Pinpoints of light broke through the darkness of the dream, and in an instant, Laura was awoken. She whined and just barely registered the loud clanging sounds that were most likely the culprits of her awakening. Her eyes blinked themselves open, squinting when the bright of morning daylight became all too much to take in. Once her eyes had adjusted to the light, the registered the open curtain of the large window of their bedroom. Their bedroom… Laura shifted away from the wall, and turned over on her side to see the lumpy body of Betty, still sleeping gladly under the heaps of soft-stitched sheets. Laura giggled at the figure before she finally noticed two other children in the room with her.
She first took note of the back of a very curly mess of bright red hair, currently fluttering about, opening all of the curtains and preparing the washroom. The little girl looked slightly older than Laura herself, and had a striking resemblance to the housemother, Mrs. Perry. The other was a stubby looking child of the same age as the curly redhead, whose own orange mane hung just above her shoulders, and was currently having an immense amount of fun banging two large pans together. It was an attempt at a wake up call.
Laura yawned, decided that it was about time that she met these two odd gingers, and sat up in her bed with her arms outstretched over her head. She began removing her rag curlers as she spoke. "Hello, my name is-"
"Laura Hollis, g'morning!" The shorter of the two spoke up, finally ceasing her pan clashing and grinned down at Laura. "Up and at 'em, new kid. You've got classes that start today." she reached her arm out and waited patiently for Laura to shake it.
Laura started at it curiously before returning the gesture. "How do you know my name?"
The straight-haired ginger laughed. "Lola's mummy lets us get everyone up in the morning. We know everyone here. Now, I'm your friend." She said, matter-of-factly, and gave a smile so genuine and kind that Laura felt a warm rush in her system.
Laura smiled in return, and looked past the girl in front of her to the graceful, lean-bodied girl that was currently in the process of ironing Laura's school uniform. "Is that Lola?"
The ginger in front of her nodded. "You got it. Lola Perry, otherwise known as my best friend in the whole entire world."
Although Laura felt a swell of happiness at the reveal of two very close friends, she couldn't help but be tinged with a hint of jealousy. These two had probably been friends since they were very small, and had stayed that way since. Nonetheless, she smiled over at the curly redhead, who's face, Laura noticed, was tinged a slight pink at the comment. As if it were just a fact of the world. Laura's lidded gaze turned back to the girl in front of her bed. "And your name?"
The girl laughed at the revelation. "Oh, yeah. My name is….Susan."
Laura couldn't understand for the life of her as to why it sounded somewhat pained when Susan gave her name. Laura decided that it might have been a question for a later time. Nonetheless, she returned the smile and managed to stumble out of bed, having finished removing her curling looked to Susan's short, straight hair. "Did you forget your curlers, Susan?"
Susan chucked again, raising a brow. "My hair wouldn't curl if my life depended on it. If it did, there would be more than enough assumptions that Lola and I were siblings."
Laura felt a bit sheepish for asking. "Are you two related in any way?"
Lola came up from behind where Susan was standing to lay Laura's newly-pressed uniform across the bed; a dark, olive green knee-length skirt, black tights, and a long-sleeved button up sweater. "They didn't have one that fit your exact measurements so the sleeves might be a bit long...and here!" Lola presented a light green hair bow to complete the uniform. "Keep it at the back of the head or on the left side only. The right is considered to be a violation of dress code, which is strictly enforced here."
Laura nodded gratefully, for both the information and the welcoming kindness presented to her from her new friends. She basked in the realization that it had not even been a day's time, and she'd managed to make three acquaintances without frightening them into dislike. It had been quite some time.
Lola politely answered Laura's previous question with a quirk of her lip and dusting of her dress. "No, we're not related in any way. I suppose it's just lucky to find a best friend with a hair color pigmentation that's as strange as your own."
Susan's own skin turned a similar shade to her hair.
