I hope that chapter set everything up…please read and review! This chapter and chapter 3 are kind of awkward cos it's a lot of set up and description, and my apologies if this cutoff seems odd..I couldn't figure out where else to start chapter 3, because I didn't want this one to be too long. Ok, please r/r
Chapter 2
The final week before moving back to Eden Hall seem to fly by. Everyday Connie and Julie were occupied with some sort of activity: going with the Moreau's or Christopher to buy stuff for their room and school, shopping for clothes, and of course meeting up with the Ducks. Plenty of games of street hockey were played and many boxes of pizza or subs from Goldberg's deli were ordered and devoured. It was soon moving day for the Ducks; this time around Connie was also included.
Move-in day for upperclassmen was the Friday before classes; the weekend would be filled with time to adjust and pre-semester activities. Connie and Julie had stayed up late packing up last minute belongings and were unable to sleep properly due to the excitement and anticipation of the next day. The two girls groaned as Mrs. Moreau rapped loudly on Connie's bedroom door, waking them up at the ungodly hour of 6am. After showering, the girls were a little better, but still sluggish as they packed up both the Moreau's stationary wagon and Christopher's SUV. The two girls sat in the backseat of the station wagon like zombies, only to be appeased when Mr. Moreau stopped at a coffee shop and bought the gang some much needed caffeine.
They arrived to Eden Hall at around 9am and were finally able to maneuver a spot at the drop-off area. The area was already packed with cars and busy with students and their families. The closer dorms were already seeing streams of people going in and out with boxes and suitcases.
"Julie, where did you say your girls' dorm was?" Mr. Moreau asked, as they all crowded around the two cars.
"Back there, " Julie said, pointing off the green. Mr. Moreau and Christopher did a collective take as they peered off to the distance where Julie was pointing. There was a large green cut up with several paved pathways. Towards the back of the green, over to the left was another large brick building- Julie's old dorm. Then, off to the right of that was a cluster of trees, a smaller building, then finally- if you looked hard enough was Maybury House.
"Um, you guys go ahead, " Christopher said. "I'll watch the cars. "
"Very funny, " Mrs. Moreau said, slapping her son on the arm. "Now, why don't you girls go pick up your keys; we'll be right behind you. Let me try to figure out the best way to do this." The two girls agreed, and took a couple of things and proceed to hike over to their new home.
"Geez, it does look haunted, " Connie said, as the two girls approached the cobblestone path through the thicket of trees. Maybury House stood in front of them.
It differed from the other dorms, as it was an actual house/mansion converted into dorms. A large, dark brown Tudor-style house, the exterior was framed with heavy black wood trim. The ceiling was grey-shingled. The house was framed with two turrets, topped with pointed shingled upside-down cones, each turret adorned with stained glass windows.
The landscaping in front was a little less ominous- a miniature weeping willow big enough to climb into sat on one side of the flower-lined path. The path led to a set of wide stone steps, where a young-looking woman was greeting some girls who were also moving into the house.
"Hello there, " she greeted Connie and Julie warmly. "Welcome to Maybury! I'm your dorm mother, Miss Davenport. Now, I don't believe I've had either of you in my classes, so you'll have to introduce yourselves." Miss Davenport had curly blonde hair and a kind face framed with red plastic framed-glasses. She wore a brown pencil skirt and a pink sweater set, which made her look slightly more school-marmish than right out of grad school.
"Oh, I'm Julie Gaffney, " Julie said, shaking hands with Miss Davenport.
"Connie Moreau, " Connie answered, also shaking hands with her. "It's my first year living on campus."
"Great! I assume you two are rooming together, right?" Miss Davenport asked. They both nodded. "Let's go get your stuff together so you can get to moving in!" They followed her inside. The front hall had a long and high, dark wood desk, were any aide could sit and watch the girls come and go. A pegboard of several dozen mail slots brimming with brightly colored literature, key rings that held the same amount of keys, and plexi shelves holding magazines, pamphlets, and other school flyers was hung behind it. A large staircase- the main staircase-was directly in front of them. Flanked by two cherry-brown banisters and enrobed in rich red carpet, it looked more fit for an old-time movie star in a long flowing gown to descend it rather than prep school girls. The stairway split both to the left and right at the landing, which was crowned with a large oil portrait of an older, elegant grey-haired woman. To the left of the stairs the girls could see the study/common room, and to the right the way to another parlor that led to a back atrium. Connie and Julie looked around to take it all in- it was indeed a beautiful house; far too elegant to be called a dorm.
Miss Davenport grabbed two sets of keys from the pegboard, and came back to the girls along with a clipboard. She handed them their keys- each tied by her with yellow grosgrain ribbon. "You girls, " Miss Davenport started, while looking over a clipboard, "are on the fifth floor. It's the attic, but it's only you two girls and another pair of girls rooming up there. If you ask me, it's the best rooms in the house. " She said, with an assuring smile. "You'll want to go up the stairs, then to the right of Ms. Maybury. You'll see another staircase to the right. "
"Ms. Maybury?" Connie asked.
