of one of the richest men in the west, and completely gorgeous to boot, every man in this city will be after her."
"Sounds like you're after her yourself." She glared down at me; to my surprise my goading was getting a few laughs.
"Only as a connection, I can assure you, a girl like that is bound to know many eligible men."
I resented that, I wasn't like that at all, but then again I was never like this at all, maybe it was Chicago it was doing something to me, I've never said anything like that to anyone in my entire life. But at the same time it was most informative, so that's what I was a connection, well it was good to know.
"Now excuse me while I go find some more civilized company" she said huffing off. Half the table left with her, this day was doing very little for my self-esteem.
"HAHA, that was great!"
It was a boy sitting a few seats down from me; he was laughing so hard it looked like he was crying.
"Er what was?" groan being the new girl made me feel very out of the loop.
"It's just no one has ever stood up to Tiffany like that."
"Oh was that her name." He started laughing again
"Yes, and she'd be furious to hear that you didn't know her, she's only "the future Miss Chicago" he mimicked in a high pitched voice, he moved a few seats closer to talk to me.
"Well sorry this is only my second day in Chicago, so sue me if I don't know whose who."
"Oh really your new, we don't get many new kids here, it would be cool to hear about some where else."
"Well it's not that thrilling actually uhh… sorry didn't catch your name."
"Call me George."
"Call me Bella."
"Well miss Bella seeing as you have successfully managed to become persona non grata on your first day how'd you like to keep company with me and my friends?"
I wasn't sure, he seemed nice enough and it would be nice to talk to some people but he was a boy, and i had only just met him I wasn't completely oblivious to how improper that may seem.
"Oh, don't worry about it, were actually quite nice, unlike miss Chicago over there," he added with a nod towards Tiffany. "And if you're worried about being the only girl, don't be you'd be the third girl." That was reassuring and all the encouragement I needed.
"Alright then, you have a deal."
"Exhalent!" he said beaming, "I'll introduce you to them as soon as they get back from the music room, there being forced to be a captive audince."
"Sounds wonderful." It did, I was getting tired of being a "scholarship" leper.
One friend down, the rest of the school to go.