Laura giggled lightly, shooting up to gather her newly-pressed uniform and leaving all traces of sleepiness on her matted bed, which she noticed that Lola took to making right away. Laura felt a bit ashamed at having not made her bed herself. "Lola, you don't have to-"
"Don't bother with that, L. She absolutely thrives on cleanliness!" Susan smirked jokingly, and watched as her friend tended to the bed with a heightened fury.
Laura stared down at her socks. Had she just been given a nickname? By her friend? She'd just barely managed to keep calm about the excitement bubbling up in her chest, but turned on her heel and hurried into the washroom to change.
She'd returned a few minutes later with a renewed nervousness. Did her uniform fit alright? Did she look silly in a skirt? The onyx-colored tights were beginning to ride upwards uncomfortably.
Lola hurried over with her school bow, and began neatly fixing it onto the left side of her head, pinning back a small lock of hair with it.
Lola's hands clasped together in front of her chest. "You look absolutely lovely, Laura. You're very beautiful, you know!"
Laura started down at her polished black indoor Mary Jane shoes that adorned her feet over her tights. Her hands pulled at the curls that hung on of her honey-brown hair that almost reached down to her waist.
Thankfully, Lola seemed to sense her nervousness and choose to speak again. "Elizabeth really should be awake. It's nearly time for our breakfast call."
Laura looked past Lola and Susan to see the small lump heavily still on Betty's side of the room. She grinned and bounced over, staring at the lump with a quirk in her lip. She giggled softly before bouncing forward. "Betty, WAKE UP!" But instead of feeling the solid body of the girl, her hands sunk down on the lump and smothered into the soft sheets. Laura frowned as she felt the sheets settle around her arms.
With a flick of her wrist the unveiled sheets revealed a stack of unwashed pillows, shaped to resemble the body of a rather tall young girl.
Laura turned to Susan and Lola. "Betty isn't here." The statement was calm and precise, yet filled with uneasiness.
Lola took the initiative to speak first. "She might just be playing a game, you know. She's probably downstairs devouring half of the breakfast table!" Lola chuckled nervously.
Susan nodded. "It's likely. It's just like Elizabeth to go playing around like that, especially towards the more..naive students." she threw a goodnatured elbow at Laura's way.
The honey-brunette stood for a moment, staring back at the lumps of soft pillows on the bed, before nodding to herself. "So you've known Betty for a while?" Laura asked as the exited her boarding room and walked across the hallway.
Most of the doors on either side were open, revealing either perfectly kept rooms or complete disasters that only boys would be expected of making. Laura knew that it was impolite to look into other's rooms, but she could help but giggle as a very tall red headed girl was bouncing on one foot while her hands attempted to pull up her stockings over her legs. She must have been a teenager by her looks, just getting to the stage of dealing with longer limbs. Laura supposed very briefly that she would not need to deal with the extent of that phase, as she imagined she would remain quite small even in adulthood. Unless of course, some miraculous growth spurt were to take place. But she deemed that very unlikely.
Susan answered her inquiry as the three trotted downstairs. "Indeed. Betty's been attending here since she was seven years old. Lola and I have been here for longer, of course."
"How many years young are you, Laura?" Lola asked as they entered what appeared to be the tea room that Laura had been exploring the day before.
The room was still as clean and proper as it was before, but now it was occupied with at least 20 young girls, all wearing similar uniforms with some variation. A sparkling veil seemed to settle over the children, their actions free of all evil purpose. It was, in a way, rather soothing. Laura spotted Lottie sitting cross-legged on the soft carpet, rolling a small wooden hobby horse. She also saw Mrs. Perry, entertaining a small group of children as she read to them quietly.
Laura answered as she sat down on the ground with her two friends, only just acknowledging that she had not seen Betty anywhere in the mix of young girls. "I'm eleven and three quarters." she announced, and greatly resisted the urge to raise her fingers in accordance with her age, only just reminding herself that she could not do that anymore. "And yourselves?"
"Twelve and a half." Lola smiled happily, before Susan chimed in with a proud "Twelve and three quarters. Which means that I can boss this one around whenever I want." Susan smirked at Lola, who was still smiling sweetly.