"Yes, Connie, " Miss Davenport answered, leading them to the foot of the stairs. She pointed up to the painting at the top of the landing. "That's Ms. Eleanor Maybury. She was part of the first girls' graduating class of Eden Hall, '28. This house was part of the sister school, Westerly, until Eden Hall adopted it in 1928. More history later, you girls go get settled, I'm sure you have a lot of moving in to do!" She gave them a big smile and went off to go assist other girls who had arrived.
Julie and Connie hiked up the stairs to their floor. "The attic? We're going to freeze in the winter, " Julie said. They heard noises from the other girls living on the floors below them, but the sound decreased as they ascended up the stairs, until they got to their floor.
The fifth floor attic was eerily quiet. At the top of the stairs, the two examined what would be their living quarters for the year. To the immediate left was a door to the floor bathroom, and to the right a tiny common room, which was crammed with a chintzy looking couch and several chairs and a desk. Also in front of them were two doors facing them , one at each end of the tiny foyer. In the middle of the two doors was a large window that let in the light from the early morning.
"Hey, this one has our names on it, " Connie said, going to the door to the right. Two heart-shaped corkboards lined with matching yellow ribbon (most likely handmade by Miss Davenport) were hung on the door, each with 'Connie M. ' and 'Julie G' written in script. The two girls smiled at each other and anxiously opened the door.
A breeze blew past them as they revealed their new living quarters for the next ten months. The walls were painted a cheery butter yellow with dark brown molding. Two large windows framed with navy blue curtains sat wide open in the middle of the room. Slightly below the windows sat two identical twin beds with dark wood head and footboards, mattresses bare for the girls' personal linens. A nightstand each with a brass lamp with a navy blue lampshade sat beside the beds.
To the immediate right of the door sat two identical oak secretary desks, paired with a matching chair. Each desk had a folder and binder embossed with the Eden Hall crest, as well as corresponding stationery, pens, pencil bag, and pencil cup. A smallish bookcase was wedged between the desks. Along the same wall, around a small corner, the room jutted out to a space big enough to fit two large dressers, side by side. A closet door was next to the dresser, appearing large enough to hold both the girls' belongings. Connie and Julie dropped their purses onto their beds and plopped down. They both grimaced upon feeling the lousy comfort the mattress provided.
"So this is it- home, " Julie said, falling back onto the mattress. "It's better than I thought it would be. It's very girly."
"Yeah, " Connie said. She had gotten up to examine the old desk, running her hand across the etched wood- carvings from past Eden Hall students. A 'CEM' caught her eye.
"Look at that, " Connie said. " My initials. I think this makes this my desk. " Julie came over to look.
"Looks like you were destined to have this room, " Julie replied. They continued to check out the rest of the room, deciding that they would try to rearrange the room later on that day. They excitedly discussed where they could put pictures and posters, and what kind of rug to purchase later on that week. They remembered that Connie's parents and Christopher were probably waiting downstairs for them and went to go meet up with them.
Out in hallway, they saw two other girls who appeared to have just arrived as well. They were standing outside the other door, also adorned with two heart-shaped corkboards, with red ribbon trim. Quietly discussing something, they turned around to face Connie and Julie.
"Hey!" Julie said, going up to the two girls. "Denia! Natalie! We're your neighbors. "
"Oh, awesome!" Natalie said. It was hard to not recognize people in your grade in a school as small as Eden Hall, where the average year was about 100-130 students or so. The four girls were familiar with each other from the past two years at Eden Hall; Julie more so as she had roomed with the two on the same floor the year previous. They all exchanged pleasantries.
Denia Scott towered over the foursome at 5'10". Lean and fit, she ran track for the school. She had a dark brown- almost black bob with side bangs, framing her thin face perfectly. The bright fuchsia sundress she wore popped against her dark, caramel colored skin.
Natalie Groton was somewhat the total opposite from Denia in physical description. Shorter like Julie and Connie, she was fair-skinned, with blonde curly hair, chubby but curvy, her bust slightly spilling out of the top she was wearing. She wore stylish plastic framed-glasses.
"How's your room?" Natalie asked the two.
"It's ok, " Julie said. "The mattresses suck but there's a lot of room. "
" I heard that was one of the perks of living up in the attic, " Denia sighed. " I guess we'll all be in tip-top shape once our seasons start, huh?" Connie and Julie groaned in agreement, Natalie, the non-athlete, smiled empathetically.
"Ugh, hockey starts in like a month, " Connie said, looking over at Julie. "It's going to suck hard, since it's Varsity year. "
"I do not envy any of you, " Natalie said, waving about her finger. "These stairs kind of suck…you would think there was an elevator with the amount of money they bleed our parents for. " The four of them laughed.
"This place is ancient, " Julie said. "Miss Davenport said it used to be the old girls school or something before Eden Hall went co-ed. "
"Yeah, " Denia said. The foursome proceeded towards the stairs together to go start the process of moving up their belongings. "I hate that it's so far away from anything. Last year it was easy-peasy to sneak out after lights out. "
"We got our work cut out for us then this year, " Connie quipped. The four girls giggled at the thought of plotting escape routes on weekend nights. Plans were hatched as the foursome headed downstairs to move in.