"Susan?" Lola answered, in the softest, most silky voice that Laura had ever heard her produce. Laura noticed Susan's demeanor changed immediately.
"Would you please go and fetch some sweet tea for Laura and I? One lump." Lola's eyelashes batted and Susan's eyes widened, her head nodding mechanically before bolting up and rushing to the dining hall.
Laura never thought that she'd laughed so hard in her entire life.
A few minutes later all three were happily enjoying their hot drinks (Laura became quite ecstatic over the open sugar bowl policy) and the children had managed to calm themselves before their first of their daily meals. The table was almost ready, as Laura could smell the sweet milky scent of a breakfast wheat meal, along with some sort of citrus fruits and the homey scent of freshly baked bread.
Laura's mouth was nearly watering...she rather enjoyed food. Lots of food, to be specific.
The schoolchildren seemed to catch on soon after, and began to grow skittish as their tummies growled impatiently.
Lola huffed, crossing her arms. "Honestly...can't they wait for a minute or two?" her pretty fingers tapped against the side of her own arm.
Susan was pouting as if she'd been scolded.
Laura laughed freely. It seemed as though it would be a swell morning.
Then, a small shadow caught in the corner of her eye. She blinked, her head turning and hair swaying.
A small figure looming in the far archway caught Laura's attention, before the shadow disappeared back into the dark hallway, but not before Laura caught the shine of darkened raven curls and the glaring contrast of the schoolgirl's pale green hair bows. The small honey brunette took notice of the archway, remembering that it was the same hall that lead to the mysteriously dark attic staircase. She excused herself from Susan and Lola and skipped over across to the other side of the room, taking care as to not disturb any of the other girls in the process.
As she neared the archway, the sounds of chatter and laughter seemed to fade away, along with the pleasant scents of early morning breakfast, replaced with a cold patch of air that hung in the dimly-lit hallway. There, sitting neatly on the first rise of the staircase, sat a beautiful little raven-haired girl who was no bigger than Laura´s own size, concentrating on the pages of a rather large book that she rested on her knees. Her uniform was quite similar to Laura's own, save for the small black school blazer that the girl wore over her button up blouse. Laura noticed these things only briefly, before the girl's gaze locked into Laura's own. Those dark chocolate eyes bore into Laura's own soft ones with aching familiarity, and it make Laura want to run away. She wouldn't-no-couldn't move, even as the girl stood swiftly, with all the grace of an angel. Laura had estimated correctly; the porcelain-skinned girl was very small, and her curiously blank expression stitched with her large, dark eyes and long lashes completed her doll-like exterior.
The trance was suddenly broken as her dark eyes turned to slits as she glared daggers at Laura.
The honey-brunett opened her small mouth at an attempt of words-nothing but a small squeak.
Then suddenly, she disregarded Laura with a raised dark brow before staring back down at her book again, seeming quite bored with the encounter. She turned and took her time in strolling back up the staircase.
Laura blinked herself out of shock. A larger question loomed in her mind. The students were not allowed up those stairs-Laura had been told this personally by her father. And although Laura had never been very keen on rules, this engaged her interests unwillingly. So, she mustered up the most mature, adultish approach she could attempt. She took in a deep breath. "HEY! Kids aren't allowed up there, dummy!"
The dark brunette froze on the fourth step, her small black shoes tapped to a stop. Then, she continued up as if nothing had even phased her, not even bothering to look back down at the small flustered honey-brunette.
Laura's mouth fell open.
Then, she pouted furiously, her cheeks tinting and her brows furrowed in. Her hands curled into small fists that shook at her sides. She tried again. "Hey! Did you even hear me? We're not allowed up there!"
This time, the girl on the staircase did turn around slowly, her book closing with her movements. The girl gave a quick glare down at Laura, seeming extremely bored with her presence. "Idiot child; stop yelling. It's annoying."
Her voice, though quite high, was like music to the ears even despite her words. Laura tried to put this to the back of her mind.
The honey-brunette's eyes widened as she watched the girl turn again, her skirt flowing, and proceeded to ascend once again, without another chosen word.
Laura was at a loss as she watched the little girl's perfect, dark curls bounce with every step, and the beautiful green satin bow at the back of her head. Laura's cheeks puffed with barely controlled confusion and anger.
"Your bow isn't as perfectly placed as you think it is, you- you bad person, you!"
The dining hall was rather large, as it housed two 18th century veneer mahogany dining tables that rested parallel to each other, each crafted to seat 16 people, which when combined was more than the school even housed. Laura found this to be very curious. All of the students had sat accordingly at the first of the two dining tables, rolling their sleeves up to their elbows and pushing their hair behind their ears. Laura noticed with a small smile that Lola had some trouble with accomplishing the former. She also noticed that the entire table was full, save for one spot right beside Susan. She smiled and walked over, taking care so as to not to wrinkle her skirt as she sat up with a small bounce, her legs dangling a few inches from the ground. She noticed that Susan was staring at her curiously.
¨Um, Laura? As much as I love for you to sit there, that's actually Lizzie's seat.¨
Lola nodded in agreement. ¨We all have assigned seating. It's no big deal, just ask my mother where they would like you to be seated.¨
Laura nodded, halfway sliding off of the upholstered chair when she heard Mrs. Perry's lovely voice. "That's alright Laura dear, you can stay there for now."
Laura frowned, but readjusted her seating. "Mrs. Perry, if it is alright for me to sit here, then where has Elizabeth gone?"
Mrs. Perry bright blue eyes went wide, and she cleared her throat before she opened her mouth to speak, when the double doors of the kitchen were swung open, and out came a frightened-looking young girl who seemed only a bit older than Laura herself. Her skin was dark and her black curls were tucked under a white traditional maid's cap, and her round spectacles were almost as big as her own face. She was holding what appeared to be a rather large porridge bowl in one arm, and a silver ladle in the other. An older woman rushed out after her, balancing various trays on both strong arms. She directed the younger girl to begin serving portions of the soupy breakfast food, and the small girl did so accordingly. She went around the tables, starting at one where the Dean, Mrs. Perry, and the pretty mean girl were sitting. She served them, then moved on.
Laura watched the shy girl approach them, and determined that she was a servant. But did she reside at the school? Perhaps she only worked here. Was she not too young for labor? Perhaps she was older than she appeared.
The dark-skinned girl gave Laura her spoonful of porridge then hurried to the tall redhead to her right.
Laura smiled at the girl politely. "Thank you."
Suddenly, the entire hall had gone silent. Laura watched as the girl with glasses quickly gave the redhead her portion and moved on. The small honey-glanced around. Her eyes caught Mrs. Perry's, who was hurrying over to where she was sitting.
"Laura, we do not speak to the servants, alright dear?"
Laura's eyes lowered to the ground. Why, she wondered, was no conversation allowed with them? Surely a simple thanks would not offend them. Although it was likely that they spoke in a different tongue. Laura kept her head down until everyone had resumed their noise making.
Once they were served, polite conversation began as usual. Well, as polite as possible when including children.
"I heard that they crawled out of the new gutters…."
"Yeah, that's why their skin is like that-probably filthy all the time!"
Laura couldn't register what was being said at her table. She couldn't fathom how words could be so cruel, yet tone could seem so innocent. A few of the girls at the far end of the table were speaking of the two servants who had given them their meal. It seemed as though that they were saying was unimpeachable, but Laura knew, deep in her heart that there had to be some underlying evilness. Laura couldn't take listening in anymore, so she turned to join Perry and Susan's conversation.
A while later and she became bored with that as well. She leaned her jaw on her small hand, propped up by her elbow. She blew at a strand of bright blonde hair that had fallen in front of her eye. She wondered why the students had to wait to be excused. Why couldn't they politely excuse themselves?
It was all very frustrating.
But, less frustrating that one other thing. Laura attempted to turn discreetly behind her, and found the raven-haired girl's eyes boring into her own. She was almost glaring with hatred, and Laura deeply wondered why. Laura whipped around quickly, clutching at the front fabric of her skirt and kept her wide eyes staring forward.
Why did the girl dislike her so?
The end of breakfast brought a tumbling wave of new concepts and rules. There was one professor for two classes that shared similar concepts. All students were required to attend four academically challenging courses, one language, and one fine art. There would be an activity break for everyone under the age of thirteen, and reading breaks for those over the cap. Lunch would be served at noon. Textbooks would be provided, and every student was required to manage their own sets of writing instruments and ink pots. There were only three available classrooms, and students alternated between both clasrooms and professors.
Laura's head was reeling with all of this information. Though, she managed to sheepishly follow behind Susan and Lola's every move while restraining herself from asking too many questions. Meanwhile, she silently clung to the hope that Betty would be sitting quietly in one of the desks once all of the children were seated.
She was not.
This was the first thing that Laura noticed, after she was seated in one of the last rows of the small classroom. The classroom was nearest to the kitchen, which was likely the explanation for the wafting scent of sweet bread that floated around the brightly lit room. Her professor was quite old; his belly stuck out and covered his belted trousers. He had glared curiously down at Laura when she'd approached him.
"Parlez-vous français, enfant?"
Laura's eyes had gone wide and she shook her head as a natural response.
He had nodded and spoke gruffly. "Ah, I see. Please to be sitting, now."
Laura had to refrain from asking any further questions. She'd hoped to find a seat closer to her two new friends, but it wasn't so.
The second very important thing that Laura noticed but did not care about at all, no sir, was the fact that that there was no sight of the little mean girl anywhere in the classroom. She cocked her head in thought. Every student was to attend the same classes. Another quick glance around the room told Laura that every child (save for the dark haired girl) was here. Laura found this very curious, and definitely paid all of her attention to what her Professor was lecturing and definitely did not wonder how the mean little girl placed her bow so perfectly every day.
That was until, she was called on.
"Mademoiselle 'ollis?"
Laura's head snapped up from where she was staring at her freshly filled ink pot, twirling her pen in the dark liquid. She answered in a small voice, and stood at the side of her desk accordingly. "Y-yes sir?"
He raised his single spectacle at her, leaning forward from where he was standing at the front. "I dare say that you veren't paying the attention. Care to be telling ze class as to why the attention vasen't paid?"
Laura's small mouth opened and a tiny squeak was her response. Her palms grew sweaty as she clasped her hands more tightly together behind her back.
A loud church bell rung thrice, slowly and strongly. It was so loud in fact, that half of the students hurried to cover their ears with their small hands, and the older children took to rubbing their temples in irritation. Laura, having never heard the sound, had ducked under her desk in surprise, and was now slowly getting back to her feet. The ringing had stopped.
All of the students had gathered their things and were now exiting the class. Laura glanced up; Professeur Abelard was smiling at her while shaking his chubby finger. "Very lucky, Madmoiselle. Very lucky, indeed."
Laura's face grew hot and she stared at the ground as she followed the two redheads out of the wooden door.
"Very lucky! Very lucky indeed, Mizz 'ollis!" Susan mocked, snickering as Laura pouted. Interestingly enough, their next class was just across from their last one, and students were already beginning to settle in. Laura had opted for heading upstairs to the washroom to douse her reddened face. Lola handed her a fluffy black towel to pat her cheeks down, before striking Susan in the arm. "Oh hush; that's not nice. I'd bet Professeur Abelard wouldn't have a second thought about laughing at your french if it didn't get him in trouble."
Susan laughed again. "My french is much better than his. He's actually from Poland, you know. Acts french to please Miss Morgan."
Laura heard Lola quickly stifle a giggle with a harsh cough.
"Even if it's true, we still have to be respectful to him as a teacher." Lola finalized, and quickly ushered them all back towards the staircases.
Laura rubbed her eyes with her curled fist. It wasn't even the first hour in and she already felt very tired. The next class, and still no sign of Betty. The small bundle of uneasiness that had been residing in Laura's stomach grew tenfold when she'd heard a few of the students speaking softly when she'd entered the dimly lit room.
"That's the girl who was with Betty, right?"
"Such a shame, don't you think? It really should have been her. Not Betty."
"Poor Betty."
Laura averted her eyes from their stares and quickly caught up to Susan and Lola, who were already settling in at their seats. Maybe they'd enlighten her on the gossip.
She hopped onto Perryś desktop and sat with a huff. ¨This is all very strange. I´d just become friends with Betty, and now sheś gone to nowhere! I say, I don't like this uneasiness. I don't. And now I've developed a record with Mossiure, Iḿ bound to struggle with my French now, my papa has only just gone and I miss him terribly, I've been scolded more times than days i've attended, and I can't seem to understand that rude girl with her perfect bow and dolly face-¨
Suddenly, Susanś hands were clasping her shoulders and was staring at her worriedly. ¨L, youŕe going purple!
Laura took in a deep breath which she released as a sigh. She often tended to spill her top layer thoughts like an open book. She apologized immediately. ¨Goodness, forgive me. Iḿ just very much on edge at the moment." She felt Lola stroking her hair and she relaxed at the touch.
Susan jumped in front of where she was sitting. ¨L, we're here to help with whatever madness comes your way. After all, we're friends.¨
The honey-brunett smiled gratefully, before hopping of of the small student desk. She dusted her skirt. ¨First thing is first I suppose. To find out where Bettyś gone off too...¨ Laura noticed Susan and Lola exchange a look of uncertainty. She raised a brow at them both. ¨Something you'd like to inform me about?¨
Lola opened her heart-shaped mouth but closed it ashamedly.
Susan then took the initiative. ¨Well…Itś not like we know much about it, Laura; there isn't much that anyone can do anymore, but...¨
Laura waited with her breath held.
Susan sighed defeatedly. ¨Betty is not returning. And it is likely that she never will. Laura there are things about this school that not even madam Perry understands, or wouldn't dare tell us.¨
¨Itś best to just leave it be. Betty's probably alright, there isn't anything we can do anyways.¨
Laura's mind was reeling. Betty was not going to return? Ever? Secretes that no one understands...if that were true, then there wouldn't be a secret in the first place.¨ Her tiny fists clenched. Nothing we can do?
Her second class went along relatively smoothly. Laura found herself giggling along as Susan's eyes widened with terrifying amounts of joy at all of experiments they would conduct throughout the year, beginning with a simple putty-making procedure, but it was enough to get Susan's gears turning. Laura even noticed that Lola was having a bit of trouble with her own solution.
And Laura had very much enjoyed making castles out of the finished product.
Their break time was spent in Laura's room, where the two redheaded children had made themselves very much at home after Laura had closed the door shut.
The honey-brunette took to pacing about the room as she spoke. "Alrighty. I need some kind of explanation before I start to go all wonky." She turned to Susan first, who was sitting cross-legged on top of Laura's bed. "First, how did you know that Betty would not be returning?"
Susan's gaze turned sorrowful. "Laura…"
"We've been here almost since we were toddlers, Laura. A lot of things have happened since then, but this whole...thing is quite recent."
"What thing?" Laura questioned, ceasing her pacing.
Lola's fingers knotted and twisted. "Well...I don't really know. It's only been happening for the past two years or so, but since then…"
"Over five girls have just...disappeared. They leave in the middle of the night usually, and then they never come back." Susan sighed.
Laura couldn't bring herself to wrap her head around it all, so she moved on. "Without any of their things? Because Betty had all of these pretty necklaces and bracelets and they're still here."
The three children turned to the brightly colored assortment of jewelry that was gathered atop the dresser at the back wall of the room. They reflected the light that managed through the grimey window, and it was almost blinding.
"Usually," said Susan, "and none of the professors will ever talk about them again. If they're spoken of, it's considered 'inflammatory'" she used air quotes "whatever that means."
Laura rubbed her tired eyes. Last night wasn't very helpful towards their situation, and now she felt as though there was even less to go off of. She brushed it off, though, and placed her fists on her hips. "Well," she took a deep breath. "that's fine. If none of the grown-ups are gonna help me, then I'll find Betty myself." she noticed Susan and Lola exchange another look of uncertainty. She turned her gaze towards the empty bed, the arranged pillows still sitting lifelessly in the form of a child. "Or...what happened to her."
Their next two classes went by rather quickly; Laura found herself rather enjoying the topics, as they fed her love for learning. Her literature class was taught by an older woman named Professor Chochrin, who was an eccentric teacher who knew her stuff~
Their lunch break was next. The students were directed once again to the dining hall, and after having a generous helping of (sandwiches and clam chowder), Laura glanced around again. It seemed as though that this time, the students were free to spend their remaining lunch hour however they pleased when they had finished. Laura stacked her dishes accordingly and excused herself from Susan and Lola, who were still chatting over their sandwiches and mumbling something about 'hummus'...
Laura hopped from one carpet to the other as she made her way out the back of the mansion, taking care to readjust the rugs if she'd shifted one over. She giggled as one slid forward with her speed, and felt very proud of herself once she'd caught herself from stumbling. She fixed that one, too. She assumed that students were allowed outside at this hour, as the glass double doors that lead to the rolling hills of their three acres were wide open.
The air was crisp but not unpleasant, but the wind whipped around her honey brown locks and made a mess of them as she looked around. She spit out some of the hair that had caught in her mouth and looked around. Although the stark black fence of the property was clearly visible around its borders, Laura imagined that the tanned prairie in front of her stretched for miles. It didn't of course, because at the end of the property, the gothic fence bordered the expanse of forest that was just on the other side. The gardens surrounding the mansion were still in their planting season, and there weren't any trees besides one that was placed atop an oddly shaped hill to Laura's right. She also noticed the little dot of black and porcelain that was sitting gracefully under the rather dead-looking (oak) tree, looking down at something in her lap.
Laura tried not to be upset when she determinedly approached the girl under the tree, but the memory of her rudeness burned a flame in Laura that she couldn't quite control. She found herself running, her little legs working in crude synch with pumping arms as she ran over. She was only a little ways away, but the girl sitting on the hill had not yet seen Laura. That was until, Laura stumbled over her own strides and she fell forward, landing on her hands and knees. She grunted and sat up, looking down at her dirty hands. She glanced up; the dark brunette was staring at her with a raised brow. Then suddenly, the girl let out a single scoff, and continued reading from her hardback novel.
Laura's face was indistinguishable from a tomato.
Laura's nightgown, like everything else in her wardrobe, fit her entirely too big. When her father gave the school her measurements, he'd predicted that she'd have a sudden growth spurt and that all of her cloths would be useless to her in a year or so. Laura pouted at the dragging fabric that pooled around her feet, and she folded back the soft cotton sleeves on her arms. She jumped up to her bed with a small hop, finally allowing herself to glance over to Betty's side of the maroon room. Laura stared at the empty bed with a furrowed brow. Betty's disappearance had awoken something in Laura. A thirst for realism, one that likely would lead to no good, but must be explored nonetheless.
A loud slam brought a haze of uneasiness over the room and she jumped up, trying not to stumble over her own nightgown as she approached the grimey window to the right of the room. Her hands pressed against the cold glass and her panicked breath fogged up the glass. She rubbed away the haze with a frustrated growl. The night was an inky black, but the single streetlamp allowed Laura to see the single-steed buggy in front of the mansion. She frowned as the heavy doors of the main entrance were swung open, and there was Ms. Morgan, with two other men clothed in brown and black. One of the men was being followed by a young girl, who appeared to be wearing their school's uniform. Laura did not recognize her, but she watched helplessly as the girl was directed into the buggy, and out of Laura's sight. She'd also noticed the assortment of luggage tied to the back end of the buggy, and then the carriage was disappearing down the road, with Ms. Morgan waving them off casually.
Laura stared down at the Dean, watching as the woman dusted her hands on a black cloth, which she promptly disposed of in a near bin.
